Mazmur 3:1--41:13
KonteksA psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. 2
3:1 Lord, how 3 numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me. 4
3:2 Many say about me,
“God will not deliver him.” 5 (Selah) 6
3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; 7
you are my glory 8 and the one who restores me. 9
3:4 To the Lord I cried out, 10
and he answered me from his holy hill. 11 (Selah)
3:5 I rested and slept;
I awoke, 12 for the Lord protects 13 me.
3:6 I am not afraid 14 of the multitude of people 15
who attack me from all directions. 16
Deliver me, my God!
Yes, 18 you will strike 19 all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth 20 of the wicked. 21
you show favor to your people. 23 (Selah)
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4:1 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me! 25
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. 26
Have mercy on me 27 and respond to 28 my prayer!
4:2 You men, 29 how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? 30
How long 31 will you love what is worthless 32
and search for what is deceptive? 33 (Selah)
4:3 Realize that 34 the Lord shows the godly special favor; 35
the Lord responds 36 when I cry out to him.
4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! 37
Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! 38 (Selah)
4:5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices 39
and trust in the Lord! 40
4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord! 41
than those who have abundant grain and wine. 43
4:8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully, 44
for you, Lord, make me safe and secure. 45
For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; 47 a psalm of David.
5:1 Listen to what I say, 48 Lord!
Carefully consider my complaint! 49
5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
my king and my God,
for I am praying to you!
5:3 Lord, in the morning 50 you will hear 51 me; 52
in the morning I will present my case to you 53 and then wait expectantly for an answer. 54
5:4 Certainly 55 you are not a God who approves of evil; 56
evil people 57 cannot dwell with you. 58
5:5 Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; 59
you hate 60 all who behave wickedly. 61
the Lord despises 64 violent and deceitful people. 65
5:7 But as for me, 66 because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house; 67
I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you. 68
5:8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness 69
because of those who wait to ambush me, 70
remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! 71
5:9 For 72 they do not speak the truth; 73
their stomachs are like the place of destruction, 74
their throats like an open grave, 75
their tongues like a steep slope leading into it. 76
May their own schemes be their downfall! 78
Drive them away 79 because of their many acts of insurrection, 80
for they have rebelled against you.
5:11 But may all who take shelter 81 in you be happy! 82
May they continually 83 shout for joy! 84
Shelter them 85 so that those who are loyal to you 86 may rejoice! 87
5:12 Certainly 88 you reward 89 the godly, 90 Lord.
Like a shield you protect 91 them 92 in your good favor. 93
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; 95 a psalm of David.
6:1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger!
Do not discipline me in your raging fury! 96
6:2 Have mercy on me, 97 Lord, for I am frail!
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking! 98
6:3 I am absolutely terrified, 99
and you, Lord – how long will this continue? 100
6:4 Relent, Lord, rescue me! 101
Deliver me because of your faithfulness! 102
6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death, 103
In Sheol who gives you thanks? 104
6:6 I am exhausted as I groan;
all night long I drench my bed in tears; 105
my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 106
6:7 My eyes 107 grow dim 108 from suffering;
they grow weak 109 because of all my enemies. 110
6:8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, 111
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping! 112
6:9 The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy;
the Lord has accepted 113 my prayer.
6:10 May all my enemies be humiliated 114 and absolutely terrified! 115
May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!
A musical composition 117 by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning 118 a Benjaminite named Cush. 119
7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. 120
Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!
7:2 Otherwise they will rip 121 me 122 to shreds like a lion;
they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me. 123
7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, 124
or am guilty of unjust actions, 125
7:4 or have wronged my ally, 126
or helped his lawless enemy, 127
7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase 128 me 129 and catch me; 130
may he trample me to death 131
and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. 132 (Selah)
7:6 Stand up angrily, 133 Lord!
Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! 134
Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! 135
7:7 The countries are assembled all around you; 136
take once more your rightful place over them! 137
7:8 The Lord judges the nations. 138
Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, 139
because I am blameless, 140 O Exalted One! 141
7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked 142 come to an end! 143
But make the innocent 144 secure, 145
O righteous God,
you who examine 146 inner thoughts and motives! 147
7:10 The Exalted God is my shield, 148
the one who delivers the morally upright. 149
7:11 God is a just judge;
he is angry throughout the day. 150
7:12 If a person 151 does not repent, God sharpens his sword 152
and prepares to shoot his bow. 153
7:13 He prepares to use deadly weapons against him; 154
he gets ready to shoot flaming arrows. 155
7:14 See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,
who conceives destructive plans,
and gives birth to harmful lies – 156
and then falls into the hole he has made. 158
7:16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans 159
and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head. 160
7:17 I will thank the Lord for 161 his justice;
I will sing praises to the sovereign Lord! 162
For the music director, according to the gittith style; 164 a psalm of David.
how magnificent 166 is your reputation 167 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 168
8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, 169
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 170
8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 171
8:4 Of what importance is the human race, 172 that you should notice 173 them?
Of what importance is mankind, 174 that you should pay attention to them, 175
8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? 176
You grant mankind 177 honor and majesty; 178
8:6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; 179
you have placed 180 everything under their authority, 181
8:7 including all the sheep and cattle,
as well as the wild animals, 182
8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea
and everything that moves through the currents 183 of the seas.
how magnificent 185 is your reputation 186 throughout the earth! 187
For the music director; according to the alumoth-labben style; 189 a psalm of David.
9:1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds! 190
9:2 I will be happy and rejoice in you!
I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! 191
9:3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated 192 before you.
9:4 For you defended my just cause; 193
from your throne you pronounced a just decision. 194
9:5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry; 195
you destroyed the wicked; 196
you permanently wiped out all memory of them. 197
9:6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; 198
you destroyed their cities; 199
all memory of the enemies has perished. 200
9:7 But the Lord 201 rules 202 forever;
he reigns in a just manner. 203
9:8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations. 204
9:9 Consequently 205 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 206
he provides safety in times of trouble. 207
9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, 208
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. 209
9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules 210 in Zion!
Tell the nations what he has done! 211
9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; 212
he did not overlook 213 their cry for help 214
“Have mercy on me, 216 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 217
O one who can snatch me away 218 from the gates of death!
9:14 Then I will 219 tell about all your praiseworthy acts; 220
in the gates of Daughter Zion 221 I will rejoice because of your deliverance.” 222
9:15 The nations fell 223 into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. 224
9:16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice;
the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. 225 (Higgaion. 226 Selah)
9:17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; 227
this is the destiny of 228 all the nations that ignore 229 God,
9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, 230
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. 231
Don’t let men be defiant! 233
May the nations be judged in your presence!
Let the nations know they are mere mortals! 235 (Selah)
10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble? 237
10:2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed; 238
the oppressed are trapped 239 by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up. 240
10:3 Yes, 241 the wicked man 242 boasts because he gets what he wants; 243
the one who robs others 244 curses 245 and 246 rejects the Lord. 247
10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” 248
10:5 He is secure at all times. 249
He has no regard for your commands; 250
he disdains all his enemies. 251
“I will never 253 be upended,
because I experience no calamity.” 254
10:7 His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; 255
his tongue injures and destroys. 256
10:8 He waits in ambush near the villages; 257
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. 258
10:9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket; 259
he lies in ambush, waiting to catch 260 the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed 261 by pulling in his net. 262
10:10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets. 263
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.” 265
O God, strike him down! 267
Do not forget the oppressed!
10:13 Why does the wicked man reject God? 268
He says to himself, 269 “You 270 will not hold me accountable.” 271
10:14 You have taken notice, 272
for 273 you always see 274 one who inflicts pain and suffering. 275
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you; 276
you deliver 277 the fatherless. 278
10:15 Break the arm 279 of the wicked and evil man!
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds, 280
which he thought you would not discover. 281
10:16 The Lord rules forever! 282
The nations are driven out of his land. 283
10:17 Lord, you have heard 284 the request 285 of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. 286
10:18 You defend 287 the fatherless and oppressed, 288
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. 289
For the music director; by David.
11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. 291
How can you say to me, 292
“Flee to a mountain like a bird! 293
11:2 For look, the wicked 294 prepare 295 their bows, 296
they put their arrows on the strings,
to shoot in the darkness 297 at the morally upright. 298
11:3 When the foundations 299 are destroyed,
what can the godly 300 accomplish?” 301
11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; 302
the Lord’s throne is in heaven. 303
his eyes 306 examine 307 all people. 308
11:5 The Lord approves of 309 the godly, 310
but he 311 hates 312 the wicked and those who love to do violence. 313
11:6 May the Lord rain down 314 burning coals 315 and brimstone 316 on the wicked!
A whirlwind is what they deserve! 317
11:7 Certainly 318 the Lord is just; 319
he rewards godly deeds; 320
the upright will experience his favor. 321
For the music director; according to the sheminith style; 323 a psalm of David.
12:1 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly 324 have disappeared; 325
people of integrity 326 have vanished. 327
12:2 People lie to one another; 328
they flatter and deceive. 329
12:3 May the Lord cut off 330 all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts! 331
12:4 They say, 332 “We speak persuasively; 333
we know how to flatter and boast. 334
Who is our master?” 335
12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, 336
because of the painful cries 337 of the needy,
I will spring into action,” 338 says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” 339
12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. 340
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined. 341
12:7 You, Lord, will protect them; 342
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people, 343
12:8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere, 344
when people promote evil. 345
For the music director; a psalm of David.
13:1 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me? 347
How long will you pay no attention to me? 348
13:2 How long must I worry, 349
and suffer in broad daylight? 350
How long will my enemy gloat over me? 351
13:3 Look at me! 352 Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me, 353 or else I will die! 354
13:4 Then 355 my enemy will say, “I have defeated him!”
Then 356 my foes will rejoice because I am upended.
13:5 But I 357 trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance! 358
13:6 I will sing praises 359 to the Lord
when he vindicates me. 360
For the music director; by David.
14:1 Fools say to themselves, 362 “There is no God.” 363
They sin and commit evil deeds; 364
none of them does what is right. 365
14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven 366 at the human race, 367
to see if there is anyone who is wise 368 and seeks God. 369
14:3 Everyone rejects God; 370
they are all morally corrupt. 371
None of them does what is right, 372
not even one!
14:4 All those who behave wickedly 373 do not understand – 374
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to the Lord.
14:5 They are absolutely terrified, 375
for God defends the godly. 376
14:6 You want to humiliate the oppressed, 377
even though 378 the Lord is their 379 shelter.
14:7 I wish the deliverance 380 of Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the well-being of his people, 381
may Jacob rejoice, 382
may Israel be happy! 383
A psalm of David.
15:1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home? 385
Who may live on your holy hill? 386
15:2 Whoever lives a blameless life, 387
does what is right,
and speaks honestly. 388
15:3 He 389 does not slander, 390
or do harm to others, 391
or insult his neighbor. 392
15:4 He despises a reprobate, 393
but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. 394
He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. 395
15:5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money. 396
He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. 397
The one who lives like this 398 will never be upended.
A prayer 400 of David.
16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. 401
16:2 I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord,
my only source of well-being.” 402
16:3 As for God’s chosen people who are in the land,
and the leading officials I admired so much 403 –
16:4 their troubles multiply,
they desire other gods. 404
I will not pour out drink offerings of blood to their gods, 405
nor will I make vows in the name of their gods. 406
16:5 Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; 407
you make my future secure. 408
16:6 It is as if I have been given fertile fields
or received a beautiful tract of land. 409
16:7 I will praise 410 the Lord who 411 guides 412 me;
yes, during the night I reflect and learn. 413
16:8 I constantly trust in the Lord; 414
because he is at my right hand, I will not be upended.
16:9 So my heart rejoices
and I am happy; 415
My life is safe. 416
16:10 You will not abandon me 417 to Sheol; 418
you will not allow your faithful follower 419 to see 420 the Pit. 421
16:11 You lead me in 422 the path of life; 423
I experience absolute joy in your presence; 424
you always give me sheer delight. 425
A prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 427
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 428
17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! 429
Decide what is right! 430
17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; 431
you have examined me during the night. 432
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful. 433
17:4 As for the actions of people 434 –
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men. 435
17:5 I carefully obey your commands; 436
I do not deviate from them. 437
17:6 I call to you for you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me! 438
Hear what I say! 439
17:7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds, 440
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies. 441
17:8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! 442
Hide me in the shadow of your wings! 443
17:9 Protect me from 444 the wicked men who attack 445 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 446
they speak arrogantly. 448
17:11 They attack me, now they surround me; 449
they intend to throw me to the ground. 450
17:12 He 451 is like a lion 452 that wants to tear its prey to bits, 453
like a young lion crouching 454 in hidden places.
17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 455 Knock him down! 456
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 457
17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 458
from the murderers of this world! 459
They enjoy prosperity; 460
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 461
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 462
17:15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; 463
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me. 464
For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang 466 to the Lord the words of this song when 467 the Lord rescued him from the power 468 of all his enemies, including Saul. 469
“I love 471 you, Lord, my source of strength! 472
18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, 473 my stronghold, 474 my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where 475 I take shelter, 476
my shield, the horn that saves me, 477 and my refuge. 478
18:3 I called 479 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 480
and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:4 The waves 481 of death engulfed me,
the currents 482 of chaos 483 overwhelmed me. 484
18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, 485
the snares of death trapped me. 486
18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God. 487
From his heavenly temple 488 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 489
18:7 The earth heaved and shook; 490
the roots of the mountains 491 trembled; 492
they heaved because he was angry.
18:8 Smoke ascended from 493 his nose; 494
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 495
he hurled down fiery coals. 496
18:9 He made the sky sink 497 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
18:10 He mounted 498 a winged angel 499 and flew;
he glided 500 on the wings of the wind. 501
18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, 502
in thick rain clouds. 503
18:12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals. 504
18:13 The Lord thundered 505 in 506 the sky;
the sovereign One 507 shouted. 508
18:14 He shot his 509 arrows and scattered them, 510
many lightning bolts 511 and routed them. 512
18:15 The depths 513 of the sea 514 were exposed;
the inner regions 515 of the world were uncovered
by 516 your battle cry, 517 Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose. 518
18:16 He reached down 519 from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water. 520
18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 521
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18:18 They confronted 522 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 523
18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 524
18:20 The Lord repaid 525 me for my godly deeds; 526
he rewarded 527 my blameless behavior. 528
18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 529
I have not rebelled against my God. 530
18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations, 531
and I do not reject his rules. 532
18:23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning. 533
18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 534
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 535
18:25 You prove to be loyal 536 to one who is faithful; 537
you prove to be trustworthy 538 to one who is innocent. 539
18:26 You prove to be reliable 540 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 541 to one who is perverse. 542
18:27 For you deliver oppressed 543 people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look. 544
18:28 Indeed, 545 you are my lamp, Lord. 546
My God 547 illuminates the darkness around me. 548
18:29 Indeed, 549 with your help 550 I can charge against 551 an army; 552
by my God’s power 553 I can jump over a wall. 554
18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 555
the Lord’s promise 556 is reliable; 557
he is a shield to all who take shelter 558 in him.
18:31 Indeed, 559 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 560 besides our God? 561
18:32 The one true God 562 gives 563 me strength; 564
he removes 565 the obstacles in my way. 566
18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; 567
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 568
18:34 He trains my hands for battle; 569
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 570
18:35 You give me your protective shield; 571
your right hand supports me; 572
your willingness to help 573 enables me to prevail. 574
my feet 576 do not slip.
18:37 I chase my enemies and catch 577 them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
18:38 I beat them 578 to death; 579
they fall at my feet. 580
18:39 You give me strength 581 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 582
18:40 You make my enemies retreat; 583
I destroy those who hate me. 584
18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; 585
they cry out to the Lord, 586 but he does not answer them.
18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; 587
I beat them underfoot 588 like clay 589 in the streets.
18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; 590
you make me 591 a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 592
18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 593
Foreigners are powerless 594 before me;
18:45 foreigners lose their courage; 595
they shake with fear 596 as they leave 597 their strongholds. 598
My protector 600 is praiseworthy! 601
The God who delivers me 602 is exalted as king! 603
18:47 The one true God 604 completely vindicates me; 605
he makes nations submit to me. 606
18:48 He delivers me 607 from my enemies;
you snatch me away 608 from those who attack me; 609
you rescue me from violent men.
18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, 610 O Lord!
I will sing praises to you! 611
18:50 He 612 gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 613
he is faithful 614 to his chosen ruler, 615
to David and his descendants 616 forever.” 617
For the music director; a psalm of David.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 619
the sky displays his handiwork. 620
19:2 Day after day it speaks out; 621
night after night it reveals his greatness. 622
19:3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its 623 voice literally heard.
19:4 Yet its voice 624 echoes 625 throughout the earth;
its 626 words carry 627 to the distant horizon. 628
In the sky 629 he has pitched a tent for the sun. 630
19:5 Like a bridegroom it emerges 631 from its chamber; 632
like a strong man it enjoys 633 running its course. 634
19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, 635
and goes from one end of the sky to the other; 636
nothing can escape 637 its heat.
19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 638
The rules set down by the Lord 639 are reliable 640
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 641
19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair 642
and make one joyful. 643
The Lord’s commands 644 are pure 645
and give insight for life. 646
19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right 647
and endure forever. 648
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just. 649
19:10 They are of greater value 650 than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight 651 than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
19:11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; 652
those who obey them receive a rich reward. 653
19:12 Who can know all his errors? 654
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 655
19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant 656 sins;
do not allow such sins to control me. 657
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant 658 rebellion.
19:14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight, 659
O Lord, my sheltering rock 660 and my redeemer. 661
For the music director; a psalm of David.
20:1 May the Lord answer 663 you 664 when you are in trouble; 665
may the God of Jacob 666 make you secure!
20:2 May he send you help from his temple; 667
from Zion may he give you support!
20:3 May he take notice 668 of your offerings;
may he accept 669 your burnt sacrifice! (Selah)
20:4 May he grant your heart’s desire; 670
may he bring all your plans to pass! 671
20:5 Then we will shout for joy over your 672 victory;
we will rejoice 673 in the name of our God!
May the Lord grant all your requests!
20:6 Now I am sure 674 that the Lord will deliver 675 his chosen king; 676
he will intervene for him 677 from his holy heavenly temple, 678
and display his mighty ability to deliver. 679
20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, 680
but we 681 depend on 682 the Lord our God.
but we 684 will stand firm. 685
20:9 The Lord will deliver the king; 686
he will answer us 687 when we call to him for help! 688
For the music director; a psalm of David.
21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give; 690
he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide. 691
21:2 You grant 692 him his heart’s desire;
you do not refuse his request. 693 (Selah)
21:3 For you bring him 694 rich 695 blessings; 696
you place a golden crown on his head.
21:4 He asked you to sustain his life, 697
and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty. 698
21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor; 699
you give him majestic splendor. 700
21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence. 701
21:7 For the king trusts 702 in the Lord,
and because of the sovereign Lord’s 703 faithfulness he is not upended. 704
21:8 You 705 prevail over 706 all your enemies;
your power is too great for those who hate you. 707
21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace 708 when you appear; 709
the Lord angrily devours them; 710
the fire consumes them.
21:10 You destroy their offspring 711 from the earth,
their descendants 712 from among the human race. 713
21:11 Yes, 714 they intend to do you harm; 715
they dream up a scheme, 716 but they do not succeed. 717
21:12 For you make them retreat 718
when you shoot your arrows at them. 719
21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! 720
We will sing and praise 721 your power!
For the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 723 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 724
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 725
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 726
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 727
22:4 In you our ancestors 728 trusted;
they trusted in you 729 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 730
22:6 But I 731 am a worm, 732 not a man; 733
people insult me and despise me. 734
22:7 All who see me taunt 735 me;
they mock me 736 and shake their heads. 737
“Commit yourself 739 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 740 rescue him!
Let the Lord 741 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 742
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 743 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 744
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 745
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 746
22:12 Many bulls 747 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 748 hem me in.
22:13 They 749 open their mouths to devour me 750
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 751
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 752
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 753 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 754 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 755
You 756 set me in the dust of death. 757
22:16 Yes, 758 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 759
22:17 I can count 760 all my bones;
my enemies 761 are gloating over me in triumph. 762
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 763 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 764 Hurry and help me! 765
22:20 Deliver me 766 from the sword!
Save 767 my life 768 from the claws 769 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 770
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 771
You have answered me! 772
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 773
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 774 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 775
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 776 of the oppressed; 777
he did not ignore him; 778
when he cried out to him, he responded. 779
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 780 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 781
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 782
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 783 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 784
Let all the nations 785 worship you! 786
22:28 For the Lord is king 787
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 788 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 789
all those who are descending into the grave 790 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 791
22:30 A whole generation 792 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 793
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 794
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 795
A psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, 797
I lack nothing. 798
23:2 He takes me to lush pastures, 799
he leads me to refreshing water. 800
23:3 He restores my strength. 801
He leads me down 802 the right paths 803
for the sake of his reputation. 804
23:4 Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, 805
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me. 808
23:5 You prepare a feast before me 809
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh 810 my head with oil;
my cup is completely full. 811
23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness 812 will pursue 813 me all my days, 814
and I will live in 815 the Lord’s house 816 for the rest of my life. 817
A psalm of David.
24:1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established 819 it upon the ocean currents. 820
24:3 Who is allowed to ascend 821 the mountain of the Lord? 822
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
24:4 The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure, 823
who does not lie, 824
or make promises with no intention of keeping them. 825
24:5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord, 826
and vindicated by the God who delivers them. 827
24:6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. 828 (Selah)
Rise up, 830 you eternal doors!
Then the majestic king 831 will enter! 832
24:8 Who is this majestic king? 833
The Lord who is strong and mighty!
The Lord who is mighty in battle!
24:9 Look up, you gates!
Rise up, you eternal doors!
Then the majestic king will enter!
24:10 Who is this majestic king?
The Lord who commands armies! 834
He is the majestic king! (Selah)
By David.
25:1 O Lord, I come before you in prayer. 836
25:2 My God, I trust in you.
Please do not let me be humiliated;
do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!
25:3 Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.
Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted 837 and humiliated.
25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!
Teach me your paths! 838
25:5 Guide me into your truth 839 and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
25:6 Remember 840 your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,
for you have always acted in this manner. 841
25:7 Do not hold against me 842 the sins of my youth 843 or my rebellious acts!
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! 844
25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; 845
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. 846
25:9 May he show 847 the humble what is right! 848
May he teach 849 the humble his way!
25:10 The Lord always proves faithful and reliable 850
to those who follow the demands of his covenant. 851
25:11 For the sake of your reputation, 852 O Lord,
forgive my sin, because it is great. 853
25:12 The Lord shows his faithful followers
the way they should live. 854
25:13 They experience his favor; 855
their descendants 856 inherit the land. 857
25:14 The Lord’s loyal followers receive his guidance, 858
and he reveals his covenantal demands to them. 859
25:15 I continually look to the Lord for help, 860
for he will free my feet from the enemy’s net. 861
25:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone 862 and oppressed!
25:17 Deliver me from my distress; 863
rescue me from my suffering! 864
25:18 See my pain and suffering!
Forgive all my sins! 865
25:19 Watch my enemies, for they outnumber me;
they hate me and want to harm me. 866
25:20 Protect me 867 and deliver me!
Please do not let me be humiliated,
for I have taken shelter in you!
25:21 May integrity and godliness protect me,
for I rely on you!
25:22 O God, rescue 868 Israel
from all their distress! 869
By David.
26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have integrity, 871
and I trust in the Lord without wavering.
26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!
Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! 872
26:3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, 873
and your loyalty continually motivates me. 874
26:4 I do not associate 875 with deceitful men,
or consort 876 with those who are dishonest. 877
26:5 I hate the mob 878 of evil men,
and do not associate 879 with the wicked.
