Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Life
A day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Like many psalms, this one has a dedication—“for the sons of Korah.” The ancestor for whom this musical family was named was a rebel leader who attempted to depose Moses and Aaron (see Numbers, chap. 16). Yet his descendants served in sacred roles in the Temple.
During David’s time, the Korahites were known as poets and singers (see I Chronicles 6:31) as well as doorkeepers outside the Temple courts. Recurring mentions of this and other families of musicians hint at the importance of organized music, especially in worship and celebration.
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Resources quoted in this issue
Cit. 4: Laymon, Charles M. The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 1971; Mays, James L., Joseph Blenkinsopp, et al., eds. Harper’s Bible Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.
Cit 7: Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew, 1955. Revised and updated by Saint Andrew, 2001. Reprinted as The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001–04.
Cit. 8: Eiselen, Frederick Carl., Edwin Lewis, and David G. Downey, eds. The Abingdon Bible Commentary: New Testament. New York: Abingdon Press, 1929.
Cit. 9: Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice, Joseph S. Exell, and Edward Mark Deems, eds. The Pulpit Commentary. London, 1880–1909. Also available at biblehub.com/commentaries.
Cit. 13: Keil, Carl Friedrich, and Franz Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament. 10 vols. Translated by James Martin. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1864–88. Reprint, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. Also available at biblehub.com/commentaries.
Cit. 15: Elwell, Walter A., ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1996. Reprinted as Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000. Also available at biblestudytools.com.
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Scriptural quotations marked New Revised Standard Version Bible are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked New Century Version are taken from the New Century Version®, copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked Common English Bible are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright © 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible Classic are taken from the Amplified® Bible Classic, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
Scriptural quotations marked International Children’s Bible are taken from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 2021 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
