Mazmur 1:1

Book 1
(Psalms 1-41)

Psalm 1 ¹ 

1:1 How blessed ²  is the one ³  who does not follow ⁴  the advice ⁵  of the wicked, ⁶ 

or stand in the pathway ⁷  with sinners,

or sit in the assembly ⁸  of scoffers! ⁹ 

Mazmur 4:2

4:2 You men, ¹⁰  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ¹¹ 

How long ¹²  will you love what is worthless ¹³ 

and search for what is deceptive? ¹⁴  (Selah)

Mazmur 9:12

9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; ¹⁵ 

he did not overlook ¹⁶  their cry for help ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 10:3

10:3 Yes, ¹⁸  the wicked man ¹⁹  boasts because he gets what he wants; ²⁰ 

the one who robs others ²¹  curses ²²  and ²³  rejects the Lord. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 10:13

10:13 Why does the wicked man reject God? ²⁵ 

He says to himself, ²⁶  “You ²⁷  will not hold me accountable.” ²⁸ 

Mazmur 10:17

10:17 Lord, you have heard ²⁹  the request ³⁰  of the oppressed;

you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. ³¹ 

Mazmur 12:8

12:8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere, ³² 

when people promote evil. ³³ 

Mazmur 15:4

15:4 He despises a reprobate, ³⁴ 

but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. ³⁵ 

He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. ³⁶ 

Mazmur 18:27

18:27 For you deliver oppressed ³⁷  people,

but you bring down those who have a proud look. ³⁸ 

Mazmur 22:6

22:6 But I ³⁹  am a worm, ⁴⁰  not a man; ⁴¹ 

people insult me and despise me. ⁴² 

Mazmur 22:24

22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering ⁴³  of the oppressed; ⁴⁴ 

he did not ignore him; ⁴⁵ 

when he cried out to him, he responded. ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 22:26

22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! ⁴⁷ 

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!

May you ⁴⁸  live forever!

Mazmur 25:9

25:9 May he show ⁴⁹  the humble what is right! ⁵⁰ 

May he teach ⁵¹  the humble his way!

Mazmur 31:18

31:18 May lying lips be silenced –

lips ⁵²  that speak defiantly against the innocent ⁵³ 

with arrogance and contempt!

Mazmur 34:2

34:2 I will boast ⁵⁴  in the Lord;

let the oppressed hear and rejoice! ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 35:10

35:10 With all my strength I will say, ⁵⁶ 

“O Lord, who can compare to you?

You rescue ⁵⁷  the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; ⁵⁸ 

the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 35:15

35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;

they gathered together to ambush me. ⁶⁰ 

They tore at me without stopping to rest. ⁶¹ 

Mazmur 35:26

35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ⁶² 

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! ⁶³ 

Mazmur 37:11

37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity. ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 37:14

37:14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down ⁶⁵  the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly. ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 40:14

40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ⁶⁷ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 41:9

41:9 Even my close friend ⁶⁹  whom I trusted,

he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 42:10

42:10 My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone, ⁷¹ 

as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” ⁷² 

Mazmur 44:13-16

44:13 You made us ⁷³  an object of disdain to our neighbors;

those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. ⁷⁴ 

44:14 You made us ⁷⁵  an object of ridicule ⁷⁶  among the nations;

foreigners treat us with contempt. ⁷⁷ 

44:15 All day long I feel humiliated ⁷⁸ 

and am overwhelmed with shame, ⁷⁹ 

44:16 before the vindictive enemy

who ridicules and insults me. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 49:2

49:2 Pay attention, all you people, ⁸¹ 

both rich and poor!

Mazmur 51:17

51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit ⁸²  –

O God, a humble and repentant heart ⁸³  you will not reject. ⁸⁴ 

Mazmur 55:12

55:12 Indeed, ⁸⁵  it is not an enemy who insults me,

or else I could bear it;

it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, ⁸⁶ 

or else I could hide from him.

Mazmur 59:7

59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me

and openly threaten to kill me, ⁸⁷ 

for they say, ⁸⁸ 

“Who hears?”

