Mazmur 43:1--72:20
Konteks43:1 Vindicate me, O God!
Fight for me 2 against an ungodly nation!
Deliver me 3 from deceitful and evil men! 4
43:2 For you are the God who shelters me. 5
Why do you reject me? 6
Why must I walk around 7 mourning 8
because my enemies oppress me?
43:3 Reveal 9 your light 10 and your faithfulness!
They will lead me, 11
they will escort 12 me back to your holy hill, 13
and to the place where you live. 14
43:4 Then I will go 15 to the altar of God,
to the God who gives me ecstatic joy, 16
so that I express my thanks to you, 17 O God, my God, with a harp.
43:5 Why are you depressed, 18 O my soul? 19
Why are you upset? 20
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 21
For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song. 23
44:1 O God, we have clearly heard; 24
our ancestors 25 have told us
what you did 26 in their days,
in ancient times. 27
44:2 You, by your power, 28 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; 29
you crushed 30 the people living there 31 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it. 32
44:3 For they did not conquer 33 the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength, 34
but rather by your power, 35 strength 36 and good favor, 37
for you were partial to 38 them.
44:4 You are my 39 king, O God!
Decree 40 Jacob’s 41 deliverance!
44:5 By your power 42 we will drive back 43 our enemies;
by your strength 44 we will trample down 45 our foes! 46
44:6 For I do not trust in my bow,
and I do not prevail by my sword.
44:7 For you deliver 47 us from our enemies;
you humiliate 48 those who hate us.
44:8 In God I boast all day long,
and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)
44:9 But 49 you rejected and embarrassed us!
You did not go into battle with our armies. 50
44:10 You made us retreat 51 from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. 52
44:11 You handed us 53 over like sheep to be eaten;
you scattered us among the nations.
44:12 You sold 54 your people for a pittance; 55
you did not ask a high price for them. 56
44:13 You made us 57 an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. 58
44:14 You made us 59 an object of ridicule 60 among the nations;
foreigners treat us with contempt. 61
44:15 All day long I feel humiliated 62
and am overwhelmed with shame, 63
44:16 before the vindictive enemy
who ridicules and insults me. 64
44:17 All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you 65
or violated your covenant with us. 66
44:18 We have not been unfaithful, 67
nor have we disobeyed your commands. 68
44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; 69
you have covered us with darkness. 70
44:20 If we had rejected our God, 71
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, 72
44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows 73 one’s thoughts? 74
44:22 Yet because of you 75 we are killed all day long;
we are treated like 76 sheep at the slaughtering block. 77
44:23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Wake up! 78 Do not reject us forever!
44:24 Why do you look the other way, 79
and ignore 80 the way we are oppressed and mistreated? 81
44:25 For we lie in the dirt,
with our bellies pressed to the ground. 82
44:26 Rise up and help us!
Rescue us 83 because of your loyal love!
For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 85 by the Korahites, a well-written poem, 86 a love song.
45:1 My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. 87
I say, “I have composed this special song 88 for the king;
my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.” 89
45:2 You are the most handsome of all men! 90
You speak in an impressive and fitting manner! 91
For this reason 92 God grants you continual blessings. 93
45:3 Strap your sword to your thigh, O warrior! 94
Appear in your majestic splendor! 95
45:4 Appear in your majesty and be victorious! 96
Ride forth for the sake of what is right, 97
on behalf of justice! 98
Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts! 99
45:5 Your arrows are sharp
and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
Nations fall at your feet. 100
45:6 Your throne, 101 O God, is permanent. 102
The scepter 103 of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
45:7 You love 104 justice and hate evil. 105
For this reason God, your God 106 has anointed you 107
with the oil of joy, 108 elevating you above your companions. 109
45:8 All your garments are perfumed with 110 myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From the luxurious palaces 111 comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. 112
45:9 Princesses 113 are among your honored guests, 114
your bride 115 stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. 116
Observe and pay attention! 118
Forget your homeland 119 and your family! 120
45:11 Then 121 the king will be attracted by 122 your beauty.
After all, he is your master! Submit 123 to him! 124
45:12 Rich people from Tyre 125
will seek your favor by bringing a gift. 126
45:13 The princess 127 looks absolutely magnificent, 128
decked out in pearls and clothed in a brocade trimmed with gold. 129
45:14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king.
Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her,
are led before you. 130
45:15 They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession
and enter the royal palace. 131
45:16 Your 132 sons will carry 133 on the dynasty of your ancestors; 134
you will make them princes throughout the land.
45:17 I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, 135
then the nations will praise you 136 forever.
For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; 138 a song.
46:1 God is our strong refuge; 139
he is truly our helper in times of trouble. 140
46:2 For this reason we do not fear 141 when the earth shakes, 142
and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 143
46:3 when its waves 144 crash 145 and foam,
and the mountains shake 146 before the surging sea. 147 (Selah)
46:4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, 148
the special, holy dwelling place of 149 the sovereign One. 150
46:5 God lives within it, 151 it cannot be moved. 152
God rescues it 153 at the break of dawn. 154
46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. 155
God 156 gives a shout, 157 the earth dissolves. 158
46:7 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! 159
The God of Jacob 160 is our protector! 161 (Selah)
46:8 Come! Witness the exploits 162 of the Lord,
who brings devastation to the earth! 163
46:9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; 164
he shatters 165 the bow and breaks 166 the spear;
he burns 167 the shields with fire. 168
46:10 He says, 169 “Stop your striving and recognize 170 that I am God!
I will be exalted 171 over 172 the nations! I will be exalted over 173 the earth!”
46:11 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! 174
The God of Jacob 175 is our protector! 176 (Selah)
For the music director; by the Korahites; a psalm.
47:1 All you nations, clap your hands!
Shout out to God in celebration! 178
47:2 For the sovereign Lord 179 is awe-inspiring; 180
he is the great king who rules the whole earth! 181
47:3 He subdued nations beneath us 182
and countries 183 under our feet.
47:4 He picked out for us a special land 184
to be a source of pride for 185 Jacob, 186 whom he loves. 187 (Selah)
47:5 God has ascended his throne 188 amid loud shouts; 189
the Lord has ascended his throne amid the blaring of ram’s horns. 190
47:6 Sing to God! Sing!
Sing to our king! Sing!
47:7 For God is king of the whole earth!
Sing a well-written song! 191
47:8 God reigns 192 over the nations!
God sits on his holy throne!
47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble,
along with the people of the God of Abraham, 193
for God has authority over the rulers 194 of the earth.
He is highly exalted! 195
A song, a psalm by the Korahites.
48:1 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise
in the city of our God, 197 his holy hill.
48:2 It is lofty and pleasing to look at, 198
a source of joy to the whole earth. 199
Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon; 200
it is the city of the great king.
48:3 God is in its fortresses;
he reveals himself as its defender. 201
48:4 For 202 look, the kings assemble; 203
they advance together.
48:5 As soon as they see, 204 they are shocked; 205
they are terrified, they quickly retreat. 206
48:6 Look at them shake uncontrollably, 207
like a woman writhing in childbirth. 208
48:7 With an east wind
you shatter 209 the large ships. 210
48:8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds, now we have seen them, 211
in the city of the Lord, the invincible Warrior, 212
in the city of our God.
God makes it permanently secure. 213 (Selah)
48:9 We reflect on your loyal love, O God,
within your temple.
48:10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth
is worthy of your reputation, O God. 214
You execute justice! 215
48:11 Mount Zion rejoices;
the towns 216 of Judah are happy, 217
because of your acts of judgment. 218
48:12 Walk around 219 Zion! Encircle it!
Count its towers!
48:13 Consider its defenses! 220
Walk through 221 its fortresses,
so you can tell the next generation about it! 222
48:14 For God, our God, is our defender forever! 223
For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites.
49:1 Listen to this, all you nations!
Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world! 227
49:2 Pay attention, all you people, 228
both rich and poor!
49:3 I will declare a wise saying; 229
I will share my profound thoughts. 230
49:4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom;
I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. 231
49:5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, 232
when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? 233
49:6 They trust 234 in their wealth
and boast 235 in their great riches.
49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; 236
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price 237
49:8 (the ransom price for a human life 238 is too high,
and people go to their final destiny), 239
49:9 so that he might continue to live 240 forever
and not experience death. 241
49:10 Surely 242 one sees 243 that even wise people die; 244
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away 245
and leave their wealth to others. 246
49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,
their eternal dwelling place. 247
They name their lands after themselves, 248
49:12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last, 249
they are like animals 250 that perish. 251
49:13 This is the destiny of fools, 252
and of those who approve of their philosophy. 253 (Selah)
49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, 254
with death as their shepherd. 255
The godly will rule 256 over them when the day of vindication dawns; 257
Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. 258
49:15 But 259 God will rescue 260 my life 261 from the power 262 of Sheol;
certainly 263 he will pull me to safety. 264 (Selah)
49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich 265
and his wealth multiplies! 266
49:17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;
his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. 267
49:18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well!”
49:19 But he will join his ancestors; 268
they will never again see the light of day. 269
49:20 Wealthy people do not understand; 270
they are like animals 271 that perish. 272
A psalm by Asaph.
50:1 El, God, the Lord 274 speaks,
and summons the earth to come from the east and west. 275
50:2 From Zion, the most beautiful of all places, 276
God comes in splendor. 277
50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; 278
consuming fire goes ahead of him
and all around him a storm rages. 279
50:4 He summons the heavens above,
as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people. 280
“Assemble my covenant people before me, 282
those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice!” 283
50:6 The heavens declare his fairness, 284
for God is judge. 285 (Selah)
“Listen my people! I am speaking!
Listen Israel! I am accusing you! 287
I am God, your God!
50:8 I am not condemning 288 you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me. 289
50:9 I do not need to take 290 a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds.
50:10 For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,
as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. 291
50:11 I keep track of 292 every bird in the hills,
and the insects 293 of the field are mine.
50:12 Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
50:13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats? 294
50:14 Present to God a thank-offering!
Repay your vows to the sovereign One! 295
50:15 Pray to me when you are in trouble! 296
I will deliver you, and you will honor me!” 297
50:16 God says this to the evildoer: 298
“How can you declare my commands,
and talk about my covenant? 299
50:17 For you hate instruction
and reject my words. 300
50:18 When you see a thief, you join him; 301
you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives. 302
50:19 You do damage with words, 303
and use your tongue to deceive. 304
50:20 You plot against your brother; 305
you slander your own brother. 306
50:21 When you did these things, I was silent, 307
so you thought I was exactly like you. 308
But now I will condemn 309 you
and state my case against you! 310
50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God! 311
Otherwise I will rip you to shreds 312
and no one will be able to rescue you.
50:23 Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. 313
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.” 314
For the music director; a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba. 316
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of 317 your loyal love!
Because of 318 your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! 319
51:2 Wash away my wrongdoing! 320
Cleanse me of my sin! 321
51:3 For I am aware of 322 my rebellious acts;
I am forever conscious of my sin. 323
51:4 Against you – you above all 324 – I have sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
So 325 you are just when you confront me; 326
you are right when you condemn me. 327
51:5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,
a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. 328
51:6 Look, 329 you desire 330 integrity in the inner man; 331
you want me to possess wisdom. 332
51:7 Sprinkle me 333 with water 334 and I will be pure; 335
wash me 336 and I will be whiter than snow. 337
51:8 Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! 338
May the bones 339 you crushed rejoice! 340
51:9 Hide your face 341 from my sins!
Wipe away 342 all my guilt!
51:10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! 343
Renew a resolute spirit within me! 344
Do not take your Holy Spirit 346 away from me! 347
51:12 Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance!
Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! 348
51:13 Then I will teach 349 rebels your merciful ways, 350
and sinners will turn 351 to you.
51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, 352 O God, the God who delivers me!
Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. 353
51:15 O Lord, give me the words! 354
Then my mouth will praise you. 355
51:16 Certainly 356 you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; 357
you do not desire a burnt sacrifice. 358
51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit 359 –
O God, a humble and repentant heart 360 you will not reject. 361
51:18 Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! 362
Fortify 363 the walls of Jerusalem! 364
51:19 Then you will accept 365 the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;
then bulls will be sacrificed 366 on your altar. 367
For the music director; a well-written song 369 by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” 370
52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, 371 O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 372
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; 373
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 374
52:3 You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth. 375 (Selah)
52:4 You love to use all the words that destroy, 376
and the tongue that deceives.
52:5 Yet 377 God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. 378
He will scoop you up 379 and remove you from your home; 380
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 381
52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make 382 God his protector!
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” 383
52:8 But I 384 am like a flourishing 385 olive tree in the house of God;
I continually 386 trust in God’s loyal love.
52:9 I will continually 387 thank you when 388 you execute judgment; 389
I will rely 390 on you, 391 for your loyal followers know you are good. 392
For the music director; according to the machalath style; 394 a well-written song 395 by David.
53:1 Fools say to themselves, 396 “There is no God.” 397
They sin and commit evil deeds; 398
none of them does what is right. 399
53:2 God looks down from heaven 400 at the human race, 401
to see if there is anyone who is wise 402 and seeks God. 403
53:3 Everyone rejects God; 404
they are all morally corrupt. 405
None of them does what is right, 406
not even one!
53:4 All those who behave wickedly 407 do not understand 408 –
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
53:5 They are absolutely terrified, 409
even by things that do not normally cause fear. 410
For God annihilates 411 those who attack you. 412
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them. 413
53:6 I wish the deliverance 414 of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people, 415
may Jacob rejoice, 416
may Israel be happy! 417
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 419 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” 420
54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! 421
Vindicate me 422 by your power!
54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to what I say! 423
54:3 For foreigners 424 attack me; 425
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. 426 (Selah)
54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! 427
The Lord is among those who support me. 428
54:5 May those who wait to ambush me 429 be repaid for their evil! 430
As a demonstration of your faithfulness, 431 destroy them!
54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice 432 to you!
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!
54:7 Surely 433 he rescues me from all trouble, 434
and I triumph over my enemies. 435
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 437 by David.
55:1 Listen, O God, to my prayer!
Do not ignore 438 my appeal for mercy!
55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!
I am so upset 439 and distressed, 440 I am beside myself, 441
55:3 because of what the enemy says, 442
and because of how the wicked 443 pressure me, 444
for they hurl trouble 445 down upon me 446
and angrily attack me.
55:4 My heart beats violently 447 within me;
the horrors of death overcome me. 448
55:5 Fear and panic overpower me; 449
terror overwhelms 450 me.
55:6 I say, 451 “I wish I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and settle in a safe place!
55:7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
55:8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind 452 and the gale.”
55:9 Confuse them, 453 O Lord!
Frustrate their plans! 454
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, 455
while wickedness and destruction 456 are within it.
55:11 Disaster is within it;
violence 457 and deceit do not depart from its public square.
55:12 Indeed, 458 it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, 459
or else I could hide from him.
55:13 But it is you, 460 a man like me, 461
my close friend in whom I confided. 462
55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; 463
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
55:15 May death destroy them! 464
May they go down alive into Sheol! 465
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
55:16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
55:17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan, 466
55:18 He will rescue 469 me and protect me from those who attack me, 470
even though 471 they greatly outnumber me. 472
55:19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them. 473 (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God. 474
55:20 He 475 attacks 476 his friends; 477
he breaks his solemn promises to them. 478
55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, 479
but he harbors animosity in his heart. 480
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords. 481
55:22 Throw your burden 482 upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you. 483
He will never allow the godly to be upended. 484
55:23 But you, O God, will bring them 485 down to the deep Pit. 486
Violent and deceitful people 487 will not live even half a normal lifespan. 488
But as for me, I trust in you.
For the music director; according to the yonath-elem-rechovim style; 490 a prayer 491 of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath. 492
56:1 Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me! 493
All day long hostile enemies 494 are tormenting me. 495
56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat 496 attack me all day long.
Indeed, 497 many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. 498
I trust in you.
56:4 In God – I boast in his promise 500 –
in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 501 do to me? 502
56:5 All day long they cause me trouble; 503
they make a habit of plotting my demise. 504
56:6 They stalk 505 and lurk; 506
they watch my every step, 507
as 508 they prepare to take my life. 509
56:7 Because they are bent on violence, do not let them escape! 510
In your anger 511 bring down the nations, 512 O God!
56:8 You keep track of my misery. 513
Put my tears in your leather container! 514
Are they not recorded in your scroll? 515
56:9 My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help; 516
I know that God is on my side. 517
56:10 In God – I boast in his promise 518 –
in the Lord – I boast in his promise 519 –
56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 520 do to me? 521
56:12 I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God; 522
I will give you the thank-offerings you deserve, 523
56:13 when you deliver 524 my life from death.
You keep my feet from stumbling, 525
so that I might serve 526 God as I enjoy life. 527
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 529 a prayer 530 of David, written when he fled from Saul into the cave. 531
57:1 Have mercy on me, O God! Have mercy on me!
For in you I have taken shelter. 532
In the shadow of your wings 533 I take shelter
until trouble passes.
57:2 I cry out for help to the sovereign God, 534
to the God who vindicates 535 me.
57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me 536
from my enemies who hurl insults! 537 (Selah)
May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!
57:4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down 538 among those who want to devour me; 539
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are a sharp sword. 540
57:5 Rise up 541 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 542
57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; 543
I am discouraged. 544
They have dug a pit for me. 545
They will fall 546 into it! (Selah)
57:7 I am determined, 547 O God! I am determined!
I will sing and praise you!
Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 549
57:9 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Master!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 550
57:10 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 551
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
57:11 Rise up 552 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 553
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 555 a prayer 556 of David.
58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? 557
Do you judge people 558 fairly?