26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle, 880
so I can appear before your altar, 881 O Lord,
and to tell about all your amazing deeds. 883
26:8 O Lord, I love the temple where you live, 884
the place where your splendor is revealed. 885
26:9 Do not sweep me away 886 with sinners,
or execute me along with violent people, 887
26:10 who are always ready to do wrong 888
or offer a bribe. 889
26:11 But I have integrity! 890
Rescue me 891 and have mercy on me!
and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.
By David.
27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! 894
I fear no one! 895
The Lord protects my life!
I am afraid of no one! 896
27:2 When evil men attack me 897
to devour my flesh, 898
when my adversaries and enemies attack me, 899
they stumble and fall. 900
27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,
I do not fear. 901
Even when war is imminent, 902
I remain confident. 903
27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –
this is what I desire!
I want to live 904 in the Lord’s house 905 all the days of my life,
so I can gaze at the splendor 906 of the Lord
and contemplate in his temple.
27:5 He will surely 907 give me shelter 908 in the day of danger; 909
he will hide me in his home; 910
he will place me 911 on an inaccessible rocky summit. 912
27:6 Now I will triumph
over my enemies who surround me! 913
I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy! 914
I will sing praises to the Lord!
27:7 Hear me, 915 O Lord, when I cry out!
Have mercy on me and answer me!
27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, 916
and I do pray to you, O Lord. 917
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You are my deliverer! 919
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me!
27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me, 920
the Lord would take me in. 921
27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; 922
lead me along a level path 923 because of those who wait to ambush me! 924
27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 925
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 926
27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? 927
Be strong and confident! 929
Rely on the Lord!
By David.
28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!
My protector, 931 do not ignore me! 932
If you do not respond to me, 933
I will join 934 those who are descending into the grave. 935
28:2 Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,
when I lift my hands 936 toward your holy temple! 937
28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,
with those who behave wickedly, 938
who talk so friendly to their neighbors, 939
while they plan to harm them! 940
28:4 Pay them back for their evil deeds!
Pay them back for what they do!
Punish them! 941
28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,
or the way he carries out justice. 942
The Lord 943 will permanently demolish them. 944
28:6 The Lord deserves praise, 945
for he has heard my plea for mercy! 946
28:7 The Lord strengthens and protects me; 947
I trust in him with all my heart. 948
I am rescued 949 and my heart is full of joy; 950
I will sing to him in gratitude. 951
28:8 The Lord strengthens his people; 952
he protects and delivers his chosen king. 953
28:9 Deliver your people!
Empower 954 the nation that belongs to you! 955
Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms 956 at all times! 957
A psalm of David.
29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, 959
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! 960
29:2 Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation! 961
Worship the Lord in holy attire! 962
29:3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; 963
the majestic God thunders, 964
the Lord appears over the surging water. 965
29:4 The Lord’s shout is powerful, 966
the Lord’s shout is majestic. 967
29:5 The Lord’s shout breaks 968 the cedars,
the Lord shatters 969 the cedars of Lebanon. 970
29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion 971 like a young ox. 972
29:7 The Lord’s shout strikes 973 with flaming fire. 974
29:8 The Lord’s shout shakes 975 the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 976
29:9 The Lord’s shout bends 977 the large trees 978
and strips 979 the leaves from the forests. 980
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!” 981
29:10 The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters, 982
the Lord sits enthroned 983 as the eternal king.
29:11 The Lord gives 984 his people strength; 985
the Lord grants his people security. 986
A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; 988 by David.
30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, 989
and did not allow my enemies to gloat 990 over me.
30:2 O Lord my God,
I cried out to you and you healed me. 991
30:3 O Lord, you pulled me 992 up from Sheol;
you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. 993
30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers 994 of his;
give thanks to his holy name. 995
30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment,
and his good favor restores one’s life. 996
One may experience sorrow during the night,
but joy arrives in the morning. 997
30:6 In my self-confidence I said,
“I will never be upended.” 998
30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. 999
Then you rejected me 1000 and I was terrified.
30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;
I begged the Lord for mercy: 1001
30:9 “What 1002 profit is there in taking my life, 1003
in my descending into the Pit? 1004
Can the dust of the grave 1005 praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty? 1006
30:10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me!
O Lord, deliver me!” 1007
30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. 1008
30:12 So now 1009 my heart 1010 will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always 1011 give thanks to you.
For the music director; a psalm of David.
31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
Vindicate me by rescuing me! 1013
Quickly deliver me!
Be my protector and refuge, 1015
a stronghold where I can be safe! 1016
31:3 For you are my high ridge 1017 and my stronghold;
for the sake of your own reputation 1018 you lead me and guide me. 1019
31:4 You will free me 1020 from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
31:5 Into your hand I entrust my life; 1021
you will rescue 1022 me, O Lord, the faithful God.
31:6 I hate those who serve worthless idols, 1023
but I trust in the Lord.
31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,
because you notice my pain
and you are aware of how distressed I am. 1024
31:8 You do not deliver me over to the power of the enemy;
you enable me to stand 1025 in a wide open place.
31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!
My eyes grow dim 1026 from suffering. 1027
I have lost my strength. 1028
31:10 For my life nears its end in pain;
my years draw to a close as I groan. 1029
My strength fails me because of 1030 my sin,
and my bones become brittle. 1031
31:11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me; 1032
my neighbors are appalled by my suffering 1033 –
those who know me are horrified by my condition; 1034
those who see me in the street run away from me.
31:12 I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about; 1035
I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar. 1036
31:13 For I hear what so many are saying, 1037
the terrifying news that comes from every direction. 1038
When they plot together against me,
they figure out how they can take my life.
31:14 But I trust in you, O Lord!
I declare, “You are my God!”
31:15 You determine my destiny! 1039
Rescue me from the power of my enemies and those who chase me.
31:16 Smile 1040 on your servant!
Deliver me because of your faithfulness!
31:17 O Lord, do not let me be humiliated,
for I call out to you!
May evil men be humiliated!
May they go wailing to the grave! 1041
31:18 May lying lips be silenced –
lips 1042 that speak defiantly against the innocent 1043
with arrogance and contempt!
31:19 How great is your favor, 1044
which you store up for your loyal followers! 1045
In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter 1046 in you. 1047
31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks 1048 of men; 1049
you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. 1050
31:21 The Lord deserves praise 1051
for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. 1052
31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, 1053
“I am cut off from your presence!” 1054
But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers 1055 of his!
The Lord protects those who have integrity,
but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. 1056
31:24 Be strong and confident, 1057
all you who wait on the Lord!
By David; a well-written song. 1059
32:1 How blessed 1060 is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, 1061
whose sin is pardoned! 1062
32:2 How blessed is the one 1063 whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish, 1064
in whose spirit there is no deceit. 1065
32:3 When I refused to confess my sin, 1066
my whole body wasted away, 1067
while I groaned in pain all day long.
32:4 For day and night you tormented me; 1068
you tried to destroy me 1069 in the intense heat 1070 of summer. 1071 (Selah)
32:5 Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess 1072 my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins. 1073 (Selah)
32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers 1074 should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity. 1075
Certainly 1076 when the surging water 1077 rises,
it will not reach them. 1078
32:7 You are my hiding place;
you protect me from distress.
You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. 1079 (Selah)
32:8 I will instruct and teach you 1080 about how you should live. 1081
I will advise you as I look you in the eye. 1082
32:9 Do not be 1083 like an unintelligent horse or mule, 1084
which will not obey you
unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit. 1085
32:10 An evil person suffers much pain, 1086
but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him. 1087
32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! 1088
33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!
It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.
33:2 Give thanks to the Lord with the harp!
Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument!
33:3 Sing to him a new song! 1090
Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him! 1091
33:4 For 1092 the Lord’s decrees 1093 are just, 1094
and everything he does is fair. 1095
33:5 The Lord promotes 1096 equity and justice;
the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth. 1097
33:6 By the Lord’s decree 1098 the heavens were made;
by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. 1099
33:7 He piles up the water of the sea; 1100
he puts the oceans 1101 in storehouses.
33:8 Let the whole earth fear 1102 the Lord!
Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him!
33:9 For he spoke, and it 1103 came into existence,
he issued the decree, 1104 and it stood firm.
33:10 The Lord frustrates 1105 the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans 1106 of the peoples.
33:11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever;
his plans abide throughout the ages. 1107
33:12 How blessed 1108 is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession. 1109
33:13 The Lord watches 1110 from heaven;
he sees all people. 1111
33:14 From the place where he lives he looks carefully
at all the earth’s inhabitants.
33:15 He is the one who forms every human heart, 1112
and takes note of all their actions.
33:16 No king is delivered by his vast army;
a warrior is not saved by his great might.
33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; 1113
despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.
33:18 Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, 1114
those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness 1115
33:19 by saving their lives from death 1116
and sustaining them during times of famine. 1117
33:20 We 1118 wait for the Lord;
he is our deliverer 1119 and shield. 1120
33:21 For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
33:22 May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, 1121
for 1122 we wait for you.
Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. 1124
34:1 I will praise 1125 the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him. 1126
34:2 I will boast 1127 in the Lord;
let the oppressed hear and rejoice! 1128
34:3 Magnify the Lord with me!
Let’s praise 1129 his name together!
34:4 I sought the Lord’s help 1130 and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
34:5 Those who look to him for help are happy;
their faces are not ashamed. 1131
34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;
he saved him 1132 from all his troubles.
34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around
the Lord’s 1133 loyal followers 1134 and delivers them. 1135
34:8 Taste 1136 and see that the Lord is good!
How blessed 1137 is the one 1138 who takes shelter in him! 1139
34:9 Remain loyal to 1140 the Lord, you chosen people of his, 1141
for his loyal followers 1142 lack nothing!
34:10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
34:11 Come children! Listen to me!
I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. 1143
34:12 Do you want to really live? 1144
Would you love to live a long, happy life? 1145
34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words 1146
or use deceptive speech! 1147
34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right! 1148
Strive for peace and promote it! 1149
34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help. 1150
34:16 But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. 1151
34:17 The godly 1152 cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles. 1153
34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers 1154 those who are discouraged. 1155
34:19 The godly 1156 face many dangers, 1157
but the Lord saves 1158 them 1159 from each one of them.
34:20 He protects 1160 all his bones; 1161
not one of them is broken. 1162
34:21 Evil people self-destruct; 1163
those who hate the godly are punished. 1164
34:22 The Lord rescues his servants; 1165
all who take shelter in him escape punishment. 1166
By David.
35:1 O Lord, fight 1168 those who fight with me!
Attack those who attack me!
35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield, 1169
and rise up to help me!
35:3 Use your spear and lance 1170 against 1171 those who chase me!
Assure me with these words: 1172 “I am your deliverer!”
35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!
May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! 1173
35:5 May they be 1174 like wind-driven chaff,
as the Lord’s angel 1175 attacks them! 1176
35:6 May their path be 1177 dark and slippery,
as the Lord’s angel chases them!
35:7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me
and dug a pit to trap me. 1178
35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise! 1179
Let the net they hid catch them!
Let them fall into destruction! 1180
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance. 1181
35:10 With all my strength I will say, 1182
“O Lord, who can compare to you?
You rescue 1183 the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; 1184
the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” 1185
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, 1186
and falsely accuse me. 1187
35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; 1188
I am overwhelmed with sorrow. 1189
35:13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, 1190
and refrained from eating food. 1191
(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) 1192
35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. 1193
I bowed down 1194 in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. 1195
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me. 1196
They tore at me without stopping to rest. 1197
35:16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, 1198
and tried to bite me. 1199
35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? 1200
Rescue 1201 me 1202 from their destructive attacks;
guard my life 1203 from the young lions!
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 1204
I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 1205
35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason 1206 gloat 1207 over me!
Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! 1208
35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, 1209
but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. 1210
35:21 They are ready to devour me; 1211
they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” 1212
35:22 But you take notice, 1213 Lord!
O Lord, do not remain far away from me!
35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up 1214 and vindicate me! 1215
My God and Lord, defend my just cause! 1216
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat 1217 over me!
35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, 1218 “Aha! We have what we wanted!” 1219
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 1220
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 1221
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, 1222 “May the Lord be praised, 1223 for he wants his servant to be secure.” 1224
35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice, 1225
and praise you all day long. 1226
For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. 1228
36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. 1229
He does not fear God, 1230
36:2 for he is too proud
to recognize and give up his sin. 1231
36:3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;
he does not care about doing what is wise and right. 1232
36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; 1233
he does not reject what is evil. 1234
36:5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; 1235
your faithfulness to the clouds. 1236
36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, 1237
your fairness like the deepest sea;
you preserve 1238 mankind and the animal kingdom. 1239
36:7 How precious 1240 is your loyal love, O God!
The human race finds shelter under your wings. 1241
36:8 They are filled with food from your house,
and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.
36:9 For you are the one who gives
and sustains life. 1242
36:10 Extend 1243 your loyal love to your faithful followers, 1244
and vindicate 1245 the morally upright! 1246
36:11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,
or let evil men make me homeless! 1247
36:12 I can see the evildoers! They have fallen! 1248
They have been knocked down and are unable to get up! 1249
By David.
37:1 Do not fret 1251 when wicked men seem to succeed! 1252
Do not envy evildoers!
37:2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants. 1253
37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! 1254
37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, 1255
and he will answer your prayers. 1256
37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! 1257
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 1258
37:6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause. 1259
37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! 1260
Wait confidently 1261 for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, 1262
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! 1263
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
37:9 Wicked men 1264 will be wiped out, 1265
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. 1266
37:10 Evil men will soon disappear; 1267
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 1268
37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity. 1269
37:12 Evil men plot against the godly 1270
and viciously attack them. 1271
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 1272 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 1273
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 1274 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 1275
37:15 Their swords will pierce 1276 their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
37:16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men, 1277
37:17 for evil men will lose their power, 1278
but the Lord sustains 1279 the godly.
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 1280
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 1281
37:19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come; 1282
when famine comes they will have enough to eat. 1283
37:20 But 1284 evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated 1285 –
they will go up in smoke. 1286
37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous. 1287
37:22 Surely 1288 those favored by the Lord 1289 will possess the land,
but those rejected 1290 by him will be wiped out. 1291
37:23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable. 1292
37:24 Even if 1293 he trips, he will not fall headlong, 1294
for the Lord holds 1295 his hand.
37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 1296 forced to search for food. 1297
37:26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, 1298
and his children 1299 are blessed.
37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! 1300
Then you will enjoy lasting security. 1301
37:28 For the Lord promotes 1302 justice,
and never abandons 1303 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 1304
but the children 1305 of evil men are wiped out. 1306
37:29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 1307
37:31 The law of their God controls their thinking; 1308
their 1309 feet do not slip.
37:32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them. 1310
37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 1311
37:34 Rely 1312 on the Lord! Obey his commands! 1313
Then he will permit you 1314 to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men. 1315
37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men 1316
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 1317
37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! 1318
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! 1319
For the one who promotes peace has a future. 1320
37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; 1321
evil men have no future. 1322
37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; 1323
he protects them in times of trouble. 1324
37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, 1325
for they seek his protection.
A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention. 1327
38:1 O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger!
Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury! 1328
38:2 For your arrows pierce 1329 me,
and your hand presses me down. 1330
38:3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment; 1331
I am deprived of health because of my sin. 1332
38:4 For my sins overwhelm me; 1333
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
38:5 My wounds 1334 are infected and starting to smell, 1335
because of my foolish sins. 1336
38:6 I am dazed 1337 and completely humiliated; 1338
all day long I walk around mourning.
38:7 For I am overcome with shame 1339
and my whole body is sick. 1340
38:8 I am numb with pain and severely battered; 1341
I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel. 1342
38:9 O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire; 1343
my groaning is not hidden from you.
38:10 My heart beats quickly;
my strength leaves me;
I can hardly see. 1344
38:11 Because of my condition, 1345 even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance; 1346
my neighbors stand far away. 1347
38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; 1348
those who want to harm me speak destructive words;
all day long they say deceitful things.
38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;
I am like a mute who cannot speak. 1349
38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear
and is incapable of arguing his defense. 1350
38:15 Yet 1351 I wait for you, O Lord!
You will respond, O Lord, my God!
38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me; 1352
when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me. 1353
38:17 For I am about to stumble,
and I am in constant pain. 1354
38:18 Yes, 1355 I confess my wrongdoing,
and I am concerned about my sins.
38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; 1356
those who hate me without cause outnumber me. 1357
38:20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;
though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me. 1358
38:21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!
My God, do not remain far away from me!
38:22 Hurry and help me, 1359 O Lord, my deliverer!
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.
39:1 I decided, 1361 “I will watch what I say
and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. 1362
I will put a muzzle over my mouth
while in the presence of an evil man.” 1363
I held back the urge to speak. 1365
My frustration grew; 1366
39:3 my anxiety intensified. 1367
As I thought about it, I became impatient. 1368
Finally I spoke these words: 1369
39:4 “O Lord, help me understand my mortality
and the brevity of life! 1370
Let me realize how quickly my life will pass! 1371
39:5 Look, you make my days short-lived, 1372
and my life span is nothing from your perspective. 1373
Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. 1374
39:6 Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. 1375
Surely they accumulate worthless wealth
without knowing who will eventually haul it away.” 1376
39:7 But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?
You are my only hope! 1377
39:8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!
Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!
39:9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth
because of what you have done. 1378
39:10 Please stop wounding me! 1379
You have almost beaten me to death! 1380
39:11 You severely discipline people for their sins; 1381
like a moth you slowly devour their strength. 1382
Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)
39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
Listen to my cry for help!
Do not ignore my sobbing! 1383
For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;
I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were. 1384
39:13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy
before I pass away. 1385
For the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 1387 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 1388
out of the slimy mud. 1389
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing. 1390
40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 1391
praising our God. 1392
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 1393
40:4 How blessed 1394 is the one 1395 who trusts in the Lord 1396
and does not seek help from 1397 the proud or from liars! 1398
40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 1399
No one can thwart you! 1400
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 1401
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 1402
You make that quite clear to me! 1403
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
40:7 Then I say,
“Look! I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 1404
40:8 I want to do what pleases you, 1405 my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” 1406
40:9 I have told the great assembly 1407 about your justice. 1408
Look! I spare no words! 1409
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 1410
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 1411
40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold 1412 your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 1413
40:12 For innumerable dangers 1414 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 1415
40:13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! 1416
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 1417
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 1418
40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated 1419 and disgraced! 1420
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 1421 your deliverance say continually, 1422
“May the Lord be praised!” 1423
40:17 I am oppressed and needy! 1424
May the Lord pay attention to me! 1425
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O my God, do not delay!
For the music director; a psalm of David.
41:1 How blessed 1427 is the one who treats the poor properly! 1428
When trouble comes, 1429 the Lord delivers him. 1430
41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! 1431
May he be blessed 1432 in the land!
Do not turn him over 1433 to his enemies! 1434
41:3 The Lord supports 1435 him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness. 1436
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
41:5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, 1438
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 1439
41:6 When someone comes to visit, 1440 he pretends to be friendly; 1441
he thinks of ways to defame me, 1442
and when he leaves he slanders me. 1443
41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; 1444
they plan ways to harm me.
‘An awful disease 1446 overwhelms him, 1447
and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’ 1448
41:9 Even my close friend 1449 whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. 1450
41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!” 1451
41:11 By this 1452 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does 1453 not triumph 1454 over me.
41:12 As for me, you uphold 1455 me because of my integrity; 1456
you allow 1457 me permanent access to your presence. 1458
41:13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise 1459
in the future and forevermore! 1460
We agree! We agree! 1461
Mazmur 51:1--52:9
KonteksFor the music director; a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba. 1463
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of 1464 your loyal love!
Because of 1465 your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! 1466
51:2 Wash away my wrongdoing! 1467
Cleanse me of my sin! 1468
51:3 For I am aware of 1469 my rebellious acts;
I am forever conscious of my sin. 1470
51:4 Against you – you above all 1471 – I have sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
So 1472 you are just when you confront me; 1473
you are right when you condemn me. 1474
51:5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,
a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. 1475
51:6 Look, 1476 you desire 1477 integrity in the inner man; 1478
you want me to possess wisdom. 1479
51:7 Sprinkle me 1480 with water 1481 and I will be pure; 1482
wash me 1483 and I will be whiter than snow. 1484
51:8 Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! 1485
May the bones 1486 you crushed rejoice! 1487
51:9 Hide your face 1488 from my sins!
Wipe away 1489 all my guilt!
51:10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! 1490
Renew a resolute spirit within me! 1491
Do not take your Holy Spirit 1493 away from me! 1494
51:12 Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance!
Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! 1495
51:13 Then I will teach 1496 rebels your merciful ways, 1497
and sinners will turn 1498 to you.
51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, 1499 O God, the God who delivers me!
Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. 1500
51:15 O Lord, give me the words! 1501
Then my mouth will praise you. 1502
51:16 Certainly 1503 you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; 1504
you do not desire a burnt sacrifice. 1505
51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit 1506 –
O God, a humble and repentant heart 1507 you will not reject. 1508
51:18 Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! 1509
Fortify 1510 the walls of Jerusalem! 1511
51:19 Then you will accept 1512 the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;
then bulls will be sacrificed 1513 on your altar. 1514
For the music director; a well-written song 1516 by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” 1517
52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, 1518 O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 1519
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; 1520
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 1521
52:3 You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth. 1522 (Selah)
52:4 You love to use all the words that destroy, 1523
and the tongue that deceives.
52:5 Yet 1524 God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. 1525
He will scoop you up 1526 and remove you from your home; 1527
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 1528
52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make 1529 God his protector!
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” 1530
52:8 But I 1531 am like a flourishing 1532 olive tree in the house of God;
I continually 1533 trust in God’s loyal love.
52:9 I will continually 1534 thank you when 1535 you execute judgment; 1536
I will rely 1537 on you, 1538 for your loyal followers know you are good. 1539
[3:1] 1 sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).
[3:1] 2 sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).
[3:1] 3 tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).
[3:1] 4 tn Heb “many rise up against me.”
[3:2] 5 tn Heb “there is no deliverance for him in God.”
[3:2] 6 sn The function of the Hebrew term סֶלָה (selah), transliterated here “Selah,” is uncertain. It may be a musical direction of some kind.
[3:3] 7 tn Heb “a shield round about me.”
[3:3] 8 tn Heb “my glory,” or “my honor.” The psalmist affirms that the
[3:3] 9 tn Heb “[the one who] lifts my head.” This phrase could be understood to refer to a general strengthening of the psalmist by God during difficult circumstances. However, if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase “lift the head” could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position (cf. Gen 40:13 where the same phrase is used). Like the Hebrew text, the present translation (“who restores me”) can be understood in either sense.
[3:4] 10 tn The prefixed verbal form could be an imperfect, yielding the translation “I cry out,” but the verb form in the next line (a vav [ו] consecutive with the preterite) suggests this is a brief narrative of what has already happened. Consequently the verb form in v. 4a is better understood as a preterite, “I cried out.” (For another example of the preterite of this same verb form, see Ps 30:8.) Sometime after the crisis arose, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and received an assuring answer. Now he confidently awaits the fulfillment of the divine promise.
[3:4] 11 sn His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1-2). The psalmist recognizes that the
[3:5] 12 tn The three verbal forms that appear in succession here (perfect + vav [ו] consecutive with preterite + perfect) are most naturally taken as narrational. When the psalmist received an assuring word from the
[3:5] 13 tn Or “supports”; “sustains.” In this explanatory causal clause the imperfect verbal form probably has a habitual or present progressive nuance, for the psalmist is confident of God’s continual protection (see v. 3). Another option is to take the verb as a preterite, “for the
[3:6] 14 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s continuing attitude as he faces the crisis at hand.
[3:6] 15 tn Or perhaps “troops.” The Hebrew noun עָם (’am) sometimes refers to a military contingent or army.