Mazmur 60:8

60:8 Moab is my washbasin. ⁸⁹ 

I will make Edom serve me. ⁹⁰ 

I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 62:9

62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;

human beings are unreliable. ⁹² 

When they are weighed in the scales,

all of them together are lighter than air. ⁹³ 

Mazmur 69:7

69:7 For I suffer ⁹⁴  humiliation for your sake ⁹⁵ 

and am thoroughly disgraced. ⁹⁶ 

Mazmur 69:9-10

69:9 Certainly ⁹⁷  zeal for ⁹⁸  your house ⁹⁹  consumes me;

I endure the insults of those who insult you. ¹⁰⁰ 

69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, ¹⁰¹ 

which causes others to insult me. ¹⁰² 

Mazmur 69:19-20

69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;

you can see all my enemies. ¹⁰³ 

69:20 Their insults are painful ¹⁰⁴  and make me lose heart; ¹⁰⁵ 

I look ¹⁰⁶  for sympathy, but receive none, ¹⁰⁷ 

for comforters, but find none.

Mazmur 69:29

69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!

O God, deliver and protect me! ¹⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 69:32-33

69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!

You who seek God, ¹⁰⁹  may you be encouraged! ¹¹⁰ 

69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;

he does not despise his captive people. ¹¹¹ 

Mazmur 70:2

70:2 May those who are trying to take my life

be embarrassed and ashamed! ¹¹² 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ¹¹³ 

Mazmur 71:13

71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!

May those who want to harm me ¹¹⁴  be covered with scorn and disgrace!

Mazmur 71:24

71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,

for those who want to harm me ¹¹⁵  will be embarrassed and ashamed. ¹¹⁶ 

Mazmur 72:2

72:2 Then he will judge ¹¹⁷  your people fairly,

and your oppressed ones ¹¹⁸  equitably.

Mazmur 72:12

72:12 For he will rescue the needy ¹¹⁹  when they cry out for help,

and the oppressed ¹²⁰  who have no defender.

Mazmur 73:20

73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. ¹²¹ 

O Lord, when you awake ¹²²  you will despise them. ¹²³ 

Mazmur 74:10

74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?

Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

Mazmur 74:18

74:18 Remember how ¹²⁴  the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, ¹²⁵ 

and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!

Mazmur 74:21-22

74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame!

Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! ¹²⁶ 

74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! ¹²⁷ 

Remember how fools insult you all day long! ¹²⁸ 

Mazmur 76:9

76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,

and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

Mazmur 79:4

79:4 We have become an object of disdain to our neighbors;

those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. ¹²⁹ 

Mazmur 79:12

79:12 Pay back our neighbors in full! ¹³⁰ 

May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord! ¹³¹ 

Mazmur 82:3

82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! ¹³² 

Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!

Mazmur 83:16-18

83:16 Cover ¹³³  their faces with shame,

so they might seek ¹³⁴  you, ¹³⁵  O Lord.

83:17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified! ¹³⁶ 

May they die in shame! ¹³⁷ 

83:18 Then they will know ¹³⁸  that you alone are the Lord, ¹³⁹ 

the sovereign king ¹⁴⁰  over all the earth.

Mazmur 86:1

Psalm 86 ¹⁴¹ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ¹⁴²  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

Mazmur 89:34

89:34 I will not break ¹⁴³  my covenant

or go back on what I promised. ¹⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 89:39

89:39 You have repudiated ¹⁴⁵  your covenant with your servant; ¹⁴⁶ 

you have thrown his crown to the ground. ¹⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 89:45

89:45 You have cut short his youth, ¹⁴⁸ 

and have covered him with shame. (Selah)

Mazmur 89:50-51

89:50 Take note, O Lord, ¹⁴⁹  of the way your servants are taunted, ¹⁵⁰ 

and of how I must bear so many insults from people! ¹⁵¹ 

89:51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;

they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. ¹⁵² 

Mazmur 102:8

102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;

those who mock me use my name in their curses. ¹⁵³ 

Mazmur 102:17

102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, ¹⁵⁴ 

and does not reject ¹⁵⁵  their request. ¹⁵⁶ 

Mazmur 106:24

106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; ¹⁵⁷ 

they did not believe his promise. ¹⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 107:11

107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, ¹⁵⁹ 

and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. ¹⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 107:40

107:40 He would pour ¹⁶¹  contempt upon princes,

and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.