58:2 No! 559 You plan how to do what is unjust; 560
you deal out violence in the earth. 561
58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; 562
liars go astray as soon as they are born. 563
58:4 Their venom is like that of a snake, 564
like a deaf serpent 565 that does not hear, 566
58:5 that does not respond to 567 the magicians,
or to a skilled snake-charmer.
58:6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths!
Smash the jawbones of the lions, O Lord!
58:7 Let them disappear 568 like water that flows away! 569
Let them wither like grass! 570
58:8 Let them be 571 like a snail that melts away as it moves along! 572
Let them be like 573 stillborn babies 574 that never see the sun!
58:9 Before the kindling is even placed under your pots, 575
he 576 will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat. 577
58:10 The godly 578 will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
58:11 Then 579 observers 580 will say,
“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! 581
Yes indeed, there is a God who judges 582 in the earth!”
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 584 a prayer 585 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 586
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 587 from those who attack me! 588
59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! 589
Rescue me from violent men! 590
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 591
powerful men stalk 592 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 593
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 594 they are anxious to attack. 595
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 596
59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, 597 the God of Israel,
rouse yourself and punish 598 all the nations!
Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)
59:6 They return in the evening;
they growl 599 like a dog
and prowl around outside 600 the city.
59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 601
for they say, 602
“Who hears?”
59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; 603
you taunt 604 all the nations.
59:9 You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! 605
For God is my refuge. 606
59:10 The God who loves me will help me; 607
God will enable me to triumph over 608 my enemies. 609
59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,
because then my people might forget the lesson. 610
Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,
O Lord who shields us! 611
59:12 They speak sinful words. 612
So let them be trapped by their own pride
and by the curses and lies they speak!
59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!
Let them know that God rules
in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)
59:14 They return in the evening;
they growl 613 like a dog
and prowl around outside 614 the city.
59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full. 615
59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge 616
and my place of shelter when I face trouble. 617
59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! 618
For God is my refuge, 619 the God who loves me. 620
For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; 622 a prayer 623 of David written to instruct others. 624 It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down 625 12,000 Edomites 626 in the Valley of Salt. 627
60:1 O God, you have rejected us. 628
You suddenly turned on us in your anger. 629
Please restore us! 630
60:2 You made the earth quake; you split it open. 631
Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall. 632
60:3 You have made your people experience hard times; 633
you have made us drink intoxicating wine. 634
60:4 You have given your loyal followers 635 a rallying flag,
so that they might seek safety from the bow. 636 (Selah)
60:5 Deliver by your power 637 and answer me, 638
so that the ones you love may be safe. 639
60:6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 640
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem;
the Valley of Succoth I will measure off. 641
60:7 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 642
Ephraim is my helmet, 643
Judah my royal scepter. 644
60:8 Moab is my washbasin. 645
I will make Edom serve me. 646
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” 647
60:9 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 648
60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
60:11 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 649
60:12 By God’s power we will conquer; 650
he will trample down 651 our enemies.
For the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.
61:1 O God, hear my cry for help!
Pay attention to my prayer!
61:2 From the most remote place on earth 653
I call out to you in my despair. 654
Lead me 655 up to an inaccessible rocky summit! 656
61:3 Indeed, 657 you are 658 my shelter,
a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. 659
61:4 I will be a permanent guest in your home; 660
I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. 661 (Selah)
61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;
you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. 662
61:6 Give the king long life!
Make his lifetime span several generations! 663
61:7 May he reign 664 forever before God!
Decree that your loyal love and faithfulness should protect him. 665
61:8 Then I will sing praises to your name continually, 666
as I fulfill 667 my vows day after day.
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.
62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; 669
he is the one who delivers me. 670
62:2 He alone is my protector 671 and deliverer.
He is my refuge; 672 I will not be upended. 673
62:3 How long will you threaten 674 a man?
All of you are murderers, 675
as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. 676
62:4 They 677 spend all their time planning how to bring him 678 down. 679
They love to use deceit; 680
they pronounce blessings with their mouths,
but inwardly they utter curses. 681 (Selah)
62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! 682
For he is the one who gives me confidence. 683
62:6 He alone is my protector 684 and deliverer.
He is my refuge; 685 I will not be upended. 686
62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;
God is my strong protector and my shelter. 687
62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!
Pour out your hearts before him! 688
God is our shelter! (Selah)
62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;
human beings are unreliable. 689
When they are weighed in the scales,
all of them together are lighter than air. 690
62:10 Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! 691
Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! 692
If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! 693
62:11 God has declared one principle;
two principles I have heard: 694
God is strong, 695
62:12 and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. 696
For you repay men for what they do. 697
A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. 699
63:1 O God, you are my God! I long for you! 700
My soul thirsts 701 for you,
my flesh yearns for you,
in a dry and parched 702 land where there is no water.
63:2 Yes, 703 in the sanctuary I have seen you, 704
and witnessed 705 your power and splendor.
63:3 Because 706 experiencing 707 your loyal love is better than life itself,
my lips will praise you.
63:4 For this reason 708 I will praise you while I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands. 709
63:5 As if with choice meat 710 you satisfy my soul. 711
My mouth joyfully praises you, 712
63:6 whenever 713 I remember you on my bed,
and think about you during the nighttime hours.
63:7 For you are my deliverer; 714
under your wings 715 I rejoice.
63:8 My soul 716 pursues you; 717
your right hand upholds me.
63:9 Enemies seek to destroy my life, 718
but they will descend into the depths of the earth. 719
63:10 Each one will be handed over to the sword; 720
their corpses will be eaten by jackals. 721
63:11 But the king 722 will rejoice in God;
everyone who takes oaths in his name 723 will boast,
for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up. 724
For the music director; a psalm of David.
64:1 Listen to me, 726 O God, as I offer my lament!
Protect 727 my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. 728
64:2 Hide me from the plots of evil men,
from the crowd of evildoers. 729
64:3 They 730 sharpen their tongues like a sword;
they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, 731
64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent 732 in secluded places.
They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. 733
64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. 734
They plan how to hide 735 snares,
and boast, 736 “Who will see them?” 737
64:6 They devise 738 unjust schemes;
they disguise 739 a well-conceived plot. 740
Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. 741
64:7 But God will shoot 742 at them;
suddenly they will be 743 wounded by an arrow. 744
64:8 Their slander will bring about their demise. 745
All who see them will shudder, 746
64:9 and all people will fear. 747
They will proclaim 748 what God has done,
and reflect on his deeds.
64:10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
and take shelter in him.
All the morally upright 749 will boast. 750
For the music director; a psalm of David, a song.
65:1 Praise awaits you, 752 O God, in Zion.
Vows made to you are fulfilled.
all people approach you. 754
65:3 Our record of sins overwhelms me, 755
but you forgive 756 our acts of rebellion.
65:4 How blessed 757 is the one whom you choose,
and allow to live in your palace courts. 758
May we be satisfied with the good things of your house –
your holy palace. 759
65:5 You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance,
O God, our savior. 760
All the ends of the earth trust in you, 761
as well as those living across the wide seas. 762
65:6 You created the mountains by your power, 763
and demonstrated your strength. 764
65:7 You calm the raging seas 765
and their roaring waves,
as well as the commotion made by the nations. 766
65:8 Even those living in the most remote areas are awestruck by your acts; 767
you cause those living in the east and west to praise you. 768
65:9 You visit the earth and give it rain; 769
you make it rich and fertile 770
with overflowing streams full of water. 771
You provide grain for them, 772
for you prepare the earth to yield its crops. 773
65:10 You saturate 774 its furrows,
and soak 775 its plowed ground. 776
With rain showers you soften its soil, 777
and make its crops grow. 778
65:11 You crown the year with your good blessings, 779
and you leave abundance in your wake. 780
65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, 781
and the hills are clothed with joy. 782
65:13 The meadows are clothed with sheep,
and the valleys are covered with grain.
They shout joyfully, yes, they sing.
For the music director; a song, a psalm.
66:1 Shout out praise to God, all the earth!
66:2 Sing praises about the majesty of his reputation! 784
Give him the honor he deserves! 785
66:3 Say to God:
“How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power your enemies cower in fear 786 before you.
66:4 All the earth worships 787 you
and sings praises to you!
They sing praises to your name!” (Selah)
66:5 Come and witness 788 God’s exploits! 789
His acts on behalf of people are awesome! 790
66:6 He turned the sea into dry land; 791
they passed through the river on foot. 792
Let us rejoice in him there! 793
66:7 He rules 794 by his power forever;
he watches 795 the nations.
Stubborn rebels should not exalt 796 themselves. (Selah)
66:8 Praise 797 our God, you nations!
Loudly proclaim his praise! 798
66:9 He preserves our lives 799
and does not allow our feet to slip.
66:10 For 800 you, O God, tested us;
you purified us like refined silver.
66:11 You led us into a trap; 801
you caused us to suffer. 802
66:12 You allowed men to ride over our heads;
we passed through fire and water,
but you brought us out into a wide open place. 803
66:13 I will enter 804 your temple with burnt sacrifices;
I will fulfill the vows I made to you,
66:14 which my lips uttered
and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
66:15 I will offer up to you fattened animals as burnt sacrifices,
along with the smell of sacrificial rams.
I will offer cattle and goats. (Selah)
66:16 Come! Listen, all you who are loyal to God! 805
I will declare what he has done for me.
66:17 I cried out to him for help 806
and praised him with my tongue. 807
66:18 If I had harbored sin in my heart, 808
the Lord would not have listened.
66:19 However, God heard;
he listened to my prayer.
66:20 God deserves praise, 809
for 810 he did not reject my prayer
or abandon his love for me! 811
For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.
67:1 May God show us his favor 813 and bless us! 814
May he smile on us! 815 (Selah)
67:2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;
all nations will know how you deliver your people. 816
67:3 Let the nations thank you, O God!
Let all the nations thank you! 817
67:4 Let foreigners 818 rejoice and celebrate!
For you execute justice among the nations,
and govern the people living on earth. 819 (Selah)
67:5 Let the nations thank you, O God!
Let all the nations thank you! 820
67:6 The earth yields its crops.
May God, our God, bless us!
Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves. 822
For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.
68:1 God springs into action! 824
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries 825 run from him. 826
68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. 827
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
68:3 But the godly 828 are happy;
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy. 829
68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! 830
For the Lord is his name! 831
Rejoice before him!
68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows. 832
God rules from his holy palace. 833
68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; 834
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. 835
But sinful rebels live in the desert. 836
68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, 837
when you march through the desert, 838 (Selah)
68:8 the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai, 839
before God, the God of Israel. 840
68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall 841 on your chosen people. 842
When they 843 are tired, you sustain them, 844
68:10 for you live among them. 845
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
many, many women spread the good news. 847
68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! 848
The lovely lady 849 of the house divides up the loot.
68:13 When 850 you lie down among the sheepfolds, 851
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold. 852
68:14 When the sovereign judge 853 scatters kings, 854
let it snow 855 on Zalmon!
68:15 The mountain of Bashan 856 is a towering mountain; 857
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. 858
68:16 Why do you look with envy, 859 O mountains 860 with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has decided to live? 861
Indeed 862 the Lord will live there 863 permanently!
68:17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands. 864
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 865
you have taken many captives. 867
You receive tribute 868 from 869 men,
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed the Lord God lives there! 870
68:19 The Lord deserves praise! 871
Day after day 872 he carries our burden,
the God who delivers us. (Selah)
68:20 Our God is a God who delivers;
the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. 873
68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion. 874
68:22 The Lord says,
“I will retrieve them 875 from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
68:23 so that your feet may stomp 876 in their blood,
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” 877
68:24 They 878 see your processions, O God –
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. 879
68:25 Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, 880
in the midst of young women playing tambourines. 881
68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! 882
68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, 883
and the princes of Judah in their robes, 884
along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. 885
O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,
68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! 886
Kings bring tribute to you.
68:30 Sound your battle cry 887 against the wild beast of the reeds, 888
and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! 889
They humble themselves 890 and offer gold and silver as tribute. 891
God 892 scatters 893 the nations that like to do battle.
68:31 They come with red cloth 894 from Egypt,
Ethiopia 895 voluntarily offers tribute 896 to God.
68:32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah)
68:33 to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times! 897
Look! He thunders loudly. 898
68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, 899
his sovereignty over Israel,
and the power he reveals in the skies! 900
68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! 901
It is the God of Israel 902 who gives the people power and strength.
God deserves praise! 903
For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 905 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 906
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 907
I am in 908 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 909
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 910
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 911 outnumber me. 912
They make me repay what I did not steal! 913
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 914
my guilt is not hidden from you. 915
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 916
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 917 humiliation for your sake 918
and am thoroughly disgraced. 919
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 920
69:9 Certainly 921 zeal for 922 your house 923 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 924
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 925
which causes others to insult me. 926
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 927
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 928
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 929
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 930
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 931 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 932 devour me! 933
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 934
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 935 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 936
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 937
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 938
69:20 Their insults are painful 939 and make me lose heart; 940
I look 941 for sympathy, but receive none, 942
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 943 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 944
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 945
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 946
Make them shake violently! 947
69:24 Pour out your judgment 948 on them!
May your raging anger 949 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 950
69:26 For they harass 951 the one whom you discipline; 952
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 953
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 954
Do not vindicate them! 955
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 956
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 957
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 958
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 959
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 960
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 961 may you be encouraged! 962
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 963
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 964 will again live in them and possess Zion. 965
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 966 will live in it. 967
For the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. 969
70:1 O God, please be willing to rescue me! 970
O Lord, hurry and help me! 971
70:2 May those who are trying to take my life
be embarrassed and ashamed! 972
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 973
70:3 May those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
be driven back 974 and disgraced! 975
70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 976 your deliverance say continually, 977
70:5 I am oppressed and needy! 980
O God, hurry to me! 981
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O Lord, 982 do not delay!
71:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me! 984
Listen to me! 985 Deliver me! 986
71:3 Be my protector and refuge, 987
a stronghold where I can be safe! 988
For you are my high ridge 989 and my stronghold.
71:4 My God, rescue me from the power 990 of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor!
71:5 For you give me confidence, 991 O Lord;
O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young. 992
71:6 I have leaned on you since birth; 993
you pulled me 994 from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually. 995
71:7 Many are appalled when they see me, 996
but you are my secure shelter.
71:8 I praise you constantly
and speak of your splendor all day long. 997
71:9 Do not reject me in my old age! 998
When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
71:10 For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise. 999
71:11 They say, 1000 “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me! 1001
71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!
May those who want to harm me 1002 be covered with scorn and disgrace!
71:14 As for me, I will wait continually,
and will continue to praise you. 1003
71:15 I will tell about your justice,
and all day long proclaim your salvation, 1004
though I cannot fathom its full extent. 1005
71:16 I will come and tell about 1006 the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.
I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.
71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring 1007 your amazing deeds.
71:18 Even when I am old and gray, 1008
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,
and those coming after me about your power. 1009
71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; 1010
you have done great things. 1011
O God, who can compare to you? 1012
71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, 1013
revive me once again! 1014
Bring me up once again 1015 from the depths of the earth!
71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor! 1016
Turn and comfort me! 1017
71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,
praising 1018 your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,
O Holy One of Israel! 1019
71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, 1020 I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me! 1021
71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,
for those who want to harm me 1022 will be embarrassed and ashamed. 1023
For 1025 Solomon.
72:1 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions! 1026
Grant the king’s son 1027 the ability to make fair decisions! 1028
72:2 Then he will judge 1029 your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones 1030 equitably.
72:3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice. 1031
72:4 He will defend 1032 the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver 1033 the children 1034 of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
72:5 People will fear 1035 you 1036 as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation. 1037
72:6 He 1038 will descend like rain on the mown grass, 1039
like showers that drench 1040 the earth. 1041
72:7 During his days the godly will flourish; 1042
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky. 1043
72:8 May he rule 1044 from sea to sea, 1045
and from the Euphrates River 1046 to the ends of the earth!
72:9 Before him the coastlands 1047 will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust. 1048
72:10 The kings of Tarshish 1049 and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba 1050 and Seba 1051 will bring tribute.
72:11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
72:12 For he will rescue the needy 1052 when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed 1053 who have no defender.
72:13 He will take pity 1054 on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
72:14 From harm and violence he will defend them; 1055
he will value their lives. 1056
72:15 May he live! 1057 May they offer him gold from Sheba! 1058
May they continually pray for him!
May they pronounce blessings on him all day long! 1059
72:16 May there be 1060 an abundance 1061 of grain in the earth;
on the tops 1062 of the mountains may it 1063 sway! 1064
May its 1065 fruit trees 1066 flourish 1067 like the forests of Lebanon! 1068
May its crops 1069 be as abundant 1070 as the grass of the earth! 1071
72:17 May his fame endure! 1072
May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! 1073
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! 1074
May all nations consider him to be favored by God! 1075
72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! 1076
He alone accomplishes amazing things! 1077
72:19 His glorious name deserves praise 1078 forevermore!
May his majestic splendor 1079 fill the whole earth!
We agree! We agree! 1080
72:20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here. 1081
[43:1] 1 sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew
[43:1] 2 tn Or “argue my case.”
[43:1] 3 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] 4 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.
[43:2] 5 tn Heb “God of my place of refuge,” that is, “God who is my place of refuge.” See Ps 31:4.
[43:2] 6 tn The question is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but זָנַח (zanakh, “reject”) is a stronger verb than שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”).
[43:2] 7 tn The language is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but the Hitpael form of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh; as opposed to the Qal form in 42:9) expresses more forcefully the continuing nature of the psalmist’s distress.
[43:2] 8 sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar statement.
[43:3] 10 sn God’s deliverance is compared here to a light which will lead the psalmist back home to the Lord’s temple. Divine deliverance will in turn demonstrate the Lord’s faithfulness to his people.