[3:6] 16 tn Heb “who all around take a stand against me.”
[3:7] 17 tn In v. 2 the psalmist describes his enemies as those who “confront” him (קָמִים [qamim], literally, “rise up against him”). Now, using the same verbal root (קוּם, qum) he asks the
[3:7] 18 tn Elsewhere in the psalms the particle כִּי (ki), when collocated with a perfect verbal form and subordinated to a preceding imperative directed to God, almost always has an explanatory or causal force (“for, because”) and introduces a motivating argument for why God should respond positively to the request (see Pss 5:10; 6:2; 12:1; 16:1; 41:4; 55:9; 56:1; 57:1; 60:2; 69:1; 74:20; 119:94; 123:3; 142:6; 143:8). (On three occasions the כִּי is recitative after a verb of perception [“see/know that,” see Pss 4:3; 25:19; 119:159]). If כִּי is taken as explanatory here, then the psalmist is arguing that God should deliver him now because that is what God characteristically does. However, such a motivating argument is not used in the passages cited above. The motivating argument usually focuses on the nature of the psalmist’s dilemma or the fact that he trusts in the Lord. For this reason it is unlikely that כִּי has its normal force here. Most scholars understand the particle כִּי as having an asseverative (emphasizing) function here (“indeed, yes”; NEB leaves the particle untranslated).
[3:7] 19 tn If the particle כִּי (ki) is taken as explanatory, then the perfect verbal forms in v. 7b would describe God’s characteristic behavior. However, as pointed out in the preceding note on the word “yes,” the particle probably has an asseverative force here. If so, the perfects may be taken as indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s assault on his enemies as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm, as expressed before (vv. 3-6) and after this (v. 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“Strike all my enemies on the jaw, break the teeth of the wicked”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[3:7] 20 sn The expression break the teeth may envision violent hand-to hand combat, though it is possible that the enemies are pictured here as a dangerous animal (see Job 29:17).
[3:7] 21 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
[3:8] 22 tn Heb “to the
[3:8] 23 tn Heb “upon your people [is] your blessing.” In this context God’s “blessing” includes deliverance/protection, vindication, and sustained life (see Pss 21:3, 6; 24:5).
[4:1] 24 sn Psalm 4. The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer, expresses his confidence that the Lord will intervene, and urges his enemies to change their ways and place their trust in God. He concludes with another prayer for divine intervention and again affirms his absolute confidence in God’s protection.
[4:1] 25 tn Heb “God of my righteousness.”
[4:1] 26 tn Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[4:1] 27 tn Or “show me favor.”
[4:2] 29 tn Heb “sons of man.”
[4:2] 30 tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”
[4:2] 31 tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[4:2] 33 tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.
[4:3] 34 tn Heb “and know that.”
[4:3] 35 tn Heb “that the
[4:4] 37 sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.
[4:4] 38 tn Heb “say in your heart(s) on your bed(s) and wail/lament.” The verb דֹמּוּ (dommu) is understood as a form of דָמָם (“wail, lament”) in sorrow and repentance. Another option is to take the verb from II דָמָם (damam, “be quiet”); cf. NIV, NRSV “be silent.”
[4:5] 39 tn Or “proper, right.” The phrase also occurs in Deut 33:19 and Ps 51:19.
[4:5] 40 sn Trust in the
[4:6] 41 tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face,
[4:6] sn Smile upon us. Though many are discouraged, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and transform the situation.
[4:7] 42 tn Heb “you place joy in my heart.” Another option is to understand the perfect verbal form as indicating certitude, “you will make me happier.”
[4:7] 43 tn Heb “from (i.e., more than) the time (when) their grain and their wine are abundant.”
[4:8] 44 tn Heb “in peace at the same time I will lie down and sleep.”
[4:8] 45 tn Heb “for you,
[5:1] 46 sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.
[5:1] 47 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).
[5:1] 49 tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.
[5:3] 50 sn In the morning is here viewed as the time of prayer (Pss 59:16; 88:13) and/or of deliverance (Ps 30:5).
[5:3] 51 tn The imperfect is here understood in a specific future sense; the psalmist is expressing his confidence that God will be willing to hear his request. Another option is to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s wish or request. In this case one could translate, “
[5:3] 53 tn Heb “I will arrange for you.” Some understand a sacrifice or offering as the implied object (cf. NEB “I set out my morning sacrifice”). The present translation assumes that the implied object is the psalmist’s case/request. See Isa 44:7.
[5:3] 54 tn Heb “and I will watch.”
[5:4] 56 tn Heb “not a God [who] delights [in] wickedness [are] you.”
[5:4] 57 tn The Hebrew text has simply the singular form רע, which may be taken as an abstract noun “evil” (the reference to “wickedness” in the preceding line favors this; cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) or as a substantival adjective “evil one” (the references to evil people in the next two verses favor this; cf. NIV “with you the wicked cannot dwell”).
[5:4] 58 tn Heb “cannot dwell as a resident alien [with] you.” The negated imperfect verbal form here indicates incapability or lack of permission. These people are morally incapable of dwelling in God’s presence and are not permitted to do so.
[5:4] sn Only the godly are allowed to dwell with the Lord. Evil people are excluded. See Ps 15.
[5:5] 59 tn Heb “before your eyes.”
[5:5] 60 sn You hate. The
[5:5] 61 tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”
[5:6] 62 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates God’s typical response to such individuals. Another option is to translate the verb as future (“You will destroy”); the psalmist may be envisioning a time of judgment when God will remove the wicked from the scene.
[5:6] 63 tn Heb “those who speak a lie.” In the OT a “lie” does not refer in a general philosophical sense to any statement that fails to correspond to reality. Instead it refers more specifically to a slanderous and/or deceitful statement that promotes one’s own selfish, sinful interests and/or exploits or harms those who are innocent. Note the emphasis on violence and deceit in the following line.
[5:6] 64 tn The imperfect verbal form highlights the
[5:6] 65 tn Heb “a man of bloodshed and deceit.” The singular אִישׁ (’ish, “man”) is used here in a collective or representative sense; thus the translation “people” is appropriate here. Note the plural forms in vv. 5-6a.
[5:7] 66 sn But as for me. By placing the first person pronoun at the beginning of the verse, the psalmist highlights the contrast between the evildoers’ actions and destiny, outlined in the preceding verses, with his own.
[5:7] 67 sn I will enter your house. The psalmist is confident that God will accept him into his presence, in contrast to the evildoers (see v. 5).
[5:7] 68 tn Heb “in fear [of] you.” The Hebrew noun יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fear”), when used of fearing God, is sometimes used metonymically for what it ideally produces: “worship, reverence, piety.”
[5:8] 69 tn God’s providential leading is in view. His צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) includes here the deliverance that originates in his righteousness; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 842 s.v.
[5:8] 70 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 27:11; 56:2.
[5:8] 71 tn Heb “make level before me your way.” The imperative “make level” is Hiphil in the Kethib (consonantal text); Piel in the Qere (marginal reading). God’s “way” is here the way in which he leads the psalmist providentially (see the preceding line, where the psalmist asks the Lord to lead him).
[5:9] 73 tn Heb “for there is not in his mouth truthfulness.” The singular pronoun (“his”) probably refers back to the “man of bloodshed and deceit” mentioned in v. 6. The singular is collective or representative, as the plural in the next line indicates, and so has been translated “they.”
[5:9] 74 tn Heb “their inward part[s] [is] destruction.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse.
[5:9] 75 tn Heb “their throat is an open grave.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse. The metaphor is suggested by the physical resemblance of the human throat to a deeply dug grave; both are dark chasms.
[5:9] 76 tn Heb “they make smooth their tongue.” Flattering, deceitful words are in view. See Ps 12:2. The psalmist’s deceitful enemies are compared to the realm of death/Sheol in v. 9b. Sheol was envisioned as a dark region within the earth, the entrance to which was the grave with its steep slopes (cf. Ps 88:4-6). The enemies’ victims are pictured here as slipping down a steep slope (the enemies’ tongues) and falling into an open grave (their throat) that terminates in destruction in the inner recesses of Sheol (their stomach). The enemies’ קרב (“inward part”) refers here to their thoughts and motives, which are destructive in their intent. The throat is where these destructive thoughts are transformed into words, and their tongue is what they use to speak the deceitful words that lead their innocent victims to their demise.
[5:9] sn As the psalmist walks down the path in which God leads him, he asks the
[5:10] 77 tn Heb “declare/regard them as guilty.” Declaring the psalmist’s adversaries guilty is here metonymic for judging them or paying them back for their wrongdoing.
[5:10] 78 tn Heb “may they fall from their plans.” The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation. The psalmist calls judgment down on the evildoers. Their plans will be their downfall in that God will judge them for their evil schemes.
[5:10] 79 tn Or “banish them.”
[5:10] 80 tn The Hebrew noun used here, פֶּשַׁע (pesha’), refers to rebellious actions. The psalmist pictures his enemies as rebels against God (see the next line).
[5:11] 81 sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[5:11] 82 tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive of wish or prayer. The psalmist calls on God to reward his faithful followers.
[5:11] 83 tn Or perhaps more hyperbolically, “forever.”
[5:11] 84 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form is a jussive of wish or prayer.
[5:11] 85 tn Heb “put a cover over them.” The verb form is a Hiphil imperfect from סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “cover, shut off”). The imperfect expresses the psalmist’s wish or request.
[5:11] 86 tn Heb “the lovers of your name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to the Lord. See Pss 69:36; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[5:11] 87 tn The vav (ו) with prefixed verbal form following the volitional “shelter them” indicates purpose or result (“so that those…may rejoice).
[5:12] 89 tn Or “bless.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line highlight how God characteristically rewards and protects the godly.
[5:12] 90 tn Or “innocent.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense.
[5:12] 91 tn Heb “surround.” In 1 Sam 23:26 the verb describes how Saul and his men hemmed David in as they chased him.
[5:12] 92 tn Heb “him.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense and is thus translated “them.”
[5:12] 93 tn Or “with favor” (cf. NRSV). There is no preposition before the noun in the Hebrew text, nor is there a pronoun attached. “Favor” here stands by metonymy for God’s defensive actions on behalf of the one whom he finds acceptable.
[6:1] 94 sn Psalm 6. The psalmist begs the Lord to withdraw his anger and spare his life. Having received a positive response to his prayer, the psalmist then confronts his enemies and describes how they retreat.
[6:1] 95 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit, “sheminith”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.
[6:1] 96 sn The implication is that the psalmist has sinned, causing God to discipline him by bringing a life-threatening illness upon him (see vv. 2-7).
[6:2] 97 tn Or “show me favor.”
[6:2] 98 tn Normally the verb בָּהַל (bahal) refers to an emotional response and means “tremble with fear, be terrified” (see vv. 3, 10). Perhaps here the “bones” are viewed as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. However, the verb may describe one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment.
[6:3] 99 tn Heb “my being is very terrified.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[6:3] 100 tn Heb “and you,
[6:4] 101 tn Heb “my being,” or “my life.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[6:4] 102 sn Deliver me because of your faithfulness. Though the psalmist is experiencing divine discipline, he realizes that God has made a commitment to him in the past, so he appeals to God’s faithfulness in his request for help.
[6:5] 103 tn Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.
[6:5] 104 tn The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
[6:5] sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
[6:6] 105 tn Heb “I cause to swim through all the night my bed.”
[6:6] 106 tn Heb “with my tears my bed I flood/melt.”
[6:7] 107 tn The Hebrew text has the singular “eye” here.
[6:7] 108 tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”
[6:7] 109 tn Or perhaps, “grow old.”
[6:7] 110 sn In his weakened condition the psalmist is vulnerable to the taunts and threats of his enemies.
[6:8] 111 tn Heb “all [you] workers of wickedness.” See Ps 5:5.
[6:8] 112 sn The
[6:9] 113 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a preterite here; it is parallel to a perfect and refers to the fact that the
[6:10] 114 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling judgment down on his enemies.
[6:10] 115 tn Heb “and may they be very terrified.” The psalmist uses the same expression in v. 3 to describe the terror he was experiencing. Now he asks the
[7:1] 116 sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.
[7:1] 117 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.
[7:1] 118 tn Or “on account of.”
[7:1] 119 sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.
[7:1] 120 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[7:2] 121 tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew text, even though “all who chase me” in v. 1 refers to a whole group of enemies. The singular is also used in vv. 4-5, but the psalmist returns to the plural in v. 6. The singular is probably collective, emphasizing the united front that the psalmist’s enemies present. This same alternation between a collective singular and a plural referring to enemies appears in Pss 9:3, 6; 13:4; 31:4, 8; 41:6, 10-11; 42:9-10; 55:3; 64:1-2; 74:3-4; 89:22-23; 106:10-11; 143:3, 6, 9.
[7:2] 122 tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[7:2] 123 tn Heb “tearing and there is no one rescuing.” The verbal form translated “tearing” is a singular active participle.
[7:3] 124 tn Heb “if I have done this.”
[7:3] 125 tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.
[7:4] 126 tn Heb “if I have repaid the one at peace with me evil.” The form שׁוֹלְמִי (sholÿmi, “the one at peace with me”) probably refers to a close friend or ally, i.e., one with whom the psalmist has made a formal agreement. See BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלוֹם 4.a.
[7:4] 127 tn Heb “or rescued my enemy in vain.” The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive (the verb form is pseudo-cohortative; see IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3) carries on the hypothetical nuance of the perfect in the preceding line. Some regard the statement as a parenthetical assertion that the psalmist is kind to his enemies. Others define חָלַץ (khalats) as “despoil” (cf. NASB, NRSV “plundered”; NIV “robbed”), an otherwise unattested nuance for this verb. Still others emend the verb to לָחַץ (lakhats, “oppress”). Most construe the adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “emptily, vainly”) with “my enemy,” i.e., the one who is my enemy in vain.” The present translation (1) assumes an emendation of צוֹרְרִי (tsorÿriy, “my enemy”) to צוֹרְרוֹ (tsorÿro, “his [i.e., the psalmist’s ally’s] enemy”) following J. Tigay, “Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties,” JBL 89 (1970): 178-86, (2) understands the final mem (ם) on רֵיקָם as enclitic, and (3) takes רִיק (riq) as an adjective modifying “his enemy.” (For other examples of a suffixed noun followed by an attributive adjective without the article, see Pss 18:17 (“my strong enemy”), 99:3 (“your great and awesome name”) and 143:10 (“your good spirit”). The adjective רִיק occurs with the sense “lawless” in Judg 9:4; 11:3; 2 Chr 13:7. In this case the psalmist affirms that he has not wronged his ally, nor has he given aid to his ally’s enemies. Ancient Near Eastern treaties typically included such clauses, with one or both parties agreeing not to lend aid to the treaty partner’s enemies.
[7:5] 128 tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC 168 §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.
[7:5] 129 tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[7:5] 130 tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.
[7:5] 131 tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”
[7:5] 132 tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy, “my honor”) to כְבֵדִי (khÿvediy, “my liver” as the seat of life), but the term כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy) is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.
[7:6] 133 tn Heb “in your anger.”
[7:6] 134 tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to עַבְרוֹת (’avrot, “angry outbursts”) as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “rise up against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.
[7:6] 135 tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands אֵלִי (’eliy, “my God”) instead of אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”; the LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case צִוִּיתָ (tsivvita, “[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[7:7] 136 tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”
[7:7] 137 tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return”) to שֵׁבָה (shevah, “sit [in judgment]”) because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.
[7:8] 138 sn The
[7:8] 139 tn Heb “judge me, O
[7:8] 140 tn Heb “according to my blamelessness.” The imperative verb translated “vindicate” governs the second line as well.
[7:8] 141 tn The Hebrew form עָלָי (’alay) has been traditionally understood as the preposition עַל (’al, “over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”). This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see HALOT 824-25 s.v. I עַל, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:44-45, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 98.
[7:9] 142 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
[7:9] 143 tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.
[7:9] 144 tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.
[7:9] 145 tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.
[7:9] 146 tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.
[7:9] 147 tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
[7:10] 148 tn Traditionally, “my shield is upon God” (cf. NASB). As in v. 8, עַל (’al) should be understood as a divine title, here compounded with “God” (cf. NIV, “God Most High”). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:45-46. The shield metaphor pictures God as a protector against deadly attacks.
[7:10] 149 tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
[7:11] 150 tn Heb “God (the divine name אֵל [’el] is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb זֹעֵם (zo’em) means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice leads him to prepare to execute judgment as described in the following verses.
[7:12] 151 tn Heb “If he”; the referent (a person who is a sinner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The subject of the first verb is understood as the sinner who fails to repent of his ways and becomes the target of God’s judgment (vv. 9, 14-16).
[7:12] 152 tn Heb “if he does not return, his sword he sharpens.” The referent (God) of the pronominal subject of the second verb (“sharpens”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:12] 153 tn Heb “his bow he treads and prepares it.” “Treading the bow” involved stepping on one end of it in order to string it and thus prepare it for battle.
[7:13] 154 tn Heb “and for him he prepares the weapons of death.”
[7:13] 155 tn Heb “his arrows into flaming [things] he makes.”
[7:14] 156 tn Heb “and he conceives harm and gives birth to a lie.”
[7:14] sn Pregnant with wickedness…gives birth to harmful lies. The psalmist metaphorically pictures the typical sinner as a pregnant woman, who is ready to give birth to wicked, destructive schemes and actions.
[7:15] 157 tn Heb “a pit he digs and he excavates it.” Apparently the imagery of hunting is employed; the wicked sinner digs this pit to entrap and destroy his intended victim. The redundancy in the Hebrew text has been simplified in the translation.
[7:15] 158 tn The verb forms in vv. 15-16 describe the typical behavior and destiny of those who attempt to destroy others. The image of the evildoer falling into the very trap he set for his intended victim emphasizes the appropriate nature of God’s judgment.
[7:16] 159 tn Heb “his harm [i.e., the harm he conceived for others, see v. 14] returns on his head.”
[7:16] 160 tn Heb “and on his forehead his violence [i.e., the violence he intended to do to others] comes down.”
[7:17] 161 tn Heb “according to.”
[7:17] 162 tn Heb “[to] the name of the
[8:1] 163 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
[8:1] 164 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
[8:1] 165 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:1] 166 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
[8:1] 167 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:1] 168 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
[8:2] 169 tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.
[8:2] 170 tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.
[8:3] 171 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
[8:4] 172 tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.
[8:4] 173 tn Heb “remember him.”
[8:4] 174 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
[8:4] 175 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 176 tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him…”) of the preceding statement (see GKC 328 §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him….” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26-27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26-27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26-27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).
[8:5] 177 tn Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 178 sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 179 tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
[8:6] 180 tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 181 tn Heb “under his feet.”
[8:6] sn Placed everything under their authority. This verse affirms that mankind rules over God’s creation as his vice-regent. See Gen 1:26-30.
[8:7] 182 tn Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
[8:9] 184 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:9] 185 tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
[8:9] 186 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:9] 187 sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.
[9:1] 188 sn Psalm 9. The psalmist, probably speaking on behalf of Israel or Judah, praises God for delivering him from hostile nations. He celebrates God’s sovereignty and justice, and calls on others to join him in boasting of God’s greatness. Many Hebrew
[9:1] 189 tc The meaning of the Hebrew term עַלְמוּת (’almut) is uncertain. Some
[9:1] 190 tn The cohortative forms in vv. 1-2 express the psalmist’s resolve to praise God publicly.
[9:2] 191 tn Heb “[to] your name, O Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyo/) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[9:3] 192 tn Or “perish”; or “die.” The imperfect verbal forms in this line either emphasize what typically happens or describe vividly the aftermath of a recent battle in which the
[9:4] 193 tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”
[9:4] 194 tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).
[9:5] 195 tn The verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke” and in this context taken to refer to the
[9:5] 196 tn The singular form is collective (note “nations” and “their name”). In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). In this context the hostile nations who threaten Israel/Judah are in view.
[9:5] 197 tn Heb “their name you wiped out forever and ever.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 5 probably refer to a recent victory (definite past or present perfect use), although they might express what is typical (characteristic use).
[9:6] 198 tn Heb “the enemy – they have come to an end [in] ruins permanently.” The singular form אוֹיֵב (’oyev, “enemy”) is collective. It is placed at the beginning of the verse to heighten the contrast with יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[9:6] 199 tn Heb “you uprooted cities.”
[9:6] 200 tn Heb “it has perished, their remembrance, they.” The independent pronoun at the end of the line is in apposition to the preceding pronominal suffix and lends emphasis (see IBHS 299 §16.3.4). The referent of the masculine pronoun is the nations/enemies (cf. v. 5), not the cities (the Hebrew noun עָרִים [’arim, “cities”] is grammatically feminine). This has been specified in the present translation for clarity; many modern translations retain the pronoun “them,” resulting in ambiguity (cf. NRSV “their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished”).
[9:7] 201 tn The construction vav (ו) + subject highlights the contrast between the exalted
[9:7] 202 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, see v. 4). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[9:7] 203 tn Heb “he establishes for justice his throne.”
[9:8] 204 tn Heb “the peoples.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 8 either describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).
[9:9] 205 tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.
[9:9] 206 tn Heb “and the
[9:9] 207 tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).
[9:10] 208 tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the
[9:10] 209 tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”
[9:11] 210 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, and therefore ruling – see v. 4). Another option is to translate as “lives” or “dwells.”
[9:11] 211 tn Heb “declare among the nations his deeds.”
[9:12] 212 tn Heb “for the one who seeks shed blood remembered them.” The idiomatic expression “to seek shed blood” seems to carry the idea “to seek payment/restitution for one’s shed blood.” The plural form דָּמִים (damim, “shed blood”) occurs only here as the object of דָּרַשׁ (darash); the singular form דָּם (dam, “blood”) appears with the verb in Gen 9:5; 42:22; Ezek 33:6. “Them,” the pronominal object of the verb “remembered,” refers to the oppressed, mentioned specifically in the next line, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:12] 213 tn Heb “did not forget.”
[9:12] 214 tn Heb “the cry for help of the oppressed.” In this context the “oppressed” are the psalmist and those he represents, whom the hostile nations have threatened.
[9:13] 215 tn The words “when they prayed,” though not represented in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarification. The petition in vv. 13-14 is best understood as the cry for help which the oppressed offered to God when the nations threatened. The
[9:13] 216 tn Or “show me favor.”
[9:13] 217 tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”
[9:13] 218 tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”
[9:14] 219 tn Or “so that I might.”
[9:14] 220 tn Heb “all your praise.” “Praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt it.
[9:14] 221 sn Daughter Zion is an idiomatic title for Jerusalem. It appears frequently in the prophets, but only here in the psalms.
[9:14] 222 tn Heb “in your deliverance.”
[9:15] 223 tn Heb “sank down.”
[9:15] 224 sn The hostility of the nations against God’s people is their downfall, for it prompts God to intervene and destroy them. See also Ps 7:15-16.
[9:16] 225 tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).
[9:16] 226 tn This is probably a technical musical term.
[9:17] 227 tn Heb “the wicked turn back to Sheol.” The imperfect verbal form either emphasizes what typically happens or describes vividly the aftermath of the
[9:17] 228 tn The words “this is the destiny of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The verb “are turned back” is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[9:17] 229 tn Heb “forget.” “Forgetting God” refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see also Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 44:20). The nations’ refusal to acknowledge God’s sovereignty accounts for their brazen attempt to attack and destroy his people.
[9:18] 231 tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.
[9:19] 232 sn Rise up,
[9:20] 234 tn Heb “place,
[9:20] 235 tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).
