Mazmur 44:21

44:21 would not God discover it,

for he knows ¹  one’s thoughts? ² 

Mazmur 48:13

48:13 Consider its defenses! ³ 

Walk through ⁴  its fortresses,

so you can tell the next generation about it! ⁵ 

[44:21]  ¹ tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.

[44:21]  ² tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.

[48:13]  ³ tn Heb “set your heart to its rampart.”

[48:13]  ⁴ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word translated “walk through,” which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Cf. NEB “pass…in review”; NIV “view.”

[48:13]  ⁵ sn The city’s towers, defenses, and fortresses are outward reminders and tangible symbols of the divine protection the city enjoys.