Mazmur 5:8

5:8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness ¹ 

because of those who wait to ambush me, ² 

remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! ³ 

Mazmur 19:13

19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant ⁴  sins;

do not allow such sins to control me. ⁵ 

Then I will be blameless,

and innocent of blatant ⁶  rebellion.

Mazmur 26:1

Psalm 26 ⁷ 

By David.

26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have integrity, ⁸ 

and I trust in the Lord without wavering.

Mazmur 31:23

31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers ⁹  of his!

The Lord protects those who have integrity,

but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 50:21

50:21 When you did these things, I was silent, ¹¹ 

so you thought I was exactly like you. ¹² 

But now I will condemn ¹³  you

and state my case against you! ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 52:9

52:9 I will continually ¹⁵  thank you when ¹⁶  you execute judgment; ¹⁷ 

I will rely ¹⁸  on you, ¹⁹  for your loyal followers know you are good. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 59:3

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ²¹ 

powerful men stalk ²²  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ²³ 

Mazmur 78:4

78:4 we will not hide from their ²⁴  descendants.

We will tell the next generation

about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, ²⁵ 

about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

Mazmur 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ²⁶  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ²⁷ 

[5:8]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 27:11; 56:2.

[5:8]  ³ 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).

[19:13]  ⁴ tn Or “presumptuous.”

[19:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”

[19:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “great.”

[26:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.

[26:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”

[31:23]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.

[50:21]  ¹¹ tn Heb “these things you did and I was silent.” Some interpret the second clause (“and I was silent”) as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, “[When you do these things], should I keep silent?” (cf. NEB). See GKC 335 §112.cc.

[50:21]  sn The Lord was silent in the sense that he delayed punishment. Of course, God’s patience toward sinners eventually runs out. The divine “silence” is only temporary (see v. 3, where the psalmist, having described God’s arrival, observes that “he is not silent”).

[50:21]  ¹² tn The Hebrew infinitive construct (הֱיוֹת, heyot) appears to function like the infinitive absolute here, adding emphasis to the following finite verbal form (אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh). See GKC 339-40 §113.a. Some prefer to emend הֱיוֹת (heyot) to the infinitive absolute form הָיוֹ (hayo).

[50:21]  ¹³ tn Or “rebuke” (see v. 8).

[50:21]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and I will set in order [my case against you] to your eyes.” The cohortative form expresses the Lord’s resolve to accuse and judge the wicked.

[52:9]  ¹⁵ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

[52:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “for.”

[52:9]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ tn Or “wait.”

[52:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.

[52:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

[59:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  ²² tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.

[59:3]  ²³ sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the Lord.

[78:4]  ²⁴ tn The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).

[78:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the Lord.” “Praises” stand by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt worship. Cf. Ps 9:14.

[140:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”