[10:1] 236 sn Psalm 10. Many Hebrew
[10:1] 237 tn Heb “you hide for times in trouble.” The interrogative “why” is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The Hiphil verbal form “hide” has no expressed object. Some supply “your eyes” by ellipsis (see BDB 761 s.v. I עָלַם Hiph and HALOT 835 s.v. I עלם hif) or emend the form to a Niphal (“you hide yourself,” see BHS, note c; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[10:2] 238 tn Heb “because of the pride of [the] wicked he burns [i.e. hotly pursues] [the] oppressed.” The singular forms רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) and עָנִי (’aniy, “oppressed”) are collective and representative, as indicated in the next line, which uses plural verb forms to describe the actions of both.
[10:2] 239 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 describe either what typically happens (from the psalmist’s perspective) or what the psalmist was experiencing at the time he offered this prayer.
[10:2] 240 tn Heb “they are trapped in the schemes which they have thought up.” The referents of the two pronominal suffixes on the verbs have been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent of the first suffix (“they”) is taken as the oppressed, while the referent of the second (“they”) is taken to be the wicked (cf. NIV, which renders “wicked” in the previous line as a collective singular). Others take the referent of both occurrences of “they” in the line to be the wicked (cf. NRSV, “let them be caught in the schemes they have devised”).
[10:3] 241 tn The translation assumes כִּי (ki) is asseverative: “indeed, certainly.” Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 3 as giving the reason why the wicked so arrogantly seek to destroy the helpless (so NASB, NRSV).
[10:3] 242 tn The representative or typical evildoer is described in vv. 3-11, 13, 15. Since the singular form predominates in these verses, it has been retained in the translation.
[10:3] 243 tn Heb “the wicked [one] boasts on account of the desire of his appetite.” The translation assumes that the preposition עַל (’al) introduces the reason why the wicked boasts (cf. this use of עַל with הָלַל (halal) in Ps 119:164 and Ezra 3:11). In this case, the “desire of his appetite” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired.
[10:3] 244 tn The translation assumes the active participle is substantival, referring to the wicked man mentioned in the preceding line. The substantival participle is then understood as the subject of the following verbs. For other examples of the participle of בָּצַע (batsar) used of those who desire and/or acquire wealth through dishonest and/or violent means, see Prov 1:19; 15:27; Jer 6:13; 8:10; Hab 2:9.
[10:3] 245 tn The verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) normally means “to bless,” but in a few cases it exhibits the polarized meaning “to curse” (1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Job 1:5-11; 2:5-9). (Some regard this use of בָּרַךְ as a mere euphemism.) The verb refers to the act of pronouncing or calling down a formal curse upon the object of one’s anger.
[10:3] 246 tn The conjunction “and” is supplied in the translation; it does not appear in the Hebrew text.
[10:3] 247 tn Another option is to translate, “he blesses one who robs others, [but] he curses the
[10:4] 248 tn Heb “the wicked [one], according to the height of his nose, he does not seek, there is no God, all his thoughts.” The phrase “height of his nose” probably refers to an arrogant or snooty attitude; it likely pictures one with his nose turned upward toward the sky in pride. One could take the “wicked” as the subject of the negated verb “seek,” in which case the point is that the wicked do not “seek” God. The translation assumes that this statement, along with “there is no God,” is what the wicked man thinks to himself. In this case God is the subject of the verb “seek,” and the point is that God will not hold the wicked man accountable for his actions. Verse 13 strongly favors this interpretation. The statement “there is no God” is not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see v. 11).
[10:5] 249 tn Heb “they are firm, his ways, at every time.” The verb חַיִל (khayil, “be firm, be strong”) occurs only here and in Job 20:21, where it has the sense “endure.”
[10:5] 250 tc Heb “[on a] height, your judgments from before him.” If the MT is retained, then the idea may be that God’s “judgments” are high above (i.e., not recognized) by the wicked man. However, the syntax is awkward. The translation assumes an emendation of מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) to סָרוּ (saru, “[your judgments] are turned aside”), the final mem (ם) being dittographic (note the initial mem on the immediately following word [מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, mishÿfatekha, “your judgments”). “Judgments” probably refers here to God’s laws or commands, rather than his judicial decisions or acts of judgment.
[10:5] 251 tn Heb “all his enemies, he snorts against them.” This may picture the wicked man defiantly challenging his enemies because he is confident of success. Another option is to take יָפִיחַ (yafiakh) from the root יָפַח (yafakh, “to testify”) and translate “he testifies against all his enemies,” implying that he gets the upper hand over them in legal battles. The noun יָפֵחַ (yafeakh, “witness”) is attested in biblical Hebrew (see Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3). The verb, however, is not clearly attested.
[10:6] 252 tn Heb “he says in his heart/mind.”
[10:6] 253 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.” The traditional accentuation of the MT understands these words with the following line.
[10:6] 254 tn Heb “who, not in calamity.” If אֲשֶׁר (’asher) is taken as a relative pronoun here, then one could translate, “[I] who [am] not in calamity.” Some emend אֲשֶׁר to אֹשֶׁר (’osher, “happiness”; see HALOT 99 s.v. אֹשֶׁר); one might then translate, “[I live in] happiness, not in calamity.” The present translation assumes that אֲשֶׁר functions here as a causal conjunction, “because, for.” For this use of אֲשֶׁר, see BDB 83 s.v. אֲשֶׁר 8.c (where the present text is not cited).
[10:7] 255 tn Heb “[with] a curse his mouth is full, and lies and injury.”
[10:7] 256 tn Heb “under his tongue are destruction and wickedness.” The words translated “destruction and wickedness” are also paired in Ps 90:10. They also appear in proximity in Pss 7:14 and 55:10.
[10:8] 257 tn Heb “he sits in the ambush of the villages.”
[10:8] 258 tn Heb “his eyes for an unfortunate person lie hidden.” The language may picture a lion (see v. 9) peering out from its hiding place in anticipation that an unsuspecting victim will soon come strolling along.
[10:9] 259 tn Or “in its den.”
[10:9] 260 tn The verb, which also appears in the next line, occurs only here and in Judg 21:21.
[10:9] 261 tn The singular form is collective (see v. 10) or refers to the typical or representative oppressed individual.
[10:9] 262 tn Or “when he [i.e., the wicked man] pulls in his net.”
[10:9] sn The background of the imagery is hunting, where the hunter uses a net to entrap an unsuspecting bird or wild animal.
[10:10] 263 tn Heb “he crushes, he is bowed down, and he falls into his strong [ones], [the] unfortunate [ones].” This verse presents several lexical and syntactical difficulties. The first word (יִדְכֶּה, yidekeh) is an otherwise unattested Qal form of the verb דָּכָה (dakhah, “crush”). (The Qere [marginal] form is imperfect; the consonantal text [Kethib] has the perfect with a prefixed conjunction vav [ו].) If the wicked man’s victim is the subject, which seems to be the case (note the two verbs which follow), then the form should be emended to a Niphal (יִדָּכֶה, yiddakheh). The phrase בַּעֲצוּמָיו (ba’atsumayv, “into his strong [ones]”), poses interpretive problems. The preposition -בְּ (bet) follows the verb נָפַל (nafal, “fall”), so it may very well carry the nuance “into” here, with “his strong [ones]” then referring to something into which the oppressed individual falls. Since a net is mentioned in the preceding verse as the instrument used to entrap the victim, it is possible that “strong [ones]” here refers metonymically to the wicked man’s nets or traps. Ps 35:8 refers to a man falling into a net (רֶשֶׁת, reshet), as does Ps 141:10 (where the plural of מִכְמָר [mikhmar, “net”] is used). A hunter’s net (רֶשֶׁת), is associated with snares (פַּח [pakh], מֹקְשִׁים, [moqÿshim]) and ropes (חֲבָלִים, khavalim) in Ps 140:5. The final word in the verse (חֶלְכָּאִים (khelka’im, “unfortunate [ones]”) may be an alternate form of חֵלְכָח (khelkhakh, “unfortunate [one]”; see vv. 8, 14). The Qere (marginal reading) divides the form into two words, חֵיל כָּאִים (khel ka’im, “army/host of disheartened [ones]”). The three verb forms in v. 10 are singular because the representative “oppressed” individual is the grammatical subject (see the singular עָנִי [’aniy] in v. 9).
[10:11] 264 tn Heb “he says in his heart.” See v. 6.
[10:11] 265 tn Heb “God forgets, he hides his face, he never sees.”
[10:12] 266 sn Rise up, O
[10:12] 267 tn Heb “lift up your hand.” Usually the expression “lifting the hand” refers to praying (Pss 28:2; 134:2) or making an oath (Ps 106:26), but here it probably refers to “striking a blow” (see 2 Sam 18:28; 20:21). Note v. 15, where the psalmist asks the
[10:13] 268 tn The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s outrage that the wicked would have the audacity to disdain God.
[10:13] 269 tn Heb “he says in his heart” (see vv. 6, 11). Another option is to understand an ellipsis of the interrogative particle here (cf. the preceding line), “Why does he say in his heart?”
[10:13] 270 tn Here the wicked man addresses God directly.
[10:13] 271 tn Heb “you will not seek.” The verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as generalizing about what is typical and translate, “you do not hold [people] accountable.”
[10:14] 272 tn Heb “you see.” One could translate the perfect as generalizing, “you do take notice.”
[10:14] 273 tn If the preceding perfect is taken as generalizing, then one might understand כִּי (ki) as asseverative: “indeed, certainly.”
[10:14] 274 tn Here the imperfect emphasizes God’s typical behavior.
[10:14] 275 tn Heb “destruction and suffering,” which here refers metonymically to the wicked, who dish out pain and suffering to their victims.
[10:14] 276 tn Heb “to give into your hand, upon you, he abandons, [the] unfortunate [one].” The syntax is awkward and the meaning unclear. It is uncertain who or what is being given into God’s hand. Elsewhere the idiom “give into the hand” means to deliver into one’s possession. If “to give” goes with what precedes (as the accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests), then this may refer to the wicked man being delivered over to God for judgment. The present translation assumes that “to give” goes with what follows (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). The verb יַעֲזֹב (ya’azov) here has the nuance “entrust” (see Gen 39:6; Job 39:11); the direct object (“[his] cause”) is implied.
[10:14] 278 tn Heb “[for] one who is fatherless, you are a deliverer.” The noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9).
[10:14] sn The fatherless. Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 68:5; 82:3; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
[10:15] 279 sn The arm symbolizes the strength of the wicked, which they use to oppress and exploit the weak.
[10:15] 280 tn Heb “you seek his wickedness.” As in v. 13, the verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as describing a fact, “you hold him accountable,” or as anticipating divine judgment, “you will hold him accountable.” However, since the verb is in apparent parallelism with the preceding imperative (“break”), it is better to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s desire or request.
[10:15] 281 tn Heb “you will not find.” It is uncertain how this statement relates to what precedes. Some take בַל (bal), which is used as a negative particle in vv. 4, 6, 11, 18, as asseverative here, “Indeed find (i.e., judge his wickedness).” The translation assumes that the final words are an asyndetic relative clause which refers back to what the wicked man boasted in God’s face (“you will not find [i.e., my wickedness]”). See v. 13.
[10:16] 282 tn Heb “the
[10:16] 283 tn Or “the nations perish from his land.” The perfect verb form may express what is typical or it may express rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude that God’s deliverance is “as good as done.”
[10:16] sn The nations may be the underlying reality behind the psalmist’s references to the “wicked” in the earlier verses. This reference to the nations may have motivated the combining of Ps 10 with Ps 9 (see Ps 9:5, 15, 19).
[10:17] 284 sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.
[10:17] 286 tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”
[10:18] 287 tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”
[10:18] 288 tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.
[10:18] 289 tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.
[11:1] 290 sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.
[11:1] 291 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[11:1] 292 tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[11:1] 293 tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.
[11:2] 294 tn In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and threaten his people (Ps 3:8).
[11:2] 295 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form depicts the enemies’ hostile action as underway.
[11:2] 297 sn In the darkness. The enemies’ attack, the precise form of which is not indicated, is compared here to a night ambush by archers; the psalmist is defenseless against this deadly attack.
[11:2] 298 tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
[11:3] 299 tn The precise meaning of this rare word is uncertain. An Ugaritic cognate is used of the “bottom” or “base” of a cliff or mountain (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47, 159). The noun appears in postbiblical Hebrew with the meaning “foundation” (see Jastrow 1636 s.v. שָׁת).
[11:3] 300 tn The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form “pure [of heart]” in the previous verse.
[11:3] 301 sn The quotation of the advisers’ words (which begins in 11:1c) ends at this point. They advise the psalmist to flee because the enemy is poised to launch a deadly attack. In such a lawless and chaotic situation godly people like the psalmist can accomplish nothing, so they might as well retreat to a safe place.
[11:4] 302 tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The
[11:4] 303 sn The
[11:4] 304 sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.
[11:4] 305 tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the
[11:4] 307 tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.
[11:4] 308 tn Heb “test the sons of men.”
[11:5] 309 tn Heb “examines,” the same verb used in v. 4b. But here it is used in a metonymic sense of “examine and approve” (see Jer 20:12).
[11:5] 310 tn The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form “pure (of heart)” in v. 2.
[11:5] 311 tn Heb “his [very] being.” A נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, soul”) is also attributed to the Lord in Isa 1:14, where a suffixed form of the noun appears as the subject of the verb “hate.” Both there and here the term is used of the seat of one’s emotions and passions.
[11:5] 312 sn He hates the wicked. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds, and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 5:5.
[11:5] 313 tn Heb “the wicked [one] and the lover of violence.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked [ones]”) in vv. 2 and 6.
[11:6] 314 tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the
[11:6] 315 tc The MT reads “traps, fire, and brimstone,” but the image of God raining traps, or snares, down from the sky is bizarre and does not fit the fire and storm imagery of this verse. The noun פַּחִים (pakhim, “traps, snares”) should be emended to פַּחֲמֵי (pakhamey, “coals of [fire]”). The rare noun פֶּחָם (pekham, “coal”) occurs in Prov 26:21 and Isa 44:12; 54:16.
[11:6] 316 sn The image of God “raining down” brimstone on the objects of his judgment also appears in Gen 19:24 and Ezek 38:22.
[11:6] 317 tn Heb “[may] a wind of rage [be] the portion of their cup.” The precise meaning of the rare noun זִלְעָפוֹת (zil’afot) is uncertain. It may mean “raging heat” (BDB 273 s.v. זַלְעָפָה) or simply “rage” (HALOT 272 s.v. זַלְעָפָה). If one understands the former sense, then one might translate “hot wind” (cf. NEB, NRSV). The present translation assumes the latter nuance, “a wind of rage” (the genitive is attributive) referring to a “whirlwind” symbolic of destructive judgment. In this mixed metaphor, judgment is also compared to an allotted portion of a beverage poured into one’s drinking cup (see Hab 2:15-16).
[11:7] 320 tn Heb “he loves righteous deeds.” The “righteous deeds” are probably those done by godly people (see v. 5). The Lord “loves” such deeds in the sense that he rewards them. Another option is to take צְדָקוֹת (tsÿdaqot) as referring to God’s acts of justice (see Ps 103:6). In this case one could translate, “he loves to do just deeds.”
[11:7] 321 tn Heb “the upright will see his face.” The singular subject (“upright”) does not agree with the plural verb. However, collective singular nouns can be construed with a plural predicate (see GKC 462 §145.b). Another possibility is that the plural verb יֶחֱזוּ (yekhezu) is a corruption of an original singular form. To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 17:15 and Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזָה (khazah), is used]). On the form פָנֵימוֹ (fanemo, “his face”) see GKC 300-301 §103.b, n. 3.
[12:1] 322 sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.
[12:1] 323 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.
[12:1] 324 tn The singular form is collective or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[12:1] 325 tn Or “have come to an end.”
[12:1] 326 tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”
[12:1] 327 tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”
[12:2] 328 tn Heb “falsehood they speak, a man with his neighbor.” The imperfect verb forms in v. 2 describe what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
[12:2] 329 tn Heb “[with] a lip of smoothness, with a heart and a heart they speak.” Speaking a “smooth” word refers to deceptive flattery (cf. Ps 5:9; 55:21; Prov 2:16; 5:3; 7:5, 21; 26:28; 28:23; Isa 30:10). “Heart” here refers to their mind, from which their motives and intentions originate. The repetition of the noun indicates diversity (see GKC 396 §123.f, IBHS 116 §7.2.3c, and Deut 25:13, where the phrase “weight and a weight” refers to two different measuring weights). These people have two different types of “hearts.” Their flattering words seem to express kind motives and intentions, but this outward display does not really reflect their true motives. Their real “heart” is filled with evil thoughts and destructive intentions. The “heart” that is seemingly displayed through their words is far different from the real “heart” they keep disguised. (For the idea see Ps 28:3.) In 1 Chr 12:33 the phrase “without a heart and a heart” means “undivided loyalty.”
[12:3] 330 tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the
[12:3] 331 tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”
[12:4] 332 tn Heb “which say.” The plural verb after the relative pronoun indicates a plural antecedent for the pronoun, probably “lips” in v. 3.
[12:4] 333 tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to accomplish their purposes. The preposition -לְ (l) prefixed to “our tongue” may be dittographic.
[12:4] 334 tn Heb “our lips [are] with us.” This odd expression probably means, “our lips are in our power,” in the sense that they say what they want, whether it be flattery or boasting. For other cases where אֵת (’et, “with”) has the sense “in the power of,” see Ps 38:10 and other texts listed by BDB 86 s.v. 3.a.
[12:4] 335 sn The rhetorical question expresses the arrogant attitude of these people. As far as they are concerned, they are answerable to no one for how they speak.
[12:5] 336 tn The term translated “oppressed” is an objective genitive; the oppressed are the recipients/victims of violence.
[12:5] 337 tn Elsewhere in the psalms this noun is used of the painful groans of prisoners awaiting death (79:11; 102:20). The related verb is used of the painful groaning of those wounded in combat (Jer 51:52; Ezek 26:15) and of the mournful sighing of those in grief (Ezek 9:4; 24:17).
[12:5] 338 tn Heb “I will rise up.”
[12:5] 339 tn Heb “I will place in deliverance, he pants for it.” The final two words in Hebrew (יָפִיחַ לוֹ, yafiakh lo) comprise an asyndetic relative clause, “the one who pants for it.” “The one who pants” is the object of the verb “place” and the antecedent of the pronominal suffix (in the phrase “for it”) is “deliverance.” Another option is to translate, “I will place in deliverance the witness for him,” repointing יָפִיחַ (a Hiphil imperfect from פּוּחַ, puakh, “pant”) as יָפֵחַ (yafeakh), a noun meaning “witness.” In this case the
[12:6] 340 tn Heb “the words of the
[12:6] 341 tn Heb “[like] silver purified in a furnace of [i.e., “on”] the ground, refined seven times.” The singular participle מְזֻקָּק (mÿzuqqaq, “refined”) modifies “silver.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”), see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.
[12:7] 342 tn The third person plural pronominal suffix on the verb is masculine, referring back to the “oppressed” and “needy” in v. 5 (both of those nouns are plural in form), suggesting that the verb means “protect” here. The suffix does not refer to אִמֲרוֹת (’imarot, “words”) in v. 6, because that term is feminine gender.
[12:7] 343 tn Heb “you will protect him from this generation permanently.” The third masculine singular suffix on the verb “protect” is probably used in a distributive sense, referring to each one within the group mentioned previously (the oppressed/needy, referred to as “them” in the preceding line). On this grammatical point see GKC 396 §123.f (where the present text is not cited). (Some Hebrew
[12:8] 344 tn Heb “the wicked walk all around.” One could translate v. 8a as an independent clause, in which case it would be a concluding observation in proverbial style. The present translation assumes that v. 8a is a subordinate explanatory clause, or perhaps a subordinate temporal clause (“while the wicked walk all around”). The adverb סָבִיב (saviv, “around”), in combination with the Hitpael form of the verb “walk” (which indicates repeated action), pictures the wicked as ubiquitous. They have seemingly overrun society.
[12:8] 345 tn Heb “when evil is lifted up by the sons of man.” The abstract noun זֻלּוּת (zulut, “evil”) occurs only here. On the basis of evidence from the cognate languages (see HALOT 272 s.v.), one might propose the meaning “base character,” or “morally foolish behavior.”
[13:1] 346 sn Psalm 13. The psalmist, who is close to death, desperately pleads for God’s deliverance and affirms his trust in God’s faithfulness.
[13:1] 347 tn Heb “will you forget me continually.”
[13:1] 348 tn Heb “will you hide your face from me.”
[13:2] 349 tn Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”
[13:2] 350 tn Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”
[13:2] 351 tn Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”
[13:3] 353 tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good.
[13:3] 354 tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”
[13:5] 357 tn The grammatical construction used here (conjunction with independent pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s defeated condition envisioned in v. 4 and confident attitude he displays in v. 5.
[13:5] 358 tn Heb “may my heart rejoice in your deliverance.” The verb form is jussive. Having expressed his trust in God’s faithful character and promises, the psalmist prays that his confidence will prove to be well-placed. “Heart” is used here of the seat of the emotions.
[13:6] 359 tn The verb form is cohortative, indicating the psalmist’s resolve (or vow) to praise the
[13:6] 360 tn Or “for he will have vindicated me.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here. The idiom גָמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
[14:1] 361 sn Psalm 14. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.
[14:1] 362 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
[14:1] 363 sn “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
[14:1] 364 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
[14:1] 365 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[14:2] 366 sn The picture of the
[14:2] 367 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
[14:2] 368 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
[14:2] 369 sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
[14:3] 370 tn Heb “everyone turns aside.”
[14:3] 371 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[14:3] 372 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[14:4] 373 tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8.
[14:4] 374 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question (rendered in the translation as a positive affirmation) expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-7).
[14:5] 375 tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror.
[14:5] 376 tn Heb “for God is with a godly generation.” The Hebrew noun דּוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the general class of people who are characterized by godliness. See BDB 190 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.
[14:6] 377 tn Heb “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame.” Using a second person plural verb form, the psalmist addresses the wicked. Since the context indicates their attempt to harm the godly will be thwarted, the imperfect should be taken in a subjunctive (cf. NASB, NRSV) rather than an indicative manner (cf. NIV). Here it probably expresses their desire or intent (“want to humiliate”).
[14:6] 378 tn It is unlikely that כִּי (ki) has a causal force here. The translation assumes a concessive force; another option is to understand an asseverative use (“certainly, indeed”).
[14:6] 379 tn Heb “his.” The antecedent of the singular pronoun is the singular form עָנִי (’ani, “oppressed”) in the preceding line. The singular is collective or representative here (and thus translated as plural, “they”).
[14:7] 380 sn The deliverance of Israel. This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
[14:7] 381 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
[14:7] 382 tn The verb form is jussive.
[14:7] 383 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
[15:1] 384 sn Psalm 15. This psalm describes the character qualities that one must possess to be allowed access to the divine presence.
[15:1] 385 tn Heb “Who may live as a resident alien in your tent?”
[15:1] 386 sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.
[15:2] 387 tn Heb “one who walks blamelessly.”
[15:2] 388 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.
[15:3] 389 sn Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age.
[15:3] 390 tn Heb “he does not slander upon his tongue.” For another example of רָגַל (ragal, “slander”) see 2 Sam 19:28.
[15:3] 391 tn Or “his fellow.”
[15:3] 392 tn Heb “and he does not lift up an insult against one who is near to him.”
[15:4] 393 tn Heb “despised in his eyes [is] a rejected [one].” The Hebrew term נִמְאָס (nim’as, “rejected [one]”) apparently refers here to one who has been rejected by God because of his godless behavior. It stands in contrast to “those who fear God” in the following line.
[15:4] 394 tn Heb “those who fear the
[15:4] 395 tn Heb “he takes an oath to do harm and does not change.” The phrase “to do harm” cannot mean “do harm to others,” for the preceding verse clearly characterizes this individual as one who does not harm others. In this context the phrase must refer to an oath to which a self-imprecation is attached. The godly individual takes his commitments to others so seriously he is willing to “swear to his own hurt.” For an example of such an oath, see Ruth 1:16-17.
