Mazmur 22:1-31
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 2 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 3
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 4
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 5
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 6
22:4 In you our ancestors 7 trusted;
they trusted in you 8 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 9
22:6 But I 10 am a worm, 11 not a man; 12
people insult me and despise me. 13
22:7 All who see me taunt 14 me;
they mock me 15 and shake their heads. 16
“Commit yourself 18 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 19 rescue him!
Let the Lord 20 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 21
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 22 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 23
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 24
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 25
22:12 Many bulls 26 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 27 hem me in.
22:13 They 28 open their mouths to devour me 29
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 30
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 31
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 32 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 33 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 34
You 35 set me in the dust of death. 36
22:16 Yes, 37 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 38
22:17 I can count 39 all my bones;
my enemies 40 are gloating over me in triumph. 41
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 42 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 43 Hurry and help me! 44
22:20 Deliver me 45 from the sword!
Save 46 my life 47 from the claws 48 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 49
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 50
You have answered me! 51
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 52
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 53 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 54
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 55 of the oppressed; 56
he did not ignore him; 57
when he cried out to him, he responded. 58
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 59 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 60
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 61
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 62 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 63
Let all the nations 64 worship you! 65
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 67 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 68
all those who are descending into the grave 69 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 70
22:30 A whole generation 71 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 72
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 73
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 74
Mazmur 28:1-9
KonteksBy David.
28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!
My protector, 76 do not ignore me! 77
If you do not respond to me, 78
I will join 79 those who are descending into the grave. 80
28:2 Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,
when I lift my hands 81 toward your holy temple! 82
28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,
with those who behave wickedly, 83
who talk so friendly to their neighbors, 84
while they plan to harm them! 85
28:4 Pay them back for their evil deeds!
Pay them back for what they do!
Punish them! 86
28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,
or the way he carries out justice. 87
The Lord 88 will permanently demolish them. 89
28:6 The Lord deserves praise, 90
for he has heard my plea for mercy! 91
28:7 The Lord strengthens and protects me; 92
I trust in him with all my heart. 93
I am rescued 94 and my heart is full of joy; 95
I will sing to him in gratitude. 96
28:8 The Lord strengthens his people; 97
he protects and delivers his chosen king. 98
28:9 Deliver your people!
Empower 99 the nation that belongs to you! 100
Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms 101 at all times! 102
Mazmur 59:1-17
KonteksFor the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 104 a prayer 105 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 106
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 107 from those who attack me! 108
59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! 109
Rescue me from violent men! 110
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 111
powerful men stalk 112 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 113
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 114 they are anxious to attack. 115
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 116
59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, 117 the God of Israel,
rouse yourself and punish 118 all the nations!
Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)
59:6 They return in the evening;
they growl 119 like a dog
and prowl around outside 120 the city.
59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 121
for they say, 122
“Who hears?”
59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; 123
you taunt 124 all the nations.
59:9 You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! 125
For God is my refuge. 126
59:10 The God who loves me will help me; 127
God will enable me to triumph over 128 my enemies. 129
59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,
because then my people might forget the lesson. 130
Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,
O Lord who shields us! 131
59:12 They speak sinful words. 132
So let them be trapped by their own pride
and by the curses and lies they speak!
59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!
Let them know that God rules
in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)
59:14 They return in the evening;
they growl 133 like a dog
and prowl around outside 134 the city.
59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full. 135
59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge 136
and my place of shelter when I face trouble. 137
59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! 138
For God is my refuge, 139 the God who loves me. 140
Mazmur 69:1-36
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 142 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 143
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 144
I am in 145 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 146
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 147
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 148 outnumber me. 149
They make me repay what I did not steal! 150
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 151
my guilt is not hidden from you. 152
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 153
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 154 humiliation for your sake 155
and am thoroughly disgraced. 156
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 157
69:9 Certainly 158 zeal for 159 your house 160 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 161
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 162
which causes others to insult me. 163
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 164
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 165
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 166
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 167
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 168 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 169 devour me! 170
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 171
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 172 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 173
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 174
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 175
69:20 Their insults are painful 176 and make me lose heart; 177
I look 178 for sympathy, but receive none, 179
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 180 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 181
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 182
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 183
Make them shake violently! 184
69:24 Pour out your judgment 185 on them!
May your raging anger 186 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 187
69:26 For they harass 188 the one whom you discipline; 189
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 190
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 191
Do not vindicate them! 192
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 193
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 194
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 195
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 196
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 197
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 198 may you be encouraged! 199
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 200
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 201 will again live in them and possess Zion. 202
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 203 will live in it. 204
Mazmur 71:1-24
Konteks71:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me! 206
Listen to me! 207 Deliver me! 208
71:3 Be my protector and refuge, 209
a stronghold where I can be safe! 210
For you are my high ridge 211 and my stronghold.
71:4 My God, rescue me from the power 212 of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor!
71:5 For you give me confidence, 213 O Lord;
O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young. 214
71:6 I have leaned on you since birth; 215
you pulled me 216 from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually. 217
71:7 Many are appalled when they see me, 218
but you are my secure shelter.
