Psalms lekhabu le Creation Ethics

~Johny Laldinthar F.Tusing

UBS, the 18^th July, 2019.

(Published article in Weekly bulletin, ICI, New Delhi Issue 127, August 4, 2019)

Thuhma

Hotupa Joyful Zawlthanglien Ṭhiek (Khawzawl) in ditsak takin thusep thawlawm ve dingin a mi hung fiel nawl el a, lawmum ka ti takzet el. Inchûklai ei la ni leiin buoipui ding tâmtak el hmasuon zing ei ni leiin, beisei ang phâknaw pal a tih ti ruok chu kan lau hlû thung. Thusep ziek dinga kan ngaituo lai chun, Psalms lekhabua Creation Ethics hi lungrila a hung inlang ta kuou el a, ei ngaituo sunzawm dingin tiin tawite in ka hung ziek ve hrâm a nih.

Bible thu hi a tiemtu le dawngtu izirin, a ziektu hai khan an lekhathawn/thuziek kha Pathien Thlarau ṭhangpuina ṭhang siin anhermil hlak. Chuleiin hi thuziek tiemtu (readers/audience) dinghai hi India khawpuitak Delhi ah um, lekhathiem thei tak tak, hrietna tieng khawm suongum tak vawng ei ni leiin, Hmartawnga thumal pakhat chaua hmang ding a tlukpui hi ei nei naw leiin, Hmarṭawnga inlet chuong loin Creation Ethics tiin ei sie/hmang pei ding a nih.

Ethics umzie

Ethics ti thumal hi Greek ṭawng ‘εθος’ (ethos) or ‘ηθος’ (êthos) a inthawka laksuok, a umzie chu ‘khawsak dân’, ‘thaw(chieng) dân’, ‘thil thaw râwp’ ti a nih. Thuthlung Hluia hin, a hmangna hnaitak chu ‘מוּסָר’(musâr) thunun or inchuktir ti amani דֶּרֶךְ (derek)(lampui or fe na ding) ti hi a tlangpuiin wisdom literature [Job, Thuvarhai (Qoheleth khawm ti a nih), Hlahai Hla, Psalm (ṭhenkhat) le Apocrypha hieng- Ben Sira, Baruch, Wisdom of Solomon hai hi Wisom Literature ti an nih] hai ah hmang an nih.

Albert Camus chun, “Mihriem ethics neilo chu ramsa (sahuoi) khawvêla insuo zalen ang an nih” a lo tia, chuleiin ethics ei ti hi thil pawimawtak a nih. Social Media Ethics, Journalist Ethics, le dang dang hai hi ei ngaipawimaw a hung ṭul taa, ei Bible a ngei khawm hin Ethical Teaching hi Genesis a inthawk Thupuongsuo chen hin hmu ding ṭhahnemtak a um a nih. Pentateuch (Gen. - Deut.) lem hi chu Ethical Principles in a hluosip a ni deu tak. Wisdom Literature a ngei khawm hin, hi inchûktirna hin inthûk takin hmun a chang.

Ziek dân Kalhmang (Methodology)

Old Testament Scholar Christopher J Wright chun Old Testament Ethics hi Israel hai tukver a inthawk thlirin ‘Triangular Method of Ethics’ tiin Pathien (Theological angle), Israelhai(Social angle) leh Ram(Economic angle) hai pathum hmangin thiem takin a lo induonga. Pathien thlirna tukver chu Israelhai Pathien ngei ding a nia, Israelhai chu Pathien in a serhran Hnam an nia, Ram chu a tiem ram a pek chu a nih.

                GOD 

 

                               ISRAEL                                       LAND

J Wright hin “Theology ei ti le Ethics hi ṭhe hran theilo anih” a ti tawp el a nih. Chuleiin, Pathien thu ei suibingna a hin Ethics hi ei ensa ve pei ding a nih. Triangular Method of Ethics hi Wisdom Literature le Psalm a haia Ethics remkhawmna dinga ruohmang pawimawtak chu a nih.

Psalm lekhabu thlirna:

Ei thuziek hin Psalm lekhabua Creation Ethics tamtak laia tlawmte chau ei thlûr ding a nih. Hebrew Bible a chun Psalm ti hi Tehillim ti a ni a, a umzie chu “Inpakna Hlahai” ti a nih. Septuagint (LXX- Hebrai Bible, Greek ṭawnga inlet) inlettu hai chun ‘Psalmoi’ tiin ansie a, a  umzie chu “Rimawi thuomhnaw le inpâkna hla inzui/inrem” ti a nih. Hi taka inthawk hin Psalm ti hi ei hung hmang ta pei a nih. Psalm hi Pathien inpakna le ṭawngṭaina bu a nih. Eugene Peterson chun, “Ringtuhai in ṭawngṭaina hla ei inzawt râwn tak laia mi chu Psalm hi a nih” a tih. Psalmic Scholar (Psalm lekhabu bika mithiem) Claus Westermann chun, “Germany ramah harsatna runpui in a nuoi laia Kohranhai kei ngirtu chu Pathien inpakna hla (Psalm) hi a nih” a tih. Psalm ziektu haiin Pathien kuomah thu an puongsuok a inthawk hin, Pathien thu puongsuokna le inchuktirna (kerygma le didakhe) thilthawtheina a tarlang bawk. Kum zabi pahni-na laia German Systematic theologian ropuitak laia mi Jurgen Moltmann chu Indopui Pahnina lai khan German sipai huoisen a nia, Germany tukdei a ni hnung khan British Prisoner of War camp ah a um a, hi hun lai hin ‘rinum ti leiin’ a ruol ṭhenkhat tamtak chun an hringna an chân hiel a nih. British sipai chaplain pakhatin Thuthlung Thar le Psalm lekhabu hi a peka, Psalm a tiemna inthawk hin ama lungril (sungril) inthuktaka inthawka ṭawngsuok ang el hin thilthawtheina a nei tlatin a hrieta. Psalm hin a hringna a thlak danglam peka, Pathien kuomah ṭhuoi tlungin a um a, a hnunga theologian ropuitak a hung ni pha ta a nih.

