Mazmur 7:7

7:7 The countries are assembled all around you; ¹ 

take once more your rightful place over them! ² 

Mazmur 10:18

10:18 You defend ³  the fatherless and oppressed, ⁴ 

so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. ⁵ 

Mazmur 12:6

12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. ⁶ 

They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,

where it is thoroughly refined. ⁷ 

Mazmur 23:2

23:2 He takes me to lush pastures, ⁸ 

he leads me to refreshing water. ⁹ 

Mazmur 36:5

36:5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; ¹⁰ 

your faithfulness to the clouds. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 37:14

37:14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down ¹²  the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly. ¹³ 

Mazmur 37:33

37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,

or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 38:19-20

38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; ¹⁵ 

those who hate me without cause outnumber me. ¹⁶ 

38:20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;

though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 41:9

41:9 Even my close friend ¹⁸  whom I trusted,

he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 43:1

Psalm 43 ²⁰ 

43:1 Vindicate me, O God!

Fight for me ²¹  against an ungodly nation!

Deliver me ²²  from deceitful and evil men! ²³ 

Mazmur 50:23

50:23 Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. ²⁴ 

To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.” ²⁵ 

Mazmur 51:10

51:10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! ²⁶ 

Renew a resolute spirit within me! ²⁷ 

Mazmur 53:2

53:2 God looks down from heaven ²⁸  at the human race, ²⁹ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ³⁰  and seeks God. ³¹ 

Mazmur 55:10

55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, ³² 

while wickedness and destruction ³³  are within it.

Mazmur 63:2

63:2 Yes, ³⁴  in the sanctuary I have seen you, ³⁵ 

and witnessed ³⁶  your power and splendor.

Mazmur 63:5

63:5 As if with choice meat ³⁷  you satisfy my soul. ³⁸ 

My mouth joyfully praises you, ³⁹ 

Mazmur 72:4

72:4 He will defend ⁴⁰  the oppressed among the people;

he will deliver ⁴¹  the children ⁴²  of the poor

and crush the oppressor.

Mazmur 73:20

73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. ⁴³ 

O Lord, when you awake ⁴⁴  you will despise them. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 74:22

74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! ⁴⁶ 

Remember how fools insult you all day long! ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 85:13

85:13 Deliverance goes ⁴⁸  before him,

and prepares ⁴⁹  a pathway for him. ⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 89:2

89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established; ⁵¹ 

in the skies you set up your faithfulness.” ⁵² 

Mazmur 96:6

96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; ⁵³ 

his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 101:1

Psalm 101 ⁵⁵ 

A psalm of David.

101:1 I will sing about loyalty and justice!

To you, O Lord, I will sing praises!

Mazmur 111:1

Psalm 111 ⁵⁶ 

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 111:10

111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; ⁵⁷ 

all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. ⁵⁸ 

He will receive praise forever. ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 119:149

119:149 Listen to me ⁶⁰  because of ⁶¹  your loyal love!

O Lord, revive me, as you typically do! ⁶² 

Mazmur 141:6

141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. ⁶³ 

They ⁶⁴  will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

Mazmur 143:11

143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, ⁶⁵  revive me! ⁶⁶ 

Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! ⁶⁷ 

[7:7]  ¹ tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”

[7:7]  ² tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return”) to שֵׁבָה (shevah, “sit [in judgment]”) because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.

[10:18]  ³ tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”

[10:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.

[10:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.

[12:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “the words of the Lord are pure words,” i.e., untainted by falsehood or deception (in contrast to the flattery of the evildoers, v. 2).

[12:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “[like] silver purified in a furnace of [i.e., “on”] the ground, refined seven times.” The singular participle מְזֻקָּק (mÿzuqqaq, “refined”) modifies “silver.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”), see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.

[23:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “he makes me lie down in lush pastures.” The Hiphil verb יַרְבִּיצֵנִי (yarbitseniy) has a causative-modal nuance here (see IBHS 445-46 §27.5 on this use of the Hiphil), meaning “allows me to lie down” (see also Jer 33:12). The point is that the shepherd takes the sheep to lush pastures and lets them eat and rest there. Both imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing and highlight the psalmist’s typical experience.

