Mazmur 106:1--107:43
Konteks106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 2
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? 3
106:3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time!
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
106:5 so I may see the prosperity 4 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 5
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 6
106:6 We have sinned like 7 our ancestors; 8
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds,
they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea. 9
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation, 10
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at 11 the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
106:10 He delivered them from the power 12 of the one who hated them,
and rescued 13 them from the power 14 of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived. 15
106:12 They believed his promises; 16
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; 17
they did not wait for his instructions. 18
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving 19 for meat; 20
they challenged God 21 in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease. 22
106:16 In the camp they resented 23 Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. 24
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed 25 the group led by Abiram. 26
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked. 27
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God 28
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected 29 the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 30 acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened 31 to destroy them,
but 32 Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him 33
and turned back his destructive anger. 34
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 35
they did not believe his promise. 36
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 37
they did not obey 38 the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow 39
that he would make them die 40 in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants 41 die 42 among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands. 43
106:28 They worshiped 44 Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 45
106:29 They made the Lord angry 46 by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened, 47
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 48
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 49 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 50 his temper, 51
and he spoke rashly. 52
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 53
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 54
106:36 They worshiped 55 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 56
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 57
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed. 58
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 59
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 60
and despised the people who belong to him. 61
106:41 He handed them over to 62 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 63
106:43 Many times he delivered 64 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 65
and degraded themselves 66 by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 67 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 68
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 69 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 70
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 71
in the future and forevermore. 72
Let all the people say, “We agree! 73 Praise the Lord!” 74
Book 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 76
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 77
those whom he delivered 78 from the power 79 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 80
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. 81
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, 82
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! 83
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 84
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 85
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 86
bound in painful iron chains, 87
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 88
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 89
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 90
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, 91
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! 92
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 93
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 94
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 95
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 96 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 97
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 98
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 99
107:23 100 Some traveled on 101 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 102
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, 103
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 104
107:26 They 105 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 106 left them 107 because the danger was so great. 108
107:27 They swayed 109 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 110
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 111
and the waves 112 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 113 rejoiced because the waves 114 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 115 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! 116
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 117
107:33 He turned 118 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 119
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 120 he turned 121 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 122 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 123
107:38 He blessed 124 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 125
107:39 As for their enemies, 126 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 127 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 128 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 129 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 130 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!
[106:1] 1 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
[106:1] 2 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[106:2] 3 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
[106:5] 5 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
[106:5] 6 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
[106:6] 8 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
[106:7] 9 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
[106:7] sn They rebelled. The psalmist recalls the people’s complaint recorded in Exod 14:12.
[106:8] 10 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[106:11] 15 tn Heb “remained.”
[106:12] 16 tn Heb “his words.”
[106:13] 17 tn Heb “his works.”
[106:13] 18 tn Heb “his counsel.”
[106:14] 19 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
[106:14] 20 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
[106:14] 21 tn Heb “they tested God.”
[106:15] 22 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”
[106:15] sn Disease. See Num 11:33-34, where this plague is described.
[106:16] 24 tn Heb “the holy one of the
[106:17] 26 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
[106:18] 27 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
[106:20] 28 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the
[106:22] 30 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
[106:23] 31 tn Heb “and he said.”
[106:23] 32 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
[106:23] 33 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
[106:23] 34 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”
[106:23] sn Verses 19-23 describe the events of Exod 32:1-35.
[106:24] 35 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
[106:24] 36 tn Heb “his word.”
[106:25] 37 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
[106:25] 38 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
[106:26] 39 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
[106:26] 40 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
[106:27] 41 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[106:27] 42 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
[106:27] 43 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[106:28] 44 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”
[106:28] sn They worshiped Baal of Peor. See Num 25:3, 5. Baal of Peor was a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal located at Peor.
[106:28] 45 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
[106:29] 46 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew
[106:30] 47 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
[106:31] 48 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant.
[106:31] sn Brought him a reward. See Num 25:12-13.
[106:32] 49 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 50 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
[106:33] 51 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 52 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[106:33] sn Verses 32-33 allude to the events of Num 20:1-13.
[106:34] 53 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 54 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 56 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 57 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
[106:38] 58 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 59 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 60 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 61 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 62 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 63 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 64 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
[106:43] 65 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
[106:43] 66 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 67 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 69 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 70 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 71 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 72 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 73 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 74 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
[107:1] 75 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 76 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 77 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 80 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 81 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 82 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 83 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 84 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] 85 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 86 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] 87 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] 88 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 89 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 90 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 91 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 92 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 93 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 94 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 95 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 96 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] 97 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] 98 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 99 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 100 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] 101 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 102 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 103 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 104 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 105 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 106 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 108 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 109 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 110 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] 111 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 112 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] 113 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 114 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 115 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 116 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 117 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 118 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] 119 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 120 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] 121 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] 122 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 123 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 124 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] 125 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] 126 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] 127 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 128 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] 129 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 130 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