Hi taka inthawk hin Psalms hi danglam taka thilthawtheina nei, Pathien rawl hrietna le nun thlakdanglamtu anih ti hi ei hriet thei a nih.

Psalms Creation Ethics

Psalms Creation Ethics hi Land (Economic angle) hnuoia hmun pawimawtak hluotu a nih. Scholar ṭhenkhat chun Social Angle a siekhawm an um nuol tho. Iengpo khawm nisien ei enna ding tukver chu Land (Economic) angle a nih. Psalm a Creation Ethcis ei tihai chu Psalm 8, 19, 29, 65, 104 le 139 hai hi an nih. Pathien hin a thilsiemhai hmanga/fethlenga a ropuizie hre dingin ami dit a. Ps.19:1-4 hin a sukchieng hlê, “Vânhai khin Pathien ropuizie chu ân hriettir a, Boruok lientak khin a kutsuok chu ân langtir hlak a…” Khawvel le a sunga um popo hi Pathien thil thlawnpek vawng an nih, amiruokchu chu chu umzie nei tak le inthûk taka inṭingmat le inbûktawk senga induong a nih, hi lei hin a man a tam in Pathien thilsiema hin Mihriem hai mawphurna le enkawltu nina beiseina hi ansâng bîk a nih. Chuleiin, ṭhangthar (ṭhangkhat hun peia mi thar) hai hin chu hlutna chu a thara ei hriet nawn rawp a pawimaw. Psalm ziektu le a thuziek a chênghai chun nitina thilsiem ei i tawnhriet dâm, ei tawng le ei hmasuon hai hi Pathien in a namdet le a cheldet tlat a ni ti hi pawm ding a nih. Hi taka hringmi hai thaw ding chu thilsiem hai popo leia Pathien kuomah lawm ding ei nih.

Khawvel hi ama angpuia siema umhai mihriem hai tadinga malsawmna ni dingin Pathien an duong a nia, chuleiin a economic value hi ansâng hlê a nih. Mihriem sierkawpa a hlutna chawk suok ruol a ni nawh. Hunbi le boruok inthlâkthlenghai hi, thilsiemhai pawimaw le ṭul ang peia Pathien namdet le famkim taka ruot diem anni hi inthûk taka sui chun a ropui hle. Chuleiin, thilsiemhai popo hin Pathien remruotna ang thlap in, an hringna fekuolin an inthlak pei a nih (Life Cycle). Chuleiin, hrietnavar (science) in thilsiemhai hi anni le anni an inkungkaina det tak leia um nawk pei angin a hril hi thudik pumhluom a tling naw, thilsiemhai popo a chin a lien chenin an nghatna chu siemtu Pathien a nih (Ps.33:6-9; 65:9-13; 104). Pathienin, inpêngtuo senga hringna inthlasawng nawk peia dinga anduong a nia, chuleiin hratna suksei na ding dam, damsuok nawkna ding dam, thildang hai le inmiltaka um theina ding dam, inbuktawk taka damkhawsuok theina hai hi Pathienin ‘remhrie taka induong’ (Intelligent Design) anti hiel a nih.

Thukharna

Pathien thilsiem a hin nang le kei hin enkawlna sin pawimwtak ei nei. Environmental le Ecological issues tamtak hai hi Psalms ziektu in Thilsiemhai-in Pathien ropuizie anhriettir a ti hi lungrila pai zinga a siemṭhatna, enkawlna le vawnghim dinga ṭhanglak hi ei thawding tak a nia, hi ngaipawimawnaw tu chu Creation Ethics ah ei fail a nih ti hi ei hriet a pawimaw hlê. Christ Wright chun, “mi tukhawmin thilsiem(khawvel) suksie a, sukkhawhlo tu chu a siemtu hlimthla sukhmelhemtu a nih, thilsiem hin mihriemhai tading chaua ṭangkai dinga siem ni loin Pathien laka hlutna a nei a nih” tiin a lo hril. Chuleiin, tiemtu dittak, ei thuring innghatna Bible a hin Creation Ethics pawimawtak an phumruk a ni ti hi a thara ei hriet nawn seng nuom a um takzet.

Lalpa’n malsawm raw seh.

Lekhabu râwnhai:

Briggs, Charles A.  A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. London : T & T Clark International, 2004.

Brueggemann, Walter. The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith. 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002.

Brueggemann, Walter. The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994.

Craigie, Peter C., Psalms 1-50. Word Biblical Commentary Vol.19.                 Dallas: Zondervan, 2002.       

Goldingay, John. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms 1. Vol.1: 1-41. Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013                                                                                                              

Green, Joel B. Scripture and Ethics. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014.

Kaiser Jr, Walter C. Toward Old Testament Ethics. Michigan: Zondervan, 1984.

Thomas L. Constable. Notes on Psalms. Dallas Theological Seminary, Tyndale Seminary Press publication, 2019 edition.

Wright, Christopher J. Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. London: Intervarsity Press, 2004.