Mazmur 1:2

1:2 Instead ¹  he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; ² 

he meditates on ³  his commands ⁴  day and night.

Mazmur 15:2

15:2 Whoever lives a blameless life, ⁵ 

does what is right,

and speaks honestly. ⁶ 

Mazmur 58:2

58:2 No! ⁷  You plan how to do what is unjust; ⁸ 

you deal out violence in the earth. ⁹ 

Mazmur 72:18

72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! ¹⁰ 

He alone accomplishes amazing things! ¹¹ 

Mazmur 78:32

78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,

and did not trust him to do amazing things. ¹² 

Mazmur 94:4

94:4 They spew out threats ¹³  and speak defiantly;

all the evildoers boast. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 95:9

95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, ¹⁵ 

and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.

Mazmur 104:31

104:31 May the splendor of the Lord endure! ¹⁶ 

May the Lord find pleasure in the living things he has made! ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 106:13

106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; ¹⁸ 

they did not wait for his instructions. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 106:39

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions. ²⁰ 

[1:2]  ¹ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead”) introduces a contrast between the sinful behavior depicted in v. 1 and the godly lifestyle described in v. 2.

[1:2]  ² tn Heb “his delight [is] in the law of the Lord.” In light of the following line, which focuses on studying the Lord’s law, one might translate, “he finds pleasure in studying the Lord’s commands.” However, even if one translates the line this way, it is important to recognize that mere study and intellectual awareness are not ultimately what bring divine favor. Study of the law is metonymic here for the correct attitudes and behavior that should result from an awareness of and commitment to God’s moral will; thus “obeying” has been used in the translation rather than “studying.”

[1:2]  ³ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the characteristic behavior described here and lends support to the hyperbolic adverbial phrase “day and night.” The verb הָגָה (hagag) means “to recite quietly; to meditate” and refers metonymically to intense study and reflection.

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Or “his law.”

[15:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “one who walks blamelessly.”

[15:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “one who speaks truth in his heart”; or “one who speaks truth [that is] in his heart.” This apparently refers to formulating a truthful statement in one’s mind and then honestly revealing that statement in one’s speech.

[58:2]  ⁷ tn The particle אַף (’af, “no”) is used here as a strong adversative emphasizing the following statement, which contrasts reality with the rulers’ claim alluded to in the rhetorical questions (see Ps 44:9).

[58:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the heart unjust deeds you do.” The phrase “in the heart” (i.e., “mind”) seems to refer to their plans and motives. The Hebrew noun עַוְלָה (’avlah, “injustice”) is collocated with פָּעַל (pa’al, “do”) here and in Job 36:23 and Ps 119:3. Some emend the plural form עוֹלֹת (’olot, “unjust deeds”; see Ps 64:6) to the singular עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”; see Job 34:32), taking the final tav (ת) as dittographic (note that the following verbal form begins with tav). Some then understand עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”) as a genitive modifying “heart” and translate, “with a heart of injustice you act.”

[58:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “in the earth the violence of your hands you weigh out.” The imagery is from the economic realm. The addressees measure out violence, rather than justice, and distribute it like a commodity. This may be ironic, since justice was sometimes viewed as a measuring scale (see Job 31:6).

[72:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.

[72:18]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”

[78:32]  ¹² tn Heb “and did not believe in his amazing deeds.”

[94:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”

[94:4]  ¹⁴ tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (’amar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).

[95:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”

[104:31]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “be forever.”

[104:31]  ¹⁷ tn Or “rejoice in his works.”

[106:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “his works.”

[106:13]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “his counsel.”

[106:39]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).