[43:3] 11 tn Or “may they lead me.” The prefixed verbal forms here and in the next line may be taken as jussives.
[43:3] 13 sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill is Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.
[43:3] 14 tn Or “to your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the
[43:4] 15 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. Prefixed with the vav (ו) conjunctive it also expresses the result or outcome of the preceding verbs “lead” and “escort.”
[43:4] 16 tn Heb “to God, the joy of my happiness.” The phrase “joy of my happiness” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the degree of the psalmist’s joy. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[43:4] 17 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates purpose (“so that”) or intention.
[43:5] 18 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[43:5] 19 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[43:5] 20 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
[43:5] 21 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is identical to the one in Ps 42:11. See also 42:5, which differs only slightly.
[44:1] 22 sn Psalm 44. The speakers in this psalm (the worshiping community within the nation Israel) were disappointed with God. The psalm begins on a positive note, praising God for leading Israel to past military victories. Verses 1-8 appear to be a song of confidence and petition which the people recited prior to battle. But suddenly the mood changes as the nation laments a recent defeat. The stark contrast between the present and the past only heightens the nation’s confusion. Israel trusted in God for victory, but the Lord rejected them and allowed them to be humiliated in battle. If Israel had been unfaithful to God, their defeat would make sense, but the nation was loyal to the Lord. Comparing the Lord to a careless shepherd, the nation urges God to wake up and to extend his compassion to his suffering people.
[44:1] 23 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
[44:1] 24 tn Heb “with our ears we have heard.”
[44:1] 25 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.
[44:1] 26 tn Heb “the work you worked.”
[44:1] 27 tn Heb “in the days of old.” This refers specifically to the days of Joshua, during Israel’s conquest of the land, as vv. 2-3 indicate.
[44:2] 28 tn Heb “you, your hand.”
[44:2] 29 tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.
[44:2] 30 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).
[44:2] 32 tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.
[44:3] 33 tn Or “take possession of.”
[44:3] 34 tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
[44:3] 35 tn Heb “your right hand.” The
[44:3] 37 tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
[44:3] 38 tn Or “favorable toward.”
[44:4] 39 sn The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1-3, 5, 7-8) in vv. 1-8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.
[44:4] 40 tc The LXX assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [mÿtsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the MT, which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the MT is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (’elohay mÿtsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”).
[44:4] tn Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.
[44:4] 41 tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
[44:5] 43 tn Heb “gore” (like an ox). If this portion of the psalm contains the song of confidence/petition the Israelites recited prior to battle, then the imperfects here and in the next line may express their expectation of victory. Another option is that the imperfects function in an emphatic generalizing manner. In this case one might translate, “you [always] drive back…you [always] trample down.”
[44:5] sn The Hebrew verb translated “drive back” is literally “gore”; the imagery is that of a powerful wild ox that “gores” its enemies and tramples them underfoot.
[44:5] 44 tn Heb “in your name.” The
[44:5] 45 sn The image of the powerful wild ox continues; see the note on the phrase “drive back” in the preceding line.
[44:5] 46 tn Heb “those who rise up [against] us.”
[44:7] 47 tn Or “have delivered,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
[44:7] 48 tn Or “have humiliated,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
[44:9] 49 tn The particle אַף (’af, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.
[44:9] 50 tn Heb “you did not go out with our armies.” The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:10] 51 tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”
[44:10] 52 tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).
[44:11] 53 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 54 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 55 tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”
[44:12] 56 tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”
[44:13] 57 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:13] 58 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”
[44:14] 59 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:14] 60 tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”
[44:14] 61 tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).
[44:15] 62 tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”
[44:15] 63 tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”
[44:16] 64 tn Heb “from the voice of one who ridicules and insults, from the face of an enemy and an avenger.” See Ps 8:2.
[44:17] 65 tn Heb “we have not forgotten you.” To “forget” God refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see v. 20, as well as Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 9:17).Thus the translation “we have not rejected you” has been used.
[44:17] 66 tn Heb “and we did not deal falsely with your covenant.”
[44:18] 67 tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.
[44:18] 68 tn Heb “and our steps did [not] turn aside from your path.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line). God’s “path” refers to his commands, i.e., the moral pathway he has prescribed for the psalmist. See Pss 17:5; 25:4.
[44:19] 69 tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”
[44:19] 70 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל+מָוֶת [mavet + tsel]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness” (cf. NIV, NRSV). An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 44:19 darkness symbolizes defeat and humiliation.
[44:20] 71 tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the
[44:20] 72 tn Heb “and spread out your hands to another god.” Spreading out the hands was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). In its most fundamental sense זר (“another; foreign; strange”) refers to something that is outside one’s circle, often making association with it inappropriate. A “strange” god is an alien deity, an “outside god” (see L. A. Snijders, TDOT 4:54-55).
[44:21] 73 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
[44:21] 74 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.
[44:22] 75 tn The statement “because of you” (1) may simply indicate that God is the cause of the Israelites’ defeat (see vv. 9-14, where the nation’s situation is attributed directly to God’s activity, and cf. NEB, NRSV), or (2) it may suggest they suffer because of their allegiance to God (see Ps 69:7 and Jer 15:15). In this case one should translate, “for your sake” (cf. NASB, NIV). The citation of this verse in Rom 8:36 follows the LXX (Ps 43:23 LXX), where the Greek term ἕνεκεν (Jeneken; LXX ἕνεκα) may likewise mean “because of” or “for the sake of” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἕνεκα 1).
[44:22] 76 tn Or “regarded as.”
[44:22] 77 tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.
[44:23] 78 sn Wake up! See Ps 35:23.
[44:24] 79 tn Heb “Why do you hide your face?” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[44:24] 81 tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”
[44:25] 82 tn Heb “for our being/life sinks down to the dirt, our belly clings to the earth.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[44:26] 83 tn Or “redeem us.” See Pss 25:22; 26:11; 69:18; 119:134.
[45:1] 84 sn Psalm 45. This is a romantic poem celebrating the Davidic king’s marriage to a lovely princess. The psalmist praises the king for his military prowess and commitment to justice, urges the bride to be loyal to the king, and anticipates that the marriage will be blessed with royal offspring.
[45:1] 85 tn Heb “according to lilies.” “Lilies” may be a tune title or musical style, suggestive of romantic love. The imagery of a “lily” appears frequently in the Song of Solomon in a variety of contexts (see 2:1-2, 16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2-3; 7:2).
[45:1] 86 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
[45:1] 87 tn Heb “[with] a good word.” The “good word” probably refers here to the song that follows.
[45:1] 88 tn Heb “my works [are] for a king.” The plural “works” may here indicate degree, referring to the special musical composition that follows.
[45:1] 89 tn Heb “my tongue [is] a stylus of a skillful scribe.” Words flow from the psalmist’s tongue just as they do from a scribe’s stylus.
[45:2] 90 tn Heb “you are handsome from the sons of man.” The preposition “from” is used in a comparative (“more than”) sense. The peculiar verb form יָפְיָפִיתָ (yafyafita) is probably the result of dittography of yod-pe (יפ) and should be emended to יָפִיתָ (yafita). See GKC 152 §55.e.
[45:2] 91 tn Heb “favor is poured out on your lips.” “Lips” probably stands by metonymy for the king’s speech. Some interpret the Hebrew term חֵן (khen) as referring here to “gracious (i.e., kind and polite) speech”, but the word probably refers more generally to “attractive” speech that is impressively articulated and fitting for the occasion. For other instances of the term being used of speech, see Prov 22:11 and Eccl 10:12.
[45:2] 92 tn Or “this demonstrates.” The construction עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore”) usually indicates what logically follows from a preceding statement. However, here it may infer the cause from the effect, indicating the underlying basis or reason for what precedes (see BDB 487 s.v. I כֵּן 3.f; C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 1:386).
[45:2] 93 tn Or “blesses you forever.” Here “bless” means to “endue with the power and skill to rule effectively,” as the following verses indicate.
[45:3] 95 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “your majesty and your splendor,” which probably refers to the king’s majestic splendor when he appears in full royal battle regalia.
[45:4] 96 tn Heb “and your majesty, be successful.” The syntax is awkward. The phrase “and your majesty” at the beginning of the verse may be accidentally repeated (dittography); it appears at the end of v. 3.
[45:4] 97 tn Or “for the sake of truth.”
[45:4] 98 tc The precise meaning of the MT is uncertain. The form עַנְוָה (’anvah) occurs only here. One could emend the text to עֲנָוָה וְצֶדֶק (’anavah vÿtsedeq, “[for the sake of truth], humility, and justice”). In this case “humility” would perhaps allude to the king’s responsibility to “serve” his people by promoting justice (cf. NIV “in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יַעַן (ya’an, “because; on account of”) which would form a suitable parallel to עַל־דְּבַר (’al-dÿvar, “because; for the sake of”) in the preceding line.
[45:4] 99 tn Heb “and your right hand will teach you mighty acts”; or “and may your right hand teach you mighty acts.” After the imperatives in the first half of the verse, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive likely indicates purpose (“so that your right hand might teach you mighty acts”) or result (see the present translation). The “right hand” here symbolizes the king’s military strength. His right hand will “teach” him mighty acts by performing them and thereby causing him to experience their magnificence.
[45:5] 100 tn Heb “your arrows are sharp – peoples beneath you fall – in the heart of the enemies of the king.” The choppy style reflects the poet’s excitement.
[45:6] 101 sn The king’s throne here symbolizes his rule.
[45:6] 102 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[45:6] sn O God. The king is clearly the addressee here, as in vv. 2-5 and 7-9. Rather than taking the statement at face value, many prefer to emend the text because the concept of deifying the earthly king is foreign to ancient Israelite thinking (cf. NEB “your throne is like God’s throne, eternal”). However, it is preferable to retain the text and take this statement as another instance of the royal hyperbole that permeates the royal psalms. Because the Davidic king is God’s vice-regent on earth, the psalmist addresses him as if he were God incarnate. God energizes the king for battle and accomplishes justice through him. A similar use of hyperbole appears in Isa 9:6, where the ideal Davidic king of the eschaton is given the title “Mighty God” (see the note on this phrase there). Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Rameses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique” (see Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67). Ps 45:6 and Isa 9:6 probably envision a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.
[45:6] 103 sn The king’s scepter symbolizes his royal authority.
[45:7] 104 sn To love justice means to actively promote it.
[45:7] 105 sn To hate evil means to actively oppose it.
[45:7] 106 tn For other examples of the repetition of Elohim, “God,” see Pss 43:4; 48:8, 14; 50:7; 51:14; 67:7. Because the name Yahweh (“
[45:7] 107 sn Anointed you. When read in the light of the preceding context, the anointing is most naturally taken as referring to the king’s coronation. However, the following context (vv. 8-9) focuses on the wedding ceremony, so some prefer to see this anointing as part of the king’s preparations for the wedding celebration. Perhaps the reference to his anointing at his coronation facilitates the transition to the description of the wedding, for the king was also anointed on this occasion.
[45:7] 108 sn The phrase oil of joy alludes to the fact that the coronation of the king, which was ritually accomplished by anointing his head with olive oil, was a time of great celebration and renewed hope. (If one understands the anointing in conjunction with the wedding ceremony, the “joy” would be that associated with the marriage.) The phrase “oil of joy” also appears in Isa 61:3, where mourners are granted “oil of joy” in conjunction with their deliverance from oppression.
[45:7] 109 tn Heb “from your companions.” The “companions” are most naturally understood as others in the royal family or, more generally, as the king’s countrymen.
[45:7] sn Verses 6-7 are quoted in Heb 1:8-9, where they are applied to Jesus.
[45:8] 110 tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[45:8] 111 tn Heb “the palaces of ivory.” The phrase “palaces of ivory” refers to palaces that had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. Such decoration with ivory was characteristic of a high level of luxury. See 1 Kgs 22:39 and Amos 3:15.
[45:8] 112 tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”
[45:9] 113 tn Heb “daughters of kings.”
[45:9] 114 tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.
[45:9] 115 tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.
[45:9] 116 tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”
[45:9] sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.
[45:10] 117 tn Heb “daughter.” The Hebrew noun בת (“daughter”) can sometimes refer to a young woman in a general sense (see H. Haag, TDOT 2:334).
[45:10] sn Listen, O princess. The poet now addresses the bride.
[45:10] 118 tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.
[45:10] 119 tn Heb “your people.” This reference to the “people” of the princess suggests she was a foreigner. Perhaps the marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between Israel (or Judah) and a neighboring state. The translation “your homeland” reflects such a situation.
[45:10] 120 tn Heb “and the house of your father.”
[45:11] 121 tn After the preceding imperatives, the jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is best understood as introducing a purpose (“so that the king might desire your beauty”) or result clause (see the present translation and cf. also NASB). The point seems to be this: The bride might tend to be homesick, which in turn might cause her to mourn and diminish her attractiveness. She needs to overcome this temptation to unhappiness and enter into the marriage with joy. Then the king will be drawn to her natural beauty.
[45:11] 124 sn Submit to him. The poet here makes the point that the young bride is obligated to bring pleasure to her new husband. Though a foreign concept to modern western culture, this was accepted as the cultural norm in the psalmist’s day.
[45:12] 125 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[45:12] 126 tn Heb “and a daughter of Tyre with a gift, your face they will appease, the rich of people.” The phrase “daughter of Tyre” occurs only here in the OT. It could be understood as addressed to the bride, indicating she was a Phoenician (cf. NEB). However, often in the OT the word “daughter,” when collocated with the name of a city or country, is used to personify the referent (see, for example, “Daughter Zion” in Ps 9:14, and “Daughter Babylon” in Ps 137:8). If that is the case here, then “Daughter Tyre” identifies the city-state of Tyre as the place from which the rich people come (cf. NRSV). The idiom “appease the face” refers to seeking one’s favor (see Exod 32:11; 1 Sam 13:12; 1 Kgs 13:6; 2 Kgs 13:4; 2 Chr 33:12; Job 11:19; Ps 119:58; Prov 19:6; Jer 26:19; Dan 9:13; Zech 7:2; 8:21-22; Mal 1:9).
[45:13] 127 tn Heb “[the] daughter of a king.”
[45:13] 128 tn Heb “[is] completely glorious.”
[45:13] 129 tc Heb “within, from settings of gold, her clothing.” The Hebrew term פְּנִימָה (pÿnimah, “within”), if retained, would go with the preceding line and perhaps refer to the bride being “within” the palace or her bridal chamber (cf. NIV, NRSV). Since the next two lines refer to her attire (see also v. 9b), it is preferable to emend the form to פְּנִינִיהָּ (“her pearls”) or to פְּנִינִים (“pearls”). The mem (מ) prefixed to “settings” is probably dittographic.
[45:14] 130 tn Heb “virgins after her, her companions, are led to you.” Some emend לָךְ (lakh, “to you”) to לָהּ (lah, “to her,” i.e., the princess), because the princess is now being spoken of in the third person (vv. 13-14a), rather than being addressed directly (as in vv. 10-12). However, the ambiguous suffixed form לָךְ need not be taken as second feminine singular. The suffix can be understood as a pausal second masculine singular form, addressed to the king. The translation assumes this to be the case; note that the king is addressed once more in vv. 16-17, where the second person pronouns are masculine.
[45:15] 131 tn Heb “they are led with joy and happiness, they enter the house of the king.”
[45:16] 132 tn The pronoun is second masculine singular, indicating the king is being addressed from this point to the end of the psalm.
[45:16] 133 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive and the statement interpreted as a prayer, “May your sons carry on the dynasty of your ancestors!” The next line could then be taken as a relative clause, “[your sons] whom you will make princes throughout the land.”
[45:16] 134 tn Heb “in place of your fathers will be your sons.”
[45:17] 135 tn Heb “I will cause your name to be remembered in every generation and generation.” The cohortative verbal form expresses the poet’s resolve. The king’s “name” stands here for his reputation and character, which the poet praised in vv. 2-7.
[45:17] 136 sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.
[46:1] 137 sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.
[46:1] 138 sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.
[46:1] 139 tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”
[46:1] 140 tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.
[46:2] 141 tn The imperfect is taken in a generalizing sense (cf. NEB) because the situation described in vv. 2-3 is understood as symbolizing typical world conditions. In this case the imperfect draws attention to the typical nature of the response. The covenant community characteristically responds with confidence, not fear. Another option is to take the situation described as purely hypothetical. In this case one might translate, “We will not fear, even though the earth should shake” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[46:2] 142 tn The Hiphil infinitival form is normally taken to mean “when [the earth] is altered,” being derived from מוּר (mur, “to change”). In this case the Hiphil would be intransitive, as in Ps 15:4. HALOT 560 s.v. II מור emends the form to a Niphal and derives it from a homonymic root מוּר attested in Arabic with the meaning “shake.”
[46:2] 143 tn Heb “heart of the seas.” The plural may be used for emphasis, pointing to the deepest sea. Note that the next verse uses a singular pronoun (“its waters,” “its swelling”) in referring back to the plural noun.
[46:3] 144 tn Heb “its waters.”
[46:3] 146 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the characteristic nature of the activity described.
[46:3] 147 tn Heb “at its swelling.” The Hebrew word often means “pride.” If the sea is symbolic of hostile nations, then this may be a case of double entendre. The surging, swelling sea symbolizes the proud, hostile nations. On the surface the psalmist appears to be depicting a major natural catastrophe, perhaps a tidal wave. If so, then the situation would be hypothetical. However, the repetition of the verbs הָמָה (hamah, “crash; roar,” v. 3) and מוֹט (mot, “shake,” v. 2) in v. 6, where nations/kingdoms “roar” and “shake,” suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:4] 148 tn Heb “A river, its channels cause the city of God to be glad.”
