Counter-Missionary Education
Debunking Proof-Texts from the Psalms
Part 1b
A Counter-Missionary Education Lesson
by
Uri Yosef, Ph.D., Director of Education
Virtual Yeshiva of the Messiah Truth Project, Inc.
[The article on this topic is located here - http://thejewishhome.org/counter/PsalmsPrfTxt1.pdf]
Copyright © Uri Yosef 2015 for the Messiah Truth Project, Inc.
All rights reserved
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 1 of 7
Introduction
In the first lesson in this series on claimed “messianic prophecies” in the Book of
Psalms by Christians we reviewed Christianity’s and Judaism’s perspective on
what “messianic prophecy” is, and highlighted the major differences between
them. In that lesson two claimed “messianic prophecies” from the 8th chapter in
the Book of Psalms and their alleged “fulfillment” in the New Testament were
analyzed in terms of their content and context. The analysis demonstrated
those claims were not valid “messianic prophecies”.
This is the second lesson that will explore and investigate the claims by
Christians of "messianic prophecies" from the 16th and 18th chapters in the Book
of Psalms.*
____________________
* The material covered in these first two lessons is drawn from the article linked on the title
page.
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 2 of 7
Psalms Chapter 16
Christian sources attribute to the 16th Chapter in the Book of Psalms three "messianic prophecies" that are
"fulfilled" according to accounts in the
"Messianic Prophecy"
"Fulfillment"
KJV “Old Testament”
KJV New Testament
Jewish Translation
New Testament:
Translation
Translation from the Greek
from the Hebrew
Psalms 16:8-10a
Matthew 28:6
Psalms 16:8-10a
1. The Messiah would be resurrected
8. I have placed the Lord
8. I have set the LORD
The relevant texts from the KJV’s "Old
before me constantly;
always before me: because
because [He is] at my right
Testament" and New Testament, and the he is at my right hand, I shall
hand, I will not falter.
not be moved.
corresponding Jewish translation for
9. Therefore, my heart
9. Therefore my heart is glad, He is not here: for he is risen,
rejoiced, and my soul was
as he said. Come, see the
reference purposes, are provided in the and my glory rejoiceth: my
glad; even my flesh shall
flesh also shall rest in hope.
place where the Lord lay.
dwell in safety.
table, with the respective relevant
10. For thou wilt not leave my
10. For You shall not forsake
soul in hell; [neither wilt thou
portions of the passages shown in
my soul to the grave; [You
suffer thine Holy One to see
shall not allow Your pious
highlighted form.
corruption.]
one to see the pit.]
The Hebrew term ‫ְׁשאֹול‬
which means the grave, appears in the Hebrew Bible 65 times, and is
generally applied in this context throughout the Hebrew Bible, has been mistranslated as hell in the KJV
rendition of verse 10a. The renditions of this term are inconsistent throughout the KJV’s “Old Testament”. [It
is worth noting that Biblical Hebrew contains no word or phrase for the common Christian idea of eternal
damnation called “hell”.]
(sheOL),
Verse 10a does not speak of the resurrection of the dead. King David is confident that, when the time
comes for him to die, his soul would ascend to be with God rather than descend to the grave along with his
body. King Solomon spoke about this process as well:
Ecclesiastes 12:7 - And the dust returns to the earth as it was; and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Clearly, this is the same idea as is described by his father, King David. There is nothing in the context of this
psalm that speaks of a resurrection, and certainly not about a Messiah who dies and is resurrected.
Conclusion: Psalms 16:8-10a is not a valid "messianic prophecy".
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 3 of 7
Psalms Chapter 16 (continued)
2. The Messiah’s body would not
be subject to decay
In the passage from the Hebrew Bible,
King David describes the reasons for
being happy throughout his life, and in
verse 10 he points out that he will
rejoice even in death since he knows
that, while his body will go into the
grave, his soul will go to God.
"Messianic Prophecy"
KJV “Old Testament”
Translation
Psalms 16:8-10b
"Fulfillment"
KJV New Testament
Translation from the Greek
Acts 13:35-37
8. I have set the LORD
always before me: because
he is at my right hand, I shall
not be moved.
9. Therefore my heart is glad,
and my glory rejoiceth: my
flesh also shall rest in hope.
10. For thou wilt not leave my
soul in hell; neither wilt thou
suffer thine Holy One to see
corruption.
35. Wherefore he saith also
in another psalm, Thou shalt
not suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption.
36. For David, after he had
served his own generation by
the will of God, fell on sleep,
and was laid unto his fathers,
and saw corruption:
37. But he, whom God raised
again, saw no corruption.
Jewish Translation
from the Hebrew
Psalms 16:8-10b
8. I have placed the Lord
before me constantly;
because [He is] at my right
hand, I will not falter.
9. Therefore, my heart
rejoiced, and my soul was
glad; even my flesh shall
dwell in safety.
10. For You shall not forsake
my soul to the grave; You
shall not allow Your pious
one to see the pit.
The KJV rendition of verse 10b and the
opening verse of the “fulfillment” account have two mistranslations. First is the rendition as thine Holy One
of the Hebrew inflected noun ‫ידָך‬
ְׁ ‫( ח ֲִס‬hasidCHA), which actually means your pious one. The root noun ‫חָ ִסיד‬
(haSID), a pious one, is used in this context throughout the Hebrew Bible.
Second is the rendition as corruption (meaning decay) of the Hebrew term ‫( שַׁ חַׁ ת\שָ חַׁ ת‬SHAhat), which
actually means a grave, or a pit, and is generally applied in this context throughout the Hebrew Bible.
