Mazmur 61:4-6

61:4 I will be a permanent guest in your home; ¹ 

I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. ²  (Selah)

61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;

you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. ³ 

61:6 Give the king long life!

Make his lifetime span several generations! ⁴ 

[61:4]  ¹ 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]  ² sn I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.

[61:5]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.