[46:4] sn The city of God is Jerusalem (see Pss 48:1-2; 87:2-3). The river’s “channels” are probably irrigation ditches vital to growing crops. Some relate the imagery to the “waters of Shiloah” (see Isa 8:6), which flowed from the Gihon spring to the pool of Siloam. In Isa 8:6-8 these waters are contrasted with the flood waters symbolizing Assyria. Even if this is the reality behind the imagery, the picture of a river flowing through Jerusalem is idealized and exaggerated. The river and irrigation ditches symbolize the peace and prosperity that the Lord provides for Jerusalem, in contrast to the havoc produced by the turbulent waters (symbolic of the nations) outside the city. Some see here an adaptation of Canaanite (or, more specifically, Jebusite) mythical traditions of rivers/springs flowing from the high god El’s dwelling place. The Songs of Zion do utilize such imagery at times (see Ps 48:2). The image of a river flowing through Zion may have inspired prophetic visions of an eschatological river flowing from the temple (see Ezek 47:1-12; Joel 3:18).
[46:4] 149 tn Heb “the holy [place] of the dwelling places of.” The adjective “holy” is used here in a substantival manner and placed in construct with the following noun (see GKC 428 §132.c). Origen’s transliterated text assumes the reading קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness; holy place”), while the LXX assumes a Piel verbal form קִדֵּשׁ (qidesh, “makes holy”) and takes the following form as “his dwelling place.” The plural form מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkÿney, “dwelling places of”) is probably a plural of degree, emphasizing the special character of this dwelling place. See GKC 397 §124.b. The form stands as an appositional genitive in relation to the preceding construct noun.
[46:4] 150 tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
[46:5] 151 tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.
[46:5] 152 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.
[46:5] 153 tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.
[46:5] 154 tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).
[46:5] sn At the break of dawn. The “morning” is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Ps 30:5; Isa 17:14). There may be an allusion here to Exod 14:27 (where the Lord destroyed the Egyptians at the “break of dawn”) or, more likely, to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege, when the people discovered the dead bodies of the Assyrian army in the morning (Isa 37:36).
[46:6] 155 tn Heb “nations roar, kingdoms shake.” The Hebrew verb הָמָה (hamah, “roar, be in uproar”) is used in v. 3 of the waves crashing, while the verb מוֹט (mot, “overthrown”) is used in v. 2 of mountains tumbling into the sea (see also v. 5, where the psalm affirms that Jerusalem “cannot be moved”). The repetition of the verbs suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:6] 156 tn Heb “He.” God is the obvious referent here (see v. 5), and has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[46:6] 157 tn Heb “offers his voice.” In theophanic texts the phrase refers to God’s thunderous shout which functions as a battle cry (see Pss 18:13; 68:33).
[46:6] 158 tn Or “melts.” See Amos 9:5. The image depicts the nation’s helplessness before Jerusalem’s defender, who annihilates their armies (see vv. 8-9). The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the characteristic nature of the action described.
[46:7] 159 tn Heb “the
[46:7] 160 tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).
[46:7] 161 tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).
[46:8] 162 sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).
[46:8] 163 tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.
[46:9] 164 tn Heb “[the] one who causes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” The participle continues the description begun in v. 8b and indicates that this is the
[46:9] 165 tn The verb שָׁבַר (shavar, “break”) appears in the Piel here (see Ps 29:5). In the OT it occurs thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3). The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.
[46:9] 166 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries along the generalizing emphasis of the preceding imperfect.
[46:9] 167 tn The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.
[46:9] 168 tn Heb “wagons he burns with fire.” Some read “chariots” here (cf. NASB), but the Hebrew word refers to wagons or carts, not chariots, elsewhere in the OT. In this context, where military weapons are mentioned, it is better to revocalize the form as עֲגִלוֹת (’agilot, “round shields”), a word which occurs only here in the OT, but is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic.
[46:10] 169 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[46:10] 170 tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.
[46:10] 171 tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).
[46:11] 174 tn Heb “the
[46:11] 175 tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).
[46:11] 176 tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).
[47:1] 177 sn Psalm 47. In this hymn the covenant community praises the Lord as the exalted king of the earth who has given them victory over the nations and a land in which to live.
[47:1] 178 tn Heb “Shout to God with [the] sound of a ringing cry!”
[47:2] 179 tn Heb “the
[47:2] 180 tn Or “awesome.” The Niphal participle נוֹרָא (nora’), when used of God in the psalms, focuses on the effect that his royal splendor and powerful deeds have on those witnessing his acts (Pss 66:3, 5; 68:35; 76:7, 12; 89:7; 96:4; 99:3; 111:9). Here it refers to his capacity to fill his defeated foes with terror and his people with fearful respect.
[47:2] 181 tn Heb “a great king over all the earth.”
[47:3] 182 tn On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue”), a homonym of דָּבַר (“speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 18:47 and 2 Chr 22:10. The preterite form of the verb suggests this is an historical reference and the next verse, which mentions the gift of the land, indicates that the conquest under Joshua is in view.
[47:3] 183 tn Or “peoples” (see Pss 2:1; 7:7; 9:8; 44:2).
[47:4] 184 tn Heb “he chose for us our inheritance.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite (see “subdued” in v. 3).
[47:4] 185 tn Heb “the pride of.” The phrase is appositional to “our inheritance,” indicating that the land is here described as a source of pride to God’s people.
[47:4] 186 tn That is, Israel.
[47:4] 187 sn Jacob whom he loves. The Lord’s covenantal devotion to his people is in view.
[47:5] 188 sn God ascended his throne. In the context of vv. 3-4, which refer to the conquest of the land under Joshua, v. 5 is best understood as referring to an historical event. When the Lord conquered the land and placed his people in it, he assumed a position of kingship, as predicted by Moses (see Exod 15:17-18, as well as Ps 114:1-2). That event is here described metaphorically in terms of a typical coronation ceremony for an earthly king (see 2 Sam 15:10; 2 Kgs 9:13). Verses 1-2, 8-9 focus on God’s continuing kingship, which extends over all nations.
[47:5] 189 tn Heb “God ascended amid a shout.” The words “his throne” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The
[47:5] 190 tn Heb “the
[47:7] 191 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term also occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142. Here, in a context of celebration, the meaning “skillful, well-written” would fit particularly well.
[47:8] 192 tn When a new king was enthroned, his followers would acclaim him king using this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3ms מָלַךְ, malakh, “to reign,” followed by the name of the king). See 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13, as well as Isa 52:7. In this context the perfect verbal form is generalizing, but the declaration logically follows the historical reference in v. 5 to the
[47:9] 193 tc The words “along with” do not appear in the MT. However, the LXX has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the MT is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the LXX is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.
[47:9] 194 tn Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.
[47:9] 195 tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.
[48:1] 196 sn Psalm 48. This so-called “Song of Zion” celebrates the greatness and glory of the Lord’s dwelling place, Jerusalem. His presence in the city elevates it above all others and assures its security.
[48:1] 197 sn The city of our God is Jerusalem, which is also referred to here as “his holy hill,” that is, Zion (see v. 2, as well as Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 87:1; Dan 9:16).
[48:2] 198 tn Heb “beautiful of height.” The Hebrew term נוֹף (nof, “height”) is a genitive of specification after the qualitative noun “beautiful.” The idea seems to be that Mount Zion, because of its lofty appearance, is pleasing to the sight.
[48:2] 199 sn A source of joy to the whole earth. The language is hyperbolic. Zion, as the dwelling place of the universal king, is pictured as the world’s capital. The prophets anticipated this idealized picture becoming a reality in the eschaton (see Isa 2:1-4).
[48:2] 200 tn Heb “Mount Zion, the peaks of Zaphon.” Like all the preceding phrases in v. 2, both phrases are appositional to “city of our God, his holy hill” in v. 1, suggesting an identification in the poet’s mind between Mount Zion and Zaphon. “Zaphon” usually refers to the “north” in a general sense (see Pss 89:12; 107:3), but here, where it is collocated with “peaks,” it refers specifically to Mount Zaphon, located in the vicinity of ancient Ugarit and viewed as the mountain where the gods assembled (see Isa 14:13). By alluding to West Semitic mythology in this way, the psalm affirms that Mount Zion is the real divine mountain, for it is here that the
[48:3] 201 tn Heb “he is known for an elevated place.”
[48:4] 202 tn The logical connection between vv. 3-4 seems to be this: God is the protector of Zion and reveals himself as the city’s defender – this is necessary because hostile armies threaten the city.
[48:4] 203 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 4-6 are understood as descriptive. In dramatic style (note הִנֵּה, hinneh, “look”) the psalm describes an enemy attack against the city as if it were occurring at this very moment. Another option is to take the perfects as narrational (“the kings assembled, they advanced”), referring to a particular historical event, such as Sennacherib’s siege of the city in 701
[48:5] 204 tn The object of “see” is omitted, but v. 3b suggests that the
[48:5] 205 tn Heb “they look, so they are shocked.” Here כֵּן (ken, “so”) has the force of “in the same measure.”
[48:5] 206 tn The translation attempts to reflect the staccato style of the Hebrew text, where the main clauses of vv. 4-6 are simply juxtaposed without connectives.
[48:6] 207 tn Heb “trembling seizes them there.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” (BDB 1027 s.v.).
[48:6] 208 tn Heb “[with] writhing like one giving birth.”
[48:6] sn The language of vv. 5-6 is reminiscent of Exod 15:15.
[48:7] 209 tn The switch to the imperfect, as well as the introduction of the ship metaphor, perhaps signals a change to a generalizing tone; the
[48:7] 210 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to and from the distant western port of Tarshish. These ships, which were the best of their class, here symbolize the mere human strength of hostile armies, which are incapable of withstanding the
[48:8] 211 tn Heb “As we have heard, so we have seen.” The community had heard about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history. Having personally witnessed his saving power with their own eyes, they could now affirm that the tradition was not exaggerated or inaccurate.
[48:8] 212 tn Heb “the
[48:8] 213 tn Or “God makes it secure forever.” The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.
[48:10] 214 tn Heb “like your name, O God, so [is] your praise to the ends of the earth.” Here “name” refers to God’s reputation and revealed character.
[48:10] 215 tn Heb “your right hand is full of justice.” The “right hand” suggests activity and power.
[48:11] 216 tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
[48:11] 217 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)
[48:11] 218 sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.
[48:12] 219 tn The verb forms in vv. 12-13 are plural; the entire Judahite community is addressed.
[48:13] 220 tn Heb “set your heart to its rampart.”
[48:13] 221 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] 222 sn The city’s towers, defenses, and fortresses are outward reminders and tangible symbols of the divine protection the city enjoys.
[48:14] 223 tn Heb “for this is God, our God, forever and ever.” “This” might be paraphrased, “this protector described and praised in the preceding verses.”
[48:14] 224 tn The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.
[48:14] 225 tn In the Hebrew text the psalm ends with the words עַל־מוּת (’al-mut, “upon [unto?] dying”), which make little, if any, sense. M. Dahood (Psalms [AB], 1:293) proposes an otherwise unattested plural form עֹלָמוֹת (’olamot; from עוֹלָם, ’olam, “eternity”). This would provide a nice parallel to עוֹלָם וָעֶד (’olam va’ed, “forever”) in the preceding line, but elsewhere the plural of עוֹלָם appears as עֹלָמִים (’olamim). It is preferable to understand the phrase as a musical direction of some sort (see עַל־מוּת [’al-mut] in the superscription of Ps 9) or to emend the text to עַל־עֲלָמוֹת (’al-’alamot, “according to the alamoth style”; see the heading of Ps 46). In either case it should be understood as belonging with the superscription of the following psalm.
[49:1] 226 sn Psalm 49. In this so-called wisdom psalm (see v. 3) the psalmist states that he will not fear the rich enemies who threaten him, for despite their wealth, they are mere men who will die like everyone else. The psalmist is confident the Lord will vindicate the godly and protect them from the attacks of their oppressors.
[49:1] 227 tn The rare noun חָלֶד (kheled, “world”) occurs in Ps 17:14 and perhaps also in Isa 38:11 (see the note on “world” there).
[49:2] 228 tn Heb “even the sons of mankind, even the sons of man.” Because of the parallel line, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, some treat these expressions as polar opposites, with בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes (cf. NIV, NRSV). But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; 62:9; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand “even the sons of mankind” and “even the sons of man” as synonymous expressions (cf. NEB “all mankind, every living man”). The repetition emphasizes the need for all people to pay attention, for the psalmist’s message is relevant to everyone.
[49:3] 229 tn Heb “my mouth will speak wisdom.” According to BDB 315 s.v. חָכְמָה the plural חָכְמוֹת (khokhmot, “wisdom”) indicates degree or emphasis here.
[49:3] 230 tn Heb “and the meditation of my heart [i.e., mind] is understanding.” The Hebrew term הָגוּת (hagut, “meditation”), derived from הָגָה (hagah, “to recite quietly; to meditate”), here refers to thoughts that are verbalized (see the preceding line). The plural form תְבוּנוֹת (tÿvunot, “understanding”) indicates degree or emphasis (see GKC 397-98 §124.e).
[49:4] 231 tn Heb “I will turn my ear to a wise saying, I will open [i.e., “reveal; explain”] my insightful saying with a harp.” In the first line the psalmist speaks as a pupil who learns a song of wisdom from a sage. This suggests that the resulting insightful song derives from another source, perhaps God himself. Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה/מָשָׁל (mashal/khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), lessons from history (Ps 78:2), and proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6). Here it appears to refer to the insightful song that follows, which reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent the inevitable – death. Another option is that the word pair refers more specifically to the closely related proverbial sayings of vv. 12, 20 (note the use of the verb מָשָׁל, mashal, “to be like” in both verses). In this case the psalmist first hears the sayings and then explains (Heb “opens”) their significance (see vv. 5-11, 13-19).
[49:5] 232 tn Heb “days of trouble.” The phrase also occurs in Ps 94:13. The question is rhetorical; there is no reason to be afraid when the rich oppressors threaten the weak (see v. 17). The following verses explain why this is so.
[49:5] 233 tc The MT has, “the iniquity of my heels surrounds me.” The clause is best understood as temporal and as elaborating on the preceding phrase “times of trouble.” If the MT is retained, the genitive “of my heels” would probably indicate location (“the iniquity at my heels”); the sinful actions of the rich threaten to overtake the psalmist, as it were. It is better, however, to emend עֲקֵבַי (’aqivay, “my heels”) to either (1) עֲקֻבַּי (’aqubay, “my deceitful ones,” i.e., “those who deceive me” [from the adjective עָקֹב (’aqov), “deceitful,” see Jer 17:9]) or (2) עֹקְבַי (’oqÿvay, “those who deceive me” [a suffixed active participle from עָקַב, ’aqav, “betray, deceive”]). Origen’s transliteration of the Hebrew text favors the first of these options. Either of the emendations provides a much smoother transition to v. 6, because “those who trust in their wealth” would then be appositional to “those who deceive me.”
[49:6] 234 tn Heb “the ones who trust.” The substantival participle stands in apposition to “those who deceive me” (v. 5).
[49:6] 235 tn The imperfect verbal form emphasizes their characteristic behavior.
[49:7] 236 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
[49:7] 237 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.
[49:8] 238 tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.
[49:8] 239 tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.
[49:9] 240 tn The jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is taken as indicating purpose/result in relation to the statement made in v. 8. (On this use of the jussive after an imperfect, see GKC 322 §109.f.) In this case v. 8 is understood as a parenthetical comment.
[49:9] 241 tn Heb “see the Pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 55:24; 103:4).
[49:10] 242 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).
[49:10] 243 tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).
[49:10] 244 tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.
[49:10] 245 tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
[49:10] 246 sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.
[49:11] 247 tc Heb “their inward part [is] their houses [are] permanent, their dwelling places for a generation and a generation.” If one follows the MT, then קֶרֶב (qerev, “inward part”) must refer to the seat of these people’s thoughts (for other examples of this use of the term, see BDB 899 s.v., though BDB prefers an emendation in this passage). In this case all three lines of v. 11 expose these people’s arrogant assumption that they will last forever, which then stands in sharp contrast to reality as summarized in v. 12. In this case one might translate the first two lines, “they think that their houses are permanent and that their dwelling places will last forever” (cf. NASB). Following the lead of several ancient versions, the present translation assumes an emendation of קִרְבָּם (qirbam, “their inward part”) to קְבָרִים (qÿvarim, “graves”). This assumes that the letters bet (ב) and resh (ר) were accidentally transposed in the MT. In this case the first two lines support the point made in v. 10, while the third line of v. 11 stands in contrast to v. 12. The phrase בֵּית עוֹלָם (bet ’olam, “permanent house”) is used of a tomb in Eccl 12:5 (as well as in Phoenician tomb inscriptions, see DNWSI 1:160 for a list of texts) and מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling place”) refers to a tomb in Isa 22:16. Cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV.
[49:11] 248 sn Naming their lands after themselves is a claim of possession.
[49:12] 249 tn Heb “but mankind in honor does not remain.” The construction vav (ו) + noun at the beginning of the verse can be taken as contrastive in relation to what precedes. The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some scholars emend יָלִין (yalin, “remains”) to יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 20.
[49:12] 251 tn The verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease; destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (“be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [דָּמָה, “be silent,” and דָּמָה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense in v. 20, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.
[49:13] 252 tn Heb “this [is] their way, [there is] folly [belonging] to them.” The Hebrew term translated “this” could refer (1) back to the preceding verse[s] or (2) ahead to the subsequent statements. The translation assumes the latter, since v. 12 appears to be a refrain that concludes the psalm’s first major section and marks a structural boundary. (A similar refrain [see v. 20] concludes the second half of the psalm.) The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) often refers to one’s lifestyle, but, if it relates to what follows, then here it likely refers metonymically to one’s destiny (the natural outcome of one’s lifestyle [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “fate”]). (See the discussion in K. Koch, TDOT 3:285.) If one prefers the more common nuance (“lifestyle”), then the term would look back to the self-confident attitude described in the earlier verses.
