Mazmur 40:11

40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold ¹  your compassion from me.

May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! ² 

Mazmur 69:13

69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! ³ 

O God, because of your great loyal love,

answer me with your faithful deliverance! ⁴ 

Mazmur 69:16

69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! ⁵ 

Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!

Mazmur 103:4

103:4 who delivers ⁶  your life from the Pit, ⁷ 

who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,

Mazmur 119:77

119:77 May I experience your compassion, ⁸  so I might live!

For I find delight in your law.

[40:11]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[69:13]  ³ tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O Lord, [in] a time of favor.”

[69:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”

[69:16]  ⁵ tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”

[103:4]  ⁶ tn Or “redeems.”

[103:4]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 55:24.

[119:77]  ⁸ tn Heb “and may your compassion come to me.”