Mazmur 7:5

7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase ¹  me ²  and catch me; ³ 

may he trample me to death ⁴ 

and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. ⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 28:4

28:4 Pay them back for their evil deeds!

Pay them back for what they do!

Punish them! ⁶ 

Mazmur 50:23

50:23 Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. ⁷ 

To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.” ⁸ 

Mazmur 51:17

51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit ⁹  –

O God, a humble and repentant heart ¹⁰  you will not reject. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 76:7

76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!

Who can withstand your intense anger? ¹² 

Mazmur 77:9

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

Mazmur 89:7

89:7 a God who is honored ¹³  in the great angelic assembly, ¹⁴ 

and more awesome than ¹⁵  all who surround him?

Mazmur 102:13

102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. ¹⁶ 

For it is time to have mercy on her,

for the appointed time has come.

Mazmur 115:1

Psalm 115 ¹⁷ 

115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!

But to your name bring honor, ¹⁸ 

for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 119:7

119:7 I will give you sincere thanks, ²⁰ 

when I learn your just regulations.

Mazmur 147:1

Psalm 147 ²¹ 

147:1 Praise the Lord,

for it is good to sing praises to our God!

Yes, ²²  praise is pleasant and appropriate!

[7:5]  ¹ tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC 168 §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.

[7:5]  ² tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[7:5]  ³ tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.

[7:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”

[7:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy, “my honor”) to כְבֵדִי (khÿvediy, “my liver” as the seat of life), but the term כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy) is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.

[28:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “Give to them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their due to them.” The highly repetitive style reflects the psalmist’s agitated emotional state and draws attention to his yearning for justice.

[50:23]  ⁷ sn The reference to a thank-offering recalls the earlier statement made in v. 14. Gratitude characterizes genuine worship.

[50:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “and [to one who] sets a way I will show the deliverance of God.” Elsewhere the phrase “set a way” simply means “to travel” (see Gen 30:36; cf. NRSV). The present translation assumes an emendation of וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ (vÿsam derekh) to וְשֹׁמֵר דְּרָכַּי (vÿshomer dÿrakhay, “and [the one who] keeps my ways” [i.e., commands, see Pss 18:21; 37:34). Another option is to read וְשֹׁמֵר דַּרְכּוֹ (vÿshomer darko, “and [the one who] guards his way,” i.e., “the one who is careful to follow a godly lifestyle”; see Ps 39:1).

[51:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “a broken spirit.”

[51:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”

[51:17]  ¹¹ tn Or “despise.”

[76:7]  ¹² tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (me’az, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (me’oz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).

[89:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “feared.”

[89:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

[89:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

[102:13]  ¹⁶ tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”

[115:1]  ¹⁷ sn Psalm 115. The psalmist affirms that Israel’s God is superior to pagan idols and urges Israel to place their confidence in him.

[115:1]  ¹⁸ tn Or “give glory.”

[115:1]  ¹⁹ sn The psalmist asks the Lord to demonstrate his loyal love and faithfulness, not simply so Israel may benefit, but primarily so that the Lord will receive honor among the nations, who will recognize, contrary to their present view (see v. 2), that Israel’s God is committed to his people.

[119:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”

[147:1]  ²¹ sn Psalm 147. The psalmist praises the Lord for he is the sovereign ruler of the world who cares for the needs of his covenant people.

[147:1]  ²² tn Or “for.”