[49:13] 253 tn Heb “and after them, in their mouth they take delight.” The meaning of the MT is not entirely clear. “After them” is understood here as substantival, “those who come after them” or “those who follow them.” “Their mouth” is taken as a metonymy for the arrogant attitude verbalized by the rich. In the expression “take delight in,” the preposition -ב (bet) introduces the object/cause of one’s delight (see Pss 147:10; 149:4). So the idea here is that those who come after/follow the rich find the philosophy of life they verbalize and promote to be attractive and desirable.
[49:14] 254 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] 255 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] 256 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] 257 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
[49:14] 258 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.
[49:15] 259 tn Or “certainly.”
[49:15] 261 tn Or “me.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[49:15] 264 tn Heb “he will take me.” To improve the poetic balance of the verse, some move the words “from the power of Sheol” to the following line. The verse would then read: “But God will rescue my life; / from the power of Sheol he will certainly deliver me” (cf. NEB).
[49:15] sn According to some, the psalmist here anticipates the resurrection (or at least an afterlife in God’s presence). But it is more likely that the psalmist here expresses his hope that God will rescue him from premature death at the hands of the rich oppressors denounced in the psalm. The psalmist is well aware that all (the wise and foolish) die (see vv. 7-12), but he is confident God will lead him safely through the present “times of trouble” (v. 5) and sweep the wicked away to their final destiny. The theme is a common one in the so-called wisdom psalms (see Pss 1, 34, 37, 112). For a fuller discussion of the psalmists’ view of the afterlife, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 284-88.
[49:16] 265 sn When a man becomes rich. Why would people fear such a development? The acquisition of wealth makes individuals powerful and enables them to oppress others (see vv. 5-6).
[49:16] 266 tn Heb “when the glory of his house grows great.”
[49:17] 267 tn Heb “his glory will not go down after him.”
[49:19] 268 tn Verses 18-19a are one long sentence in the Hebrew text, which reads: “Though he blesses his soul in his life, [saying], ‘And let them praise you, for you do well for yourself,’ it [that is, his soul] will go to the generation of his fathers.” This has been divided into two sentences in the translation for clarity, in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
[49:19] 269 tn Heb “light.” The words “of day” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[49:20] 270 tn Heb “mankind in honor does not understand.” The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some emend יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) to יָלִין (yalin, “remains”), but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 12.
[49:20] 272 tn The Hebrew verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease, destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [I דָּמַה, “be silent,” and II דָּמַה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense here, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.
[50:1] 273 sn Psalm 50. This psalm takes the form of a covenant lawsuit in which the Lord comes to confront his people in a formal manner (as in Isa 1:2-20). The Lord emphasizes that he places priority on obedience and genuine worship, not empty ritual.
[50:1] 274 sn Israel’s God is here identified with three names: El (אֵל [’el], or “God”), Elohim (אֱלֹהִים [’elohim], or “God”), and Yahweh (יְהוָה [yÿhvah] or “the
[50:1] 275 tn Heb “and calls [the] earth from the sunrise to its going.”
[50:2] 276 tn Heb “the perfection of beauty.”
[50:2] 277 tn Or “shines forth.”
[50:2] sn Comes in splendor. The psalmist may allude ironically to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.
[50:3] 278 tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”
[50:3] 279 tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”
[50:4] 280 tn Or perhaps “to testify against his people.”
[50:4] sn The personified heavens and earth (see v. 1 as well) are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people (see Isa 1:2). Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).
[50:5] 281 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s summons to the defendant follows.
[50:5] 282 tn Or “Gather to me my covenant people.” The Hebrew term חָסִיד (khasid, “covenant people”) elsewhere in the psalms is used in a positive sense of God’s loyal followers (see the note at Ps 4:3), but here, as the following line makes clear, the term has a neutral sense and simply refers to those who have outwardly sworn allegiance to God, not necessarily to those whose loyalty is genuine.
[50:5] 283 tn Heb “the cutters of my covenant according to sacrifice.” A sacrifice accompanied the covenant-making ceremony and formally ratified the agreement (see Exod 24:3-8).
[50:6] 285 tn Or “for God, he is about to judge.” The participle may be taken as substantival (as in the translation above) or as a predicate (indicating imminent future action in this context).
[50:7] 286 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.
[50:7] 287 tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[50:8] 289 tn Heb “and your burnt sacrifices before me continually.”
[50:9] 290 tn Or “I will not take.”
[50:10] 291 tn Heb “[the] animals on a thousand hills.” The words “that graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The term בְּהֵמוֹה (bÿhemot, “animal”) refers here to cattle (see Ps 104:14).
[50:11] 293 tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word, which occurs only here and in Ps 80:13, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.
[50:13] 294 tn The rhetorical questions assume an emphatic negative response, “Of course not!”
[50:14] 295 tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
[50:15] 296 tn Heb “call [to] me in a day of trouble.”
[50:15] 297 sn In vv. 7-15 the Lord makes it clear that he was not rebuking Israel because they had failed to offer sacrifices (v. 8a). On the contrary, they had been faithful in doing so (v. 8b). However, their understanding of the essence of their relationship with God was confused. Apparently they believed that he needed/desired such sacrifices and that offering them would ensure their prosperity. But the Lord owns all the animals of the world and did not need Israel’s meager sacrifices (vv. 9-13). Other aspects of the relationship were more important to the Lord. He desired Israel to be thankful for his blessings (v. 14a), to demonstrate gratitude for his intervention by repaying the vows they made to him (v. 14b), and to acknowledge their absolute dependence on him (v. 15a). Rather than viewing their sacrifices as somehow essential to God’s well-being, they needed to understand their dependence on him.
[50:16] 298 tn Heb “evil [one].” The singular adjective is used here in a representative sense; it refers to those within the larger covenant community who have blatantly violated the
[50:16] 299 tn Heb “What to you to declare my commands and lift up my covenant upon your mouth?” The rhetorical question expresses sarcastic amazement. The
[50:17] 300 tn Heb “and throw my words behind you.”
[50:18] 301 tn Heb “you run with him.”
[50:18] 302 tn Heb “and with adulterers [is] your portion.”
[50:19] 303 tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”
[50:19] 304 tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”
[50:20] 305 tn Heb “you sit, against your brother you speak.” To “sit” and “speak” against someone implies plotting against that person (see Ps 119:23).
[50:20] 306 tn Heb “against the son of your mother you give a fault.”
[50:21] 307 tn Heb “these things you did and I was silent.” Some interpret the second clause (“and I was silent”) as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, “[When you do these things], should I keep silent?” (cf. NEB). See GKC 335 §112.cc.
[50:21] sn The Lord was silent in the sense that he delayed punishment. Of course, God’s patience toward sinners eventually runs out. The divine “silence” is only temporary (see v. 3, where the psalmist, having described God’s arrival, observes that “he is not silent”).
[50:21] 308 tn The Hebrew infinitive construct (הֱיוֹת, heyot) appears to function like the infinitive absolute here, adding emphasis to the following finite verbal form (אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh). See GKC 339-40 §113.a. Some prefer to emend הֱיוֹת (heyot) to the infinitive absolute form הָיוֹ (hayo).
[50:21] 309 tn Or “rebuke” (see v. 8).
[50:21] 310 tn Heb “and I will set in order [my case against you] to your eyes.” The cohortative form expresses the
[50:22] 311 tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.
[50:22] 312 sn Elsewhere in the psalms this verb is used (within a metaphorical framework) of a lion tearing its prey (see Pss 7:2; 17:12; 22:13).
[50:23] 313 sn The reference to a thank-offering recalls the earlier statement made in v. 14. Gratitude characterizes genuine worship.
[50:23] 314 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).
[51:1] 315 sn Psalm 51. The psalmist confesses his sinfulness to God and begs for forgiveness and a transformation of his inner character. According to the psalm superscription, David offered this prayer when Nathan confronted him with his sin following the king’s affair with Bathsheba (see 2 Sam 11-12). However, the final two verses of the psalm hardly fit this situation, for they assume the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed and that the sacrificial system has been temporarily suspended. These verses are probably an addition to the psalm made during the period of exile following the fall of Jerusalem in 586
[51:1] 316 tn Heb “a psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him when he had gone to Bathsheba.”
[51:1] 317 tn Or “according to.”
[51:1] 318 tn Or “according to.”
[51:1] 319 tn Traditionally “blot out my transgressions.” Because of the reference to washing and cleansing in the following verse, it is likely that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to wiping an object clean (note the use of the verb מָחָה (makhah) in the sense of “wipe clean; dry” in 2 Kgs 21:13; Prov 30:20; Isa 25:8). Another option is that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to erasing or blotting out names from a register (see Exod 32:32-33). In this case one might translate, “erase all record of my rebellious acts.”
[51:2] 320 tn Heb “Thoroughly wash me from my wrongdoing.”
[51:2] 321 sn In vv. 1b-2 the psalmist uses three different words to emphasize the multifaceted character and degree of his sin. Whatever one wants to call it (“rebellious acts,” “wrongdoing,” “sin”), he has done it and stands morally polluted in God’s sight. The same three words appear in Exod 34:7, which emphasizes that God is willing to forgive sin in all of its many dimensions. In v. 2 the psalmist compares forgiveness and restoration to physical cleansing. Perhaps he likens spiritual cleansing to the purification rites of priestly law.
[51:3] 323 tn Heb “and my sin [is] in front of me continually.”
[51:4] 324 tn Heb “only you,” as if the psalmist had sinned exclusively against God and no other. Since the Hebrew verb חָטָא (hata’, “to sin”) is used elsewhere of sinful acts against people (see BDB 306 s.v. 2.a) and David (the presumed author) certainly sinned when he murdered Uriah (2 Sam 12:9), it is likely that the psalmist is overstating the case to suggest that the attack on Uriah was ultimately an attack on God himself. To clarify the point of the hyperbole, the translation uses “especially,” rather than the potentially confusing “only.”
[51:4] 325 tn The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) normally indicates purpose (“in order that”), but here it introduces a logical consequence of the preceding statement. (Taking the clause as indicating purpose here would yield a theologically preposterous idea – the psalmist purposely sinned so that God’s justice might be vindicated!) For other examples of לְמַעַן indicating result, see 2 Kgs 22:17; Jer 27:15; Amos 2:7, as well as IBHS 638-40 §38.3.
[51:4] 326 tn Heb “when you speak.” In this context the psalmist refers to God’s word of condemnation against his sin delivered through Nathan (cf. 2 Sam 12:7-12).
[51:4] 327 tn Heb “when you judge.”
[51:5] 328 tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.
[51:6] 329 sn The juxtaposition of two occurrences of “look” in vv. 5-6 draws attention to the sharp contrast between the sinful reality of the psalmist’s condition and the lofty ideal God has for him.
[51:6] 330 tn The perfect is used in a generalizing sense here.
[51:6] 331 tn Heb “in the covered [places],” i.e., in the inner man.
[51:6] 332 tn Heb “in the secret [place] wisdom you cause me to know.” The Hiphil verbal form is causative, while the imperfect is used in a modal sense to indicate God’s desire (note the parallel verb “desire”).
[51:6] sn You want me to possess wisdom. Here “wisdom” does not mean “intelligence” or “learning,” but refers to moral insight and skill.
[51:7] 333 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:7] 334 tn Heb “cleanse me with hyssop.” “Hyssop” was a small plant (see 1 Kgs 4:33) used to apply water (or blood) in purification rites (see Exod 12:22; Lev 14:4-6, 49-52; Num 19:6-18. The psalmist uses the language and imagery of such rites to describe spiritual cleansing through forgiveness.
[51:7] 335 tn After the preceding imperfect, the imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates result.
[51:7] 336 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:7] 337 sn I will be whiter than snow. Whiteness here symbolizes the moral purity resulting from forgiveness (see Isa 1:18).
[51:8] 338 tn Heb “cause me to hear happiness and joy.” The language is metonymic: the effect of forgiveness (joy) has been substituted for its cause. The psalmist probably alludes here to an assuring word from God announcing that his sins are forgiven (a so-called oracle of forgiveness). The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. The synonyms “happiness” and “joy” are joined together as a hendiadys to emphasize the degree of joy he anticipates.
[51:8] 339 sn May the bones you crushed rejoice. The psalmist compares his sinful condition to that of a person who has been physically battered and crushed. Within this metaphorical framework, his “bones” are the seat of his emotional strength.
[51:8] 340 tn In this context of petitionary prayer, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, expressing the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:9] 341 sn In this context Hide your face from my sins means “Do not hold me accountable for my sins.”
[51:9] 342 tn See the note on the similar expression “wipe away my rebellious acts” in v. 1.
[51:10] 343 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.
[51:10] 344 tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”
[51:11] 345 tn Heb “do not cast me away from before you.”
[51:11] 346 sn Your Holy Spirit. The personal Spirit of God is mentioned frequently in the OT, but only here and in Isa 63:10-11 is he called “your/his Holy Spirit.”
[51:11] 347 sn Do not take…away. The psalmist expresses his fear that, due to his sin, God will take away the Holy Spirit from him. NT believers enjoy the permanent gift of the Holy Spirit and need not make such a request nor fear such a consequence. However, in the OT God’s Spirit empowered certain individuals for special tasks and only temporarily resided in them. For example, when God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him, the divine Spirit left Saul and came upon David (1 Sam 16:13-14).
[51:12] 348 tn Heb “and [with] a willing spirit sustain me.” The psalmist asks that God make him the kind of person who willingly obeys the divine commandments. The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:13] 349 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.
[51:13] 350 tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).
[51:13] 351 tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.
[51:14] 352 tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.
[51:14] 353 tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).
[51:15] 354 tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:15] 355 tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”
[51:16] 356 tn Or “For.” The translation assumes the particle is asseverative (i.e., emphasizing: “certainly”). (Some translations that consider the particle asseverative leave it untranslated.) If taken as causal or explanatory (“for”, cf. NRSV), the verse would explain why the psalmist is pleading for forgiveness, rather than merely offering a sacrifice.
[51:16] 357 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative is used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “You do not want a sacrifice, should I offer [it]” (cf. NEB). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortative is part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.)
[51:16] 358 sn You do not desire a burnt sacrifice. The terminology used in v. 16 does not refer to expiatory sacrifices, but to dedication and communion offerings. This is not a categorical denial of the sacrificial system in general or of the importance of such offerings. The psalmist is talking about his specific situation. Dedication and communion offerings have their proper place in worship (see v. 19), but God requires something more fundamental, a repentant and humble attitude (see v. 17), before these offerings can have real meaning.
[51:17] 359 tn Heb “a broken spirit.”
[51:17] 360 tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”
[51:18] 362 tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”
[51:18] 363 tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:18] 364 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[51:19] 365 tn Or “desire, take delight in.”
[51:19] 366 tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.
[51:19] 367 sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.
[52:1] 368 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
[52:1] 369 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
[52:1] 370 tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”
[52:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
[52:1] 371 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
[52:1] 372 tn Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.
[52:2] 373 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
[52:2] 374 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
[52:3] 375 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
[52:4] 376 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע proposes a homonym here, meaning “confusion.” This would fit the immediate context nicely and provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to deceptive words.
[52:5] 377 tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.
[52:5] 378 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
[52:5] 379 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
[52:5] 380 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
[52:6] 381 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
[52:7] 382 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”
[52:7] 383 tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).
[52:8] 384 tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.
[52:8] 385 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
[52:8] 386 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
[52:9] 387 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
[52:9] 389 tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.
[52:9] 391 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
[52:9] 392 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
[53:1] 393 sn Psalm 53. This psalm is very similar to Ps 14. The major difference comes in v. 5, which corresponds to, but differs quite a bit from, Ps 14:5-6, and in the use of the divine name. Ps 14 uses “the
[53:1] 394 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מָחֲלַת (makhalat, “machalath”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term also appears in the heading of Ps 88.
[53:1] 395 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
[53:1] 396 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
[53:1] 397 sn There is no God. This statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
[53:1] 398 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they do evil [with] injustice.” Ps 14:1 has עֲלִילָה (’alilah, “a deed”) instead of עָוֶל (’aval, “injustice”). The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
[53:1] 399 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[53:2] 400 sn The picture of the
[53:2] 401 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
[53:2] 402 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
[53:2] 403 tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
[53:3] 404 tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
[53:3] 405 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[53:3] 406 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[53:4] 407 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”
[53:4] 408 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).
[53:5] 409 tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror (“absolutely”).
[53:5] 410 tn Heb “there is no fear.” Apparently this means the evildoers are so traumatized with panic (see v. 5b) that they now jump with fear at everything, even those things that would not normally cause fear. Ps 14:5 omits this line.
[53:5] 411 tn Heb “scatters the bones.” The perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. Scattering the bones alludes to the aftermath of a battle. God annihilates his enemies, leaving their carcasses spread all over the battlefield. As the bodies are devoured by wild animals and decay, the bones of God’s dead enemies are exposed. See Ps 141:7.
[53:5] 412 tn Heb “[those who] encamp [against] you.” The second person masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to God’s people viewed as a collective whole. Instead of “for God scatters the bones of those who encamp against you,” Ps 14:5 reads, “for God is with a godly generation.”
[53:5] 413 tn Once again the perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. As in the previous line, God’s people are probably addressed. The second person singular verb form is apparently collective, suggesting that the people are viewed here as a unified whole. Ps 14:6 reads here “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame, even though God is his shelter,” the words being addressed to the wicked.
