Knock your socks off השועל בגרביים

Let's suppose for a moment that we don't know what sock means. How would we find out? Let's suppose that we don't know what תָם means. How would we find out? (maybe that should be השועל עם גרביים)

We have one useful thing, our life in the ear, mind, and body. We will have to sieve the usage of the word in question and then decide if we have got it. Sieves are useful - but they are full of holes.

So we will take all the usage of this word and see if we can discover meaning. Which word - why didn't you know that תָם means sock? Couldn't we figure out the meaning of sock from the usage?

When you have sock, you are upright. Psalms 25 and 37. When your enemy is socked, he is ruins. Psalm 9. You walk socked. Aha - we are getting somewhere. This metaphor is used repeatedly. Psalm 15 and as a frame in Psalm 26 - must be important. Also in Psalms 84 and 101. We have a theme!!!

From Psalm 18 we learn that God's way is socked - must be something good about sockiness. (Good and God are related words of course since they share so many letters.) When we are socked, God shows his socks. (Psalm 18:26) so we can be socked with him (verse 24) - this means keeping ourselves from guilt. Being socked is not only good - it might be important.

Psalm 18 also tells us that being socked is related to being clothed. Tov. Socks give you strength. Psalm 19 - and sockiness keeps things from ruling over you. Psalms 37 and 38 show us that being socked has something to do with peace. Socks are dangerous - you can get them filled up with terrors (Psalm 73). Also you could get socked from the earth or not - Psalms 102, 104. All in all though, sockiness has to do with  joy and avoiding shame. Sounds like it is worth investigating.

Hebrew	Psalm	English
תֹּם וָיֹשֶׁר יִצְּרוּנִי כִּי קִוִּיתִיךָ	25.21	Translate me sock and upright for I have waited for you
הָאוֹיֵב תַּמּוּ חֳרָבוֹת לָנֶצַח וְעָרִים נָתַשְׁתָּ אָבַד זִכְרָם הֵמָּה	9.7	Here the enemy is socked ruins enduring and cities you have destroyed perished is their memory of them
הוֹלֵךְ תָּמִים וּפֹעֵל צֶדֶק וְדֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבוֹ	15.2	One walking socked and working righteousness and speaking truth in the heart
וָאֱהִי תָמִים עִמּוֹ וָאֶשְׁתַּמֵּר מֵעֲו‍ֹנִי	18.24	and I will be socked with him and I will keep myself from my guilt
עִם חָסִיד תִּתְחַסָּד עִם גְּבַר תָּמִים תִּתַּמָּם	18.26	with the kind you show yourself kind with one sock you show yourself sock
הָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ אִמְרַת יְהוָה צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחֹסִים בּוֹ	18.31	This God, his way is sock the promise of יְהוָה refined he is a shield to all taking refuge in him
הָאֵל הַמְאַזְּרֵנִי חָיִל וַיִּתֵּן תָּמִים דַּרְכִּי	18.33	This God clothes me in strength and he will give the sockiness of my way
גַּם מִזֵּדִים חֲשֹׂךְ עַבְדֶּךָ אַל יִמְשְׁלוּ בִי אָז אֵיתָם וְנִקֵּיתִי מִפֶּשַׁע רָב	19.14	Also from presumptions hold your servant that they may not rule in me Then I will be sock and I will be clear of abundant sin
תּוֹרַת יְהוָה תְּמִימָה מְשִׁיבַת נָפֶשׁ עֵדוּת יְהוָה נֶאֱמָנָה מַחְכִּימַת פֶּתִי	19.8	The teaching of יְהוָה is sock turning a life The testimony of יְהוָה is nourishing making wise simplicity
לְדָוִד שָׁפְטֵנִי יְהוָה כִּי אֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי הָלַכְתִּי וּבַיהוָה בָּטַחְתִּי לֹא אֶמְעָד	26.1	Of David Judge me יְהוָה for I myself have walked in my sockiness and in יְהוָה I trust I will not slip
וַאֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי אֵלֵךְ פְּדֵנִי וְחָנֵּנִי	26.11	But I myself will walk in my sockiness Ransom me and have mercy on me
יוֹדֵעַ יְהוָה יְמֵי תְמִימִם וְנַחֲלָתָם לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה	37.18	יְהוָה intimates the days of the sock and their inheritance will be forever
שְׁמָר תָּם וּרְאֵה יָשָׁר כִּי אַחֲרִית לְאִישׁ שָׁלוֹם	37.37	should you heed the sock or note the upright because the result for this one is peace
אֵין מְתֹם בִּבְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵי זַעְמֶךָ אֵין שָׁלוֹם בַּעֲצָמַי מִפְּנֵי חַטָּאתִי	38.4	and there is nothing sock in my flesh in the face of your indignation there is no peace in my bones in the face of my sin
כִּי כְסָלַי מָלְאוּ נִקְלֶה וְאֵין מְתֹם בִּבְשָׂרִי	38.8	for my stupidity is a thorough disgrace and there is nothing sock in my flesh
וַאֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי תָּמַכְתָּ בִּי וַתַּצִּיבֵנִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם	41.13	but as for me, in my sockiness you hold onto me and you set me up in your presence forever
לִירֹת בַּמִּסְתָּרִים תָּם פִּתְאֹם יֹרֻהוּ וְלֹא יִירָאוּ	64.5	in secret to shoot the sock suddenly they shoot and they do not fear
יַחְפְּשׂוּ עוֹלֹת תַּמְנוּ חֵפֶשׂ מְחֻפָּשׂ וְקֶרֶב אִישׁ וְלֵב עָמֹק	64.7	they plan injustice they sock a master plan of the inner person and deep heart
אֵיךְ הָיוּ לְשַׁמָּה כְרָגַע סָפוּ תַמּוּ מִן בַּלָּהוֹת	73.19	How suddenly they are wasted Stopped, sock full with terrors
כִּי שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמָגֵן יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים חֵן וְכָבוֹד יִתֵּן יְהוָה לֹא יִמְנַע טוֹב לַהֹלְכִים בְּתָמִים	84.12	For battlement and shield is יְהוָה God יְהוָה will give grace and glory no good will he withhold from those who walk in sockiness
אַשְׂכִּילָה בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים מָתַי תָּבוֹא אֵלָי אֶתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתָם לְבָבִי בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי	101.2	I will teach insight in a way of sockiness When will you come to me? I will walk in the sockiness of my heart within my house
עֵינַי בְּנֶאֶמְנֵי אֶרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת עִמָּדִי הֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים הוּא יְשָׁרְתֵנִי	101.6	My eyes are on the faithful of earth to live with me walking in a way of sockiness Such a one will serve me
וְאַתָּה הוּא וּשְׁנוֹתֶיךָ לֹא יִתָּמּוּ	102.28	but you are the same and your years will not be socked
יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְהוָה הַלְלוּ יָהּ	104.35	sinners will be socked from the earth and there is no time for the wicked Bless יְהוָה O my being Hallelu Yah
אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי דָרֶךְ הַהֹלְכִים בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה	119.1	All joy for those who are the sock of the way who walk in the teaching of יְהוָה
יְהִי לִבִּי תָמִים בְּחֻקֶּיךָ לְמַעַן לֹא אֵבוֹשׁ	119.80	Yea, let my heart be sock in your statutes so I will not be ashamed

This post is a response to going blue in German.