Mazmur 109:16

109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; ¹⁶² 

he harassed the oppressed and needy,

and killed the disheartened. ¹⁶³ 

Mazmur 109:22

109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,

and my heart beats violently within me. ¹⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 109:25

109:25 I am disdained by them. ¹⁶⁵ 

When they see me, they shake their heads. ¹⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 109:29

109:29 My accusers will be covered ¹⁶⁷  with shame,

and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

Mazmur 113:7

113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,

and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, ¹⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 116:6

116:6 The Lord protects ¹⁶⁹  the untrained; ¹⁷⁰ 

I was in serious trouble ¹⁷¹  and he delivered me.

Mazmur 119:22

119:22 Spare me ¹⁷²  shame and humiliation,

for I observe your rules.

Mazmur 119:39

119:39 Take away the insults that I dread! ¹⁷³ 

Indeed, ¹⁷⁴  your regulations are good.

Mazmur 119:42

119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, ¹⁷⁵ 

for I trust in your word.

Mazmur 119:51

119:51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me. ¹⁷⁶ 

Yet I do not turn aside from your law.

Mazmur 119:118

119:118 You despise ¹⁷⁷  all who stray from your statutes,

for they are deceptive and unreliable. ¹⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 119:141

119:141 I am insignificant and despised,

yet I do not forget your precepts.

Mazmur 123:3-4

123:3 Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor!

For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some. ¹⁷⁹ 

123:4 We have had our fill ¹⁸⁰ 

of the taunts of the self-assured,

of the contempt of the proud.

Mazmur 138:6

138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,

and recognizes the proud from far away.

Mazmur 147:6

147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,

but knocks ¹⁸¹  the wicked to the ground.

Mazmur 149:4

149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;

he exalts the oppressed by delivering them. ¹⁸² 

[1:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 1. In this wisdom psalm the author advises his audience to reject the lifestyle of the wicked and to be loyal to God. The psalmist contrasts the destiny of the wicked with that of the righteous, emphasizing that the wicked are eventually destroyed while the godly prosper under the Lord’s protective care.

[1:1]  ² tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 3; Pss 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[1:1]  ³ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” (Generic “he” is employed in vv. 2-3). Since the godly man described in the psalm is representative of followers of God (note the plural form צַדִּיקִים [tsadiqim, “righteous, godly”] in vv. 5-6), one could translate the collective singular with the plural “those” both here and in vv. 2-3, where singular pronouns and verbal forms are utilized in the Hebrew text (cf. NRSV). However, here the singular form may emphasize that godly individuals are usually outnumbered by the wicked. Retaining the singular allows the translation to retain this emphasis.

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “walk in.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 1 refer in this context to characteristic behavior. The sequence “walk–stand–sit” envisions a progression from relatively casual association with the wicked to complete identification with them.

[1:1]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew noun translated “advice” most often refers to the “counsel” or “advice” one receives from others. To “walk in the advice of the wicked” means to allow their evil advice to impact and determine one’s behavior.

[1:1]  ⁶ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21).

[1:1]  ⁷ tn “Pathway” here refers to the lifestyle of sinners. To “stand in the pathway of/with sinners” means to closely associate with them in their sinful behavior.

[1:1]  ⁸ tn Here the Hebrew term מוֹשַׁב (moshav), although often translated “seat” (cf. NEB, NIV), appears to refer to the whole assembly of evildoers. The word also carries the semantic nuance “assembly” in Ps 107:32, where it is in synonymous parallelism with קָהָל (qahal, “assembly”).

[1:1]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew word refers to arrogant individuals (Prov 21:24) who love conflict (Prov 22:10) and vociferously reject wisdom and correction (Prov 1:22; 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12). To “sit in the assembly” of such people means to completely identify with them in their proud, sinful plans and behavior.

[4:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ¹² tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.

[9:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for the one who seeks shed blood remembered them.” The idiomatic expression “to seek shed blood” seems to carry the idea “to seek payment/restitution for one’s shed blood.” The plural form דָּמִים (damim, “shed blood”) occurs only here as the object of דָּרַשׁ (darash); the singular form דָּם (dam, “blood”) appears with the verb in Gen 9:5; 42:22; Ezek 33:6. “Them,” the pronominal object of the verb “remembered,” refers to the oppressed, mentioned specifically in the next line, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “did not forget.”