[53:6] 414 tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
[53:6] 415 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
[53:6] 416 tn The verb form is jussive.
[53:6] 417 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
[54:1] 418 sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.
[54:1] 419 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
[54:1] 420 tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”
[54:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion the Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding in their territory (see 1 Sam 23:19-20).
[54:1] 421 tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).
[54:1] 422 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[54:2] 423 tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
[54:3] 424 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[54:3] 425 tn Heb “rise against me.”
[54:3] 426 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
[54:4] 428 tn Or “sustain my life.”
[54:5] 429 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
[54:5] 430 tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.
[54:5] 431 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
[54:6] 432 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise.
[54:7] 433 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the
[54:7] 434 tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.
[54:7] 435 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
[55:1] 436 sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.
[55:1] 437 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
[55:1] 438 tn Heb “hide yourself from.”
[55:2] 439 tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.
[55:2] 440 tn Heb “in my complaint.”
[55:2] 441 tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (vÿ’ehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (vÿ’ehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).
[55:3] 442 tn Heb “because of [the] voice of [the] enemy.”
[55:3] 443 tn The singular forms “enemy” and “wicked” are collective or representative, as the plural verb forms in the second half of the verse indicate.
[55:3] 444 tn Heb “from before the pressure of the wicked.” Some suggest the meaning “screech” (note the parallel “voice”; cf. NEB “shrill clamour”; NRSV “clamor”) for the rare noun עָקָה (’aqah, “pressure”).
[55:3] 445 tn Heb “wickedness,” but here the term refers to the destructive effects of their wicked acts.
[55:3] 446 tc The verb form in the MT appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוֹט (mot, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in the Kethib (consonantal text) of Ps 140:10, where the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read. Here in Ps 55:3 it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). It is odd for “rain down” to be used with an abstract object like “wickedness,” but in Job 20:23 God “rains down” anger (unless one emends the text there; see BHS).
[55:4] 447 tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”
[55:4] 448 tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”
[55:5] 449 tn Heb “fear and trembling enter into me.”
[55:5] 450 tn Heb “covers.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the preceding imperfect.
[55:6] 451 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.
[55:8] 452 tn Heb “[the] wind [that] sweeps away.” The verb סָעָה (sa’ah, “sweep away”) occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 120).
[55:9] 453 tn Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallow” in the sense of “devour” or “destroy” (cf. KJV), but this may be a homonym meaning “confuse” (see BDB 118 s.v. בַּלַּע; HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע). “Their tongue” is the understood object of the verb (see the next line).
[55:9] 454 tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”
[55:10] 455 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] 456 sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.
[55:11] 457 tn Or “injury, harm.”
[55:12] 459 tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.
[55:13] 460 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
[55:13] 461 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
[55:13] 462 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
[55:14] 463 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
[55:15] 464 tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ’alemo, “May devastation [be] upon them!”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth-Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ’alemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashi’), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nasha’, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (yeshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled and corrupt text. The preposition עַל (’al) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ’alemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.
[55:15] 465 sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.
[55:17] 466 tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.
[55:17] 467 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.
[55:17] 468 tn Heb “my voice.”
[55:18] 469 tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).
[55:18] 470 tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”
[55:18] 472 tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (’immad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.
[55:19] 473 tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay’annem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (’anah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).
[55:19] 474 tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”
[55:20] 475 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
[55:20] 476 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
[55:20] 477 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
[55:20] 478 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
[55:21] 479 tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.
[55:21] 480 tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”
[55:21] 481 tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”
[55:22] 482 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
[55:22] 483 tn The pronoun is singular; the psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually.
[55:22] 484 tn Heb “he will never allow swaying for the righteous.”
[55:23] 485 tn The pronominal suffix refers to the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 19).
[55:23] 486 tn Heb “well of the pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 103:4).
[55:23] 487 tn Heb “men of bloodshed and deceit.”
[55:23] 488 tn Heb “will not divide in half their days.”
[56:1] 489 sn Psalm 56. Despite the threats of his enemies, the psalmist is confident the Lord will keep his promise to protect and deliver him.
[56:1] 490 tn The literal meaning of this phrase is “silent dove, distant ones.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a type of musical instrument.
[56:1] 491 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 57-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[56:1] 492 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm when the Philistines seized him and took him to King Achish of Gath (see 1 Sam 21:11-15).
[56:1] 493 tn According to BDB 983 s.v. II שָׁאַף, the verb is derived from שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to trample, crush”) rather than the homonymic verb “pant after.”
[56:1] 494 tn Heb “a fighter.” The singular is collective for his enemies (see vv. 5-6). The Qal of לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) also occurs in Ps 35:1.
[56:1] 495 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the continuing nature of the enemies’ attacks.
[56:2] 496 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
[56:2] 498 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The
[56:3] 499 tn Heb “[in] a day.”
[56:4] 500 tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:4] 501 tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.
[56:4] 502 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:5] 503 tn Heb “my affairs they disturb.” For other instances of דָּבָר (davar) meaning “affairs, business,” see BDB 183 s.v.. The Piel of עָצַב (’atsav, “to hurt”) occurs only here and in Isa 63:10, where it is used of “grieving” (or “offending”) the Lord’s holy Spirit. Here in Ps 56:5, the verb seems to carry the nuance “disturb, upset,” in the sense of “cause trouble.”
[56:5] 504 tn Heb “against me [are] all their thoughts for harm.”
[56:6] 505 tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.
[56:6] 508 tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”
[56:6] 509 tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”
[56:7] 510 tc Heb “because of wickedness, deliverance to them.” As it stands, the MT makes no sense. The negative particle אַיִן (’ayin, “there is not,” which is due to dittography of the immediately preceding אָוֶן, ’aven, “wickedness”), should probably be added before “deliverance” (see BHS, note a). The presence of an imperative in the next line (note “bring down”) suggests that this line should be translated as a prayer as well, “may there not be deliverance to them.”
[56:7] 511 tn Heb “in anger.” The pronoun “your” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:7] 512 tn Or perhaps “people” in a general sense.
[56:8] 513 tn Heb “my wandering you count, you.” The Hebrew term נֹד (nod, “wandering,” derived from the verbal root נוֹד, nod, “to wander”; cf. NASB) here refers to the psalmist’s “changeable circumstances of life” and may be translated “misery.” The verb סָפַר (safar, “count”) probably carries the nuance “assess” here. Cf. NIV “my lament”; NRSV “my tossings.”
[56:8] 514 tn Traditionally “your bottle.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20). If such a container is metaphorically in view here, then the psalmist seems to be asking God to store up his tears as a reminder of his suffering.
[56:8] 515 tn The word “recorded” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The rhetorical question assumes a positive response (see the first line of the verse).
[56:9] 516 tn Heb “then my enemies will turn back in the day I cry out.” The Hebrew particle אָז (’az, “then”) is probably used here to draw attention to the following statement.
[56:9] 517 tn Heb “this I know, that God is for me.”
[56:10] 518 tn Heb “in God I praise a word.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult. The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except that the third person pronominal suffix is omitted here, where the text has simply “a word” instead of “his word.” (1) One could translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” refers to a song of praise. (2) If one assumes that God’s word is in view, as in v. 4, then one option is to translate, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” In this case the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and “[his] word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. (3) The present translation reflects another option: In this case “I praise [his] word” is a parenthetical statement, with “[his] word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in v. 11, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:10] 519 tn The phrase “in the
[56:11] 520 tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”
[56:11] 521 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:12] 522 tn Heb “upon me, O God, [are] your vows.”
[56:12] 523 tn Heb “I will repay thank-offerings to you.”
[56:13] 524 tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the
[56:13] 525 tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.
[56:13] 526 tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.
[56:13] 527 tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.
[57:1] 528 sn Psalm 57. The psalmist asks for God’s protection and expresses his confidence that his ferocious enemies will be destroyed by their own schemes.
[57:1] 529 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 58-59, 75.
[57:1] 530 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56, 58-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[57:1] 531 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when he fled from Saul and hid in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3.
[57:1] 532 tn Heb “my life has taken shelter.” The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[57:1] 533 sn In the shadow of your wings. The metaphor likens God to a protective mother bird (see also Pss 17:8; 36:7).
[57:2] 534 tn Heb “to God Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[57:2] 535 tn Or “avenges in favor of.”
[57:3] 536 tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).
[57:3] 537 tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”
[57:4] 538 tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).
[57:4] 539 tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).
[57:4] 540 tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”
[57:5] 541 tn Or “be exalted.”
[57:5] 542 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[57:6] 543 tn Heb “for my feet.”
[57:6] 544 tn Heb “my life bends low.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[57:6] 545 tn Heb “before me.”
[57:6] 546 tn The perfect form is used rhetorically here to express the psalmist’s certitude. The demise of the enemies is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished.
[57:7] 547 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[57:8] 548 tn Heb “glory,” but that makes little sense in the context. Some view כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
[57:8] 549 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[57:9] 550 tn Or “the peoples.”
[57:10] 551 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[57:11] 552 tn Or “be exalted.”
[57:11] 553 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[58:1] 554 sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.
[58:1] 555 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.
[58:1] 556 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[58:1] 557 tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.
[58:1] 558 tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)
[58:2] 559 tn The particle אַף (’af, “no”) is used here as a strong adversative emphasizing the following statement, which contrasts reality with the rulers’ claim alluded to in the rhetorical questions (see Ps 44:9).
[58:2] 560 tn Heb “in the heart unjust deeds you do.” The phrase “in the heart” (i.e., “mind”) seems to refer to their plans and motives. The Hebrew noun עַוְלָה (’avlah, “injustice”) is collocated with פָּעַל (pa’al, “do”) here and in Job 36:23 and Ps 119:3. Some emend the plural form עוֹלֹת (’olot, “unjust deeds”; see Ps 64:6) to the singular עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”; see Job 34:32), taking the final tav (ת) as dittographic (note that the following verbal form begins with tav). Some then understand עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”) as a genitive modifying “heart” and translate, “with a heart of injustice you act.”
[58:2] 561 tn Heb “in the earth the violence of your hands you weigh out.” The imagery is from the economic realm. The addressees measure out violence, rather than justice, and distribute it like a commodity. This may be ironic, since justice was sometimes viewed as a measuring scale (see Job 31:6).
[58:3] 562 tn Heb “from the womb.”
[58:3] 563 tn Heb “speakers of a lie go astray from the womb.”
[58:4] 564 tn Heb “[there is] venom to them according to the likeness of venom of a snake.”
[58:4] 565 tn Or perhaps “cobra” (cf. NASB, NIV). Other suggested species of snakes are “asp” (NEB) and “adder” (NRSV).
[58:4] 566 tn Heb “[that] stops up its ear.” The apparent Hiphil jussive verbal form should be understood as a Qal imperfect with “i” theme vowel (see GKC 168 §63.n).
[58:5] 567 tn Heb “does not listen to the voice of.”
[58:7] 568 tn Following the imperatival forms in v. 6, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive expressing the psalmist’s wish. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect (indicative) and translate, “they will scatter” (see v. 9). The verb מָאַס (ma’as; which is a homonym of the more common מָאַס, “to refuse, reject”) appears only here and in Job 7:5, where it is used of a festering wound from which fluid runs or flows.
[58:7] 569 tn Heb “like water, they go about for themselves.” The translation assumes that the phrase “they go about for themselves” is an implied relative clause modifying “water.” Another option is to take the clause as independent and parallel to what precedes. In this case the enemies would be the subject and the verb could be taken as jussive, “let them wander about.”
[58:7] 570 tc The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The text reads literally, “he treads his arrows (following the Qere; Kethib has “his arrow”), like they are cut off/dry up.” It is not clear if the verbal root is מָלַל (malal, “circumcise”; BDB 576 s.v. IV מָלַל) or the homonymic מָלַל (“wither”; HALOT 593-94 s.v. I מלל). Since the verb מָלַל (“to wither”) is used of vegetation, it is possible that the noun חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass,” which is visually similar to חִצָּיו, khitsayv, “his arrows”) originally appeared in the text. The translation above assumes that the text originally was כְּמוֹ חָצִיר יִתְמֹלָלוּ(kÿmo khatsir yitmolalu, “like grass let them wither”). If original, it could have been accidentally corrupted to חִצָּיר כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ (“his arrow(s) like they dry up”) with דָּרַךְ (darakh, “to tread”) being added later in an effort to make sense of “his arrow(s).”
[58:8] 571 tn There is no “to be” verb in the Hebrew text at this point, but a jussive tone can be assumed based on vv. 6-7.
[58:8] 572 tn Heb “like a melting snail [that] moves along.” A. Cohen (Psalms [SoBB], 184) explains that the text here alludes “to the popular belief that the slimy trail which the snail leaves in its track is the dissolution of its substance.”
[58:8] 573 tn The words “let them be like” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The jussive mood is implied from the preceding context, and “like” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[58:8] 574 tn This rare word also appears in Job 3:16 and Eccles 6:3.
[58:9] 575 tn Heb “before your pots perceive thorns.”
[58:9] 576 tn Apparently God (v. 6) is the subject of the verb here.
[58:9] 577 tn Heb “like living, like burning anger he will sweep it away.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The translation assumes that within the cooking metaphor (see the previous line) חַי (khay, “living”) refers here to raw meat (as in 1 Sam 2:15, where it modifies בָּשָׂר, basar, “flesh”) and that חָרוּן (kharun; which always refers to God’s “burning anger” elsewhere) here refers to food that is cooked. The pronominal suffix on the verb “sweep away” apparently refers back to the “thorns” of the preceding line. The image depicts swift and sudden judgment. Before the fire has been adequately kindled and all the meat cooked, the winds of judgment will sweep away everything in their path.
[58:10] 578 tn The singular is representative here, as is the singular from “wicked” in the next line.
[58:11] 579 tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.
[58:11] 580 tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.
[58:11] 581 tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”
[58:11] 582 tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.
[59:1] 583 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
[59:1] 584 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.
[59:1] 585 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[59:1] 586 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
[59:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.
[59:1] 587 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
[59:1] 588 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
[59:2] 589 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
[59:2] 590 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
[59:3] 592 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.
[59:3] 593 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
[59:4] 594 tn Heb “without sin.”
[59:4] 595 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
[59:4] 596 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
[59:5] 597 tn Heb “
[59:5] 598 tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).
[59:6] 599 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:6] 600 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:7] 601 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
[59:7] 602 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
[59:8] 603 sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.
[59:8] 604 tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).
[59:9] 605 tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (’eshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (’ezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.
[59:9] 606 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:10] 607 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
[59:10] 608 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
[59:10] 609 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
[59:11] 610 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”
[59:11] sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.
[59:11] 611 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”
[59:12] 612 tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”
[59:14] 613 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:14] 614 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:15] 615 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
[59:16] 616 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:16] 617 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”
[59:17] 618 tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”
[59:17] 619 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:17] 620 tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”
[60:1] 621 sn Psalm 60. The psalmist grieves over Israel’s humiliation, but in response to God’s assuring word, he asks for divine help in battle and expresses his confidence in victory.
[60:1] 622 tn The Hebrew expression means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title.
[60:1] 623 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-59, is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[60:1] 625 tn In Josh 8:21 and Judg 20:48 the two verbs “turn back” and “strike down” are also juxtaposed. There they refer to a military counter-attack.
[60:1] 626 tn Heb “12,000 of Edom.” Perhaps one should read אֲרַם (’aram, “Aram”) here rather than אֱדוֹם (’edom, “Edom”).
[60:1] 627 sn The heading apparently refers to the military campaign recorded in 2 Sam 10 and 1 Chr 19.
[60:1] 628 sn You have rejected us. See Pss 43:2; 44:9, 23.
[60:1] 629 tn Heb “you broke out upon us, you were angry.”
[60:1] 630 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
[60:2] 631 tn The verb פָּצַם (patsam, “split open”) occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “crack,” and an Aramaic cognate is used in Tg. Jer 22:14 with the meaning “break open, frame.” See BDB 822 s.v. and Jastrow 1205 s.v. פְּצַם.
[60:2] sn You made the earth quake; you split it open. The psalmist uses the imagery of an earthquake to describe the nation’s defeat.
[60:2] 632 sn It is ready to fall. The earth is compared to a wall that has been broken by the force of the earthquake (note the preceding line) and is ready to collapse.
[60:3] 633 tn Heb “you have caused your people to see [what is] hard.”
[60:3] 634 tn Heb “wine of staggering,” that is, intoxicating wine that makes one stagger in drunkenness. Intoxicating wine is here an image of divine judgment that makes its victims stagger like drunkards. See Isa 51:17-23.
[60:4] 635 tn Heb “those who fear you.”
[60:4] 636 tn There is a ray of hope in that God has allowed his loyal followers to rally under a battle flag. The translation assumes the verb is from the root נוּס (nus, “flee”) used here in the Hitpolel in the sense of “find safety for oneself” (HALOT 681 s.v. נוס) or “take flight for oneself” (BDB 630-31 s.v. נוּס). Another option is to take the verb as a denominative from נֵס (nes, “flag”) and translate “that it may be displayed” (BDB 651 s.v. II נסס) or “that they may assemble under the banner” (HALOT 704 s.v. II נסס). Here קֹשֶׁט (qoshet) is taken as an Aramaized form of קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”; BDB 905-6 s.v. קֶשֶׁת), though some understand the homonymic קֹשְׁטְ (qosht, “truth”) here (see Prov 22:21; cf. NASB). If one follows the latter interpretation, the line may be translated, “so that they might assemble under the banner for the sake of truth.”
[60:5] 637 tn Heb “right hand.”
