Mazmur 21:12

21:12 For you make them retreat ¹ 

when you shoot your arrows at them. ² 

Mazmur 36:2

36:2 for he is too proud

to recognize and give up his sin. ³ 

Mazmur 49:7

49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; ⁴ 

he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price ⁵ 

Mazmur 93:1

Psalm 93 ⁶ 

93:1 The Lord reigns!

He is robed in majesty,

the Lord is robed,

he wears strength around his waist. ⁷ 

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

Mazmur 33:1

Psalm 33 ⁸ 

33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!

It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

Mazmur 27:11

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; ⁹ 

lead me along a level path ¹⁰  because of those who wait to ambush me! ¹¹ 

Mazmur 37:37

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ¹² 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ¹³ 

Mazmur 25:21

25:21 May integrity and godliness protect me,

for I rely on you!

Mazmur 111:8

111:8 They are forever firm,

and should be faithfully and properly carried out. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 119:1

Psalm 119 ¹⁵ 

א (Alef)

119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, ¹⁶ 

who obey ¹⁷  the law of the Lord.

Mazmur 119:137

צ (Tsade)

119:137 You are just, O Lord,

and your judgments are fair.

Mazmur 9:8

9:8 He judges the world fairly;

he makes just legal decisions for the nations. ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 19:8-9

19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair ¹⁹ 

and make one joyful. ²⁰ 

The Lord’s commands ²¹  are pure ²² 

and give insight for life. ²³ 

19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right ²⁴ 

and endure forever. ²⁵ 

The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy

and absolutely just. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 20:8

20:8 They will fall down, ²⁷ 

but we ²⁸  will stand firm. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 78:37

78:37 They were not really committed to him, ³⁰ 

and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

Mazmur 97:11

97:11 The godly bask in the light;

the morally upright experience joy. ³¹ 

Mazmur 107:7

107:7 He led them on a level road, ³² 

that they might find a city in which to live.

Mazmur 107:42

107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,

and every sinner ³³  shuts his mouth.

Mazmur 112:2

112:2 His descendants ³⁴  will be powerful on the earth;

the godly ³⁵  will be blessed.

Mazmur 112:4

112:4 In the darkness a light ³⁶  shines for the godly,

for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 37:14

37:14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down ³⁸  the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly. ³⁹ 

Mazmur 51:10

51:10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! ⁴⁰ 

Renew a resolute spirit within me! ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 111:1

Psalm 111 ⁴² 

111:1 Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.

Mazmur 84:11

84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. ⁴³ 

The Lord bestows favor ⁴⁴  and honor;

he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 101:2

101:2 I will walk in ⁴⁶  the way of integrity.

When will you come to me?

I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 101:6

101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land, ⁴⁸ 

and allow them to live with me. ⁴⁹ 

Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me. ⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 49:14

49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, ⁵¹ 

with death as their shepherd. ⁵² 

The godly will rule ⁵³  over them when the day of vindication dawns; ⁵⁴ 

Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. ⁵⁵ 

[21:12]  ¹ tn Heb “you make them a shoulder,” i.e., “you make them turn and run, showing the back of their neck and shoulders.”

[21:12]  ² tn Heb “with your bowstrings you fix against their faces,” i.e., “you fix your arrows on the bowstrings to shoot at them.”

[36:2]  ³ tn Heb “for it causes to be smooth to him in his eyes to find his sin to hate.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. Perhaps the point is this: His rebellious attitude makes him reject any notion that God will hold him accountable. His attitude also prevents him from recognizing and repudiating his sinful ways.

[49:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “a brother, he surely does not ransom, a man.” The sequence אִישׁ...אָח (’akh...’ish, “a brother…a man”) is problematic, for the usual combination is אָח...אָח (“a brother…a brother”) or אִישׁ...אִישׁ (“a man…a man”). When אִישׁ and אָח are combined, the usual order is אָח...אִישׁ (“a man…a brother”), with “brother” having a third masculine singular suffix, “his brother.” This suggests that “brother” is the object of the verb and “man” the subject. (1) Perhaps the altered word order and absence of the suffix can be explained by the text’s poetic character, for ellipsis is a feature of Hebrew poetic style. (2) Another option, supported by a few medieval Hebrew mss, is to emend “brother” to the similar sounding אַךְ (’akh, “surely; but”) which occurs in v. 15 before the verb פָּדָה (padah, “ransom”). If this reading is accepted the Qal imperfect יִפְדֶּה (yifddeh, “he can [not] ransom”) would need to be emended to a Niphal (passive) form, יִפָּדֶה (yifadeh, “he can[not] be ransomed”) unless one understands the subject of the Qal verb to be indefinite (“one cannot redeem a man”). (A Niphal imperfect can be collocated with a Qal infinitive absolute. See GKC 344-45 §113.w.) No matter how one decides the textual issues, the imperfect in this case is modal, indicating potential, and the infinitive absolute emphasizes the statement.