[23:2]  ⁹ tn Both genitives in v. 2 indicate an attribute of the noun they modify: דֶּשֶׁא (deshe’) characterizes the pastures as “lush” (i.e., rich with vegetation), while מְנֻחוֹת (mÿnukhot) probably characterizes the water as refreshing. In this case the plural indicates an abstract quality. Some take מְנֻחוֹת in the sense of “still, calm” (i.e., as describing calm pools in contrast to dangerous torrents) but it is unlikely that such a pastoral scene is in view. Shepherds usually watered their sheep at wells (see Gen 29:2-3; Exod 2:16-19). Another option is to take מְנֻחוֹת as “resting places” and to translate, “water of/at the resting places” (i.e., a genitive of location; see IBHS 147-48 §9.5.2e).

[23:2]  sn Within the framework of the metaphor, the psalmist/sheep is declaring in v. 2 that his shepherd provides the essentials for physical life. At a deeper level the psalmist may be referring to more than just physical provision, though that would certainly be included.

[36:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[is] in the heavens.”

[36:5]  ¹¹ sn The Lord’s loyal love/faithfulness is almost limitless. He is loyal and faithful to his creation and blesses mankind and the animal kingdom with physical life and sustenance (vv. 6-9).

[37:14]  ¹² tn Heb “to cause to fall.”

[37:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.

[37:33]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the Lord does not abandon him into his hand or condemn him when he is judged.” The imperfects draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic behavior in this regard.

[38:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).

[38:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “are many.”

[38:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”

[41:9]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).

[41:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.

[41:9]  sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.

[43:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalm 43 and Psalm 42 into one psalm. Psalm 43 is the only psalm in Book 2 of the Psalter (Psalms 42-72) that does not have a heading, suggesting that it was originally the third and concluding section of Psalm 42. Ps 43:5 is identical to the refrain in Ps 42:11 and almost identical to the refrain in Ps 42:5.

[43:1]  ²¹ tn Or “argue my case.”

[43:1]  ²² tn The imperfect here expresses a request or wish. Note the imperatives in the first half of the verse. See also v. 3.

[43:1]  ²³ tn Heb “from the deceitful and evil man.” The Hebrew text uses the singular form “man” in a collective sense, as the reference to a “nation” in the parallel line indicates.

[50:23]  ²⁴ sn The reference to a thank-offering recalls the earlier statement made in v. 14. Gratitude characterizes genuine worship.

[50:23]  ²⁵ 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).

[51:10]  ²⁶ sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.

[51:10]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”

[53:2]  ²⁸ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[53:2]  ²⁹ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[53:2]  ³⁰ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[53:2]  ³¹ tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[55:10]  ³² tn Heb “day and night they surround it, upon its walls.” Personified “violence and conflict” are the likely subjects. They are compared to watchmen on the city’s walls.

[55:10]  ³³ sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.

[63:2]  ³⁴ tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).

[63:2]  ³⁵ tn The perfect verbal form is understood here as referring to a past experience which the psalmist desires to be repeated. Another option is to take the perfect as indicating the psalmist’s certitude that he will again stand in God’s presence in the sanctuary. In this case one can translate, “I will see you.”

[63:2]  ³⁶ tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.

[63:5]  ³⁷ tn Heb “like fat and fatness.”

[63:5]  ³⁸ tn Or “me.”

[63:5]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and [with] lips of joy my mouth praises.”

[72:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “judge [for].”

[72:4]  ⁴¹ tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.

[72:4]  ⁴² tn Heb “sons.”

[73:20]  ⁴³ tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.

[73:20]  ⁴⁴ sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.

[73:20]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.

[74:22]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “defend your cause.”

[74:22]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”

[85:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “will go.”

[85:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “will prepare.”

[85:13]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and it prepares for a way his footsteps.” Some suggest emending וְיָשֵׂם (vÿyasem, “and prepares”) to וְשָׁלוֹם (vÿshalom, “and peace”) since “deliverance” and “peace” are closely related earlier in v. 13. This could be translated, “and peace [goes ahead, making] a pathway for his footsteps” (cf. NEB).

[89:2]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “built.”

[89:2]  ⁵² sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).

[96:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”

[96:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”

[101:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Psalm 101. The psalmist, who appears to be a king, promises to promote justice in his land and vows to rid his royal court of evildoers.

[111:1]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[111:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the Lord.”

[111:10]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.

[111:10]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “his praise stands forever.”

[119:149]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “my voice.”

[119:149]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “according to.”

[119:149]  ⁶² tn Heb “according to your custom.”

[141:6]  ⁶³ tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.

[141:6]  ⁶⁴ tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.

[143:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[143:11]  ⁶⁶ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

[143:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”