[60:5] 638 tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”
[60:5] 639 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text, “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[60:6] 640 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[60:6] 641 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan, the Valley of Succoth for the region east of the Jordan.
[60:7] 642 sn Gilead was located east of the Jordan. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[60:7] 643 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[60:7] sn Ephraim, named after one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
[60:7] 644 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[60:8] 645 sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[60:8] 646 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[60:8] 647 tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.
[60:9] 648 sn In v. 9 the psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 8, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation (v. 10, see also v. 1).
[60:11] 649 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[60:12] 650 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 108:13; 118:15-16).
[60:12] 651 sn Trample down. On this expression see Ps 44:5.
[61:1] 652 sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.
[61:2] 653 tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).
[61:2] 654 tn Heb “while my heart faints.”
[61:2] 655 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
[61:2] 656 tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”
[61:3] 659 tn Heb “a strong tower from the face of an enemy.”
[61:4] 660 tn Heb “I will live as a resident alien in your tent permanently.” The cohortative is understood here as indicating resolve. Another option is to take it as expressing a request, “please let me live” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[61:4] 661 sn I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[61:5] 662 tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).
[61:6] 663 tn Heb “days upon days of the king add, his years like generation and generation.”
[61:6] sn It is not certain if the (royal) psalmist is referring to himself in the third person in this verse, or if an exile is praying on behalf of the king.
[61:7] 664 tn Heb “sit [enthroned].” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive here, expressing the psalmist’s prayer.
[61:7] 665 tn Heb “loyal love and faithfulness appoint, let them protect him.”
[61:8] 667 tn Or perhaps, “and thereby fulfill.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.
[62:1] 668 sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.
[62:1] 669 tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”
[62:1] 670 tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”
[62:2] 671 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[62:2] 672 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[62:2] 673 tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”
[62:3] 674 tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”
[62:3] 675 tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.
[62:3] 676 tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).
[62:4] 677 tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.
[62:4] 678 tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.
[62:4] 679 tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”
[62:4] 680 tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”
[62:4] 681 sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.
[62:5] 682 tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.
[62:5] 683 tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”
[62:6] 684 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[62:6] 685 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[62:6] 686 sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.
[62:7] 687 tn Heb “upon God [is] my deliverance and my glory, the high rocky summit of my strength, my shelter [is] in God.”
[62:8] 688 tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).
[62:9] 689 tn Heb “only a breath [are] the sons of mankind, a lie [are] the sons of man.” The phrases “sons of mankind” and “sons of man” also appear together in Ps 49:2. Because of the parallel line there, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, a number of interpreters and translators treat these expressions as polar opposites, בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes. But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand the phrases as synonymous expressions.
[62:9] 690 tn The noun הֶבֶל (hevel), translated “a breath” earlier in the verse, appears again here.
[62:10] 691 tn Heb “do not trust in oppression.” Here “oppression” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by oppressive measures, as the final line of the verse indicates.
[62:10] 692 tn Heb “and in robbery do not place vain hope.” Here “robbery” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by theft, as the next line of the verse indicates.
[62:10] 693 tn Heb “[as for] wealth, when it bears fruit, do not set [your] heart [on it].”
[62:11] 694 tn Heb “one God spoke, two which I heard.” This is a numerical saying utilizing the “x” followed by “x + 1” pattern to facilitate poetic parallelism. (See W. M. W. Roth, Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament [VTSup], 55-56.) As is typical in such sayings, a list corresponding to the second number (in this case “two”) follows. Another option is to translate, “God has spoken once, twice [he has spoken] that which I have heard.” The terms אַחַת (’akhat, “one; once”) and שְׁתַּיִם (shÿtayim, “two; twice”) are also juxtaposed in 2 Kgs 6:10 (where they refer to an action that was done more than “once or twice”) and in Job 33:14 (where they refer to God speaking “one way” and then in “another manner”).
[62:11] 695 tn Heb “that strength [belongs] to God.”
[62:12] 696 tn Heb “and to you, O Master, [is] loyal love.”
[62:12] 697 tn Heb “for you pay back to a man according to his deed.” Another option is to understand vv. 11b and 12a as the first principle and v. 12b as the second. In this case one might translate, “God has declared one principle, two principles I have heard, namely, that God is strong, and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love, and that you repay men for what they do.”
[62:12] sn You repay men for what they do. The psalmist views God’s justice as a demonstration of both his power (see v. 11c) and his loyal love (see v. 12a). When God judges evildoers, he demonstrates loyal love to his people.
[63:1] 698 sn Psalm 63. The psalmist expresses his intense desire to be in God’s presence and confidently affirms that God will judge his enemies.
[63:1] 699 sn According to the psalm superscription David wrote the psalm while in the “wilderness of Judah.” Perhaps this refers to the period described in 1 Sam 23-24 or to the incident mentioned in 2 Sam 15:23.
[63:1] 700 tn Or “I will seek you.”
[63:1] 702 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” This may picture the land as “faint” or “weary,” or it may allude to the effect this dry desert has on those who are forced to live in it.
[63:2] 703 tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).
[63:2] 704 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] 705 tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.
[63:3] 706 tn This line is understood as giving the basis for the praise promised in the following line. Another option is to take the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) as asseverative/emphasizing, “Indeed, your loyal love is better” (cf. NEB, which leaves the particle untranslated).
[63:3] 707 tn The word “experiencing” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist does not speak here of divine loyal love in some abstract sense, but of loyal love revealed and experienced.
[63:4] 708 tn Or perhaps “then.”
[63:4] 709 sn I will lift up my hands. Lifting up one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19) or respect (Ps 119:48).
[63:5] 710 tn Heb “like fat and fatness.”
[63:5] 712 tn Heb “and [with] lips of joy my mouth praises.”
[63:6] 713 tn The Hebrew term אִם (’im) is used here in the sense of “when; whenever,” as in Ps 78:34.
[63:7] 714 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[63:7] 715 tn Heb “in the shadow of your wings.”
[63:8] 716 tn Or “I.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[63:8] 717 tn Heb “clings after.” The expression means “to pursue with determination” (see Judg 20:45; 1 Sam 14:22; 1 Chr 10:2; Jer 42:16).
[63:9] 718 tn Heb “but they for destruction seek my life.” The pronoun “they” must refer here to the psalmist’s enemies, referred to at this point for the first time in the psalm.
[63:9] 719 sn The depths of the earth refers here to the underworld dwelling place of the dead (see Ezek 26:20; 31:14, 16, 18; 32:18, 24). See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 167.
[63:10] 720 tn Heb “they will deliver him over to the sword.” The third masculine plural subject must be indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f) and the singular pronominal suffix either representative or distributive (emphasizing that each one will be so treated). Active verbs with indefinite subjects may be translated as passives with the object (in the Hebrew text) as subject (in the translation).
[63:10] 721 tn Heb “they will be [the] portion of jackals”; traditionally, “of foxes.”
[63:11] 722 sn The psalmist probably refers to himself in the third person here.
[63:11] 723 tn Heb “who swears [an oath] by him.”
[63:11] 724 tn The Niphal of this verb occurs only here and in Gen 8:2, where it is used of God “stopping” or “damming up” the great deep as he brought the flood to an end.
[64:1] 725 sn Psalm 64. The psalmist asks God to protect him from his dangerous enemies and then confidently affirms that God will destroy his enemies and demonstrate his justice in the sight of all observers.
[64:1] 727 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s request.
[64:1] 728 tn Heb “from the terror of [the] enemy.” “Terror” is used here metonymically for the enemy’s attacks that produce fear because they threaten the psalmist’s life.
[64:2] 729 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[64:3] 730 tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[64:3] 731 tn Heb “a bitter word.”
[64:4] 732 tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.
[64:4] 733 tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[64:5] 734 tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”
[64:5] 735 tn Heb “they report about hiding.”
[64:5] 737 tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).
[64:6] 738 tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”
[64:6] 739 tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[64:6] 740 tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.
[64:6] 741 tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.
[64:7] 742 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive is normally used in narrative contexts to describe completed past actions. It is possible that the conclusion to the psalm (vv. 7-10) was added to the lament after God’s judgment of the wicked in response to the psalmist’s lament (vv. 1-6). The translation assumes that these verses are anticipatory and express the psalmist’s confidence that God would eventually judge the wicked. The psalmist uses a narrative style as a rhetorical device to emphasize his certitude. See GKC 329-30 §111.w.
[64:7] 743 tn The perfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s certitude about the coming demise of the wicked.
[64:7] 744 tn The translation follows the traditional accentuation of the MT. Another option is to translate, “But God will shoot them down with an arrow, suddenly they will be wounded” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[64:8] 745 tc The MT reads literally, “and they caused him to stumble, upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (’al) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ’aley lÿshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the MT arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. It is likely that the MT is corrupt, but a satisfying emendation has not yet been proposed.
[64:8] 746 tn The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see HALOT 678 s.v. נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.
[64:9] 747 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[64:9] 748 tn Heb “the work of God,” referring to the judgment described in v. 7.
[64:10] 749 tn Heb “upright in heart.”
[64:10] 750 tn That is, about the
[65:1] 751 sn Psalm 65. The psalmist praises God because he forgives sin and blesses his people with an abundant harvest.
[65:1] 752 tn Heb “for you, silence, praise.” Many prefer to emend the noun דֻּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”) to a participle דּוֹמִיָּה (domiyyah), from the root דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”), understood here in the sense of “wait.”
[65:2] 753 tn Heb “O one who hears prayer.”
[65:2] 754 tn Heb “to you all flesh comes.”
[65:3] 755 tn Heb “the records of sins are too strong for me.”
[65:3] 756 tn Or “make atonement for.”
[65:4] 757 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[65:4] 758 tn Heb “[whom] you bring near [so that] he might live [in] your courts.”
[65:5] 760 tn Heb “[with] awesome acts in deliverance you answer us, O God of our salvation.”
[65:5] 761 tn Heb “a source of confidence [for] all the ends of the earth.”
[65:5] sn All the ends of the earth trust in you. This idealistic portrayal of universal worship is typical hymnic hyperbole, though it does anticipate eschatological reality.
[65:5] 762 tc Heb “and [the] distant sea.” The plural adjective is problematic after the singular form “sea.” One could emend יָם (yam, “sea”) to יָמִים (yamim, “seas”), or emend the plural form רְחֹקִים (rÿkhoqim, “far”) to the singular רָחֹק (rakhoq). In this case the final mem (ם) could be treated as dittographic; note the mem on the beginning of the first word in v. 6.
[65:6] 763 tn Heb “[the] one who establishes [the] mountains by his power.”
[65:6] 764 tn Heb “one [who] is girded with strength”; or “one [who] girds himself with strength.”
[65:7] 765 tn Heb “the roar of the seas.”
[65:7] 766 sn The raging seas…the commotion made by the nations. The raging seas symbolize the turbulent nations of the earth (see Ps 46:2-3, 6; Isa 17:12).
[65:8] 767 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the ends fear because of your signs.” God’s “signs” are the “awesome acts” (see v. 5) he performs in the earth.
[65:8] 768 tn Heb “the goings out of the morning and the evening you cause to shout for joy.” The phrase “goings out of the morning and evening” refers to the sunrise and sunset, that is, the east and the west.
[65:9] 769 tn The verb form is a Polel from שׁוּק (shuq, “be abundant”), a verb which appears only here and in Joel 2:24 and 3:13, where it is used in the Hiphil stem and means “overflow.”
[65:9] 770 tn Heb “you greatly enrich it.”
[65:9] 771 tn Heb “[with] a channel of God full of water.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very deep stream (“a stream fit for God,” as it were).
[65:9] 772 tn The pronoun apparently refers to the people of the earth, mentioned in v. 8.
[65:9] 773 tn Heb “for thus [referring to the provision of rain described in the first half of the verse] you prepare it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix attached to the verb “prepare” refers back to the “earth,” which is a feminine noun with regard to grammatical form.
[65:10] 774 tn Heb “saturating” [the form is an infinitive absolute].
[65:10] 775 tn Heb “flatten, cause to sink.”
[65:10] 776 tn Heb “trenches,” or “furrows.”
[65:10] 777 tn Heb “soften it,” that is, the earth.
[65:10] 778 tn Heb “its vegetation you bless.” Divine “blessing” often involves endowing an object with special power or capacity.
[65:11] 779 tn Heb “your good,” which refers here to agricultural blessings.
[65:11] 780 tn Heb “and your paths drip with abundance.”
[65:12] 782 tn That is, with rich vegetation that brings joy to those who see it.
[66:1] 783 sn Psalm 66. The psalmist praises God because he has delivered his people from a crisis.
[66:2] 784 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[66:2] 785 tn Heb “make honorable his praise.”
[66:3] 786 tn See Deut 33:29; Ps 81:15 for other uses of the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) in the sense “cower in fear.” In Ps 18:44 the verb seems to carry the nuance “be weak, powerless” (see also Ps 109:24).
[66:4] 787 tn Or “bows down to.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are taken (1) as imperfects expressing what is typical. Another option (2) is to interpret them as anticipatory (“all the earth will worship you”) or (3) take them as jussives, expressing a prayer or wish (“may all the earth worship you”).
[66:5] 789 tn Or “acts” (see Ps 46:8).
[66:5] 790 tn Heb “awesome [is] an act toward the sons of man.” It is unclear how the prepositional phrase relates to what precedes. If collocated with “act,” it may mean “on behalf of” or “toward.” If taken with “awesome” (see 1 Chr 16:25; Pss 89:7; 96:4; Zeph 2:11), one might translate “his awesome acts are beyond human comprehension” or “his awesome acts are superior to anything men can do.”
[66:6] 791 sn He turned the sea into dry land. The psalmist alludes to Israel’s crossing the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).
[66:6] 792 tn Because of the reference to “the river,” some understand this as an allusion to Israel’s crossing the Jordan River. However, the Hebrew term נָהָר (nahad) does not always refer to a “river” in the technical sense; it can be used of sea currents (see Jonah 2:4). So this line may also refer to the Red Sea crossing (cf. NEB).
[66:6] 793 tn The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” (BDB 1027 s.v.).
[66:7] 794 tn Heb “[the] one who rules.”
[66:7] 795 tn Heb “his eyes watch.” “Eyes” are an anthropomorphism, attributed to God here to emphasize his awareness of all that happens on earth.
[66:7] 796 tn The verb form is jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al). The Kethib (consonantal text) has a Hiphil form of the verb, apparently to be understood in an exhibitive sense (“demonstrate stubborn rebellion”; see BDB 927 s.v. רוּם Hiph), while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Qal form, to be understood in an intransitive sense. The preposition -לְ (lamed) with pronominal suffix should be understood in a reflexive sense (“for themselves”) and indicates that the action is performed with the interest of the subject in mind.
[66:8] 797 tn Heb “bless,” in the sense of declaring “God to be the source of…special power” (see HALOT 160 s.v. II ברך pi).
[66:8] 798 tn Heb “cause the voice of his praise to be heard.”
[66:9] 799 tn Heb “the one who places our soul in life.”
[66:11] 801 tn Heb “you brought us into a net.” This rare word for “net” also occurs in Ezek 12:13; 13:21; 17:20.
[66:11] 802 tn Heb “you placed suffering on our hips.” The noun מוּעָקָה (mu’aqah, “suffering”) occurs only here in the OT.
[66:12] 803 tc The MT reads רְוָיָה (“saturation”) but this should be emended to רְוָחָה (rÿvakhah, “wide open place”; i.e., “relief”), a reading supported by several ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Jerome, Targum).
[66:13] 804 sn Here the psalmist switches to the singular; he speaks as the representative of the nation.
[66:16] 805 tn Heb “all of the fearers of God.”
[66:17] 806 tn Heb “to him [with] my mouth I called.”
[66:17] 807 tn Heb “and he was extolled under my tongue.” The form רוֹמַם (romam) appears to be a polal (passive) participle from רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), but many prefer to read רוֹמָם, “high praise [was under my tongue]” (cf. NEB). See BDB 928 s.v. רוֹמָם.
[66:18] 808 tn Heb “sin if I had seen in my heart.”
[66:20] 809 tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”
[66:20] 810 tn Or “who.” In a blessing formula after בָּרוּךְ (barukh, “blessed be”) the form אֲשֶׁר (’asher), whether taken as a relative pronoun or causal particle, introduces the basis for the blessing/praise.
[66:20] 811 tn Heb “did not turn aside my prayer and his loyal love with me.”
[67:1] 812 sn Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world.
[67:1] 813 tn Or “have mercy on us.”
[67:1] 814 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (ya’er) in the next line.
[67:1] 815 tn Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.”
[67:2] 816 tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.
[67:3] 817 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in vv. 3-4a are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
[67:4] 819 tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).
[67:5] 820 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 5 are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
[67:7] 821 tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.
[67:7] 822 tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”
[68:1] 823 sn Psalm 68. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.
[68:1] 824 tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.
[68:1] 825 tn Heb “those who hate him.”
[68:1] 826 sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action,
[68:2] 827 tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”
[68:3] 828 tn By placing the subject first the psalmist highlights the contrast between God’s ecstatic people and his defeated enemies (vv. 1-2).
[68:3] 829 tn Heb “and they are happy with joy” (cf. NEB). Some translate the prefixed verbal forms of v. 3 as jussives, “Let the godly be happy, let them rejoice before God, and let them be happy with joy!” (Cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV; note the call to praise in v. 4.)
[68:4] 830 tn Traditionally the Hebrew term עֲרָבוֹת (’aravot) is taken as “steppe-lands” (often rendered “deserts”), but here the form is probably a homonym meaning “clouds.” Verse 33, which depicts God as the one who “rides on the sky” strongly favors this (see as well Deut 33:26), as does the reference in v. 9 to God as the source of rain. The term עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “cloud”) is cognate with Akkadian urpatu/erpetu and with Ugaritic ’rpt. The phrase rkb ’rpt (“one who rides on the clouds”) appears in Ugaritic mythological texts as an epithet of the storm god Baal. The nonphonemic interchange of the bilabial consonants b and p is attested elsewhere in roots common to Hebrew and Ugaritic, though the phenomenon is relatively rare.
