Psalms not in the Psalter
The 10 songs: Song 5
*Givon is a place in the valley of Ayalon near Jerusalem
These are the 10 songs of Judaism. Among them, two are found in the Psalter, and one is the Song of Solomon or Song of Songs, which I plan to delve into separately. It’s also important to note that the last song, the Song of the Messiah, according to Jewish custom, has never been sung, as it is reserved for when the Messiah is present.
This is an occasional series. I will add to the links as each song is blogged.
The best bits are hidden
This is a quirky little nugget! Buckle up: what you’re about to read isn’t even the fifth song on a top ten list; it’s just a snippet from a much longer ballad. The full song? It’s hiding in the elusive Book of Jasher, which, believe it or not, has no copies in existence.
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Joshua 10:12-15 ESVUK
When the Old Testament part quotes a source that no longer exists I find that Jewish commentaries can shed light on what it means. This is from https://www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/10-shirot.html
To enable him to wage war and to defeat Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem and his allies and enable the Hebrews to enter Canaan and set up the divisions of land for each Hebrew tribe as well as establishing a sanctuary at Shiloh, which served as a holy city and stood for 200 years until the First Temple was built by King Solomon.
The best bits are hidden, waiting to be discovered! This event is one of the Ten Songs, as it played a pivotal role in establishing a vibrant worship site for the Tabernacle at Shiloh.
It’s like a Garibaldi biscuit on a sugar rush! The best part, that sneaky layer of squashed currants, is playing hide-and-seek between two disturbingly thin layers of biscuit. Other countries decided to join the party too; in the Netherlands, they’ve got a biscuit called Sultana, which is practically the same, but they threw in a layer of sultanas just to keep things exciting. And let’s not forget the USA’s Golden Fruit Raisin Biscuits — a classic that’s probably lost in the Bermuda Triangle of snacks! Personally, I’m all about those delightful Northern English Chorley Cakes. Mmm. Now that’s a better filling of currants. For those with a serious sweet tooth, there are also Eccles Cakes, which are basically sugar hugs. And just like that, we’ve successfully tangented into confectionary bliss — now let’s move on before we all gain 5 kilos just by reading!
It is the same with this story, where there is a beautiful layering akin to that found in Garibaldis. (This similarity extends also to Eccles Cakes and Chorley cakes.) While the original song was longer, what resonates most is the poignant tale of a national worship centre being established at Shiloh, subtly intertwined with the moving story of Joshua earnestly praying for the sun and moon to pause until victory in battle is achieved.
The best bit is hidden. God longs for us to worship him.
The 10 songs:
Making an ass of myself 
I would not like that chorley cake. Someone skimped on the raisins. I could not see the bit where a national worship centre was established at Shiloh!
Thanks John,
I don’t know what happened there. Not only had the reference to the thickness of Chorley cakes disappeared, but the quoting was all to pot. It seems to have publidhed an earlier draft.
It should be all right now.
Enjoying learning about the ten songs. There is repetition in the bible and I also lose track of time. By that I mean bible time, I can’t keep up with the generations and duties of all the tribes.
I note that David was not happy for the arc to be in a tent while he was in a house, but as a warrior he was not to be the temple builder. Hadn’t realised it was 200 years after Shiloh before Solomon got to build the temple.
Yes, God is keen that there is a place where the assembly can worship. I get overcome by an arena concert, but the numbers at the annual gathering must have been huge!