Mazmur 22:1-31
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 2 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 3
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 4
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 5
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 6
22:4 In you our ancestors 7 trusted;
they trusted in you 8 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 9
22:6 But I 10 am a worm, 11 not a man; 12
people insult me and despise me. 13
22:7 All who see me taunt 14 me;
they mock me 15 and shake their heads. 16
“Commit yourself 18 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 19 rescue him!
Let the Lord 20 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 21
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 22 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 23
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 24
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 25
22:12 Many bulls 26 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 27 hem me in.
22:13 They 28 open their mouths to devour me 29
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 30
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 31
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 32 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 33 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 34
You 35 set me in the dust of death. 36
22:16 Yes, 37 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 38
22:17 I can count 39 all my bones;
my enemies 40 are gloating over me in triumph. 41
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 42 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 43 Hurry and help me! 44
22:20 Deliver me 45 from the sword!
Save 46 my life 47 from the claws 48 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 49
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 50
You have answered me! 51
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 52
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 53 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 54
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 55 of the oppressed; 56
he did not ignore him; 57
when he cried out to him, he responded. 58
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 59 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 60
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 61
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 62 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 63
Let all the nations 64 worship you! 65
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 67 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 68
all those who are descending into the grave 69 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 70
22:30 A whole generation 71 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 72
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 73
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 74
Mazmur 22:1
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 76 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 77
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 78
Mazmur 1:1--36:12
KonteksBook 1
(Psalms 1-41)
1:1 How blessed 80 is the one 81 who does not follow 82 the advice 83 of the wicked, 84
or stand in the pathway 85 with sinners,
or sit in the assembly 86 of scoffers! 87
1:2 Instead 88 he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; 89
he meditates on 90 his commands 91 day and night.
1:3 He is like 92 a tree planted by flowing streams; 93
it 94 yields 95 its fruit at the proper time, 96
and its leaves never fall off. 97
He succeeds in everything he attempts. 98
1:4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead 99 they are like wind-driven chaff. 100
1:5 For this reason 101 the wicked cannot withstand 102 judgment, 103
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. 104
1:6 Certainly 105 the Lord guards the way of the godly, 106
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction. 107
2:1 Why 109 do the nations rebel? 110
Why 111 are the countries 112 devising 113 plots that will fail? 114
2:2 The kings of the earth 115 form a united front; 116
the rulers collaborate 117
against the Lord and his anointed king. 118
2:3 They say, 119 “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! 120
Let’s free ourselves from 121 their ropes!”
2:4 The one enthroned 122 in heaven laughs in disgust; 123
the Lord taunts 124 them.
2:5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage, 125 saying, 126
2:6 “I myself 127 have installed 128 my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
2:7 The king says, 129 “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: 130
‘You are my son! 131 This very day I have become your father!
2:8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, 132
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
2:9 You will break them 133 with an iron scepter; 134
you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” 135
2:10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; 136
you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! 137
2:11 Serve 138 the Lord in fear!
Repent in terror! 139
Otherwise he 141 will be angry, 142
and you will die because of your behavior, 143
when his anger quickly ignites. 144
How blessed 145 are all who take shelter in him! 146
A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. 148
3:1 Lord, how 149 numerous are my enemies!
Many attack me. 150
3:2 Many say about me,
“God will not deliver him.” 151 (Selah) 152
3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; 153
you are my glory 154 and the one who restores me. 155
3:4 To the Lord I cried out, 156
and he answered me from his holy hill. 157 (Selah)
3:5 I rested and slept;
I awoke, 158 for the Lord protects 159 me.
3:6 I am not afraid 160 of the multitude of people 161
who attack me from all directions. 162
Deliver me, my God!
Yes, 164 you will strike 165 all my enemies on the jaw;
you will break the teeth 166 of the wicked. 167
you show favor to your people. 169 (Selah)
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4:1 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me! 171
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. 172
Have mercy on me 173 and respond to 174 my prayer!
4:2 You men, 175 how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? 176
How long 177 will you love what is worthless 178
and search for what is deceptive? 179 (Selah)
4:3 Realize that 180 the Lord shows the godly special favor; 181
the Lord responds 182 when I cry out to him.
4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! 183
Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! 184 (Selah)
4:5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices 185
and trust in the Lord! 186
4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord! 187
than those who have abundant grain and wine. 189
4:8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully, 190
for you, Lord, make me safe and secure. 191
For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; 193 a psalm of David.
5:1 Listen to what I say, 194 Lord!
Carefully consider my complaint! 195
5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
my king and my God,
for I am praying to you!
5:3 Lord, in the morning 196 you will hear 197 me; 198
in the morning I will present my case to you 199 and then wait expectantly for an answer. 200
5:4 Certainly 201 you are not a God who approves of evil; 202
evil people 203 cannot dwell with you. 204
5:5 Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; 205
you hate 206 all who behave wickedly. 207
5:6 You destroy 208 liars; 209
the Lord despises 210 violent and deceitful people. 211
5:7 But as for me, 212 because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house; 213
I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you. 214
5:8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness 215
because of those who wait to ambush me, 216
remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! 217
5:9 For 218 they do not speak the truth; 219
their stomachs are like the place of destruction, 220
their throats like an open grave, 221
their tongues like a steep slope leading into it. 222
May their own schemes be their downfall! 224
Drive them away 225 because of their many acts of insurrection, 226
for they have rebelled against you.
5:11 But may all who take shelter 227 in you be happy! 228
May they continually 229 shout for joy! 230
Shelter them 231 so that those who are loyal to you 232 may rejoice! 233
5:12 Certainly 234 you reward 235 the godly, 236 Lord.