Since ‫ ְׁשאֹול‬and ‫ שַׁ חַׁ ת\שָ חַׁ ת‬are interchangeable in Biblical Hebrew, and since the former was used in verse
10a, it is natural that, for poetic and stylistic reasons, the author used the latter in verse10b, in the context
of “a grave”, which is also the meaning of “the pit”.
The author of the “fulfillment” account in the New Testament, with the help of these two key mistranslations,
replaces King David with Jesus. Yet, the passage cited as the “messianic prophecy” contains neither an
explicit reference nor does it allude to a body being preserved after death.
Conclusion: Psalms 16:8-10b is not a valid "messianic prophecy".
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 4 of 7
Psalms Chapter 16 (continued)
3. The Messiah would be exalted to
the presence of God
As he ends his prayer, King David asks
God to teach him "the way of life" that
will enable him to enjoy his place in the
world to come as he sits to the right of
the Creator (see our lesson on
Psalms 110:1 and the article on it).
Is this messianic text? No, since the
promised Jewish Messiah will be an
earthly king who will reign over an
Earthly kingdom. Could it be
pre-messianic? Perhaps, since some
of the Jewish Sages opine that the
Messiah will be King David himself,
will be sitting to the right of God while
waiting for the resurrection of the dead.
"Messianic Prophecy"
KJV “Old Testament”
Translation
Psalms 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the
path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of
joy; at thy right hand
there are pleasures for
evermore.
"Fulfillment"
KJV New Testament
Translation from the Greek
Acts 2:25-33
25. For David speaketh concerning him, I
foresaw the Lord always before my face, for
he is on my right hand, that I should not be
moved:
26. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my
tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh
shall rest in hope:
27. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption.
28. Thou hast made known to me the ways
of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy
countenance.
29. Men and brethren, let me freely speak
unto you of the patriarch David, that he is
both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is
with us unto this day.
30. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing
that God had sworn with an oath to him, that
of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh,
he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31. He seeing this before spake of the
resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in hell, neither his flesh did see
corruption.
32. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof
we all are witnesses.
33. Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed
forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Jewish Translation
from the Hebrew
Psalms 16:11
You shall let me
know the way of life,
the fullness of joys in
Your presence.
There is
pleasantness in Your
right hand forever.
Conclusion: Psalms 16:8-11 is not a valid "messianic prophecy".
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 5 of 7
Psalms Chapter 18
Christian sources attribute to the 18th Chapter in the Book of Psalms one "messianic prophecy" that is
"Messianic Prophecy"
"Fulfillment"
"fulfilled" according to accounts in the
KJV
“Old
Testament”
KJV
New Testament
Jewish Translation
New Testament:
Translation
Translation from the Greek
from the Hebrew
Psalms 18:49
Ephesians 3:3-6
Psalms 18:50
The Messiah would come for all
[3.
How
that
by
revelation
he
made
people
known unto me the mystery; (as I
wrote afore in few words,]
In this biographical account, King David
4. Whereby, when ye read, ye may
describes the dangers that had befallen Therefore will I give
understand my knowledge in the
Therefore, I will give
mystery of Christ)
him throughout his life, and how God
thanks unto thee, O
thanks to You, O Lord,
5. Which in other ages was not made
LORD, among the
among the nations, and
had always rescued him from all those
known unto the sons of men, as it is
heathen, and sing
to Your name I will sing
revealed unto his holy apostles
praises.
perilous situations. In verse 50[49], the praises unto thy name. now
and prophets by the Spirit;
6. That the Gentiles should be
only verse out of this psalm's 51 verses
fellowheirs, and of the same body, and
chosen by Christians as a "messianic
partakers of his promise in Christ by
the gospel:
prophecy", King David declares that, in
return for his deliverance, he will acknowledge his indebtedness to God before Israel and all the people of
the nations that acknowledged him and which he conquered (see, e.g., 2Samuel 8).
In the "fulfillment" text Paul claims a new divine "revelation", one that no man had before, that the knowledge
of Jesus would unite all people. Paul’s claim of this new "revelation" contradicts the prophet Amos, who
wrote that Israel received all that was to be revealed through the prophets:
Amos 3:7 - For the Lord God does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets.
Whose account would be more credible, the one by the prophet Amos, one of the 55 true prophets of Israel
named in the Hebrew Bible, or the one by Paul, the inventor of Christianity?
Conclusion: Psalms 18:50[49] is not a valid "messianic prophecy".
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 6 of 7
Summary
In this lesson on so-called "proof texts" in the Psalms, four such texts from Psalms 16
and 18, which are claimed to be Christian "messianic prophecies", along with their
respective "fulfillment" texts from the New Testament, were investigated. The analysis
addressed content, context, and correspondence between each pair of texts, in order to
assess the validity of the claims. The results of the analysis are summarized below:
Statement
The
The
The
The
Messiah would be resurrected
Messiah's body would not be subject to decay
Messiah would be exalted to the presence of God
Messiah would come for all people
Citations
"Prophecy"
"Fulfillment"
Psalms 16:8-10a Matthew 28:6
Psalms 16:8-10b Acts 13:35-37
Psalms 16:11
Acts 2:25-33
Psalms 18:50[49] Ephesians 3:4-6
Valid?
NO
NO
NO
NO
As the sample of claimed Christian "messianic prophecy" and "fulfillment" pairs grows,
two patterns emerge: First, these texts are not valid “messianic prophecies”. Second,
their focus is on Jesus, the central figure in the Christian messianic vision, not on the
conditions that will prevail in the world due to his accomplishments.
November 25, 2015
Debunking Proof-Texts in the Psalms - Part 1b
Page 7 of 7