71:8 I praise you constantly
and speak of your splendor all day long. 219
71:9 Do not reject me in my old age! 220
When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
71:10 For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise. 221
71:11 They say, 222 “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me! 223
71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!
May those who want to harm me 224 be covered with scorn and disgrace!
71:14 As for me, I will wait continually,
and will continue to praise you. 225
71:15 I will tell about your justice,
and all day long proclaim your salvation, 226
though I cannot fathom its full extent. 227
71:16 I will come and tell about 228 the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.
I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.
71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring 229 your amazing deeds.
71:18 Even when I am old and gray, 230
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,
and those coming after me about your power. 231
71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; 232
you have done great things. 233
O God, who can compare to you? 234
71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, 235
revive me once again! 236
Bring me up once again 237 from the depths of the earth!
71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor! 238
Turn and comfort me! 239
71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,
praising 240 your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,
O Holy One of Israel! 241
71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, 242 I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me! 243
71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,
for those who want to harm me 244 will be embarrassed and ashamed. 245
Mazmur 102:1-28
KonteksThe prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 247
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 248
Listen to me! 249
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke, 250
and my bones are charred like a fireplace. 251
102:4 My heart is parched 252 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 253 to eat food. 254
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin. 255
102:6 I am like an owl 256 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 257 among the ruins. 258
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses. 260
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, 261
and mix my drink with my tears, 262
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, 263 you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 264
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, 265
and your reputation endures. 266
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 267
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 268 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 269 the dust of her ruins. 270
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 271
and all the kings of the earth will respect 272 his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, 273
and does not reject 274 their request. 275
102:18 The account of his intervention 276 will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; 277
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, 278
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die, 279
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 280 in Jerusalem, 281
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord. 282
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life; 283
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 284
You endure through all generations. 285
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure. 286
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. 287
your years do not come to an end.
102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants 289 will live securely in your presence.” 290
[22:1] 1 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 2 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 3 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 4 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 5 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 6 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 8 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 9 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 10 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 11 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 12 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 13 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 14 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 15 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 16 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 17 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 18 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 19 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 20 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 21 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:8] sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
[22:9] 22 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 23 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 24 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:10] sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
[22:11] 25 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 26 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 27 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 28 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 29 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 30 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 31 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 32 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 33 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 34 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 35 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 36 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 38 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 39 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 40 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 41 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 42 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 43 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 44 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 46 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 47 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 48 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 49 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 50 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 51 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 52 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 53 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:24] 55 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 56 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 57 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 59 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 60 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 61 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 62 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 63 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 64 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 65 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 66 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 67 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 68 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 69 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 70 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 71 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 72 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 73 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 74 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[28:1] 75 sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.
[28:1] 76 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
[28:1] 77 tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”
[28:1] 78 tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”
[28:1] 79 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
[28:1] 80 tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.
[28:2] 81 sn I lift my hands. Lifting one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer.
[28:2] 82 tn The Hebrew term דְּבִיר (dÿvir, “temple”) actually refers to the most holy place within the sanctuary.
[28:3] 83 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[28:3] 84 tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”
[28:3] 85 tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”
[28:4] 86 tn Heb “Give to them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their due to them.” The highly repetitive style reflects the psalmist’s agitated emotional state and draws attention to his yearning for justice.
[28:5] 87 tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the
[28:5] 88 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[28:5] 89 tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.
[28:6] 90 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[28:6] 91 sn He has heard my plea for mercy. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes at this point, because the Lord responded positively to his petition and assured him that he would deliver him.
[28:7] 92 tn Heb “The
[28:7] 93 tn Heb “in him my heart trusts.”
[28:7] 94 tn Or “I am helped.”
[28:7] 95 tn Heb “and my heart exults.”
[28:7] 96 tn Heb “and from my song I will thank him.” As pointed in the Hebrew text, מִשִּׁירִי (mishiri) appears to be “from my song,” but the preposition “from” never occurs elsewhere with the verb “to thank” (Hiphil of יָדָה, yadah). Perhaps משׁיר is a noun form meaning “song.” If so, it can be taken as an adverbial accusative, “and [with] my song I will thank him.” See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 236.
[28:8] 97 tn Heb “the
[28:8] 98 tn Heb “he [is] a refuge of help for his anointed one.” The noun מָשִׁיחַ (mashiakh, “anointed one”) refers to the Davidic king, who perhaps speaks as representative of the nation in this psalm. See Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 84:9; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17.
[28:9] 100 tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.
[28:9] 101 tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”
[28:9] sn The shepherd metaphor is sometimes associated with royal responsibility. See 2 Sam 5:2; 7:7; Mic 5:2-4).
[59:1] 103 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
[59:1] 104 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.
[59:1] 105 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[59:1] 106 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
[59:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.
[59:1] 107 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
[59:1] 108 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
[59:2] 109 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
[59:2] 110 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
[59:3] 112 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] 113 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
[59:4] 114 tn Heb “without sin.”
[59:4] 115 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
[59:4] 116 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
[59:5] 117 tn Heb “
[59:5] 118 tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).
[59:6] 119 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:6] 120 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:7] 121 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
[59:7] 122 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
[59:8] 123 sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.
[59:8] 124 tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).