[15:5] 396 sn He does not charge interest. Such an individual is truly generous, and not simply concerned with making a profit.
[15:5] 397 tn Heb “a bribe against the innocent he does not take.” For other texts condemning the practice of a judge or witness taking a bribe, see Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19; 27:25; 1 Sam 8:3; Ezek 22:12; Prov 17:23.
[15:5] 398 tn Heb “does these things.”
[16:1] 399 sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.
[16:1] 400 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[16:1] 401 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).
[16:1] sn Taken shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[16:2] 402 tn Heb “my good [is] not beyond you.” For the use of the preposition עַל (’al) in the sense of “beyond,” see BDB 755 s.v. 2.
[16:3] 403 tn Heb “regarding the holy ones who [are] in the land, they; and the mighty [ones] in [whom is/was] all my desire.” The difficult syntax makes the meaning of the verse uncertain. The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s angelic assembly (see Ps 89:5, 7), but the qualifying clause “who are in the land” suggests that here it refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3).
[16:4] 404 tn Heb “their troubles multiply, another, they pay a dowry.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The Hebrew term עַצְּבוֹתָם (’atsÿvotam, “troubles”) appears to be a plural form of עַצֶּבֶת (’atsÿvet, “pain, wound”; see Job 9:28; Ps 147:3). Because idolatry appears to be in view (see v. 4b), some prefer to emend the noun to עַצְּבִים (’atsÿvim, “idols”). “Troubles” may be a wordplay on “idols” or a later alteration designed to emphasize that idolatry leads to trouble. The singular form אחר (“another”) is syntactically problematic here. Perhaps the form should be emended to a plural אֲחֵרִים (’akherim, “others”). (The final mem [ם] could have been lost by haplography; note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the next word.) In this case it might be taken as an abbreviated form of the well-attested phrase אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים (’elohim ’akherim, “other gods”). (In Isa 42:8 the singular form אַחַר (’akher, “another”) is used of another god.) The verb מָהַר (mahar) appears in the Qal stem; the only other use of a Qal verbal form of a root מָהַר is in Exod 22:15, where the denominative verb מָהֹר (mahor, “purchase [a wife]”) appears; cf. the related noun מֹהַר (mohar, “bride money, purchase price for a wife”). If that verb is understood here, then the idolaters are pictured as eager bridegrooms paying the price to acquire the object of their desire. Another option is to emend the verb to a Piel and translate, “hurry (after).”
[16:4] 405 tn Heb “I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood.” The third masculine plural suffix would appear to refer back to the people/leaders mentioned in v. 3. However, if we emend אֲחֵר (’akher, “another”) to the plural אֲחֵרִים (’akherim, “other [gods]”) in v. 4, the suffix can be understood as referring to these gods – “the drink offerings [made to] them.” The next line favors this interpretation. Perhaps this refers to some type of pagan cultic ritual. Elsewhere wine is the prescribed content of drink offerings.
[16:4] 406 tn Heb “and I will not lift up their names upon my lips.” The expression “lift up the name” probably refers here to swearing an oath in the name of deity (see Exod 20:7; Deut 5:11). If so, the third masculine plural suffix on “names” likely refers to the pagan gods, not the people/leaders. See the preceding note.
[16:5] 407 tn Heb “O
[16:5] 408 tc Heb “you take hold of my lot.” The form תּוֹמִיךְ (tomikh) should be emended to a participle, תוֹמֵךְ (tomekh). The psalmist pictures the
[16:6] 409 tn Heb “measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant [places]; yes, property [or “an inheritance”] is beautiful for me.” On the dative use of עַל, see BDB 758 s.v. II.8. Extending the metaphor used in v. 5, the psalmist compares the divine blessings he has received to a rich, beautiful tract of land that one might receive by allotment or inheritance.
[16:7] 410 tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”
[16:7] 412 tn Or “counsels, advises.”
[16:7] 413 tn Heb “yes, [during] nights my kidneys instruct [or “correct”] me.” The “kidneys” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s moral character (see Ps 26:2). In the quiet darkness the
[16:8] 414 tn Heb “I set the
[16:9] 415 tn Heb “my glory is happy.” Some view the Hebrew term כְּבוֹדִי (kÿvodiy, “my glory”) 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 (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 30:12; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. 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.”
[16:9] 416 tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.
[16:10] 417 tn Or “my life.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[16:10] 418 sn In ancient Israelite cosmology Sheol is the realm of the dead, viewed as being under the earth’s surface. See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 165-76.
[16:10] 419 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד [khasid], traditionally rendered “holy one”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10). The psalmist here refers to himself, as the parallel line (“You will not abandon me to Sheol”) indicates.
[16:10] 420 tn That is, “experience.” The psalmist is confident that the Lord will protect him in his present crisis (see v. 1) and prevent him from dying.
[16:10] sn According to Peter, the words of Ps 16:8-11 are applicable to Jesus (Acts 2:25-29). Peter goes on to argue that David, being a prophet, foresaw future events and spoke of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:30-33). Paul seems to concur with Peter in this understanding (see Acts 13:35-37). For a discussion of the NT application of these verses to Jesus’ resurrection, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 292-95.
[16:10] 421 tn The Hebrew word שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 30:9; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4). Note the parallelism with the previous line.
[16:11] 422 tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”
[16:11] 423 tn This is a metaphorical way of saying, “you preserve my life.” The phrase “path of life” stands in contrast to death/Sheol in Prov 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 15:24.
[16:11] 424 tn Heb “abundance of joy [is] with your face.” The plural form of the noun שִׂמְחָה (simkhah, “joy”) occurs only here and in Ps 45:15. It may emphasize the degree of joy experienced.
[16:11] 425 tn Heb “delight [is] in your right hand forever.” The plural form of the adjective נָעִים (na’im, “pleasant, delightful”) may here emphasize the degree of delight experienced (see Job 36:11).
[17:1] 426 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
[17:1] 427 tn Heb “hear,
[17:1] 428 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
[17:2] 429 tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsa’) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.
[17:2] 430 tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)
[17:3] 431 tn Heb “you tested my heart.”
[17:3] 432 tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”
[17:3] 433 tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.
[17:4] 434 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
[17:4] 435 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
[17:5] 436 tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.
[17:5] 437 tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”
[17:6] 438 tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”
[17:7] 440 tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”
[17:7] 441 tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.
[17:7] sn Those who look to you for protection from their enemies. “Seeking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[17:8] 442 tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.
[17:8] 443 sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[17:9] 444 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:9] 445 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
[17:9] 446 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (bÿnefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
[17:10] 447 tn Heb “their fat they close.” The Hebrew term חֵלֶב (khelev, “fat”) appears to stand by metonymy for their calloused hearts. They attack the psalmist without feeling any pity or remorse. Some propose emending the text to חֵלֶב לִבָּמוֹ (khelev libbamo, “fat of their heart[s]; cf. Ps 119:70, “their heart is insensitive like fat”). This assumes haplography of the לב (lamed-bet) consonantal sequence.
[17:10] 448 tn Heb “[with] their mouth they speak with arrogance.”
[17:11] 449 tc Heb “our steps, now they surround me.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “surround me,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has “surround us,” harmonizing the pronoun to the preceding “our steps.” The first person plural pronoun does not fit the context, where the psalmist speaks as an individual. In the preceding verses the psalmist uses a first person singular verbal or pronominal form twenty times. For this reason it is preferable to emend “our steps” to אִשְּׁרוּנִי (’ishÿruni, “they attack me”) from the verbal root אָשֻׁר (’ashur, “march, stride, track”).
[17:11] 450 tn Heb “their eyes they set to bend down in the ground.”
[17:12] 451 tn Here the psalmist switches to the singular pronoun; he views his enemies collectively, or singles out a representative of the group, perhaps its leader.
[17:12] 452 tn Heb “his likeness [is] like a lion.”
[17:12] 453 tn Heb “[that] longs to tear.”
[17:13] 455 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
[17:13] 456 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
[17:13] 457 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
[17:14] 458 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
[17:14] 459 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
[17:14] 460 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
[17:14] 461 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
[17:14] sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.
[17:14] 462 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
[17:15] 463 tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”
[17:15] 464 tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (tÿmunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see v. 15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.
[17:15] sn When I awake you will reveal yourself to me. Some see in this verse an allusion to resurrection. According to this view, when the psalmist awakens from the sleep of death, he will see God. It is unlikely that the psalmist had such a highly developed personal eschatology. As noted above, it is more likely that he is anticipating a divine visitation and mystical encounter as a prelude to his deliverance from his enemies.
[18:1] 465 sn Psalm 18. In this long song of thanks, the psalmist (a Davidic king, traditionally understood as David himself) affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. The psalmist’s experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the psalm appears in 2 Sam 22:1-51.
[18:1] 467 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[18:1] 469 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[18:1] 470 tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.
[18:1] 471 tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.
[18:1] 472 tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”
[18:2] 473 sn My high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[18:2] 474 sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.
[18:2] 476 sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[18:2] 477 tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”
[18:2] sn Though some see “horn” as referring to a horn-shaped peak of a hill, or to the “horns” of an altar where one could find refuge, it is more likely that the horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that uses its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36. Ps 18:2 uses the metaphor of the horn in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord himself is compared to a horn. He is to the psalmist what the horn is to the ox, a source of defense and victory.
[18:2] 478 tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”
[18:3] 479 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where the psalmist recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect.
[18:3] 480 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
[18:4] 481 tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.
[18:4] 482 tn The Hebrew noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[18:4] 483 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (vÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness.” It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[18:4] 484 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (see “engulfed”) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[18:5] 485 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[18:5] 486 tn Heb “confronted me.”
[18:6] 487 tn In this poetic narrative context the four prefixed verbal forms in v. 6 are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[18:6] 488 tn Heb “from his temple.” Verse 10, which pictures God descending from the sky, indicates that the heavenly temple is in view, not the earthly one.
[18:6] 489 tc Heb “and my cry for help before him came into his ears.” 2 Sam 22:7 has a shorter reading, “my cry for help, in his ears.” It is likely that Ps 18:6 MT as it now stands represents a conflation of two readings: (1) “my cry for help came before him,” (2) “my cry for help came into his ears.” See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (SBLDS), 144, n. 13.
[18:7] 490 sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
[18:7] 491 tn 2 Sam 22:8 has “heavens” which forms a merism with “earth” in the preceding line. The “foundations of the heavens” would be the mountains. However, the reading “foundations of the mountains” has a parallel in Deut 32:22.
[18:7] 492 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive in the verse.
[18:8] 493 tn Heb “within”; or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition -בְּ (bÿ) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
[18:8] 494 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here. See also v. 15, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
[18:8] 495 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
[18:8] sn Fire devoured as it came from his mouth. For other examples of fire as a weapon in OT theophanies and ancient Near Eastern portrayals of warring gods and kings, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 165-67.
[18:8] 496 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (cf. Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (cf. Ps 120:4).
[18:9] 497 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[cause to] bend, bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the
[18:10] 498 tn Or “rode upon.”
[18:10] 499 tn Heb “a cherub.” Because of the typical associations of the word “cherub” in English with chubby winged babies, the term has been rendered “winged angel” in the translation.
[18:10] sn Winged angel (Heb “cherub”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Pss 80:1; 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the
[18:10] 500 tc 2 Sam 22:11 reads “appeared” (from רָאָה, ra’ah); the relatively rare verb דָאָה (da’ah, “glide”) is more difficult and probably the original reading here in Ps 18.
[18:10] 501 sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict (1) the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option (2) is that two different vehicles (a cherub and the wind) are envisioned. Yet another option (3) is that the wind is personified as a cherub. For a discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in v. 10, see M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.
[18:11] 502 tc Heb “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 reads, “he made darkness around him coverings,” omitting “his hiding place” and pluralizing “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering”) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the Hebrew letter samek: סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvivotayv sukkato).
[18:11] 503 tc Heb “darkness of water, clouds of clouds.” The noun “darkness” (חֶשְׁכַת, kheshkhat) is probably a corruption of an original reading חשׁרת, a form that is preserved in 2 Sam 22:12. The latter is a construct form of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”) which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חָשַׁר (khashar, “to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The phrase חַשְׁרַת מַיִם (khashrat mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground (see F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry [SBLDS], 146, n. 33).
[18:12] 504 tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.
[18:13] 505 sn Thunder is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 179-83.
[18:13] 506 tn 2 Sam 22:14 has “from.”
[18:13] 507 tn Heb “the Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[18:13] 508 tc The text of Ps 18:13 adds at this point, “hail and coals of fire.” These words are probably accidentally added from v. 12b; they do not appear in 2 Sam 22:14.
[18:13] tn Heb “offered his voice.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line.
[18:14] 509 tn 2 Sam 22:15 omits the pronominal suffix (“his”).
[18:14] 510 tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to the psalmist’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).
[18:14] 511 sn Lightning is a common motif in in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 190-92.
[18:14] 512 tn Heb “lightning bolts, many.” 2 Sam 22:15 has simply “lightning” (בָּרָק, baraq). The identity of the word רָב (rav) in Ps 18:14 is problematic. (1) It may be a form of a rare verb רָבַב (ravav, “to shoot”), perhaps attested in Gen 49:23 as well. In this case one might translate, “he shot lightning bolts and routed them.” Other options include (2) understanding רָב (rav) as an adverbial use of the adjective, “lightning bolts in abundance,” or (3) emending the form to רַבּוּ (rabbu), from רָבַב (ravav, “be many”) or to רָבוּ (ravu), from רָבָה (ravah, “be many”) – both a haplography of the vav (ו); note the initial vav on the immediately following form – and translating “lightning bolts were in abundance.”
[18:14] sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 77:17-18; 144:6; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
[18:15] 514 tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.
[18:15] 515 tn Or “foundations.”
[18:15] 516 tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.
[18:15] 517 tn The noun is derived from the verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[18:15] 518 tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the
[18:16] 519 tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[18:16] 520 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see v. 4 and Ps 144:7).
[18:17] 521 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
[18:18] 522 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 5. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[18:18] 523 tn Heb “became my support.”
[18:19] 524 tn Or “delighted in me.”
[18:20] 525 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[18:20] 526 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-24 make clear, the psalmist refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. In these verses the psalmist explains that the
[18:20] 527 tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 24) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.
[18:20] 528 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” “Hands” suggest activity and behavior.
[18:21] 529 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
[18:21] 530 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical; the idea is, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
[18:22] 531 tn Heb “for all his regulations [are] before me.” The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf. Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf. vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf. v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.
[18:22] 532 tn Heb “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” 2 Sam 22:23 reads, “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; the psalmist here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The Lord’s “rules” are the stipulations of the covenant which the king was responsible to obey (see Ps 89:31; cf. v. 30 and Deut 17:18-20).
[18:23] 533 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way.
[18:23] sn Kept myself from sinning. Leading a blameless life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the Lord (see Ps 101).
[18:24] 534 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.”
[18:24] 535 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.” 2 Sam 22:25 reads “according to my purity before his eyes.” The verbal repetition (compare vv. 20 and 24) sets off vv. 20-24 as a distinct sub-unit within the psalm.
[18:25] 536 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[18:25] 537 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[18:25] 539 tn Heb “a man of innocence.”
[18:26] 540 tn Or “blameless.”
[18:26] 541 tn The Hebrew verb פָתַל (patal) is used in only three other texts. In Gen 30:8 it means literally “to wrestle,” or “to twist.” In Job 5:13 it refers to devious individuals, and in Prov 8:8 to deceptive words.
[18:26] 542 tn The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted, crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4).
[18:26] sn Verses 25-26 affirm God’s justice. He responds to people in accordance with their moral character. His response mirrors their actions. The faithful and blameless find God to be loyal and reliable in his dealings with them. But deceivers discover he is able and willing to use deceit to destroy them. For a more extensive discussion of the theme of divine deception in the OT, see R. B. Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28.
[18:27] 543 tn Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).
[18:27] 544 tn Heb “but proud eyes you bring low.” 2 Sam 22:28 reads, “your eyes [are] upon the proud, [whom] you bring low.”
[18:28] 545 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki)is asseverative here.
[18:28] 546 tn Ps 18:28 reads literally, “you light my lamp,
[18:28] 547 tn 2 Sam 22:29 repeats the name “
[18:28] 548 tn Heb “my darkness.”
[18:29] 549 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[18:29] 551 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”
[18:29] 552 tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.
[18:29] sn I can charge against an army. The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
[18:29] 553 tn Heb “and by my God.”
[18:29] 554 sn I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
[18:30] 555 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[18:30] 556 sn The
[18:30] 557 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:30] 558 sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.
[18:31] 560 tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of divine protection. See v. 2, where the Hebrew term צוּר (tsur) is translated “rocky summit.”
[18:31] 561 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the
[18:32] 562 tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the
[18:32] 563 tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.
[18:32] 564 tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”
[18:32] sn Gives me strength. As the following context makes clear, this refers to physical and emotional strength for battle (see especially v. 39).
[18:32] 565 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.
[18:32] 566 tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
[18:33] 567 tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”
[18:33] 568 tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.
[18:33] sn Habakkuk uses similar language to describe his faith during difficult times. See Hab 3:19.
[18:34] 569 sn He trains my hands. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
[18:34] 570 tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms”; or “my arms bend a bow of bronze.” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) apparently means “pull back, bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The third feminine singular verbal form appears to agree with the feminine singular noun קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”). In this case the verb must be taken as Niphal (passive). However, it is possible that “my arms” is the subject of the verb and “bow” the object. In this case the verb is Piel (active). For other examples of a feminine singular verb being construed with a plural noun, see GKC 464 §145.k.
[18:34] sn The strongest bow (Heb “bow of bronze”) probably refers to a bow laminated with bronze strips, or to a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.
[18:35] 571 tn Heb “and you give to me the shield of your deliverance.”
[18:35] sn You give me your protective shield. Ancient Near Eastern literature often refers to a god giving a king special weapons. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 260-61.
[18:35] 572 tc 2 Sam 22:36 omits this line, perhaps due to homoioarcton. A scribe’s eye may have jumped from the vav (ו) prefixed to “your right hand” to the vav prefixed to the following “and your answer,” causing the copyist to omit by accident the intervening words (“your right hand supports me and”).
[18:35] 573 tn The MT of Ps 18:35 appears to read, “your condescension,” apparently referring to God’s willingness to intervene (cf. NIV “you stoop down”). However, the noun עֲנָוָה (’anavah) elsewhere means “humility” and is used only here of God. The form עַנְוַתְךָ (’anvatÿkha) may be a fully written form of the suffixed infinitive construct of עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”; a defectively written form of the infinitive appears in 2 Sam 22:36). In this case the psalmist refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer; one might translate, “your favorable response.”
[18:35] 574 tn Heb “makes me great.”
[18:36] 575 tn Heb “you make wide my step under me.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives the psalmist the capacity to run quickly.
[18:36] 576 tn Heb “lower legs.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun, which occurs only here, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 112. A cognate Akkadian noun means “lower leg.”
[18:37] 577 tn 2 Sam 22:38 reads “destroy.”
[18:38] 578 tn Or “smash them.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “and I wiped them out and smashed them.”
[18:38] 579 tn Heb “until they are unable to rise.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “until they do not rise.”
[18:38] 580 sn They fall at my feet. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 294-97.
[18:39] 581 tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.
[18:39] 582 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
[18:39] sn My foes kneel before me. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 268.
[18:40] 583 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.
[18:40] 584 sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the
[18:41] 585 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[18:41] 586 tn Heb “to the
[18:41] sn They cry out. This reference to the psalmist’s enemies crying out for help to the
[18:42] 587 tn Heb “I pulverize them like dust upon the face of the wind.” The phrase “upon the face of” here means “before.” 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “like dust of the earth.”
[18:42] 588 tc Ps 18:42 reads, “I empty them out” (Hiphil of ריק), while 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “I crush them, I stomp on them” (juxtaposing the synonyms דקק and רקע). It is likely that the latter is a conflation of variants. One, but not both, of the verbs in 2 Sam 22:43 is probably original; “empty out” does not form as good a parallel with “grind, pulverize” in the parallel line.
[18:43] 590 tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.
[18:43] 591 tn 2 Sam 22:44 reads, “you keep me.”
[18:43] 592 tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 44-45). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.
[18:44] 593 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
[18:44] 594 tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).
[18:45] 595 tn Heb “wither, wear out.”
[18:45] 596 tn The meaning of חָרַג (kharag, “shake”) is established on the basis of cognates in Arabic and Aramaic. 2 Sam 22:46 reads חָגַר (khagar), which might mean here, “[they] come limping” (on the basis of a cognate in postbiblical Hebrew). The normal meaning for חָגַר (“gird”) makes little sense here.
[18:45] 598 tn Heb “their prisons.” The besieged cities of the foreigners are compared to prisons.
[18:46] 599 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the
[18:46] 600 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.
[18:46] 601 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
[18:46] 602 tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”
[18:46] 603 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
[18:47] 604 tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.
[18:47] 605 tn Heb “is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication.
[18:47] sn Completely vindicates me. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.
[18:47] 606 tn Heb “he subdues nations beneath me.” On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue,” a homonym of דָּבַר, davar, “speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 47:3 and 2 Chr 22:10. 2 Sam 22:48 reads “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
[18:48] 607 tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”
[18:48] 608 tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the
[18:48] 609 tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”
[18:49] 610 sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the
[18:49] 611 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
[18:50] 612 tn Or “the one who.”
[18:50] 613 tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.
[18:50] 614 tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”
[18:50] 615 tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.
[18:50] 616 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[18:50] 617 sn If David is the author of the psalm (see the superscription), then he here anticipates that God will continue to demonstrate loyalty to his descendants who succeed him. If the author is a later Davidic king, then he views the divine favor he has experienced as the outworking of God’s faithful promises to David his ancestor.
[19:1] 618 sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.
[19:1] 619 sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.
[19:1] 620 tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.
[19:2] 621 tn Heb “it gushes forth a word.” The “sky” (see v. 1b) is the subject of the verb. Though not literally speaking (see v. 3), it clearly reveals God’s royal majesty. The sun’s splendor and its movement across the sky is in view (see vv. 4-6).
[19:2] 622 tn Heb “it [i.e., the sky] declares knowledge,” i.e., knowledge about God’s royal majesty and power (see v. 1). This apparently refers to the splendor and movements of the stars. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 2, like the participles in the preceding verse, combine with the temporal phrases (“day after day” and “night after night”) to emphasize the ongoing testimony of the sky.
[19:3] 623 tn Heb “their.” The antecedent of the plural pronoun is “heavens” (v. 1).
[19:4] 624 tc The MT reads, “their measuring line” (קוּם, qum). The noun קַו (qav, “measuring line”) makes no sense in this context. The reading קוֹלָם (qolam, “their voice”) which is supported by the LXX, is preferable.
[19:4] 625 tn Heb “goes out,” or “proceeds forth.”
[19:4] 626 tn Heb “their” (see the note on the word “its” in v. 3).
[19:4] 627 tn The verb is supplied in the translation. The Hebrew text has no verb; יָצָא (yatsa’, “goes out”) is understood by ellipsis.
[19:4] 628 tn Heb “to the end of the world.”
[19:4] 629 tn Heb “in them” (i.e., the heavens).
[19:4] 630 sn He has pitched a tent for the sun. The personified sun emerges from this “tent” in order to make its daytime journey across the sky. So the “tent” must refer metaphorically to the place where the sun goes to rest during the night.
[19:5] 631 tn The participle expresses the repeated or regular nature of the action.
[19:5] 632 tn The Hebrew noun חֻפָּה (khufah, “chamber”) occurs elsewhere only in Isa 4:5 and Joel 2:16 (where it refers to the bedroom of a bride and groom).
[19:5] sn Like a bridegroom. The metaphor likens the sun to a bridegroom who rejoices on his wedding night.