[9:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the cry for help of the oppressed.” In this context the “oppressed” are the psalmist and those he represents, whom the hostile nations have threatened.

[10:3]  ¹⁸ tn The translation assumes כִּי (ki) is asseverative: “indeed, certainly.” Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 3 as giving the reason why the wicked so arrogantly seek to destroy the helpless (so NASB, NRSV).

[10:3]  ¹⁹ tn The representative or typical evildoer is described in vv. 3-11, 13, 15. Since the singular form predominates in these verses, it has been retained in the translation.

[10:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the wicked [one] boasts on account of the desire of his appetite.” The translation assumes that the preposition עַל (’al) introduces the reason why the wicked boasts (cf. this use of עַל with הָלַל (halal) in Ps 119:164 and Ezra 3:11). In this case, the “desire of his appetite” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired.

[10:3]  ²¹ tn The translation assumes the active participle is substantival, referring to the wicked man mentioned in the preceding line. The substantival participle is then understood as the subject of the following verbs. For other examples of the participle of בָּצַע (batsar) used of those who desire and/or acquire wealth through dishonest and/or violent means, see Prov 1:19; 15:27; Jer 6:13; 8:10; Hab 2:9.

[10:3]  ²² tn The verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) normally means “to bless,” but in a few cases it exhibits the polarized meaning “to curse” (1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Job 1:5-11; 2:5-9). (Some regard this use of בָּרַךְ as a mere euphemism.) The verb refers to the act of pronouncing or calling down a formal curse upon the object of one’s anger.

[10:3]  ²³ tn The conjunction “and” is supplied in the translation; it does not appear in the Hebrew text.

[10:3]  ²⁴ tn Another option is to translate, “he blesses one who robs others, [but] he curses the Lord.” In this case the subject of the verbs is “the wicked man” mentioned in the previous line, and “the one who robs others” is the object of the verb בָּרַךְ (barakh), which is understood in its usual sense of “bless.”

[10:13]  ²⁵ tn The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s outrage that the wicked would have the audacity to disdain God.

[10:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he says in his heart” (see vv. 6, 11). Another option is to understand an ellipsis of the interrogative particle here (cf. the preceding line), “Why does he say in his heart?”

[10:13]  ²⁷ tn Here the wicked man addresses God directly.

[10:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “you will not seek.” The verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as generalizing about what is typical and translate, “you do not hold [people] accountable.”

[10:17]  ²⁹ sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.

[10:17]  ³⁰ tn Heb “desire.”

[10:17]  ³¹ tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”

[12:8]  ³² tn Heb “the wicked walk all around.” One could translate v. 8a as an independent clause, in which case it would be a concluding observation in proverbial style. The present translation assumes that v. 8a is a subordinate explanatory clause, or perhaps a subordinate temporal clause (“while the wicked walk all around”). The adverb סָבִיב (saviv, “around”), in combination with the Hitpael form of the verb “walk” (which indicates repeated action), pictures the wicked as ubiquitous. They have seemingly overrun society.

[12:8]  ³³ tn Heb “when evil is lifted up by the sons of man.” The abstract noun זֻלּוּת (zulut, “evil”) occurs only here. On the basis of evidence from the cognate languages (see HALOT 272 s.v.), one might propose the meaning “base character,” or “morally foolish behavior.”

[15:4]  ³⁴ tn Heb “despised in his eyes [is] a rejected [one].” The Hebrew term נִמְאָס (nim’as, “rejected [one]”) apparently refers here to one who has been rejected by God because of his godless behavior. It stands in contrast to “those who fear God” in the following line.

[15:4]  ³⁵ tn Heb “those who fear the Lord.” The one who fears the Lord respects his sovereignty and obeys his commandments. See Ps 128:1; Prov 14:2.

[15:4]  ³⁶ tn Heb “he takes an oath to do harm and does not change.” The phrase “to do harm” cannot mean “do harm to others,” for the preceding verse clearly characterizes this individual as one who does not harm others. In this context the phrase must refer to an oath to which a self-imprecation is attached. The godly individual takes his commitments to others so seriously he is willing to “swear to his own hurt.” For an example of such an oath, see Ruth 1:16-17.

[18:27]  ³⁷ tn Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).

