Mazmur 31:21

31:21 The Lord deserves praise ¹ 

for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. ² 

Mazmur 50:3

50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; ³ 

consuming fire goes ahead of him

and all around him a storm rages. ⁴ 

[31:21]  ¹ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”

[31:21]  ² 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 Lord answered his prayer for help. Verses 19-24 were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18.

[50:3]  ³ tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”

[50:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”