[19:5] 633 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the regularity of the action.
[19:5] 634 tn Heb “[on] a path.”
[19:5] sn Like a strong man. The metaphorical language reflects the brilliance of the sunrise, which attests to the sun’s vigor.
[19:6] 635 tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”
[19:6] 636 tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”
[19:6] 637 tn Heb “is hidden from.”
[19:7] 638 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
[19:7] 639 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
[19:7] 640 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[19:7] 641 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
[19:8] 642 tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.
[19:8] 643 tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.
[19:8] 644 tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.
[19:8] 645 tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.
[19:8] 646 tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.
[19:9] 647 tn Heb “the fear of the
[19:9] 648 tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”
[19:9] 649 sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.
[19:10] 650 tn Heb “more desirable.”
[19:10] 651 tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).
[19:11] 652 tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”
[19:11] 653 tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”
[19:12] 654 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
[19:12] 655 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
[19:13] 656 tn Or “presumptuous.”
[19:13] 657 tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”
[19:14] 659 tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”
[19:14] 660 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
[19:14] 661 tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.
[20:1] 662 sn Psalm 20. The people pray for the king’s success in battle. When the king declares his assurance that the Lord will answer the people’s prayer, they affirm their confidence in God’s enablement.
[20:1] 663 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in vv. 1b-5 are interpreted as jussives of prayer (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). Another option is to understand them as imperfects, “the
[20:1] 664 sn May the
[20:1] 665 tn Heb “in a day of trouble.”
[20:1] 666 tn Heb “the name of the God of Jacob.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his very person and to the divine characteristics suggested by his name, in this case “God of Jacob,” which highlights his relationship to Israel.
[20:2] 667 tc Heb “from [the] temple.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix (ן, nun) has probably been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word begins with a prefixed vav (ו). See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 184.
[20:3] 668 tn Or “remember.” For other examples of the verb זָכַר (zakhar) carrying the nuance “take notice of,” see Pss 8:4 and 9:12.
[20:3] 669 tc Heb “consider as fat.” The verbal form should probably be emended to יְדַשְּׁנֶהָ (yÿdashÿneha), the final he (ה) being understood as a third feminine singular pronominal suffix referring back to the feminine noun “burnt sacrifice.”
[20:4] 670 tn Heb “may he give to you according to your heart.” This probably refers to the king’s prayer for protection and victory in battle. See vv. 5-6.
[20:4] 671 sn May he bring all your plans to pass. This probably refers to the king’s strategy for battle.
[20:5] 672 sn Your victory. Here the king is addressed (see v. 1).
[20:5] 673 tc The Hebrew verb דָּגַל (dagal) occurs only here in the Qal. If accepted as original, it may carry the nuance “raise a banner,” but it is preferable to emend the form to נגיל (“we will rejoice”) which provides better parallelism with “shout for joy” and fits well with the prepositional phrase “in the name of our God” (see Ps 89:16).
[20:6] sn Now I am sure. The speaker is not identified. It is likely that the king, referring to himself in the third person (note “his chosen king”), responds to the people’s prayer. Perhaps his confidence is due to the reception of a divine oracle of salvation.
[20:6] 675 tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the
[20:6] 676 tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.
[20:6] 677 tn Heb “he will answer him.”
[20:6] 678 tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”
[20:6] 679 tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).
[20:7] 680 tn Heb “these in chariots and these in horses.” No verb appears; perhaps the verb “invoke” is to be supplied from the following line. In this case the idea would be that some “invoke” (i.e., trust in) their military might for victory (cf. NEB “boast”; NIV “trust”; NRSV “take pride”). Verse 8 suggests that the “some/others” mentioned here are the nation’s enemies.
[20:7] 681 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s faithful people and the others mentioned in the previous line.
[20:7] 682 tn Heb “we invoke the name of.” The Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar), when combined with the phrase “in the name,” means “to invoke” (see Josh 23:7; Isa 48:1; Amos 6:10). By invoking the
[20:8] 683 tn Or “stumble and fall down.”
[20:8] 684 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s victorious people and the defeated enemies mentioned in the previous line. The perfect verbal forms either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle. They describe the demise of the enemy as being as good as done.
[20:8] 685 tn Or “rise up and remain upright.” On the meaning of the Hitpolel of עוּד (’ud), see HALOT 795 s.v. I עוד. The verbal forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle.
[20:9] 686 tc This translation assumes an emendation of the verbal form הוֹשִׁיעָה (hoshi’ah). As it stands, the form is an imperative. In this case the people return to the petitionary mood with which the psalm begins (“O
[20:9] 687 tn If the imperative is retained in the preceding line, then the prefixed verbal form is best taken as a jussive of prayer, “may he answer us.” However, if the imperative in the previous line is emended to a perfect, the prefixed form is best taken as imperfect, “he will answer us” (see the note on the word “king” at the end of the previous line).
[20:9] 688 tn Heb “in the day we call.”
[21:1] 689 sn Psalm 21. The psalmist praises the Lord for the way he protects and blesses the Davidic king.
[21:1] 690 tn Heb “in your strength.” The translation interprets the pronominal suffix as subjective, rather than merely descriptive (or attributive).
[21:1] 691 tn Heb “and in your deliverance, how greatly he rejoices.”
[21:2] 692 tn The translation assumes the perfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing, stating factually what God typically does for the king. Another option is to take them as present perfects, “you have granted…you have not refused.” See v. 4, which mentions a specific request for a long reign.
[21:2] 693 tn Heb “and the request of his lips you do not refuse.”
[21:3] 694 tn Or “meet him [with].”
[21:3] 696 sn You bring him rich blessings. The following context indicates that God’s “blessings” include deliverance/protection, vindication, sustained life, and a long, stable reign (see also Pss 3:8; 24:5).
[21:4] 697 tn Heb “life he asked from you.” Another option is to translate the perfect verbal forms in v. 4 with the present tense, “he asks…you grant.”
[21:4] 698 tn Heb “you have granted him length of days forever and ever.” The phrase “length of days,” when used of human beings, usually refers to a lengthy period of time (such as one’s lifetime). See, for example, Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20. The additional phrase “forever and ever” is hyperbolic. While it seems to attribute eternal life to the king (see Pss 61:6-7; 72:5 as well), the underlying reality is the king’s enduring dynasty. He will live on, as it were, through his descendants, who will continue to rule over his kingdom long after he has passed off the scene.
[21:5] 699 tn Or “great glory.”
[21:5] 700 tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.
[21:6] 701 tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.
[21:7] 702 tn The active participle draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action.
[21:7] 703 tn Traditionally “the Most High’s.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. Note the focus of vv. 8-12 and see Ps 47:2.
[21:7] 704 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “he will not be upended” (cf. NRSV “he shall not be moved”). Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense.
[21:8] 705 tn The king is now addressed. One could argue that the
[21:8] 706 tn Heb “your hand finds.” The idiom pictures the king grabbing hold of his enemies and defeating them (see 1 Sam 23:17). The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 8-12 may be translated with the future tense, as long as the future is understood as generalizing.
[21:8] 707 tn Heb “your right hand finds those who hate you.”
[21:9] 708 tn Heb “you make them like a furnace of fire.” Although many modern translations retain the literal Hebrew, the statement is elliptical. The point is not that he makes them like a furnace, but like an object burned in a furnace (cf. NEB, “at your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace”).
[21:9] 709 tn Heb “at the time of your face.” The “face” of the king here refers to his angry presence. See Lam 4:16.
[21:9] 710 tn Heb “the
[21:10] 711 tn Heb “fruit.” The next line makes it clear that offspring is in view.
[21:10] 713 tn Heb “sons of man.”
[21:11] 715 tn Heb “they extend against you harm.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 11 are taken as generalizing, stating factually what the king’s enemies typically do. Another option is to translate with the past tense (“they intended…planned”).
[21:11] 717 tn Heb “they lack ability.”
[21:12] 718 tn Heb “you make them a shoulder,” i.e., “you make them turn and run, showing the back of their neck and shoulders.”
[21:12] 719 tn Heb “with your bowstrings you fix against their faces,” i.e., “you fix your arrows on the bowstrings to shoot at them.”
[21:13] 720 tn Heb “in your strength,” but English idiom does not require the pronoun.
[21:13] sn The psalm concludes with a petition to the Lord, asking him to continue to intervene in strength for the king and nation.
[21:13] 721 tn Heb “sing praise.”
[22:1] 722 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 723 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 724 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 725 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 726 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 727 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 729 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 730 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 731 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 732 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 733 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 734 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 735 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 736 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 737 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 738 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 739 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 740 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 741 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 742 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:8] sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
[22:9] 743 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 744 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 745 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:10] sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
[22:11] 746 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 747 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 748 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 749 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 750 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 751 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 752 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 753 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 754 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 755 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 756 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 757 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 759 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 760 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 761 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 762 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 763 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 764 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 765 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 767 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 768 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 769 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 770 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 771 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 772 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 773 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 774 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:23] 775 tn Heb “fear him.”
[22:24] 776 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 777 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 778 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 780 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 781 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 782 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 783 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 784 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 785 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 786 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 787 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 788 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 789 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 790 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 791 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 792 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 793 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 794 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 795 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:1] 796 sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.
[23:1] 797 sn The LORD is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the LORD is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.
[23:1] 798 tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the LORD as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.
[23:2] 799 tn Heb “he makes me lie down in lush pastures.” The Hiphil verb יַרְבִּיצֵנִי (yarbitseniy) has a causative-modal nuance here (see IBHS 445-46 §27.5 on this use of the Hiphil), meaning “allows me to lie down” (see also Jer 33:12). The point is that the shepherd takes the sheep to lush pastures and lets them eat and rest there. Both imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing and highlight the psalmist’s typical experience.
[23:2] 800 tn Both genitives in v. 2 indicate an attribute of the noun they modify: דֶּשֶׁא (deshe’) characterizes the pastures as “lush” (i.e., rich with vegetation), while מְנֻחוֹת (mÿnukhot) probably characterizes the water as refreshing. In this case the plural indicates an abstract quality. Some take מְנֻחוֹת in the sense of “still, calm” (i.e., as describing calm pools in contrast to dangerous torrents) but it is unlikely that such a pastoral scene is in view. Shepherds usually watered their sheep at wells (see Gen 29:2-3; Exod 2:16-19). Another option is to take מְנֻחוֹת as “resting places” and to translate, “water of/at the resting places” (i.e., a genitive of location; see IBHS 147-48 §9.5.2e).
[23:2] sn Within the framework of the metaphor, the psalmist/sheep is declaring in v. 2 that his shepherd provides the essentials for physical life. At a deeper level the psalmist may be referring to more than just physical provision, though that would certainly be included.
[23:3] 801 tn The appearance of the Hebrew term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi), traditionally translated “my soul,” might suggest a spiritualized interpretation for the first line of v. 3. However, at the surface level of the shepherd/sheep metaphor, this is unlikely. When it occurs with a pronominal suffix נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. 4 נֶפֶשׁ.a). In this context, where the statement most naturally refers to the physical provision just described, the form is best translated simply “me.” The accompanying verb (a Polel form [factitive use] of שׁוּב [shuv]), if referring to the physical provision just described, carries the nuance “refresh, restore strength.”
[23:3] 802 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יְשׁוֹבֵב [yÿshovev] and יַנְחֵנִי [yakheniy]), like those in vv. 1-2, highlight what is typical of the shepherd/sheep relationship.
[23:3] 803 tn The attributive genitive צֶדֶק (tsedeq) is traditionally translated “righteousness” here, as if designating a moral or ethical quality. But this seems unlikely, for it modifies מַעְגְּלֵי (ma’ggÿley, “paths”). Within the shepherd/sheep metaphor, the phrase likely refers to “right” or “correct” paths, i.e. ones that lead to pastures, wells, or the fold. While צֶדֶק usually does carry a moral or ethical nuance, it can occasionally refer to less abstract things, such as weights and offerings. In this context, which emphasizes divine provision and protection, the underlying reality is probably God’s providential guidance. The psalmist is confident that God takes him down paths that will ultimately lead to something beneficial, not destructive.
[23:3] 804 tn The Hebrew term שֶׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the shepherd’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.) The statement לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (lÿma’an shÿmo, “for the sake of his name”) makes excellent sense within the framework of the shepherd/sheep metaphor. Shepherds, who sometimes hired out their services, were undoubtedly concerned about their vocational reputation. To maintain their reputation as competent shepherds, they had to know the “lay of the land” and make sure they led the sheep down the right paths to the proper destinations. The underlying reality is a profound theological truth: God must look out for the best interests of the one he has promised to protect, because if he fails to do so, his faithfulness could legitimately be called into question and his reputation damaged.
[23:4] 805 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל [tsel] + מָוֶת [mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צָלַם, tsalam) 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. If the word does indeed mean “darkness,” it modifies גַיְא (gay’, “valley, ravine”) quite naturally. At the metaphorical level, v. 4 pictures the shepherd taking his sheep through a dark ravine where predators might lurk. The life-threatening situations faced by the psalmist are the underlying reality behind the imagery.
[23:4] 806 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 4, as in vv. 1-3, highlight what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
[23:4] 807 tn The Hebrew term רַע (ra’) is traditionally translated “evil” here, perhaps suggesting a moral or ethical nuance. But at the level of the metaphor, the word means “danger, injury, harm,” as a sheep might experience from a predator. The life-threatening dangers faced by the psalmist, especially the enemies mentioned in v. 5, are the underlying reality.
[23:4] 808 tn The Piel of נָחַם (nakham), when used with a human object, means “comfort, console.” But here, within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations.
[23:5] 809 sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23,” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.
[23:5] 810 tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.
[23:5] 811 tn The rare noun רְַָויָה (rÿvayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.
[23:6] 812 tn The noun חֶסֶד (khesed; v. 6) has been the subject of several monographs. G. R. Clark concludes that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient.” He explains that an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him- or herself.” (See G. R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267.) HALOT 336-37 s.v. defines the word as “loyalty,” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate meanings might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
[23:6] 813 tn The use of רָדַף (radaf, “pursue, chase”) with טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov vakhesed, “goodness and faithfulness”) as subject is ironic. This is the only place in the entire OT where either of these nouns appears as the subject of this verb רָדַף (radaf, “pursue”). This verb is often used to describe the hostile actions of enemies. One might expect the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 5) to chase him, but ironically God’s “goodness and faithfulness” (which are personified and stand by metonymy for God himself) pursue him instead. The word “pursue” is used outside of its normal context in an ironic manner and creates a unique, but pleasant word picture of God’s favor (or a kind God) “chasing down” the one whom he loves.
[23:6] 814 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
[23:6] 815 tn The verb form וְשַׁבְתִּי (vÿshavtiy) is a Qal perfect (with vav [ו] consecutive), first common singular, from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) and should be translated, “and I will return.” But this makes no sense when construed with the following phrase, “in the house of the
[23:6] 816 tn Heb “the house of the
[23:6] 817 tn The phrase אֹרֶךְ יָמִים (’orekh yamim, “length of days”) is traditionally translated “forever.” However, this phrase, when used elsewhere of people, usually refers to a lengthy period of time, such as one’s lifetime, and does not mean “forever” in the sense of eternity. (Cf. Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20.) Furthermore, the parallel phrase “all the days of my life” suggests this more limited meaning. Psalm 21:4, where the phrase is followed by “forever and ever,” may be an exception, though the juxtaposition of the phrases may be an example of intensification, where the second phrase goes beyond the limits of the first, rather than synonymity. Even if one takes both expressions as referring to eternal life, the language is part of the king’s hyperbolic description of the
[24:1] 818 sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.
[24:2] 819 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
[24:2] 820 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
[24:3] 821 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
[24:3] 822 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
[24:4] 823 tn Heb “the innocent of hands and the pure of heart.” The “hands” allude to one’s actions, the “heart” to one’s thought life and motives.
[24:4] 824 tn Heb “who does not lift up for emptiness my life.” The first person pronoun on נַפְשִׁי (nafshiy, “my life”) makes little sense here; many medieval Hebrew
[24:4] 825 tn Heb “and does not swear an oath deceitfully.”
[24:5] 826 tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the
[24:5] 827 tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”
[24:6] 828 tn Heb “this [is the] generation of the ones seeking him, the ones seeking your face, Jacob.” To “seek the
[24:6] sn This verse presents a somewhat idealized view of Jacob’s descendants as devoted worshipers of the Lord.
[24:7] 829 tn Heb “lift up your heads.” The gates of the Lord’s dwelling place are here personified. The idiom “lift up the head” often means “be confident, bold” (see Judg 8:28; Job 10:15; Ps 83:2; Zech 1:21).
[24:7] 830 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”
[24:7] 831 tn Or “king of glory.”
[24:7] 832 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[24:8] 833 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.
[24:10] 834 tn Traditionally, “the
[25:1] 835 sn Psalm 25. The psalmist asks for divine protection, guidance and forgiveness as he affirms his loyalty to and trust in the Lord. This psalm is an acrostic; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except for v. 18, which, like v. 19, begins with ר (resh) instead of the expected ק (qof). The final verse, which begins with פ (pe), stands outside the acrostic scheme.
[25:1] 836 tn Heb “to you, O
[25:3] 837 tn Heb “those who deal in treachery in vain.” The adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “in vain”) probably refers to the failure (or futility) of their efforts. Another option is to understand it as meaning “without cause” (cf. NIV “without excuse”; NRSV “wantonly treacherous”).
[25:4] 838 sn Teach me your paths. In this context the
[25:5] 839 sn The
[25:6] 840 tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.
[25:6] 841 tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”
[25:7] 842 tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.
[25:7] 843 sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.
[25:7] 844 tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O
[25:8] 845 tn Heb “good and just.”
[25:8] 846 tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”
[25:9] 847 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.
[25:9] 848 tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.
[25:9] 849 tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).
[25:10] 850 tn Heb “all the paths of the
[25:10] 851 tn Heb “to the ones who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
[25:11] 852 tn Heb “name.” By forgiving the sinful psalmist, the
[25:11] 853 sn Forgive my sin, because it is great. The psalmist readily admits his desperate need for forgiveness.
[25:12] 854 tn Heb “Who is this man, the one who fears the
[25:13] 855 tn Heb “his life in goodness dwells.” The singular is representative (see v. 14).
[25:13] 856 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[25:14] 858 tn Heb “the advice of the
[25:14] 859 tn Heb “and his covenant, to make them know.”
[25:15] 860 tn Heb “my eyes continually [are] toward the
[25:15] 861 tn Heb “for he will bring out from a net my feet.” The hostility of the psalmist’s enemies is probably in view (see v. 19).
[25:16] 862 tn That is, helpless and vulnerable.
[25:17] 863 tc Heb “the distresses of my heart, they make wide.” The text makes little if any sense as it stands, unless this is an otherwise unattested intransitive use of the Hiphil of רָחַב (rakhav, “be wide”). It is preferable to emend the form הִרְחִיבוּ (hirkhivu; Hiphil perfect third plural “they make wide”) to הַרְחֵיב (harkhev; Hiphil imperative masculine singular “make wide”). (The final vav [ו] can be joined to the following word and taken as a conjunction.) In this case one can translate, “[in/from] the distresses of my heart, make wide [a place for me],” that is, “deliver me from the distress I am experiencing.” For the expression “make wide [a place for me],” see Ps 4:1.
[25:17] 864 tn Heb “from my distresses lead me out.”
[25:18] 865 tn Heb “lift up all my sins.”
[25:19] 866 tn Heb “see my enemies for they are numerous, and [with] violent hatred they hate me.”
[25:22] 869 tn Heb “his distresses.”
[25:22] sn O God, rescue Israel from all their distress. It is possible that the psalmist speaks on behalf of the nation throughout this entire psalm. Another option is that v. 22 is a later addition to the psalm which applies an original individual lament to the covenant community. If so, it may reflect an exilic setting.
[26:1] 870 sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.
[26:1] 871 tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”
[26:2] 872 tn Heb “evaluate my kidneys and my heart.” The kidneys and heart were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
[26:3] 873 tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”
[26:3] 874 tn Heb “and I walk about in your loyalty.”
[26:3] sn The psalmist’s awareness of the Lord’s faithfulness and…loyalty toward him motivates him to remain loyal to the Lord and to maintain his moral purity.
[26:4] 876 tn Heb “go.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.
[26:4] 877 tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”
[26:5] 878 tn Heb “assembly, company.”
[26:5] 879 tn Heb “sit.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.
[26:6] 880 tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.
[26:6] 881 tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[26:7] 882 tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”
[26:7] 883 tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.
[26:8] 884 tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”
[26:8] 885 tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”
[26:9] 886 tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”
[26:9] 887 tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[26:10] 888 tn Heb “who [have] in their hands evil.”
[26:10] 889 tn Heb “and their right hand is full of a bribe.”
[26:11] 890 tn Heb “and I in my integrity walk.” The psalmist uses the imperfect verbal form to emphasize this is his practice. The construction at the beginning of the verse (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist and the sinners mentioned in vv. 9-10.
[26:11] 891 tn Or “redeem me.”
[26:12] 892 tn Heb “my foot stands in a level place.”
[27:1] 893 sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.
[27:1] 894 tn Heb “the
[27:1] 895 tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:1] 896 tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:2] 897 tn Heb “draw near to me.”
[27:2] 898 sn To devour my flesh. The psalmist compares his enemies to dangerous, hungry predators (see 2 Kgs 9:36; Ezek 39:17).
[27:2] 899 tn Heb “my adversaries and my enemies against me.” The verb “draw near” (that is, “attack”) is understood by ellipsis; see the previous line.
[27:2] 900 tn The Hebrew verbal forms are perfects. The translation assumes the psalmist is generalizing here, but another option is to take this as a report of past experience, “when evil men attacked me…they stumbled and fell.”
[27:3] 901 tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”
[27:3] 902 tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”
[27:3] 903 tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”
[27:4] 904 tn Heb “my living.”
[27:4] 905 sn The
[27:5] 907 tn Or “for he will.” The translation assumes the כִּי (ki) is asseverative here, rather than causal.
[27:5] 908 tn Heb “he will hide me in his hut.”
[27:5] 911 tn The three imperfect verb forms in v. 5 anticipate a positive response to the prayer offered in vv. 7-12.
[27:5] 912 tn Heb “on a rocky summit he lifts me up.” The
[27:6] 913 tn Heb “and now my head will be lifted up over my enemies all around me.”
[27:6] sn In vv. 1-3 the psalmist generalizes, but here we discover that he is facing a crisis and is under attack from enemies (see vv. 11-12).
[27:6] 914 tn Heb “I will sacrifice in his tent sacrifices of a shout for joy” (that is, “sacrifices accompanied by a joyful shout”).
[27:8] 916 tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the
[27:8] 917 tn Heb “your face, O
[27:9] 918 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[27:9] 919 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[27:10] 920 tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
[27:10] 921 tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
[27:11] 922 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
[27:11] 923 sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).
[27:11] 924 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.
[27:12] 925 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
[27:12] 926 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.
[27:13] 927 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the
[27:14] 929 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”
[28:1] 930 sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.
[28:1] 931 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
[28:1] 932 tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”
[28:1] 933 tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”
[28:1] 934 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
[28:1] 935 tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.
[28:2] 936 sn I lift my hands. Lifting one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer.
[28:2] 937 tn The Hebrew term דְּבִיר (dÿvir, “temple”) actually refers to the most holy place within the sanctuary.
[28:3] 938 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[28:3] 939 tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”
[28:3] 940 tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”
[28:4] 941 tn Heb “Give to them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their due to them.” The highly repetitive style reflects the psalmist’s agitated emotional state and draws attention to his yearning for justice.
[28:5] 942 tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the
[28:5] 943 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[28:5] 944 tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.
[28:6] 945 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[28:6] 946 sn He has heard my plea for mercy. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes at this point, because the Lord responded positively to his petition and assured him that he would deliver him.