[18:27]  ³⁸ tn Heb “but proud eyes you bring low.” 2 Sam 22:28 reads, “your eyes [are] upon the proud, [whom] you bring low.”

[22:6]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).

[22:6]  ⁴¹ tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.

[22:6]  ⁴² tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”

[22:24]  ⁴³ tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”

[22:24]  ⁴⁴ sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.

[22:24]  ⁴⁵ 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).

[22:24]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “heard.”

[22:26]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “may your heart[s].”

[25:9]  ⁴⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.

[25:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.

[25:9]  ⁵¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).

[31:18]  ⁵² tn Heb “the [ones which].”

[31:18]  ⁵³ tn Or “godly.”

[34:2]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “my soul will boast”; or better, “let my soul boast.” Following the cohortative form in v. 1, it is likely that the prefixed verbal form here is jussive.

[34:2]  ⁵⁵ tn The two prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best taken as jussives, for the psalmist is calling his audience to worship (see v. 3).

[35:10]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “all my bones will say.”

[35:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “[the one who] rescues.” The substantival participle in the Hebrew text characterizes God as one who typically rescues the oppressed.

[35:10]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “from [the one who is] too strong for him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense. The typical oppressed individual and typical oppressor are in view.

[35:10]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the oppressed [one] and needy [one] from [the one who] robs him.” As in the previous line, the singular forms are used in a representative sense.

[35:15]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).

[35:15]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.

[35:26]  ⁶² tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”

[35:26]  ⁶³ tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.

[37:11]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”

[37:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “to cause to fall.”

[37:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.

[40:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”

[40:14]  ⁶⁸ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[40:14]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[41:9]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).

[41:9]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.

[41:9]  sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.

[42:10]  ⁷¹ tc Heb “with a shattering in my bones my enemies taunt me.” A few medieval Hebrew mss and Symmachus’ Greek version read “like” instead of “with.”

[42:10]  ⁷² sn “Where is your God?” The enemies ask this same question in v. 3.

[44:13]  ⁷³ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[44:13]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”

[44:14]  ⁷⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[44:14]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”

[44:14]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).

[44:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”

[44:15]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”

[44:16]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “from the voice of one who ridicules and insults, from the face of an enemy and an avenger.” See Ps 8:2.

[49:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “even the sons of mankind, even the sons of man.” Because of the parallel line, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, some treat these expressions as polar opposites, with בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes (cf. NIV, NRSV). But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; 62:9; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand “even the sons of mankind” and “even the sons of man” as synonymous expressions (cf. NEB “all mankind, every living man”). The repetition emphasizes the need for all people to pay attention, for the psalmist’s message is relevant to everyone.

[51:17]  ⁸² tn Heb “a broken spirit.”

[51:17]  ⁸³ tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”

[51:17]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “despise.”

[55:12]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “for.”

[55:12]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.

[59:7]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”

[59:7]  ⁸⁸ 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.

[60:8]  ⁸⁹ sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.

[60:8]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.

[60:8]  ⁹¹ tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.

[62:9]  ⁹² tn Heb “only a breath [are] the sons of mankind, a lie [are] the sons of man.” The phrases “sons of mankind” and “sons of man” also appear together in Ps 49:2. Because of the parallel line there, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, a number of interpreters and translators treat these expressions as polar opposites, בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes. But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand the phrases as synonymous expressions.

[62:9]  ⁹³ tn The noun הֶבֶל (hevel), translated “a breath” earlier in the verse, appears again here.

[69:7]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “carry, bear.”

[69:7]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “on account of you.”

[69:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”

[69:9]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.

[69:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “devotion to.”

[69:9]  ⁹⁹ sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.

[69:9]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”

[69:19]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”

[69:20]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.

[69:20]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “wait.”

[69:20]  ¹⁰⁷ 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.

[69:29]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”

[69:32]  ¹⁰⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.

[69:33]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”

[70:2]  ¹¹² tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”

[70:2]  ¹¹³ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[70:2]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[71:13]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[71:24]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[71:24]  ¹¹⁶ 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.

[72:2]  ¹¹⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.

[72:2]  ¹¹⁸ sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).

[72:12]  ¹¹⁹ tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.

[72:12]  ¹²⁰ tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.

[73:20]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.

[73:20]  ¹²² sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.

