Mazmur 5:1-2

Psalm 5 ¹ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; ²  a psalm of David.

5:1 Listen to what I say, ³  Lord!

Carefully consider my complaint! ⁴ 

5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,

my king and my God,

for I am praying to you!

Mazmur 17:1

Psalm 17 ⁵ 

A prayer of David.

17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! ⁶ 

Pay attention to my cry for help!

Listen to the prayer

I sincerely offer! ⁷ 

Mazmur 55:1-2

Psalm 55 ⁸ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ⁹  by David.

55:1 Listen, O God, to my prayer!

Do not ignore ¹⁰  my appeal for mercy!

55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!

I am so upset ¹¹  and distressed, ¹²  I am beside myself, ¹³ 

Mazmur 61:1-2

Psalm 61 ¹⁴ 

For the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.

61:1 O God, hear my cry for help!

Pay attention to my prayer!

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ¹⁵ 

I call out to you in my despair. ¹⁶ 

Lead me ¹⁷  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ¹⁸ 

[5:1]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “my words.”

[5:1]  ⁴ tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.

[17:1]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “hear, Lord, what is just.”

[17:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”

[55:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.

[55:1]  ⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.

[55:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hide yourself from.”

[55:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.

[55:2]  ¹² tn Heb “in my complaint.”

[55:2]  ¹³ tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (vÿ’ehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (vÿ’ehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).

[61:1]  ¹⁴ sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.

[61:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).

[61:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “while my heart faints.”

[61:2]  ¹⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[61:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”