[68:4] 831 tc Heb “in the
[68:5] 832 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by the fatherless and widows.
[68:5] 833 tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.
[68:6] 834 tn Heb “God causes the solitary ones to dwell in a house.” The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 835 tn Heb “he brings out prisoners into prosperity.” Another option is to translate, “he brings out prisoners with singing” (cf. NIV). The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 836 tn Or “in a parched [land].”
[68:6] sn God delivers the downtrodden and oppressed, but sinful rebels who oppose his reign are treated appropriately.
[68:7] 837 tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).
[68:7] 838 sn When you march through the desert. Some interpreters think that v. 7 alludes to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and its subsequent travels in the desert. Another option is that v. 7, like v. 8, echoes Judg 5:4, which describes how the God of Sinai marched across the desert regions to do battle with Sisera and his Canaanite army.
[68:8] 839 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
[68:8] 840 sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)
[68:9] 841 tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).
[68:9] 842 tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.
[68:9] 843 tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:9] 844 tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:10] 845 tn The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear; it appears to read, “your animals, they live in it,” but this makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some suggest that חָיָּה (khayah) is a rare homonym here, meaning “community” (BDB 312 s.v.) or “dwelling place” (HALOT 310 s.v. III *הַיָּה). In this case one may take “your community/dwelling place” as appositional to the third feminine singular pronominal suffix at the end of v. 9, the antecedent of which is “your inheritance.” The phrase יָשְׁבוּ־בָהּ (yashvu-vah, “they live in it”) may then be understood as an asyndetic relative clause modifying “your community/dwelling place.” A literal translation of vv. 9b-10a would be, “when it [your inheritance] is tired, you sustain it, your community/dwelling place in [which] they live.”
[68:11] 846 tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.
[68:11] 847 tn Heb “the ones spreading the good news [are] a large army.” The participle translated “the ones spreading the good news” is a feminine plural form. Apparently the good news here is the announcement that enemy kings have been defeated (see v. 12).
[68:12] 848 tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.
[68:12] 849 tn The Hebrew form appears to be the construct of נוּה (nuh, “pasture”) but the phrase “pasture of the house” makes no sense here. The translation assumes that the form is an alternative or corruption of נצוה (“beautiful woman”). A reference to a woman would be appropriate in light of v. 11b.
[68:13] 851 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.
[68:13] 852 tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”
[68:13] sn The point of the imagery of v. 13 is not certain, though the reference to silver and gold appears to be positive. Both would be part of the loot carried away from battle (see v. 12b).
[68:14] 853 tn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (“Shaddai”). Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life, blesses and kills, and judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses (protects) and takes away life and/or happiness.
[68:14] 854 tn The Hebrew text adds “in it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix may refer back to God’s community/dwelling place (v. 10).
[68:14] 855 tn The verb form appears to be a Hiphil jussive from שָׁלַג (shalag), which is usually understood as a denominative verb from שֶׁלֶג (sheleg, “snow”) with an indefinite subject. The form could be taken as a preterite, in which case one might translate, “when the sovereign judge scattered kings, it snowed on Zalmon” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The point of the image is unclear. Perhaps “snow” suggests fertility and blessing (see v. 9 and Isa 55:10), or the image of a snow-capped mountain suggests grandeur.
[68:14] sn Zalmon was apparently a mountain in the region, perhaps the one mentioned in Judg 9:46 as being in the vicinity of Shechem.
[68:15] 856 sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.
[68:15] 857 tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”
[68:15] 858 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term, which appears only here in the OT, is uncertain. HALOT 174 s.v. גַּבְנוֹן suggests “many-peaked,” while BDB 148 s.v. גַּבְנִן suggests “rounded summit.”
[68:16] 859 tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).
[68:16] 860 tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.
[68:16] 861 tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.
[68:16] 862 tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.
[68:16] 863 tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[68:17] 864 tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”
[68:17] 865 tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).
[68:18] 866 tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.
[68:18] 867 tn Heb “you have taken captives captive.”
[68:18] 870 tn Heb “so that the
[68:19] 871 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”
[68:19] 872 tn It is possible to take this phrase with what precedes (“The Lord deserves praise day after day”) rather than with what follows.
[68:20] 873 tn Heb “and to the
[68:21] 874 tn Heb “the hairy forehead of the one who walks about in his guilt.” The singular is representative.
[68:22] 875 tn That is, the enemies mentioned in v. 21. Even if they retreat to distant regions, God will retrieve them and make them taste his judgment.
[68:23] 876 tc Some (e.g. NRSV) prefer to emend מָחַץ (makhats, “smash; stomp”; see v. 21) to רָחַץ (rakhats, “bathe”; see Ps 58:10).
[68:23] 877 tn Heb “[and] the tongue of your dogs from [the] enemies [may eat] its portion.”
[68:24] 878 tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.
[68:24] 879 tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[68:25] 880 tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”
[68:25] 881 sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).
[68:26] 882 tn Heb “from the fountain of Israel,” which makes little, if any, sense here. The translation assumes an emendation to בְּמִקְרָאֵי (bÿmiqra’ey, “in the assemblies of [Israel]”).
[68:27] 883 sn Little Benjamin, their ruler. This may allude to the fact that Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin.
[68:27] 884 tc The MT reads רִגְמָתָם (rigmatam), which many derive from רָגַם (ragam, “to kill by stoning”) and translates, “[in] their heaps,” that is, in large numbers.
[68:28] 885 tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).
[68:29] 886 tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”
[68:29] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[68:30] 887 tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts such as Ps 68 this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[68:30] 888 sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.
[68:30] 889 tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”
[68:30] 890 tn Heb “humbling himself.” The verb form is a Hitpael participle from the root רָפַס (rafas, “to trample”). The Hitpael of this verb appears only here and in Prov 6:3, where it seems to mean, “humble oneself,” a nuance that fits nicely in this context. The apparent subject is “wild beast” or “assembly,” though both of these nouns are grammatically feminine, while the participle is a masculine form. Perhaps one should emend the participial form to a masculine plural (מִתְרַפִּם, mitrapim) and understand “bulls” or “calves” as the subject.
[68:30] 891 tc Heb “with pieces [?] of silver.” The meaning of the Hebrew term רַצֵּי (ratsey) is unclear. It is probably best to emend the text to בֶּצֶר וְכָסֶף (betser vÿkhasef, “[with] gold and silver”).
[68:30] 892 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[68:30] 893 tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).
[68:31] 894 tn This noun, which occurs only here in the OT, apparently means “red cloth” or “bronze articles” (see HALOT 362 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NEB “tribute”). Traditionally the word has been taken to refer to “nobles” (see BDB 365 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NIV “envoys”). Another option would be to emend the text to הַשְׁמַנִּים (hashmannim, “the robust ones,” i.e., leaders).
[68:31] 896 tn Heb “causes its hands to run,” which must mean “quickly stretches out its hands” (to present tribute).
[68:33] 897 tc Heb “to the one who rides through the skies of skies of ancient times.” If the MT is retained, one might translate, “to the one who rides through the ancient skies.” (שְׁמֵי [shÿmey, “skies of”] may be accidentally repeated.) The present translation assumes an emendation to בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִקֶּדֶם (bashamayim miqqedem, “[to the one who rides] through the sky from ancient times”), that is, God has been revealing his power through the storm since ancient times.
[68:33] 898 tn Heb “he gives his voice a strong voice.” In this context God’s “voice” is the thunder that accompanies the rain (see vv. 8-9, as well as Deut 33:26).
[68:34] 899 tn Heb “give strength to God.”
[68:34] 900 sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.
[68:35] 901 tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).
[68:35] 902 tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”
[68:35] 903 tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”
[69:1] 904 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 905 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 906 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 907 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 908 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 909 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 910 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 911 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 912 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 913 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:4] sn They make me repay what I did not steal. The psalmist’s enemies falsely accuse him and hold him accountable for alleged crimes he did not even commit.
[69:5] 914 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 915 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 916 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 917 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 918 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 919 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 920 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 921 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 922 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 923 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 924 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:9] sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.
[69:10] 925 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 926 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 927 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 928 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 929 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 930 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 931 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 932 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 933 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 934 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 935 tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[69:18] 937 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 938 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 939 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 940 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 942 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 943 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 944 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 945 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 946 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 947 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 948 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 949 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971), 17-81.
[69:25] 950 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:25] sn In Acts 1:20 Peter applies the language of this verse to Judas’ experience. By changing the pronouns from plural to singular, he is able to apply the ancient curse, pronounced against the psalmist’s enemies, to Judas in particular.
[69:26] 951 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 952 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 953 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:26] sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
[69:27] 954 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 955 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 956 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] sn The phrase the scroll of the living occurs only here in the OT. It pictures a scroll or census list containing the names of the citizens of a community. When an individual died, that person’s name was removed from the list. So this curse is a very vivid way of asking that the enemies die.
[69:28] 957 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:28] sn Do not let their names be listed with the godly. This curse pictures a scroll in which God records the names of his loyal followers. The psalmist makes the point that his enemies have no right to be included in this list of the godly.
[69:29] 958 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 959 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 960 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 961 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 962 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 963 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 964 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 965 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 966 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 967 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[70:1] 968 sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.
[70:1] 969 tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
[70:1] 970 tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “
[70:1] 971 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[70:2] 972 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”
[70:2] 973 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[70:2] sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
[70:3] 974 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[70:3] 975 tn Heb “May they be turned back according to their shame, those who say, ‘Aha! Aha!’” Ps 40:15 has the verb “humiliated” instead of “turned back” and adds “to me” after “say.”
[70:4] 976 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.
[70:4] 977 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.
[70:4] 978 tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “
[70:4] 979 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[70:5] 980 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[70:5] 981 tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”
[70:5] 982 tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “
[71:1] 983 sn Psalm 71. The psalmist prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him. The first three verses are very similar to Ps 31:1-3a.
[71:2] 984 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”
[71:2] 985 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[71:2] 986 tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”
[71:3] 987 tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).
[71:3] 988 tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).
[71:3] 989 sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[71:5] 991 tn Heb “for you [are] my hope.”
[71:5] 992 tn Heb “O
[71:6] 993 tn Heb “from the womb.”
[71:6] 994 tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”).
[71:6] 995 tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”
[71:7] 996 tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”
[71:8] 997 tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”
[71:9] 998 tn Heb “do not cast me away at the time of old age.”
[71:10] 999 tn Heb “those who watch for my life consult together.”
[71:12] 1001 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[71:13] 1002 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
[71:14] 1003 tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”
[71:15] 1004 tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”
[71:15] 1005 tn Heb “though I do not know [the] numbers,” that is, the tally of God’s just and saving acts. HALOT 768 s.v. סְפֹרוֹת understands the plural noun to mean “the art of writing.”
[71:16] 1006 tn Heb “I will come with.”
[71:17] 1007 tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”
[71:18] 1008 tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”
[71:18] 1009 tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.
[71:19] 1010 tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.
[71:19] sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.
[71:19] 1011 tn Heb “you who have done great things.”
[71:19] 1012 tn Or “Who is like you?”
[71:20] 1013 tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”
[71:20] 1014 tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[71:20] 1015 tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[71:21] 1016 tn Heb “increase my greatness.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer or wish. The psalmist’s request for “greatness” (or “honor”) is not a boastful, self-serving prayer for prominence, but, rather, a request that God would vindicate by elevating him over those who are trying to humiliate him.
[71:21] 1017 tn The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.)
[71:22] 1018 tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[71:22] 1019 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The
[71:23] 1020 tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here.
[71:23] 1021 tn Heb “and my life [or “soul”] which you will have redeemed.” The perfect verbal form functions here as a future perfect. The psalmist anticipates praising God, for God will have rescued him by that time.
[71:24] 1022 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
[71:24] 1023 tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.
[72:1] 1024 sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.
[72:1] 1025 tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.
[72:1] 1026 tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”
[72:1] 1027 sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.
[72:1] 1028 tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”
[72:2] 1029 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:2] 1030 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
[72:3] 1031 tn Heb “[the] mountains will bear peace to the people, and [the] hills with justice.” The personified mountains and hills probably represent messengers who will sweep over the land announcing the king’s just decrees and policies. See Isa 52:7 and C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:133.
[72:4] 1032 tn Heb “judge [for].”
[72:4] 1033 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:5] 1035 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[72:5] 1036 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
[72:5] 1037 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a generation, generations.” The rare expression דּוֹר דּוֹרִים (dor dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps 102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
[72:6] 1038 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
[72:6] 1039 tn The rare term zg refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.
[72:6] 1040 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS in textual note b on this verse suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirzÿfu). The translation assumes the latter.
[72:6] 1041 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.
[72:7] 1042 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
[72:7] 1043 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”
[72:8] 1044 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
[72:8] 1045 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.
[72:8] 1046 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
[72:9] 1047 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
[72:9] 1048 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
[72:10] 1049 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
[72:10] 1050 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
[72:10] 1051 sn Seba was located in Africa.
[72:12] 1052 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
[72:12] 1053 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
[72:13] 1054 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defectively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
[72:14] 1055 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[72:14] 1056 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”
[72:15] 1057 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. Because the form has the prefixed vav (ו), some subordinate it to what precedes as a purpose/result clause. In this case the representative poor individual might be the subject of this and the following verb, “so that he may live and give to him gold of Sheba.” But the idea of the poor offering gold is incongruous. It is better to take the jussive as a prayer with the king as subject of the verb. (Perhaps the initial vav is dittographic; note the vav at the end of the last form in v. 14.) The statement is probably an abbreviated version of the formula יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ (yÿkhiy hammelekh, “may the king live”; see 1 Sam 10:24; 2 Sam 16:16; 1 Kgs 1:25, 34, 39; 2 Kgs 11:12).
[72:15] 1058 tn Heb “and he will give to him some gold of Sheba.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one give”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are the tribute bearers in view here.
[72:15] 1059 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one pray…and may one bless”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are in view here.
[72:16] 1060 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. The translation assumes the subject is impersonal (rather than the king).
[72:16] 1061 tn The Hebrew noun פִסַּה (pissah; which appears here in the construct form) occurs only here in the OT. Perhaps the noun is related to the verbal root פָּשָׂה (pasah, “to spread,” see BDB 832 s.v.; the root appears as פָּסָה [pasah] in postbiblical Hebrew), which is used in postbiblical Hebrew of the rising sun’s rays spreading over the horizon and a tree’s branches spreading out (see Jastrow 1194 s.v. פסי, פָּסָה, פָּשָׂה). In Ps 72:16 a “spreading of grain” would refer to grain fields extending out over the land. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:139) emend the form to סְפִיחַ (sÿfiakh, “second growth”).
[72:16] 1062 tn Heb “top” (singular).
[72:16] 1063 tn That is, the grain.
[72:16] 1064 tn According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the translator’s note at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse.
[72:16] 1065 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is unclear. It is unlikely that the antecedent is אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) because this noun is normally grammatically feminine. Perhaps רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “top [of the mountains]”) is the antecedent. Another option is to understand the pronoun as referring to the king, who would then be viewed as an instrument of divine agricultural blessing (see v. 6).
[72:16] 1067 tc According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the note on the word “earth” at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse. The present translation takes it with the preceding words, “like Lebanon its fruit” and emends the verb form from וְיָצִיצוּ (vÿyatsitsu; Qal imperfect third masculine plural with prefixed vav, [ו]) to יָצִיץ (yatsits; Qal imperfect third masculine singular). The initial vav is eliminated as dittographic (note the vav on the ending of the preceding form פִּרְיוֹ, piryo, “its/his fruit”) and the vav at the end of the form is placed on the following emended form (see the note on the word “crops”), yielding וַעֲמִיר (va’amir, “and [its] crops”).
[72:16] 1068 tn Heb “like Lebanon.”
[72:16] 1069 tc The MT has “from the city.” The translation assumes an emendation to עֲמִיר (’amir, “crops”).
[72:16] 1070 tn The translation assumes that the verb צוץ (“flourish”) goes with the preceding line. The words “be as abundant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[72:16] 1071 tc The traditional accentuation and vocalization of the MT differ from the text assumed by the present translation. The MT reads as follows: “May there be an abundance of grain in the earth, / and on the tops of the mountains! / May its [or “his”?] fruit [trees?] rustle like [the trees of] Lebanon! / May they flourish from the city, like the grass of the earth!” If one follows the MT, then it would appear that the “fruit” of the third line is a metaphorical reference to the king’s people, who flow out from the cities to populate the land (see line 4). Elsewhere in the OT people are sometimes compared to grass that sprouts up from the land (see v. 7, as well as Isa 27:6; Pss 92:7; 103:15). The translation understands a different poetic structural arrangement and, assuming the emendations mentioned in earlier notes, interprets each line of the verse to be a prayer for agricultural abundance.
[72:17] 1072 tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.
[72:17] 1073 tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.
[72:17] 1074 tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the
[72:17] 1075 tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).
[72:18] 1076 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.
[72:18] 1077 tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”
[72:19] 1078 tn Heb “[be] blessed.”
[72:19] 1080 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response of agreement to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
[72:20] 1081 tn Heb “the prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded.” As noted earlier, v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter. In the present arrangement of the Book of Psalms, not all psalms prior to this are attributed to David (see Pss 1-2, 10, 33, 42-50, 66-67, 71-72) and several psalms attributed to David appear after this (see Pss 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 138-145).