[28:7] 947 tn Heb “The
[28:7] 948 tn Heb “in him my heart trusts.”
[28:7] 949 tn Or “I am helped.”
[28:7] 950 tn Heb “and my heart exults.”
[28:7] 951 tn Heb “and from my song I will thank him.” As pointed in the Hebrew text, מִשִּׁירִי (mishiri) appears to be “from my song,” but the preposition “from” never occurs elsewhere with the verb “to thank” (Hiphil of יָדָה, yadah). Perhaps משׁיר is a noun form meaning “song.” If so, it can be taken as an adverbial accusative, “and [with] my song I will thank him.” See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 236.
[28:8] 952 tn Heb “the
[28:8] 953 tn Heb “he [is] a refuge of help for his anointed one.” The noun מָשִׁיחַ (mashiakh, “anointed one”) refers to the Davidic king, who perhaps speaks as representative of the nation in this psalm. See Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 84:9; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17.
[28:9] 955 tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.
[28:9] 956 tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”
[28:9] sn The shepherd metaphor is sometimes associated with royal responsibility. See 2 Sam 5:2; 7:7; Mic 5:2-4).
[29:1] 958 sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.
[29:1] 959 tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.
[29:1] tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.
[29:1] 960 tn Or “ascribe to the
[29:2] 961 tn Heb “ascribe to the
[29:2] 962 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
[29:3] 963 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:3] 964 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the
[29:3] 965 tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the
[29:4] 966 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:4] 967 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:5] 968 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
[29:5] 969 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3).
[29:5] 970 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13).
[29:6] 971 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
[29:6] 972 sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.
[29:7] 973 tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the
[29:7] 974 sn The
[29:8] 975 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:8] 976 sn Kadesh. The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.
[29:9] 977 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:9] 978 tc Heb “the deer.” Preserving this reading, some translate the preceding verb, “causes [the deer] to give premature birth” (cf. NEB, NASB). But the Polel of חוּל/חִיל (khul/khil) means “give birth,” not “cause to give birth,” and the statement “the
[29:9] 979 tn The verb is used in Joel 1:7 of locusts stripping the leaves from a tree. The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
[29:9] 980 tn The usual form of the plural of יַעַר (ya’ar, “forest”) is יְעָרִים (yÿ’arim). For this reason some propose an emendation to יְעָלוֹת (yÿ’alot, “female mountain goats”) which would fit nicely in the parallelism with “deer” (cf. NEB “brings kids early to birth”). In this case one would have to understand the verb חָשַׂף (khasaf) to mean “cause premature birth,” an otherwise unattested homonym of the more common חָשַׂף (“strip bare”).
[29:9] sn The Lord’s thunderous shout is accompanied by high winds which damage the trees of the forest.
[29:9] 981 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
[29:10] 982 tn The noun מַּבּוּל (mabbul, “flood”) appears only here and in Gen 6-11, where it refers to the Noahic flood. Some see a reference to that event here. The presence of the article (perhaps indicating uniqueness) and the switch to the perfect verbal form (which could be taken as describing a past situation) might support this. However, the immediate context indicates that the referent of מַּבּוּל is the “surging waters” mentioned in v. 3. The article indicates waters that are definite in the mind of the speaker and the perfect is probably descriptive in function, like “thunders” in v. 3. However, even though the historical flood is not the primary referent here, there may be a literary allusion involved. The psalmist views the threatening chaotic sea as a contemporary manifestation of the destructive waters of old.
[29:10] 983 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
[29:11] 984 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
[29:11] 985 sn Strength. This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16.
[29:11] 986 tn Heb “blesses his people with peace.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) probably refers here to the protection and prosperity experienced by God’s people after the
[30:1] 987 sn Psalm 30. The author thanks the Lord for delivering him from death and urges others to join him in praise. The psalmist experienced divine discipline for a brief time, but when he cried out for help the Lord intervened and restored his favor.
[30:1] 988 tn Heb “a song of the dedication of the house.” The referent of “house” is unclear. It is possible that David wrote this psalm for the dedication ceremony of Solomon’s temple. Another possibility is that the psalm was used on the occasion of the dedication of the second temple following the return from exile, or on the occasion of the rededication of the temple in Maccabean times.
[30:1] 989 tn Elsewhere the verb דָּלָה (dalah) is used of drawing water from a well (Exod 2:16, 19; Prov 20:5). The psalmist was trapped in the pit leading to Sheol (see v. 3), but the
[30:2] 991 sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.
[30:3] 993 tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”
[30:4] 994 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[30:4] 995 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
[30:5] 996 tn Heb “for [there is] a moment in his anger, [but] life in his favor.” Because of the parallelism with “moment,” some understand חַיִּים (khayyim) in a quantitative sense: “lifetime” (cf. NIV, NRSV). However, the immediate context, which emphasizes deliverance from death (see v. 3), suggests that חַיִּים has a qualitative sense: “physical life” or even “prosperous life” (cf. NEB “in his favour there is life”).
[30:5] 997 tn Heb “in the evening weeping comes to lodge, but at morning a shout of joy.” “Weeping” is personified here as a traveler who lodges with one temporarily.
[30:6] 998 sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).
[30:7] 999 tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).
[30:7] 1000 tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).
[30:8] 1001 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.
[30:9] 1002 sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.
[30:9] 1003 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
[30:9] 1004 tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).
[30:9] 1005 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:9] 1006 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”
[30:9] sn According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 6:5; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
[30:10] 1007 tn Heb “be a helper to me.”
[30:11] 1008 sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.
[30:12] 1009 tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”
[30:12] 1010 tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “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 (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. 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.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.
[31:1] 1012 sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.
[31:1] 1013 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”
[31:2] 1014 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[31:2] 1015 tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”
[31:2] 1016 tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”
[31:3] 1017 sn The metaphor of the high ridge pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[31:3] 1018 tn Heb “name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the
[31:3] 1019 tn The present translation assumes that the imperfect verbal forms are generalizing, “you lead me and guide me.” Other options are to take them as an expression of confidence about the future, “you will lead me and guide me” (cf. NASB), or as expressing a prayer, “lead me and guide me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[31:4] 1020 tn Heb “bring me out.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form expresses the psalmist’s confidence about the future. Another option is to take the form as expressing a prayer, “free me.”
[31:5] 1021 tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.
[31:5] 1022 tn Or “redeem.” The perfect verbal form is understood here as anticipatory, indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer that he can describe his deliverance as if it had already happened. Another option is to take the perfect as precative, expressing a wish or request (“rescue me”; cf. NIV). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[31:6] 1023 tn Heb “the ones who observe vain things of falsehood.” See Jonah 2:9.
[31:7] 1024 tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”
[31:8] 1025 tn Heb “you cause my feet to stand.”
[31:9] 1026 tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”
[31:9] 1027 tn Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.
[31:9] 1028 tn Heb “my breath and my stomach [grow weak].” Apparently the verb in the previous line (“grow dim, be weakened”) is to be understood here. The Hebrew term נפשׁ can mean “life,” or, more specifically, “throat, breath.” The psalmist seems to be lamenting that his breathing is impaired because of the physical and emotional suffering he is forced to endure.
[31:10] 1029 tn Heb “and my years in groaning.”
[31:10] 1030 tn Heb “stumbles in.”
[31:10] 1031 tn Heb “grow weak.”
[31:11] 1032 tn Heb “because of all my enemies I am a reproach.”
[31:11] 1033 tc Heb “and to my neighbors, exceedingly.” If the MT is retained, then these words probably go with what precedes. However the syntactical awkwardness of the text suggests it is textually corrupt. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 258) suggests that the initial mem (מ) on מְאֹד (me’od, “exceedingly”) be understood as an enclitic mem (ם) which was originally suffixed to the preceding form and then later misinterpreted. The resulting form אֵד (’ed) can then be taken as a defectively written form of אֵיד (’ed, “calamity”). If one follows this emendation, then the text reads literally, “and to my neighbors [I am one who experiences] calamity.” The noun פַחַד (fakhad, “[object of] horror”) occurs in the next line; אֵיד and פַחַד appear in parallelism elsewhere (see Prov 1:26-27).
[31:11] 1034 tn Heb “and [an object of ] horror to those known by me.”
[31:12] 1035 tn Heb “I am forgotten, like a dead man, from [the] heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the center of one’s thoughts.
[31:12] 1036 tn Heb “I am like a broken jar.” One throws away a broken jar without a second thought because it is considered worthless and useless.
[31:13] 1037 tn Heb “the report of many.”
[31:13] 1038 tn Heb “the terror from all around.”
[31:15] 1039 tn Heb “in your hand [are] my times.”
[31:16] 1040 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
[31:17] 1041 tn The verb יִדְּמוּ (yiddÿmu) is understood as a form of דָּמַם (damam, “wail, lament”). Another option is to take the verb from דָּמַם (“be quiet”; see BDB 198-99 s.v. I דָּמַם), in which case one might translate, “May they lie silent in the grave.”
[31:18] 1042 tn Heb “the [ones which].”
[31:19] 1044 tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”
[31:19] 1045 tn Heb “for those who fear you.”
[31:19] 1046 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[31:19] 1047 tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”
[31:20] 1048 tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”
[31:20] 1049 tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.
[31:20] 1050 tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”
[31:21] 1051 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[31:21] 1052 tn Heb “for he caused his faithfulness to be amazing to me in a besieged city.” The psalmist probably speaks figuratively here. He compares his crisis to being trapped in a besieged city, but the
[31:22] 1053 tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”
[31:22] 1054 tn Heb “from before your eyes.”
[31:23] 1055 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[31:23] 1056 tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.
[31:24] 1057 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”
[32:1] 1058 sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.
[32:1] 1059 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
[32:1] 1060 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.
[32:1] 1061 tn Heb “lifted up.”
[32:1] 1062 tn Heb “covered over.”
[32:2] 1063 tn Heb “man.” The word choice reflects the perspective of the psalmist, who is male. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender and age specific “man” has been translated with the more neutral “one.”
[32:2] 1064 tn Heb “blessed [is] the man to whom the
[32:2] 1065 sn In whose spirit there is no deceit. The point is not that the individual is sinless and pure. In this context, which focuses on confession and forgiveness of sin, the psalmist refers to one who refuses to deny or hide his sin, but instead honestly confesses it to God.
[32:3] 1066 tn Heb “when I was silent.”
[32:3] 1067 tn Heb “my bones became brittle.” The psalmist pictures himself as aging and growing physically weak. Trying to cover up his sin brought severe physical consequences.
[32:4] 1068 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
[32:4] 1069 tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (lÿshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (lÿshuddiy, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.
[32:4] sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.
[32:4] 1070 tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”
[32:4] 1071 sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.
[32:5] 1072 tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”
[32:5] 1073 tn Heb “the wrongdoing of my sin.” By joining synonyms for “sin” in this way, the psalmist may be emphasizing the degree of his wrongdoing.
[32:6] 1074 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[32:6] 1075 tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the
[32:6] 1076 tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.
[32:6] 1077 sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.
[32:6] 1078 tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.
[32:7] 1079 tn Heb “[with] shouts of joy of deliverance you surround me.”
[32:8] 1080 tn The second person pronominal forms in this verse are singular. The psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually (see also the note on the word “eye” in the next line). A less likely option (but one which is commonly understood) is that the
[32:8] 1081 tn Heb “I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way [in] which you should walk.”
[32:8] 1082 tn Heb “I will advise, upon you my eye,” that is, “I will offer advice [with] my eye upon you.” In 2 Chr 20:12 the statement “our eye is upon you” means that the speakers are looking to the
[32:9] 1083 tn The verb form is plural (i.e., “do not all of you be”); the psalmist addresses the whole group.
[32:9] 1084 tn Heb “like a horse, like a mule without understanding.”
[32:9] 1085 tn Heb “with a bridle and bit, its [?] to hold, not to come near to you.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun עֲדִי (’adiy) is uncertain. Normally the word refers to “jewelry,” so some suggest the meaning “trappings” here (cf. NASB). Some emend the form to לְחֵיהֶם (lÿkhehem, “their jawbones”) but it is difficult to see how the present Hebrew text, even if corrupt, could have derived from this proposed original reading. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 265) takes the form from an Arabic root and translates “whose gallop.” Cf. also NRSV “whose temper must be curbed.”
[32:10] 1086 tn Heb “many [are the] pains of evil [one].” The singular form is representative here; the typical evildoer, representative of the larger group of wicked people, is in view.
[32:10] 1087 tn Heb “but the one who trusts in the
[32:11] 1088 tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the
[33:1] 1089 sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.
[33:3] 1090 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.
[33:3] 1091 tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”
[33:4] 1092 sn For the
[33:4] 1093 tn Heb “word.” In this context, which depicts the
[33:4] 1095 tn Heb “and all his work [is] in faithfulness.”
[33:5] 1096 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[33:5] 1097 tn Heb “fills the earth.”
[33:6] 1099 tn Heb “and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” The words “were created” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons; they are understood by ellipsis (note “were made” in the preceding line). The description is consistent with Gen 1:16, which indicates that God spoke the heavenly luminaries into existence.
[33:7] 1100 tn Heb “[he] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ged, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the
[33:7] 1101 tn Or “watery depths.” The form תְּהוֹמוֹת (tÿhomot, “watery depths”) is the plural form of תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “great deep”; see Gen 1:2).
[33:8] 1102 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[33:9] 1103 tn That is, “all the earth” in the first line of v. 8. The apparent antecedent of the masculine subject of the verbs in v. 9 (note וַיֶּהִי [vayyehiy] and וַיַּעֲמֹד [vayya’amod]) is “earth” or “world,” both of which are feminine nouns. However, כָּל (kol, “all”) may be the antecedent, or the apparent lack of agreement may be explained by the collective nature of the nouns involved here (see GKC 463 §145.e).
[33:9] 1104 tn Heb “he commanded.”
[33:10] 1105 tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the
[33:10] 1106 tn Heb “thoughts.”
[33:11] 1107 tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The
[33:12] 1108 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[33:12] 1109 tn Heb “inheritance.”
[33:13] 1110 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.
[33:13] 1111 tn Heb “all the sons of men.”
[33:15] 1112 tn Heb “the one who forms together their heart[s].” “Heart” here refers to human nature, composed of intellect, emotions and will. The precise force of יָחַד (yakhad, “together”) is unclear here. The point seems to be that the
[33:17] 1113 tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”
[33:18] 1114 tn Heb “look, the eye of the
[33:18] 1115 tn Heb “for the ones who wait for his faithfulness.”
[33:19] 1116 tn Heb “to save from death their live[s].”
[33:19] 1117 tn Heb “and to keep them alive in famine.”
[33:20] 1118 tn Or “our lives.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[33:20] 1119 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[33:20] 1120 tn Or “protector.”
[33:22] 1121 tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O
[34:1] 1123 sn Psalm 34. In this song of thanksgiving the psalmist praises God for delivering him from distress. He encourages others to be loyal to the Lord, tells them how to please God, and assures them that the Lord protects his servants. The psalm is an acrostic; vv. 1-21 begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. (Verse 6 begins with the letter he (ה) and v. 7 with the letter zayin (ז). The letter vav (ו), which comes between ה and ז, seems to be omitted, although it does appear at the beginning of v. 6b. The final verse of the psalm, which begins with the letter pe (פ), is outside the acrostic scheme.
[34:1] 1124 tn Heb “By David, when he changed his sense before Abimelech and he drove him away and he went.”
[34:1] sn Pretended to be insane. The psalm heading appears to refer to the account in 1 Sam 21:10-15 which tells how David, fearful that King Achish of Gath might kill him, pretended to be insane in hopes that the king would simply send him away. The psalm heading names the king Abimelech, not Achish, suggesting that the tradition is confused on this point. However, perhaps “Abimelech” was a royal title, rather than a proper name. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 278.
[34:1] 1126 tn Heb “continually [will] his praise [be] in my mouth.”
[34:2] 1127 tn Heb “my soul will boast”; or better, “let my soul boast.” Following the cohortative form in v. 1, it is likely that the prefixed verbal form here is jussive.
[34:2] 1128 tn The two prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best taken as jussives, for the psalmist is calling his audience to worship (see v. 3).
[34:4] 1130 tn Heb “I sought the
[34:5] 1131 tc Heb “they look to him and are radiant and their faces are not ashamed.” The third person plural subject (“they”) is unidentified; there is no antecedent in the Hebrew text. For this reason some prefer to take the perfect verbal forms in the first line as imperatives, “look to him and be radiant” (cf. NEB, NRSV). Some medieval Hebrew
[34:6] 1132 tn The pronoun refers back to “this oppressed man,” namely, the psalmist.
[34:7] 1133 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the
[34:7] 1134 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:7] 1135 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same generalizing force as the active participle in the first line. See GKC 329 §111.u.
[34:8] 1136 tn This verb is normally used of tasting or savoring food. The metaphor here appears to compare the
[34:8] 1137 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[34:8] 1138 tn Heb “man.” The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.”
[34:8] 1139 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[34:9] 1141 tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”
[34:9] 1142 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:11] 1143 tn Heb “the fear of the
[34:12] 1144 tn Heb “Who is the man who desires life?” The rhetorical question is used to grab the audience’s attention. “Life” probably refers here to quality of life, not just physical existence or even duration of life. See the following line.
[34:12] 1145 tn Heb “[Who] loves days to see good?”
[34:13] 1146 tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”
[34:13] 1147 tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”
[34:14] 1149 tn Heb “seek peace and pursue it.”
[34:15] 1150 tn Heb “the eyes of the
[34:16] 1151 tn Heb “the face of the
[34:17] 1152 tn Heb “they” (i.e., the godly mentioned in v. 15).
[34:17] 1153 tn The three perfect verbal forms are taken in a generalizing sense in v. 17 and translated with the present tense (note the generalizing mood of vv. 18-22).
[34:18] 1154 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the
[34:18] 1155 tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”
[34:19] 1156 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular form; the representative or typical godly person is envisioned.
[34:19] 1158 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the
[34:19] 1159 tn Heb “him,” agreeing with the singular form in the preceding line.
[34:20] 1160 tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.
[34:20] 1161 tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.
[34:20] 1162 sn Not one of them is broken. The author of the Gospel of John saw a fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ experience on the cross (see John 19:31-37), for the Roman soldiers, when they saw that Jesus was already dead, did not break his legs as was customarily done to speed the death of crucified individuals. John’s use of the psalm seems strange, for the statement in its original context suggests that the Lord protects the godly from physical harm. Jesus’ legs may have remained unbroken, but he was brutally and unjustly executed by his enemies. John seems to give the statement a literal sense that is foreign to its original literary context by applying a promise of divine protection to a man who was seemingly not saved by God. However, John saw in this incident a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate deliverance and vindication. His unbroken bones were a reminder of God’s commitment to the godly and a sign of things to come. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of the story; God vindicated him, as John goes on to explain in the following context (John 19:38-20:18).
[34:21] 1163 tn Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.
[34:21] 1164 tn Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.
[34:22] 1165 tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.
[34:22] 1166 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[35:1] 1167 sn Psalm 35. The author, who faces ruthless enemies who seek his life for no reason, begs the Lord to fight his battles for him and to vindicate him by annihilating his adversaries.
[35:2] 1169 tn Two different types of shields are mentioned here. See also Ezek 38:4. Many modern translations render the first term (translated here “small shield”) as “buckler” (cf. NASB “buckler and shield”; the order is often reversed in the translation, apparently for stylistic reasons: cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “shield and buckler”). The English term “buckler,” referring to a small round shield held on the arm to protect the upper body, is unfamiliar to many modern readers, so the term “small shield” was used in the present translation for clarity.
[35:3] 1170 tn Or “javelin.” On the meaning of this word, which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, see M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:210-11.
[35:3] 1171 tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”
[35:3] 1172 tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”
[35:4] 1173 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See also the distinct jussive form in v. 6.
[35:5] 1174 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.
[35:5] 1175 sn See the mention of the
[35:5] 1176 tn Heb “as the
[35:6] 1177 tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[35:7] 1178 tc Heb “for without cause they hid for me a pit of their net, without cause they dug for my life.” It appears that the words “pit” and “net” have been transposed. “Net” goes with the verb “hid” in the first line (see v. 8, as well as Pss 9:15; 31:4), while “pit” goes with the verb “dug” in the second line (see Ps 7:15).
[35:8] 1179 tn Heb “let destruction [which] he does not know come to him.” The singular is used of the enemy in v. 8, probably in a representative or collective sense. The psalmist has more than one enemy, as vv. 1-7 make clear.
[35:8] 1180 tn The psalmist’s prayer for his enemies’ demise continues. See vv. 4-6.
[35:9] 1181 tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the
[35:10] 1182 tn Heb “all my bones will say.”
[35:10] 1183 tn Heb “[the one who] rescues.” The substantival participle in the Hebrew text characterizes God as one who typically rescues the oppressed.
[35:10] 1184 tn Heb “from [the one who is] too strong for him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense. The typical oppressed individual and typical oppressor are in view.
[35:10] 1185 tn Heb “the oppressed [one] and needy [one] from [the one who] robs him.” As in the previous line, the singular forms are used in a representative sense.
[35:11] 1186 tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”
[35:11] 1187 tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”
[35:12] 1188 tn Heb “they repay me evil instead of good.”
[35:12] 1189 tn Heb “[there is] bereavement to my soul.”
[35:13] 1190 tn Heb “as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.” Sackcloth was worn by mourners. When the psalmist’s enemies were sick, he was sorry for their misfortune and mourned for them.
[35:13] 1191 sn Fasting was also a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities, such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[35:13] 1192 tn Heb “and my prayer upon my chest will return.” One could translate, “but my prayer was returning upon my chest,” but the use of the imperfect verbal form sets this line apart from the preceding and following lines (vv. 13a, 14), which use the perfect to describe the psalmist’s past actions.
[35:14] 1193 tn Heb “like a friend, like a brother to me I walked about.”
[35:14] 1194 sn I bowed down. Bowing down was a posture for mourning. See Ps 38:6.
[35:14] 1195 tn Heb “like mourning for a mother [in] sorrow I bowed down.”
[35:15] 1196 tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).
[35:15] 1197 tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.
[35:16] 1198 tc The MT reads “as profane [ones] of mockers of food,” which is nonsensical. The present translation assumes (1) an emendation of בְּחַנְפֵי (bÿkhanfey, “as profane men”) to בְּחַנְפִי (bekhanfiy, “when I tripped”; preposition + Qal infinitive construct from II חָנַף [“limp”] + first common singular pronominal suffix) and (2) an emendation of לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג (la’agey ma’og, “mockers of food”) to עָגוּ[ם]לַעְגָּ (la’gam ’agu, “[with] taunting they taunted”; masculine plural noun with enclitic mem + Qal perfect third common plural from לַּעַג [la’ag, “taunt”]).
[35:16] 1199 tn Heb “gnashing at me with their teeth.” The infinitive absolute adds a complementary action – they gnashed with their teeth as they taunted.
[35:17] 1200 tn Heb “O Lord, how long will you see?”
[35:17] 1201 tn Heb “bring back, restore.”
[35:17] 1203 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone (see Ps 22:20). The verb “guard” is supplied in the translation, because the verb “rescue” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[35:18] 1204 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.
[35:18] 1205 tn Heb “among numerous people.”
[35:19] 1206 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).
[35:19] 1207 tn Heb “rejoice.”
[35:19] 1208 tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).
[35:20] 1209 tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”
[35:20] 1210 tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.
[35:21] 1211 tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.
[35:21] 1212 tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).
[35:22] 1213 tn Heb “you see, O
[35:23] 1214 sn Though he is confident that the Lord is aware of his situation (see v. 22a), the psalmist compares the Lord’s inactivity to sleep and urges him to wake up.
[35:23] 1215 tn Heb “for my justice.”
[35:23] 1216 tn Heb “for my cause.”
[35:24] 1217 tn Heb “rejoice.”
