Mazmur 107:1--109:31
KonteksBook 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 2
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 3
those whom he delivered 4 from the power 5 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 6
from east and west,
from north and south.
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion. 7
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:7 He led them on a level road, 8
that they might find a city in which to live.
107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 9
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 10
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 11
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 12
bound in painful iron chains, 13
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 14
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 15
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 16
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness, 17
and tore off their shackles.
107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 18
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 19
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 20
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 21
and they drew near the gates of death.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:20 He sent them an assuring word 22 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 23
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 24
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 25
107:23 26 Some traveled on 27 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 28
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm, 29
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 30
107:26 They 31 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 32 left them 33 because the danger was so great. 34
107:27 They swayed 35 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 36
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 37
and the waves 38 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 39 rejoiced because the waves 40 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 41 they desired.
107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 42
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 43
107:33 He turned 44 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 45
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 46 he turned 47 a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
107:36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
107:37 They cultivated 48 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 49
107:38 He blessed 50 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 51
107:39 As for their enemies, 52 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 53 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 54 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 55 the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner 56 shuts his mouth.
107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
A song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, 58 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 59
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 60
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 61
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 62
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 63 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 64
108:6 Deliver by your power 65 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 66
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 67
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 68
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 69
Ephraim is my helmet, 70
Judah my royal scepter. 71
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 72
I will make Edom serve me. 73
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 74
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 75
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 76
he will trample down 77 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 79
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 80
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 81
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 82
but I continue to pray. 83
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 84
and hate for love.
109:6 85 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 86
May an accuser stand 87 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 88 guilty! 89
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
May another take his job! 91
109:9 May his children 92 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 93 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 94
109:11 May the creditor seize 95 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 96
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 97
May no one have compassion 98 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 99 be cut off! 100
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 101
109:14 May his ancestors’ 102 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 103
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 104
and cut off the memory of his children 105 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 106
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 107
109:17 He loved to curse 108 others, so those curses have come upon him. 109
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 110
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 111
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 112
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 113
or a belt 114 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 115
those who say evil things about 116 me! 117
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 118
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 119
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 120
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 121
I have turned into skin and bones. 122
109:25 I am disdained by them. 123
When they see me, they shake their heads. 124
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 125
109:27 Then they will realize 126 this is your work, 127
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 128
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 129
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 130 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 131
in the middle of a crowd 132 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 133 his life.
[107:1] 1 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 2 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 3 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 6 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 7 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 8 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 9 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 10 tn Heb “[the] longing throat.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), which frequently refers to one’s very being or soul, here probably refers to one’s parched “throat” (note the parallelism with נֶפֱשׁ רְעֵבָה, nefesh rÿ’evah, “hungry throat”).
[107:9] 11 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 12 tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).
[107:10] 13 tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.
[107:11] 14 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 15 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 16 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 17 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 18 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 19 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 20 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 21 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 22 tn Heb “he sent his word.” This probably refers to an oracle of assurance which announced his intention to intervene (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 59).
[107:20] 23 tn Heb “he rescued from their traps.” The Hebrew word שְׁחִית (shekhit, “trap”) occurs only here and in Lam 4:20, where it refers to a trap or pit in which one is captured. Because of the rarity of the term and the absence of an object with the verb “rescued,” some prefer to emend the text of Ps 107:20, reading מִשַׁחַת חַיָּתָם (mishakhat khayyatam, “[he rescued] their lives from the pit”). Note also NIV “from the grave,” which interprets the “pit” as Sheol or the grave.
[107:21] 24 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 25 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 26 sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.
[107:23] 27 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 28 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 29 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 30 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 31 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 32 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 34 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 35 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 36 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
[107:29] 37 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 38 tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23.
[107:30] 39 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 40 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 41 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 42 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 43 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 44 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[107:34] 45 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 46 tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion.
[107:35] 47 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33.
[107:37] 48 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 49 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 50 tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).
[107:38] 51 tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).
[107:39] 52 tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people.
[107:39] 53 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 54 tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.
[107:41] 55 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 56 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
[108:1] 57 sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).
[108:1] 58 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[108:1] 59 tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
[108:2] 60 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[108:3] 61 tn Or “the peoples.”
[108:4] 62 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[108:5] 63 tn Or “be exalted.”
[108:5] 64 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[108:6] 65 tn Heb “right hand.”
[108:6] 66 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[108:7] 67 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[108:7] 68 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
[108:8] 69 tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[108:8] 70 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[108:8] sn Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan River. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
[108:8] 71 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[108:9] 72 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[108:9] 73 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[108:10] 74 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
[108:12] 75 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[108:13] 76 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 118:16-16).
[108:13] 77 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
[109:1] 78 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 79 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 80 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 81 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 82 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 83 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 84 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 85 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 86 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 87 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 88 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 89 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 90 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
[109:8] 91 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 94 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 95 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 96 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 97 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 98 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 99 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 100 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 101 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 102 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 103 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:14] sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
[109:15] 104 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 105 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 106 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 107 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 108 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 109 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 110 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 111 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 112 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 113 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 114 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 115 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 117 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 118 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 119 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
[109:23] 120 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 121 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 122 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 123 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 124 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 125 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 126 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 127 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 128 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 129 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 130 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 131 tn Heb “I will thank the
