Mazmur 14:2

14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven ¹  at the human race, ² 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ³  and seeks God. ⁴ 

Mazmur 41:1

Psalm 41 ⁵ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

41:1 How blessed ⁶  is the one who treats the poor properly! ⁷ 

When trouble comes, ⁸  the Lord delivers him. ⁹ 

Mazmur 64:9

64:9 and all people will fear. ¹⁰ 

They will proclaim ¹¹  what God has done,

and reflect on his deeds.

Mazmur 101:2

101:2 I will walk in ¹²  the way of integrity.

When will you come to me?

I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. ¹³ 

[14:2]  ¹ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[14:2]  ² tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[14:2]  ³ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[14:2]  ⁴ sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[41:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).

[41:1]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[41:1]  ⁷ sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.

[41:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).

[41:1]  ⁹ tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the Lord deliver,” see v. 2), but the preceding parallel line is a declaration of fact, not a prayer per se. The imperfect can be taken here as future (“will deliver,” cf. NEB, NASB) or as generalizing (“delivers,” cf. NIV, NRSV). The parallel line, which has a generalizing tone, favors the latter. At the same time, though the psalmist uses a generalizing style here, he clearly has himself primarily in view.

[64:9]  ¹⁰ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read וַיִּרְאוּ (vayyir’u, “and they will see”) instead of וַיִּירְאוּ (vayyirÿ’u, “and they will proclaim”).

[64:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the work of God,” referring to the judgment described in v. 7.

[101:2]  ¹² tn Heb “take notice of.”

[101:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”