Mazmur 28:6

28:6 The Lord deserves praise, ¹ 

for he has heard my plea for mercy! ² 

Mazmur 29:1

Psalm 29 ³ 

A psalm of David.

29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, ⁴ 

acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! ⁵ 

Mazmur 89:52

89:52 ⁶ The Lord deserves praise ⁷  forevermore!

We agree! We agree! ⁸ 

Mazmur 96:7

96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

Mazmur 103:6

103:6 The Lord does what is fair,

and executes justice for all the oppressed. ⁹ 

Mazmur 113:2

113:2 May the Lord’s name be praised

now and forevermore!

Mazmur 126:3

126:3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.

We were happy.

Mazmur 135:21

135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion ¹⁰  –

he who dwells in Jerusalem. ¹¹ 

Praise the Lord!

[28:6]  ¹ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”

[28:6]  ² 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.

[29:1]  ³ sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.

[29:1]  ⁴ tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.

[29:1]  tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.

[29:1]  ⁵ tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”

[89:52]  ⁶ sn The final verse of Ps 89, v. 52, is a conclusion to this third “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 106:48, respectively).

[89:52]  ⁷ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.

[89:52]  ⁸ tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God; thus it has been translated “We agree! We agree!”

[103:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “the Lord does fairness, and [acts of] justice for all the oppressed.”

[135:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “praised be the Lord from Zion.”

[135:21]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.