Psalm 37:6
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Tsedeq – righteous – This is the idea of behaving right, walking a straight path, and performing justice.
Ore – light – Refers to light that brings brightness and order, enabling you to see where things are, etc.
Mishpat – judgment – This word involves making a judgment with discretion and according to the law.
Tsohar – noonday – This is a light that shines bright, sometimes described as a double light. A shimmering, glowing olive oil is also involved in this word. It is interesting to note that the olive is crushed before you get to oil. Some roots of this word involve pressing and crushing.
So here is my humble attempt at a better understanding of this verse.
Each day, decide to do what is right. How do we know what is right? By following what is prescribed in the law, YHVH’s law. The weightiest matters of the law are justice, mercy, and faith. We must use discretion and fairness in our dealings. We must have compassion on those around us, particularly those less fortunate. We must trust YHVH to keep His promises as we do our best to obey. When we do, He promises to make our efforts shine like a bright light. Those around us will be able to see clearly and know what to do because of our example. They will be able to bring order to their lives by seeing the law obeyed in our lives. In order for our light to be extra bright, we must undergo some testing and growing. We must do right even when it’s hard. But we can trust that YHVH will use our righteousness to help others to do the same. They will be blessed through us.
I was just listening to a Torah Class today where Tom goes in depth about these very words. It was Exodus 21 (lesson 21). Wonderful wonderful stuff!
Thanks, Pam! I'll check that out. I have so enjoyed studying the Hebrew words. It makes everything look so different and so clear.