Mazmur 7:5
Konteks7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase 1 me 2 and catch me; 3
may he trample me to death 4
and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. 5 (Selah)
Mazmur 9:15
Konteks9:15 The nations fell 6 into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. 7
Mazmur 23:6
Konteks23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness 8 will pursue 9 me all my days, 10
and I will live in 11 the Lord’s house 12 for the rest of my life. 13
Mazmur 28:3
Konteks28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,
with those who behave wickedly, 14
who talk so friendly to their neighbors, 15
while they plan to harm them! 16
Mazmur 38:2
Konteks38:2 For your arrows pierce 17 me,
and your hand presses me down. 18
Mazmur 49:8
Konteks49:8 (the ransom price for a human life 19 is too high,
and people go to their final destiny), 20
Mazmur 49:19
Konteks49:19 But he will join his ancestors; 21
they will never again see the light of day. 22
Mazmur 55:14
Konteks55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; 23
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
Mazmur 60:9
Konteks60:9 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 24
Mazmur 63:2
Konteks63:2 Yes, 25 in the sanctuary I have seen you, 26
and witnessed 27 your power and splendor.
Mazmur 68:17
Konteks68:17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands. 28
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 29
Mazmur 78:57
Konteks78:57 They were unfaithful 30 and acted as treacherously as 31 their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. 32
Mazmur 84:2
Konteks84:2 I desperately want to be 33
in the courts of the Lord’s temple. 34
My heart and my entire being 35 shout for joy
to the living God.
Mazmur 87:5
Konteks87:5 But it is said of Zion’s residents, 36
“Each one of these 37 was born in her,
and the sovereign One 38 makes her secure.” 39
Mazmur 105:43
Konteks105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 40
Mazmur 108:10
Konteks108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 41
[7:5] 1 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] 2 tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[7:5] 3 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] 4 tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”
[7:5] 5 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.
[9:15] 7 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.
[23:6] 8 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] 9 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] 10 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
[23:6] 11 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] 12 tn Heb “the house of the
[23:6] 13 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
[28:3] 14 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[28:3] 15 tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”
[28:3] 16 tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”
[38:2] 17 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] 18 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).
[49:8] 19 tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.
[49:8] 20 tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.
[49:19] 21 tn Verses 18-19a are one long sentence in the Hebrew text, which reads: “Though he blesses his soul in his life, [saying], ‘And let them praise you, for you do well for yourself,’ it [that is, his soul] will go to the generation of his fathers.” This has been divided into two sentences in the translation for clarity, in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
[49:19] 22 tn Heb “light.” The words “of day” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[55:14] 23 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
[60:9] 24 sn In v. 9 the psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 8, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation (v. 10, see also v. 1).
[63:2] 25 tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).
[63:2] 26 tn The perfect verbal form is understood here as referring to a past experience which the psalmist desires to be repeated. Another option is to take the perfect as indicating the psalmist’s certitude that he will again stand in God’s presence in the sanctuary. In this case one can translate, “I will see you.”
[63:2] 27 tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.
[68:17] 28 tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”
[68:17] 29 tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).
[78:57] 30 tn Heb “they turned back.”
[78:57] 31 tn Or “acted treacherously like.”
[78:57] 32 tn Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”
[84:2] 33 tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”
[84:2] 34 tn Heb “the courts of the
[84:2] 35 tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.
[87:5] 36 tn Heb “and of Zion it is said.” Another option is to translate, “and to Zion it is said.” In collocation with the Niphal of אָמַר (’amar), the preposition lamed (-לְ) can introduce the recipient of the statement (see Josh 2:2; Jer 4:11; Hos 1:10; Zeph 3:16), carry the nuance “concerning, of” (see Num 23:23), or mean “be named” (see Isa 4:3; 62:4).
[87:5] 37 tn Heb “a man and a man.” The idiom also appears in Esth 1:8. The translation assumes that the phrase refers to each of Zion’s residents, in contrast to the foreigners mentioned in v. 4. Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand this as a reference to each of the nations, including those mentioned in v. 4.
[87:5] 38 tn Traditionally “Most High.”
[87:5] 39 tn Heb “and he makes her secure, the Most High.”
[105:43] 40 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
[108:10] 41 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
