Mazmur 1:3

1:3 He is like ¹  a tree planted by flowing streams; ² 

it ³  yields ⁴  its fruit at the proper time, ⁵ 

and its leaves never fall off. ⁶ 

He succeeds in everything he attempts. ⁷ 

Mazmur 4:2

4:2 You men, ⁸  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ⁹ 

How long ¹⁰  will you love what is worthless ¹¹ 

and search for what is deceptive? ¹²  (Selah)

Mazmur 5:9

5:9 For ¹³  they do not speak the truth; ¹⁴ 

their stomachs are like the place of destruction, ¹⁵ 

their throats like an open grave, ¹⁶ 

their tongues like a steep slope leading into it. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 12:1

Psalm 12 ¹⁸ 

For the music director; according to the sheminith style; ¹⁹  a psalm of David.

12:1 Deliver, Lord!

For the godly ²⁰  have disappeared; ²¹ 

people of integrity ²²  have vanished. ²³ 

Mazmur 18:2

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, ²⁴  my stronghold, ²⁵  my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where ²⁶  I take shelter, ²⁷ 

my shield, the horn that saves me, ²⁸  and my refuge. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 26:1

Psalm 26 ³⁰ 

By David.

26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have integrity, ³¹ 

and I trust in the Lord without wavering.

Mazmur 31:23

31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers ³²  of his!

The Lord protects those who have integrity,

but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. ³³ 

Mazmur 32:5

32:5 Then I confessed my sin;

I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.

I said, “I will confess ³⁴  my rebellious acts to the Lord.”

And then you forgave my sins. ³⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 40:9

40:9 I have told the great assembly ³⁶  about your justice. ³⁷ 

Look! I spare no words! ³⁸ 

O Lord, you know this is true.

Mazmur 49:10

49:10 Surely ³⁹  one sees ⁴⁰  that even wise people die; ⁴¹ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ⁴² 

and leave their wealth to others. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 52:7

52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make ⁴⁴  God his protector!

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 58:1

Psalm 58 ⁴⁶ 

For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ⁴⁷  a prayer ⁴⁸  of David.

58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? ⁴⁹ 

Do you judge people ⁵⁰  fairly?

Mazmur 69:20

69:20 Their insults are painful ⁵¹  and make me lose heart; ⁵² 

I look ⁵³  for sympathy, but receive none, ⁵⁴ 

for comforters, but find none.

Mazmur 77:2

77:2 In my time of trouble I sought ⁵⁵  the Lord.

I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night. ⁵⁶ 

I ⁵⁷  refused to be comforted.

Mazmur 81:5

81:5 He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph,

when he attacked the land of Egypt. ⁵⁸ 

I heard a voice I did not recognize. ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 93:1

Psalm 93 ⁶⁰ 

93:1 The Lord reigns!

He is robed in majesty,

the Lord is robed,

he wears strength around his waist. ⁶¹ 

Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.

Mazmur 96:10

96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

He judges the nations fairly.”

Mazmur 101:2

101:2 I will walk in ⁶²  the way of integrity.

When will you come to me?

I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. ⁶³ 

Mazmur 106:23

106:23 He threatened ⁶⁴  to destroy them,

but ⁶⁵  Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him ⁶⁶ 

and turned back his destructive anger. ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 109:16

109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; ⁶⁸ 

he harassed the oppressed and needy,

and killed the disheartened. ⁶⁹ 

Mazmur 132:11

132:11 The Lord made a reliable promise to David; ⁷⁰ 

he will not go back on his word. ⁷¹ 

He said, ⁷²  “I will place one of your descendants ⁷³  on your throne.

Mazmur 140:10

140:10 May he rain down ⁷⁴  fiery coals upon them!

May he throw them into the fire!

From bottomless pits they will not escape. ⁷⁵ 

[1:3]  ¹ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same characteristic force as the imperfect in the preceding verse. According to the psalmist, the one who studies and obeys God’s commands typically prospers.

[1:3]  ² tn Heb “channels of water.”

[1:3]  ³ tn Heb “which.”

[1:3]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the typical nature of the actions/states they describe.

[1:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “in its season.”

[1:3]  ⁶ tn Or “fade”; “wither.”

[1:3]  sn The author compares the godly individual to a tree that has a rich water supply (planted by flowing streams), develops a strong root system, and is filled with leaves and fruit. The simile suggests that the godly have a continual source of life which in turn produces stability and uninterrupted prosperity.

[1:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “and all which he does prospers”; or “and all which he does he causes to prosper.” (The simile of the tree does not extend to this line.) It is not certain if the Hiphil verbal form (יַצְלִיחַ, yatsliakh) is intransitive-exhibitive (“prospers”) or causative (“causes to prosper”) here. If the verb is intransitive, then כֹּל (kol, “all, everything”) is the subject. If the verb is causative, then the godly individual or the Lord himself is the subject and כֹּל is the object. The wording is reminiscent of Josh 1:8, where the Lord tells Joshua: “This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper (literally, “cause your way to prosper”) and be successful.”