[59:9] 125 tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (’eshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (’ezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.
[59:9] 126 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:10] 127 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
[59:10] 128 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
[59:10] 129 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
[59:11] 130 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”
[59:11] sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.
[59:11] 131 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”
[59:12] 132 tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”
[59:14] 133 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:14] 134 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:15] 135 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
[59:16] 136 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:16] 137 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”
[59:17] 138 tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”
[59:17] 139 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:17] 140 tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”
[69:1] 141 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 142 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 143 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 144 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 145 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 146 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 147 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 148 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 149 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 150 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:4] sn They make me repay what I did not steal. The psalmist’s enemies falsely accuse him and hold him accountable for alleged crimes he did not even commit.
[69:5] 151 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 152 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 153 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 154 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 155 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 156 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 157 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 158 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 159 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 160 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 161 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:9] sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.
[69:10] 162 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 163 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 164 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 165 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 166 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 167 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 168 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 169 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 170 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 171 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 172 tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[69:18] 174 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 175 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 176 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 177 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 179 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 180 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 181 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 182 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 183 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 184 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 185 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 186 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971), 17-81.
[69:25] 187 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:25] sn In Acts 1:20 Peter applies the language of this verse to Judas’ experience. By changing the pronouns from plural to singular, he is able to apply the ancient curse, pronounced against the psalmist’s enemies, to Judas in particular.
[69:26] 188 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 189 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 190 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:26] sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
[69:27] 191 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 192 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 193 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] sn The phrase the scroll of the living occurs only here in the OT. It pictures a scroll or census list containing the names of the citizens of a community. When an individual died, that person’s name was removed from the list. So this curse is a very vivid way of asking that the enemies die.
[69:28] 194 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:28] sn Do not let their names be listed with the godly. This curse pictures a scroll in which God records the names of his loyal followers. The psalmist makes the point that his enemies have no right to be included in this list of the godly.
[69:29] 195 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 196 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 197 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 198 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 199 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 200 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 201 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 202 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 203 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 204 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[71:1] 205 sn Psalm 71. The psalmist prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him. The first three verses are very similar to Ps 31:1-3a.
[71:2] 206 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”
[71:2] 207 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[71:2] 208 tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”
[71:3] 209 tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).
[71:3] 210 tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).
[71:3] 211 sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[71:5] 213 tn Heb “for you [are] my hope.”
[71:5] 214 tn Heb “O
[71:6] 215 tn Heb “from the womb.”
[71:6] 216 tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”).
[71:6] 217 tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”
[71:7] 218 tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”
[71:8] 219 tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”
[71:9] 220 tn Heb “do not cast me away at the time of old age.”
[71:10] 221 tn Heb “those who watch for my life consult together.”
[71:12] 223 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[71:13] 224 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
[71:14] 225 tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”
[71:15] 226 tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”
[71:15] 227 tn Heb “though I do not know [the] numbers,” that is, the tally of God’s just and saving acts. HALOT 768 s.v. סְפֹרוֹת understands the plural noun to mean “the art of writing.”
[71:16] 228 tn Heb “I will come with.”
[71:17] 229 tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”
[71:18] 230 tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”
[71:18] 231 tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.
[71:19] 232 tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.
[71:19] sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.
[71:19] 233 tn Heb “you who have done great things.”
[71:19] 234 tn Or “Who is like you?”
[71:20] 235 tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”
[71:20] 236 tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[71:20] 237 tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[71:21] 238 tn Heb “increase my greatness.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer or wish. The psalmist’s request for “greatness” (or “honor”) is not a boastful, self-serving prayer for prominence, but, rather, a request that God would vindicate by elevating him over those who are trying to humiliate him.
[71:21] 239 tn The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.)
[71:22] 240 tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[71:22] 241 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The
[71:23] 242 tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here.
[71:23] 243 tn Heb “and my life [or “soul”] which you will have redeemed.” The perfect verbal form functions here as a future perfect. The psalmist anticipates praising God, for God will have rescued him by that time.
[71:24] 244 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
[71:24] 245 tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.
[102:1] 246 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
[102:1] 247 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
[102:2] 248 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
[102:2] 249 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[102:3] 250 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
[102:3] 251 tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
[102:4] 252 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
[102:4] 253 tn Heb “I forget.”
[102:4] 254 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
[102:5] 255 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
[102:6] 256 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
[102:6] 257 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
[102:6] 258 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
[102:7] 259 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the
[102:8] 260 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
[102:9] 261 sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
[102:11] 264 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
[102:12] 265 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[102:12] 266 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
[102:13] 267 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
[102:14] 269 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
[102:14] 270 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
[102:15] 271 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
[102:15] 272 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[102:17] 273 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
[102:17] 274 tn Heb “despise.”
[102:17] 275 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
[102:18] 276 tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[102:19] 277 tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
[102:19] 278 tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.
[102:20] 279 tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
[102:21] 280 tn Heb “his praise.”
[102:21] 281 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[102:22] 282 tn “and the kingdoms to serve the
[102:23] 283 tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
[102:24] 284 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
[102:24] 285 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
[102:26] 287 tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
[102:27] 288 tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the