[35:25] 1218 tn Heb “in their heart[s].”
[35:25] 1219 tn Heb “Aha! Our desire!” The “desire” of the psalmist’s enemies is to triumph over him.
[35:26] 1220 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”
[35:26] 1221 tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.
[35:27] 1222 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).
[35:27] 1223 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[35:27] 1224 tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”
[35:28] 1225 tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”
[35:28] 1226 tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[36:1] 1227 sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.
[36:1] 1228 tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.
[36:1] 1229 tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a a few medieval Hebrew
[36:1] 1230 tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.
[36:2] 1231 tn Heb “for it causes to be smooth to him in his eyes to find his sin to hate.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. Perhaps the point is this: His rebellious attitude makes him reject any notion that God will hold him accountable. His attitude also prevents him from recognizing and repudiating his sinful ways.
[36:3] 1232 tn Heb “he ceases to exhibit wisdom to do good.” The Hiphil forms are exhibitive, indicating the outward expression of an inner attitude.
[36:4] 1233 tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.
[36:4] 1234 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.
[36:5] 1235 tn Heb “[is] in the heavens.”
[36:5] 1236 sn The Lord’s loyal love/faithfulness is almost limitless. He is loyal and faithful to his creation and blesses mankind and the animal kingdom with physical life and sustenance (vv. 6-9).
[36:6] 1237 tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.
[36:6] 1239 sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.
[36:7] 1241 tn Heb “and the sons of man in the shadow of your wings find shelter.” The preservation of physical life is in view, as the next verse makes clear.
[36:9] 1242 tn Heb “for with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light.” Water (note “fountain”) and light are here metaphors for life.
[36:10] 1243 tn Heb “draw out to full length.”
[36:10] 1244 tn Heb “to those who know you.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “know”) is used here of those who “know” the
[36:10] 1245 tn Heb “and your justice to.” The verb “extend” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[36:10] 1246 tn Heb “the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
[36:11] 1247 tn Heb “let not a foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the evil ones cause me to wander as a fugitive.”
[36:12] 1248 tn Heb “there the workers of wickedness have fallen.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the evildoers lying fallen at a spot that is vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.).
[36:12] 1249 tn The psalmist uses perfect verbal forms in v. 12 to describe the demise of the wicked as if it has already taken place.
[37:1] 1250 sn Psalm 37. The psalmist urges his audience not to envy the wicked, but to trust in and obey the Lord, for he will destroy sinners and preserve the godly. When the smoke of judgment clears, the wicked will be gone, but the godly will remain and inherit God’s promised blessings. The psalm is an acrostic; every other verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[37:1] 1251 tn The verb form is singular (see vv. 3-10 as well, where the second person verbs and pronouns are also singular). The psalmist’s exhortation has a wisdom flavor to it; it is personalized for each member of his audience.
[37:1] 1252 tn Heb “over sinners.” The context indicates that the psalmist has in mind the apparent power and success of sinners. See v. 7b.
[37:2] 1253 tn Heb “like green vegetation.”
[37:3] 1254 tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (ra’ah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.
[37:4] 1255 tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).
[37:4] 1256 tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”
[37:5] 1257 tn Heb “roll your way upon the
[37:5] 1258 tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the
[37:6] 1259 tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”
[37:7] 1260 tn Heb “Be quiet before the
[37:7] 1261 tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vÿhitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vÿtokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yÿhvah) and (2) the final lamed (ל) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).
[37:7] 1262 tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”
[37:8] 1263 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
[37:9] 1264 tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.
[37:9] 1265 tn Or “cut off, removed.”
[37:9] 1266 tn Heb “and those who wait on the
[37:10] 1267 tn Heb “and yet, a little, there will be no wicked [one].”
[37:10] 1268 tn Heb “and you will carefully look upon his place, but he will not be [there].” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer is in view.
[37:11] 1269 tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”
[37:12] 1270 tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.
[37:12] 1271 tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.
[37:13] 1272 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
[37:13] 1273 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
[37:14] 1274 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
[37:14] 1275 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
[37:15] 1276 tn Heb “enter into.”
[37:16] 1277 tn Heb “Better [is] a little to the godly one than the wealth of many evil ones.” The following verses explain why this is true. Though a godly individual may seem to have only meager possessions, he always has what he needs and will eventually possess the land. The wicked may prosper for a brief time, but will eventually be destroyed by divine judgment and lose everything.
[37:17] 1278 tn Heb “for the arms of the evil ones will be broken.”
[37:17] 1279 tn The active participle here indicates this is characteristically true.
[37:18] 1280 tn Heb “the
[37:18] 1281 tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”
[37:19] 1282 tn Heb “in a time of trouble.”
[37:19] 1283 tn Heb “in days of famine they will be satisfied.”
[37:20] 1284 tn Or “for,” but Hebrew כי in this case would have to extend all the way back to v. 17a. Another option is to understand the particle as asseverative, “surely” (see v. 22).
[37:20] 1285 tc The meaning of the MT (כִּיקַר כָּרִים [kiqar karim], “like what is precious among the pastures/rams”) is uncertain. One possibility is to take the noun כָּרִים as “pastures” and interpret “what is precious” as referring to flowers that blossom but then quickly disappear (see v. 2 and BDB 430 s.v. יָקָר 3). If כָּרִים is taken as “rams,” then “what is precious” might refer to the choicest portions of rams. The present translation follows a reading in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpPs37), כיקוד כורם (“like the burning of an oven”). The next line, which pictures the
[37:20] 1286 tn Heb “they perish in smoke, they perish.” In addition to repeating the verb for emphasis, the psalmist uses the perfect form of the verb to picture the enemies’ demise as if it had already taken place. In this way he draws attention to the certitude of their judgment.
[37:21] 1287 tn Heb “an evil [man] borrows and does not repay; but a godly [man] is gracious and gives.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The three active participles and one imperfect (“repay”) draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the two types.
[37:22] 1288 tn The particle כִּי is best understood as asseverative or emphatic here.
[37:22] 1289 tn Heb “those blessed by him.” The pronoun “him” must refer to the Lord (see vv. 20, 23), so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:22] 1291 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed” (see v. 9).
[37:23] 1292 tn Heb “from the
[37:24] 1293 tn Other translation options for כִּי in this context are “when” (so NASB) or “though” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[37:24] 1294 tn Heb “be hurled down.”
[37:24] 1295 tn The active participle indicates this is characteristically true. See v. 17.
[37:25] 1296 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:25] 1297 tn Heb “or his offspring searching for food.” The expression “search for food” also appears in Lam 1:11, where Jerusalem’s refugees are forced to search for food and to trade their valuable possessions for something to eat.
[37:26] 1298 tn The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
[37:26] 1299 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:27] 1300 tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).
[37:27] 1301 tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.
[37:28] 1302 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[37:28] 1303 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.
[37:28] 1304 tn Or “protected forever.”
[37:28] 1305 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:28] 1306 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.
[37:30] 1307 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
[37:31] 1308 tn Heb “the law of his God [is] in his heart.” The “heart” is here the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
[37:31] 1309 tn Heb “his.” The pronoun has been translated as plural to agree with the representative or typical “godly” in v. 30.
[37:32] 1310 tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
[37:33] 1311 tn Heb “the
[37:34] 1313 tn Heb “keep his way.” The
[37:34] 1314 tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.
[37:34] 1315 tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”
[37:35] 1316 tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.
[37:35] 1317 tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mit’areh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (’arah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (’alah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (’ezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.
[37:36] 1318 tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).
[37:37] 1320 tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).
[37:38] 1321 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
[37:38] 1322 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
[37:39] 1323 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the
[37:39] 1324 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
[37:40] 1325 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.
[38:1] 1326 sn Psalm 38. The author asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He confesses his sin and recognizes that the crisis he faces is the result of divine discipline. Yet he begs the Lord not to reject him.
[38:1] 1327 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “to cause to remember.” The same form, the Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the heading of Ps 70. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
[38:1] 1328 tn The words “continue to” are supplied in the translation of both lines. The following verses make it clear that the psalmist is already experiencing divine rebuke/punishment. He asks that it might cease.
[38:1] sn Compare Ps 38:1 with Ps 6:1, which has similar wording.
[38:2] 1329 tn The verb Hebrew נָחַת (nakhat) apparently here means “penetrate, pierce” (note the use of the Qal in Prov 17:10). The psalmist pictures the
[38:2] 1330 tn Heb “and your hand [?] upon me.” The meaning of the verb נָחַת (nakhat) is unclear in this context. It is preferable to emend the form to וַתָּנַח (vattanakh) from the verb נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”). In this case the text would read literally, “and your hand rests upon me” (see Isa 25:10, though the phrase is used in a positive sense there, unlike Ps 38:2).
[38:3] 1331 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh from before your anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger at the psalmist’s sin.
[38:3] 1332 tn Heb “there is no health in my bones from before my sin.”
[38:4] 1333 tn Heb “pass over my head.”
[38:5] 1334 sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows.
[38:5] 1335 tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).
[38:5] 1336 tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”
[38:6] 1337 tn The verb’s precise shade of meaning in this context is not entirely clear. The verb, which literally means “to bend,” may refer to the psalmist’s posture. In Isa 21:3 it seems to mean “be confused, dazed.”
[38:6] 1338 tn Heb “I am bowed down to excess.”
[38:7] 1339 tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).
[38:7] 1340 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).
[38:8] 1341 tn Heb “I am numb and crushed to excess.”
[38:8] 1342 tn Heb “I roar because of the moaning of my heart.”
[38:9] 1343 tn Heb “O Lord, before you [is] all my desire.”
[38:10] 1344 tn Heb “and the light of my eyes, even they, there is not with me.” The “light of the eyes” may refer to physical energy (see 1 Sam 14:27, 29), life itself (Ps 13:3), or the ability to see (Prov 29:23).
[38:11] 1345 tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”
[38:11] 1346 tn Heb “stand [aloof].”
[38:11] 1347 tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”
[38:12] 1348 tn Heb “lay snares.”
[38:13] 1349 sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).
[38:14] 1350 tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”
[38:15] 1351 tn Or perhaps “surely.”
[38:16] 1352 tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).
[38:16] 1353 tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.
[38:17] 1354 tn Heb “and my pain [is] before me continually.”
[38:18] 1355 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[38:19] 1356 tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).
[38:19] 1357 tn Heb “are many.”
[38:20] 1358 tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”
[38:22] 1359 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Ps 22:19.
[39:1] 1360 sn Psalm 39. The psalmist laments his frailty and mortality as he begs the Lord to take pity on him and remove his disciplinary hand.
[39:1] 1362 tn Heb “I will watch my ways, from sinning with my tongue.”
[39:1] 1363 sn The psalmist wanted to voice a lament to the
[39:2] 1364 tn Heb “I was mute [with] silence.”
[39:2] 1365 tn Heb “I was quiet from good.” He kept quiet, resisting the urge to find emotional release and satisfaction by voicing his lament.
[39:2] sn I held back the urge to speak. For a helpful discussion of the relationship (and tension) between silence and complaint in ancient Israelite lamentation, see E. S. Gerstenberger, Psalms, Part I (FOTL), 166-67.
[39:2] 1366 tn Heb “and my pain was stirred up.” Emotional pain is in view here.
[39:3] 1367 tn Heb “my heart was hot within me.”
[39:3] 1368 tn Heb “In my reflection fire burned.” The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite (past tense) or an imperfect being used in a past progressive or customary sense (“fire was burning”).
[39:3] 1369 tn Heb “I spoke with my tongue.” The phrase “these words” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[39:4] 1370 tn Heb “Cause me to know, O
[39:4] 1371 tn Heb “Let me know how transient I am!”
[39:5] 1372 tn Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 309.
[39:5] 1373 tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”
[39:5] 1374 tn Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”
[39:6] 1375 tn Heb “surely, as an image man walks about.” The preposition prefixed to “image” indicates identity here.
[39:6] sn People go through life (Heb “man walks about”). “Walking” is here used as a metaphor for living. The point is that human beings are here today, gone tomorrow. They have no lasting substance and are comparable to mere images or ghosts.
[39:6] 1376 tc Heb “Surely [in] vain they strive, he accumulates and does not know who gathers them.” The MT as it stands is syntactically awkward. The verb forms switch from singular (“walks about”) to plural (“they strive”) and then back to singular (“accumulates and does not know”), even though the subject (generic “man”) remains the same. Furthermore there is no object for the verb “accumulates” and no plural antecedent for the plural pronoun (“them”) attached to “gathers.” These problems can be removed if one emends the text from הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן (hevel yehemaun, “[in] vain they strive”) to הֶבְלֵי הָמוֹן (hevley hamon, “vain things of wealth”). This assumes a misdivision in the MT and a virtual dittography of vav (ו) between the mem and nun of המון. The present translation follows this emendation.
[39:7] 1377 tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”
[39:9] 1378 tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).
[39:10] 1379 tn Heb “remove from upon me your wound.”
[39:10] 1380 tn Heb “from the hostility of your hand I have come to an end.”
[39:11] 1381 tn “with punishments on account of sin you discipline a man.”
[39:11] 1382 tc Heb “you cause to dissolve, like a moth, his desired [thing].” The translation assumes an emendation of חֲמוּדוֹ (khamudo, “his desirable [thing]”) to חֶמְדוֹ (khemdo, “his loveliness” [or “beauty”]), a reading that is supported by a few medieval Hebrew
[39:12] 1383 tn Heb “do not be deaf to my tears.”
[39:12] 1384 tn Heb “For a resident alien [am] I with you, a sojourner like all my fathers.”
[39:12] sn Resident aliens were dependent on the mercy and goodwill of others. The Lord was concerned that resident aliens be treated properly. See Deut 24:17-22, Ps 146:9.
[39:13] 1385 tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.
[40:1] 1386 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
[40:1] 1387 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:2] 1388 tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).
[40:2] 1389 tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[40:2] 1390 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
[40:3] 1391 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
[40:3] 1392 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
[40:3] 1393 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the
[40:4] 1394 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[40:4] 1395 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
[40:4] 1396 tn Heb “who has made the
[40:4] 1397 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
[40:4] 1398 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
[40:5] 1399 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 1400 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (’arakh ’el, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
[40:5] 1401 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
[40:6] 1402 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
[40:6] 1403 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
[40:7] 1404 tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.
[40:8] 1405 tn Or “your will.”
[40:8] 1406 tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.
[40:9] 1407 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
[40:9] 1408 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
[40:9] 1409 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
[40:10] 1410 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
[40:10] 1411 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
[40:11] 1412 tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).
[40:11] 1413 tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.
[40:12] 1414 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
[40:12] 1415 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
[40:13] 1416 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[40:14] 1417 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
[40:14] 1418 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[40:14] sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
[40:15] 1419 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[40:15] 1420 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
[40:16] 1421 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
[40:16] 1422 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
[40:16] 1423 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[40:17] 1424 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[40:17] 1425 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The
[41:1] 1426 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
[41:1] 1427 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[41:1] 1428 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
[41:1] 1429 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
[41:1] 1430 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the
[41:2] 1431 tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.
[41:2] 1432 tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
[41:2] 1433 tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.
[41:2] 1434 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
[41:3] 1435 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
[41:3] 1436 tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.
[41:4] 1437 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
[41:5] 1438 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
[41:5] 1439 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
[41:6] 1441 tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
[41:6] 1442 tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
[41:6] 1443 tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
[41:7] 1444 tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
[41:8] 1445 tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
[41:8] 1446 tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
[41:8] 1447 tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
[41:8] 1448 tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
[41:9] 1449 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
[41:9] 1450 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.
[41:9] sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
[41:10] 1451 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
[41:11] 1452 sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.
[41:11] 1453 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
[41:12] 1455 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
[41:12] 1456 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
[41:12] 1457 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
[41:12] 1458 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
[41:13] 1459 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[41:13] 1460 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
[41:13] 1461 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
[51:1] 1462 sn Psalm 51. The psalmist confesses his sinfulness to God and begs for forgiveness and a transformation of his inner character. According to the psalm superscription, David offered this prayer when Nathan confronted him with his sin following the king’s affair with Bathsheba (see 2 Sam 11-12). However, the final two verses of the psalm hardly fit this situation, for they assume the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed and that the sacrificial system has been temporarily suspended. These verses are probably an addition to the psalm made during the period of exile following the fall of Jerusalem in 586
[51:1] 1463 tn Heb “a psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him when he had gone to Bathsheba.”
[51:1] 1464 tn Or “according to.”
[51:1] 1465 tn Or “according to.”
[51:1] 1466 tn Traditionally “blot out my transgressions.” Because of the reference to washing and cleansing in the following verse, it is likely that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to wiping an object clean (note the use of the verb מָחָה (makhah) in the sense of “wipe clean; dry” in 2 Kgs 21:13; Prov 30:20; Isa 25:8). Another option is that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to erasing or blotting out names from a register (see Exod 32:32-33). In this case one might translate, “erase all record of my rebellious acts.”
[51:2] 1467 tn Heb “Thoroughly wash me from my wrongdoing.”
[51:2] 1468 sn In vv. 1b-2 the psalmist uses three different words to emphasize the multifaceted character and degree of his sin. Whatever one wants to call it (“rebellious acts,” “wrongdoing,” “sin”), he has done it and stands morally polluted in God’s sight. The same three words appear in Exod 34:7, which emphasizes that God is willing to forgive sin in all of its many dimensions. In v. 2 the psalmist compares forgiveness and restoration to physical cleansing. Perhaps he likens spiritual cleansing to the purification rites of priestly law.
[51:3] 1470 tn Heb “and my sin [is] in front of me continually.”
[51:4] 1471 tn Heb “only you,” as if the psalmist had sinned exclusively against God and no other. Since the Hebrew verb חָטָא (hata’, “to sin”) is used elsewhere of sinful acts against people (see BDB 306 s.v. 2.a) and David (the presumed author) certainly sinned when he murdered Uriah (2 Sam 12:9), it is likely that the psalmist is overstating the case to suggest that the attack on Uriah was ultimately an attack on God himself. To clarify the point of the hyperbole, the translation uses “especially,” rather than the potentially confusing “only.”
[51:4] 1472 tn The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) normally indicates purpose (“in order that”), but here it introduces a logical consequence of the preceding statement. (Taking the clause as indicating purpose here would yield a theologically preposterous idea – the psalmist purposely sinned so that God’s justice might be vindicated!) For other examples of לְמַעַן indicating result, see 2 Kgs 22:17; Jer 27:15; Amos 2:7, as well as IBHS 638-40 §38.3.
[51:4] 1473 tn Heb “when you speak.” In this context the psalmist refers to God’s word of condemnation against his sin delivered through Nathan (cf. 2 Sam 12:7-12).
[51:4] 1474 tn Heb “when you judge.”
[51:5] 1475 tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.
[51:6] 1476 sn The juxtaposition of two occurrences of “look” in vv. 5-6 draws attention to the sharp contrast between the sinful reality of the psalmist’s condition and the lofty ideal God has for him.
[51:6] 1477 tn The perfect is used in a generalizing sense here.
[51:6] 1478 tn Heb “in the covered [places],” i.e., in the inner man.
[51:6] 1479 tn Heb “in the secret [place] wisdom you cause me to know.” The Hiphil verbal form is causative, while the imperfect is used in a modal sense to indicate God’s desire (note the parallel verb “desire”).
[51:6] sn You want me to possess wisdom. Here “wisdom” does not mean “intelligence” or “learning,” but refers to moral insight and skill.
[51:7] 1480 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:7] 1481 tn Heb “cleanse me with hyssop.” “Hyssop” was a small plant (see 1 Kgs 4:33) used to apply water (or blood) in purification rites (see Exod 12:22; Lev 14:4-6, 49-52; Num 19:6-18. The psalmist uses the language and imagery of such rites to describe spiritual cleansing through forgiveness.
[51:7] 1482 tn After the preceding imperfect, the imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates result.
[51:7] 1483 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:7] 1484 sn I will be whiter than snow. Whiteness here symbolizes the moral purity resulting from forgiveness (see Isa 1:18).
[51:8] 1485 tn Heb “cause me to hear happiness and joy.” The language is metonymic: the effect of forgiveness (joy) has been substituted for its cause. The psalmist probably alludes here to an assuring word from God announcing that his sins are forgiven (a so-called oracle of forgiveness). The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. The synonyms “happiness” and “joy” are joined together as a hendiadys to emphasize the degree of joy he anticipates.
[51:8] 1486 sn May the bones you crushed rejoice. The psalmist compares his sinful condition to that of a person who has been physically battered and crushed. Within this metaphorical framework, his “bones” are the seat of his emotional strength.
[51:8] 1487 tn In this context of petitionary prayer, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, expressing the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:9] 1488 sn In this context Hide your face from my sins means “Do not hold me accountable for my sins.”
[51:9] 1489 tn See the note on the similar expression “wipe away my rebellious acts” in v. 1.
[51:10] 1490 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.
[51:10] 1491 tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”
[51:11] 1492 tn Heb “do not cast me away from before you.”
[51:11] 1493 sn Your Holy Spirit. The personal Spirit of God is mentioned frequently in the OT, but only here and in Isa 63:10-11 is he called “your/his Holy Spirit.”
[51:11] 1494 sn Do not take…away. The psalmist expresses his fear that, due to his sin, God will take away the Holy Spirit from him. NT believers enjoy the permanent gift of the Holy Spirit and need not make such a request nor fear such a consequence. However, in the OT God’s Spirit empowered certain individuals for special tasks and only temporarily resided in them. For example, when God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him, the divine Spirit left Saul and came upon David (1 Sam 16:13-14).
[51:12] 1495 tn Heb “and [with] a willing spirit sustain me.” The psalmist asks that God make him the kind of person who willingly obeys the divine commandments. The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:13] 1496 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.
[51:13] 1497 tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).
[51:13] 1498 tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.
[51:14] 1499 tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.
[51:14] 1500 tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).
[51:15] 1501 tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:15] 1502 tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”
[51:16] 1503 tn Or “For.” The translation assumes the particle is asseverative (i.e., emphasizing: “certainly”). (Some translations that consider the particle asseverative leave it untranslated.) If taken as causal or explanatory (“for”, cf. NRSV), the verse would explain why the psalmist is pleading for forgiveness, rather than merely offering a sacrifice.
[51:16] 1504 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative is used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “You do not want a sacrifice, should I offer [it]” (cf. NEB). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortative is part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.)
[51:16] 1505 sn You do not desire a burnt sacrifice. The terminology used in v. 16 does not refer to expiatory sacrifices, but to dedication and communion offerings. This is not a categorical denial of the sacrificial system in general or of the importance of such offerings. The psalmist is talking about his specific situation. Dedication and communion offerings have their proper place in worship (see v. 19), but God requires something more fundamental, a repentant and humble attitude (see v. 17), before these offerings can have real meaning.
[51:17] 1506 tn Heb “a broken spirit.”
[51:17] 1507 tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”
[51:18] 1509 tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”
[51:18] 1510 tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:18] 1511 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[51:19] 1512 tn Or “desire, take delight in.”
[51:19] 1513 tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.
[51:19] 1514 sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.
[52:1] 1515 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
[52:1] 1516 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
[52:1] 1517 tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”
[52:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
[52:1] 1518 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
[52:1] 1519 tn Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.
[52:2] 1520 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
[52:2] 1521 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
[52:3] 1522 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
[52:4] 1523 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע proposes a homonym here, meaning “confusion.” This would fit the immediate context nicely and provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to deceptive words.
[52:5] 1524 tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.
[52:5] 1525 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
[52:5] 1526 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
[52:5] 1527 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
[52:6] 1528 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
[52:7] 1529 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”
[52:7] 1530 tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).
[52:8] 1531 tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.
[52:8] 1532 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
[52:8] 1533 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
[52:9] 1534 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
[52:9] 1536 tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.
[52:9] 1538 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
[52:9] 1539 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