[73:20]  ¹²³ tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.

[74:18]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “remember this.”

[74:18]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the Lord.”

[74:21]  ¹²⁶ sn Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! The statement is metonymic. The point is this: May the oppressed be delivered from their enemies! Then they will have ample reason to praise God’s name.

[74:22]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “defend your cause.”

[74:22]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”

[79:4]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.” See Ps 44:13.

[79:12]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their lap.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of the Hebrew phrase שִׁבְעָתַיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”) see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 12:6; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.

[79:12]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “their reproach with which they reproached you, O Lord.”

[82:3]  ¹³² tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[83:16]  ¹³³ tn Heb “fill.”

[83:16]  ¹³⁴ tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose or result (“then they will seek”).

[83:16]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “your name,” which stands here for God’s person.

[83:17]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “and may they be terrified to perpetuity.” The Hebrew expression עֲדֵי־עַד (’adey-’ad, “to perpetuity”) can mean “forevermore” (see Pss 92:7; 132:12, 14), but here it may be used hyperbolically, for the psalmist asks that the experience of judgment might lead the nations to recognize (v. 18) and even to seek (v. 16) God.

[83:17]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “may they be ashamed and perish.” The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling severe judgment down on his enemies. The strong language of the imprecation seems to run contrary to the positive outcome of divine judgment envisioned in v. 16b. Perhaps the language of v. 17 is overstated for effect. Another option is that v. 16b expresses an ideal, while the strong imprecation of vv. 17-18 anticipates reality. It would be nice if the defeated nations actually pursued a relationship with God, but if judgment does not bring them to that point, the psalmist asks that they be annihilated so that they might at least be forced to acknowledge God’s power.

[83:18]  ¹³⁸ tn After the preceding jussives (v. 17), the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose (“so that they may know”) or result.

[83:18]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “that you, your name [is] the Lord, you alone.”

[83:18]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Traditionally “the Most High.”

[86:1]  ¹⁴¹ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[89:34]  ¹⁴³ tn Or “desecrate.”

[89:34]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”

[89:39]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.

[89:39]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”

[89:39]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “you dishonor [or “desecrate”] on the ground his crown.”

[89:45]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “the days of his youth” (see as well Job 33:25).

[89:50]  ¹⁴⁹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read here יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”).

[89:50]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular here, “your servant” (that is, the psalmist).

[89:50]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).

[89:51]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “[by] which your enemies, O Lord, taunt, [by] which they taunt [at] the heels of your anointed one.”

[102:8]  ¹⁵³ 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.

[102:17]  ¹⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “despise.”

[102:17]  ¹⁵⁶ 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.

[106:24]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).

[106:24]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “his word.”

[107:11]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “the words of God.”

[107:11]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”

[107:40]  ¹⁶¹ tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.

[109:16]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”

[109:16]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”

[109:22]  ¹⁶⁴ tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).

[109:25]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”

[109:25]  ¹⁶⁶ sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.

[109:29]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).

[113:7]  ¹⁶⁸ sn The language of v. 7 is almost identical to that of 1 Sam 2:8.

[116:6]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the Lord.

[116:6]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Ps 19:7.

[116:6]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “I was low.”

[119:22]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “roll away from upon me.” Some derive the imperatival form גַּל (gal) from גָּלָה (galah, “uncover,” as in v. 18), but here the form is from גָּלַל (galal, “roll”; see Josh 5:9, where חֶרְפָּה [kherpah, “shame; reproach”] also appears as object of the verb). Some, following the lead of a Dead Sea scroll (11QPs^a), emend the form to גֹּל (gol).

[119:39]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”

[119:39]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Or “for.”

[119:42]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “and I will answer [the] one who insults me a word.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive (see v. 41).

[119:51]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “scoff at me to excess.”

[119:118]  ¹⁷⁷ tn The Hebrew verb סָלָה (salah, “to disdain”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:15. Cognate usage in Aramaic and Akkadian, as well as Lam 1:15, suggest it may have a concrete nuance of “to throw away.”

[119:118]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “for their deceit [is] falsehood.”

[123:3]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “for greatly we are filled [with] humiliation.”

[123:4]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “greatly our soul is full to it.”

[147:6]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “brings down.”

[149:4]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”