[4:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ¹⁰ tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ¹² 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.

[5:9]  ¹³ tn Or “certainly.”

[5:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for there is not in his mouth truthfulness.” The singular pronoun (“his”) probably refers back to the “man of bloodshed and deceit” mentioned in v. 6. The singular is collective or representative, as the plural in the next line indicates, and so has been translated “they.”

[5:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “their inward part[s] [is] destruction.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse.

[5:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “their throat is an open grave.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse. The metaphor is suggested by the physical resemblance of the human throat to a deeply dug grave; both are dark chasms.

[5:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “they make smooth their tongue.” Flattering, deceitful words are in view. See Ps 12:2. The psalmist’s deceitful enemies are compared to the realm of death/Sheol in v. 9b. Sheol was envisioned as a dark region within the earth, the entrance to which was the grave with its steep slopes (cf. Ps 88:4-6). The enemies’ victims are pictured here as slipping down a steep slope (the enemies’ tongues) and falling into an open grave (their throat) that terminates in destruction in the inner recesses of Sheol (their stomach). The enemies’ קרב (“inward part”) refers here to their thoughts and motives, which are destructive in their intent. The throat is where these destructive thoughts are transformed into words, and their tongue is what they use to speak the deceitful words that lead their innocent victims to their demise.

[5:9]  sn As the psalmist walks down the path in which God leads him, he asks the Lord to guide his steps and remove danger from the path (v. 8), because he knows his enemies have “dug a grave” for him and are ready to use their deceitful words to “swallow him up” like the realm of death (i.e., Sheol) and bring him to ruin.

[12:1]  ¹⁸ sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.

[12:1]  ¹⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.

[12:1]  ²⁰ tn The singular form is collective or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[12:1]  ²¹ tn Or “have come to an end.”

[12:1]  ²² tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”

[12:1]  ²³ tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”

[18:2]  ²⁴ sn 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.

[18:2]  ²⁵ sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.

[18:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “in whom.”

[18:2]  ²⁷ sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[18:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”

[18:2]  sn Though some see “horn” as referring to a horn-shaped peak of a hill, or to the “horns” of an altar where one could find refuge, it is more likely that the horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that uses its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36. Ps 18:2 uses the metaphor of the horn in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord himself is compared to a horn. He is to the psalmist what the horn is to the ox, a source of defense and victory.

[18:2]  ²⁹ tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”

[26:1]  ³⁰ sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.

[26:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”

[31:23]  ³² tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[31:23]  ³³ tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.

[32:5]  ³⁴ tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”

[32:5]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the wrongdoing of my sin.” By joining synonyms for “sin” in this way, the psalmist may be emphasizing the degree of his wrongdoing.

[40:9]  ³⁶ sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.

[40:9]  ³⁷ tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the Lord’s just acts are in view (see v. 10). His “justice” (צֶדֶק, tsedeq) is here the deliverance that originates in his justice; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just.

[40:9]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”

[49:10]  ³⁹ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ⁴⁰ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ⁴¹ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ⁴³ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[52:7]  ⁴⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”

[52:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).

[58:1]  ⁴⁶ sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.

[58:1]  ⁴⁷ 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 heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.

[58:1]  ⁴⁸ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[58:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.

[58:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)

[69:20]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.

[69:20]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ tn Heb “wait.”

[69:20]  ⁵⁴ 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.

[77:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.

[77:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.

[77:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[81:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “in his going out against the land of Egypt.” This apparently refers to the general time period of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The LXX reads, “from Egypt,” in which case “Joseph” (see the preceding line) would be the subject of the verb, “when he [Joseph = Israel] left Egypt.”

[81:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “a lip I did not know, I heard.” Here the term “lip” probably stands for speech or a voice. Apparently the psalmist speaks here and refers to God’s voice, whose speech is recorded in the following verses.

[93:1]  ⁶⁰ sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the Lord is the king of the universe who preserves order and suppresses the destructive forces in the world.

[93:1]  ⁶¹ sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.

[101:2]  ⁶² tn Heb “take notice of.”

[101:2]  ⁶³ tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”

[106:23]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he said.”

[106:23]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”

[106:23]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”

[106:23]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”

[106:23]  sn Verses 19-23 describe the events of Exod 32:1-35.

[109:16]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”

[109:16]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”

[132:11]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “the Lord swore an oath to David [in] truth.”

[132:11]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “he will not turn back from it.”

[132:11]  ⁷² tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows are the Lord’s words.

[132:11]  ⁷³ tn Heb “the fruit of your body.”

[140:10]  ⁷⁴ tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.

[140:10]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition -בְּ (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.