[49:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “he cannot pay to God his ransom price.” Num 35:31 may supply the legal background for the metaphorical language used here. The psalmist pictures God as having a claim on the soul of the individual. When God comes to claim the life that ultimately belongs to him, he demands a ransom price that is beyond the capability of anyone to pay. The psalmist’s point is that God has ultimate authority over life and death; all the money in the world cannot buy anyone a single day of life beyond what God has decreed.

[93:1]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.

[33:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.

[27:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.

[27:11]  ¹⁰ sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).

[27:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.

[37:37]  ¹² tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ¹³ tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).

[111:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “done in faithfulness and uprightness.” The passive participle probably has the force of a gerund. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 89.

[119:1]  ¹⁵ sn Psalm 119. The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.

[119:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”

[119:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “walk in.”

[9:8]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the peoples.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 8 either describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).

[19:8]  ¹⁹ tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.

[19:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.

[19:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.

[19:8]  ²² tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.

[19:8]  ²³ tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.

[19:9]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord is clean.” The phrase “fear of the Lord” probably refers here to the law, which teaches one how to demonstrate proper reverence for the Lord. See Ps 111:10 for another possible use of the phrase in this sense.

[19:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”

[19:9]  ²⁶ sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.

[20:8]  ²⁷ tn Or “stumble and fall down.”

[20:8]  ²⁸ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s victorious people and the defeated enemies mentioned in the previous line. The perfect verbal forms either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle. They describe the demise of the enemy as being as good as done.

[20:8]  ²⁹ tn Or “rise up and remain upright.” On the meaning of the Hitpolel of עוּד (’ud), see HALOT 795 s.v. I עוד. The verbal forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle.

[78:37]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”

[97:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.

[107:7]  ³² sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.

[107:42]  ³³ tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.

[112:2]  ³⁴ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[112:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “His seed will be mighty on the earth, the generation of the godly.” The Hebrew term דוֹר (dor, “generation”) could be taken as parallel to “offspring” and translated “posterity,” but the singular more likely refers to the godly as a class. See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

[112:4]  ³⁶ tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.

[112:4]  ³⁷ tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.

[37:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “to cause to fall.”

[37:14]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.

[51:10]  ⁴⁰ sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.

[51:10]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”

[111:1]  ⁴² sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[84:11]  ⁴³ tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.

[84:11]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “grace.”

[84:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”

[101:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “take notice of.”

[101:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”

[101:6]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”

[101:6]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew text simply reads, “in order to live with me.”

[101:6]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “one who walks in the way of integrity, he will minister to me.”

[49:14]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “like sheep to Sheol they are appointed.” The verb form שַׁתּוּ (shatu) is apparently derived from שָׁתַת (shatat), which appears to be a variant of the more common שִׁית (shiyt, “to place; to set”; BDB 1060 s.v. שָׁתַת and GKC 183 §67.ee). Some scholars emend the text to שָׁחוּ (shakhu; from the verbal root שׁוּח [shukh, “sink down”]) and read “they descend.” The present translation assumes an emendation to שָׁטוּ (shatu; from the verbal root שׁוּט [shut, “go; wander”]), “they travel, wander.” (The letter tet [ט] and tav [ת] sound similar; a scribe transcribing from dictation could easily confuse them.) The perfect verbal form is used in a rhetorical manner to speak of their destiny as if it were already realized (the so-called perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect).

[49:14]  ⁵² tn Heb “death will shepherd them,” that is, death itself (personified here as a shepherd) will lead them like a flock of helpless, unsuspecting sheep to Sheol, the underworld, the land of the dead.

[49:14]  ⁵³ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the perfect verbal form in v. 14a. The psalmist speaks of this coming event as if it were already accomplished.

[49:14]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “will rule over them in the morning.” “Morning” here is a metaphor for a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 59:16; 90:14; 143:8; Isa 17:14). In this context the psalmist confidently anticipates a day of vindication when the Lord will deliver the oppressed from the rich (see v. 15) and send the oppressors to Sheol.

[49:14]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “their form [will become an object] for the consuming of Sheol, from a lofty residence, to him.” The meaning of this syntactically difficult text is uncertain. The translation assumes that צוּר (tsur, “form”; this is the Qere [marginal] reading; the Kethib has צִירָם [tsiram, “their image”]) refers to their physical form or bodies. “Sheol” is taken as the subject of “consume” (on the implied “become” before the infinitive “to consume” see GKC 349 §114.k). The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “lofty residence” is understood as privative, “away from; so as not.” The preposition -ל (lamed) is possessive, while the third person pronominal suffix is understood as a representative singular.