Like a shield you protect 237 them 238 in your good favor. 239
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; 241 a psalm of David.
6:1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger!
Do not discipline me in your raging fury! 242
6:2 Have mercy on me, 243 Lord, for I am frail!
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking! 244
6:3 I am absolutely terrified, 245
and you, Lord – how long will this continue? 246
6:4 Relent, Lord, rescue me! 247
Deliver me because of your faithfulness! 248
6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death, 249
In Sheol who gives you thanks? 250
6:6 I am exhausted as I groan;
all night long I drench my bed in tears; 251
my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 252
6:7 My eyes 253 grow dim 254 from suffering;
they grow weak 255 because of all my enemies. 256
6:8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, 257
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping! 258
6:9 The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy;
the Lord has accepted 259 my prayer.
6:10 May all my enemies be humiliated 260 and absolutely terrified! 261
May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!
A musical composition 263 by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning 264 a Benjaminite named Cush. 265
7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. 266
Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!
7:2 Otherwise they will rip 267 me 268 to shreds like a lion;
they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me. 269
7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, 270
or am guilty of unjust actions, 271
7:4 or have wronged my ally, 272
or helped his lawless enemy, 273
7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase 274 me 275 and catch me; 276
may he trample me to death 277
and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. 278 (Selah)
7:6 Stand up angrily, 279 Lord!
Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! 280
Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! 281
7:7 The countries are assembled all around you; 282
take once more your rightful place over them! 283
7:8 The Lord judges the nations. 284
Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, 285
because I am blameless, 286 O Exalted One! 287
7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked 288 come to an end! 289
But make the innocent 290 secure, 291
O righteous God,
you who examine 292 inner thoughts and motives! 293
7:10 The Exalted God is my shield, 294
the one who delivers the morally upright. 295
7:11 God is a just judge;
he is angry throughout the day. 296
7:12 If a person 297 does not repent, God sharpens his sword 298
and prepares to shoot his bow. 299
7:13 He prepares to use deadly weapons against him; 300
he gets ready to shoot flaming arrows. 301
7:14 See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,
who conceives destructive plans,
and gives birth to harmful lies – 302
and then falls into the hole he has made. 304
7:16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans 305
and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head. 306
7:17 I will thank the Lord for 307 his justice;
I will sing praises to the sovereign Lord! 308
For the music director, according to the gittith style; 310 a psalm of David.
how magnificent 312 is your reputation 313 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 314
8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, 315
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 316
8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 317
8:4 Of what importance is the human race, 318 that you should notice 319 them?
Of what importance is mankind, 320 that you should pay attention to them, 321
8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? 322
You grant mankind 323 honor and majesty; 324
8:6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; 325
you have placed 326 everything under their authority, 327
8:7 including all the sheep and cattle,
as well as the wild animals, 328
8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea
and everything that moves through the currents 329 of the seas.
how magnificent 331 is your reputation 332 throughout the earth! 333
For the music director; according to the alumoth-labben style; 335 a psalm of David.
9:1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds! 336
9:2 I will be happy and rejoice in you!
I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! 337
9:3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated 338 before you.
9:4 For you defended my just cause; 339
from your throne you pronounced a just decision. 340
9:5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry; 341
you destroyed the wicked; 342
you permanently wiped out all memory of them. 343
9:6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; 344
you destroyed their cities; 345
all memory of the enemies has perished. 346
9:7 But the Lord 347 rules 348 forever;
he reigns in a just manner. 349
9:8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations. 350
9:9 Consequently 351 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 352
he provides safety in times of trouble. 353
9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, 354
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. 355
9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules 356 in Zion!
Tell the nations what he has done! 357
9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; 358
he did not overlook 359 their cry for help 360
“Have mercy on me, 362 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 363
O one who can snatch me away 364 from the gates of death!
9:14 Then I will 365 tell about all your praiseworthy acts; 366
in the gates of Daughter Zion 367 I will rejoice because of your deliverance.” 368
9:15 The nations fell 369 into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. 370
9:16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice;
the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. 371 (Higgaion. 372 Selah)
9:17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; 373
this is the destiny of 374 all the nations that ignore 375 God,
9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, 376
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. 377
Don’t let men be defiant! 379
May the nations be judged in your presence!
Let the nations know they are mere mortals! 381 (Selah)
10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble? 383
10:2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed; 384
the oppressed are trapped 385 by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up. 386
10:3 Yes, 387 the wicked man 388 boasts because he gets what he wants; 389
the one who robs others 390 curses 391 and 392 rejects the Lord. 393
10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” 394
10:5 He is secure at all times. 395
He has no regard for your commands; 396
he disdains all his enemies. 397
“I will never 399 be upended,
because I experience no calamity.” 400
10:7 His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; 401
his tongue injures and destroys. 402
10:8 He waits in ambush near the villages; 403
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. 404
10:9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket; 405
he lies in ambush, waiting to catch 406 the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed 407 by pulling in his net. 408
10:10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets. 409
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.” 411
O God, strike him down! 413
Do not forget the oppressed!
10:13 Why does the wicked man reject God? 414
He says to himself, 415 “You 416 will not hold me accountable.” 417
10:14 You have taken notice, 418
for 419 you always see 420 one who inflicts pain and suffering. 421
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you; 422
you deliver 423 the fatherless. 424
10:15 Break the arm 425 of the wicked and evil man!
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds, 426
which he thought you would not discover. 427
10:16 The Lord rules forever! 428
The nations are driven out of his land. 429
10:17 Lord, you have heard 430 the request 431 of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. 432
10:18 You defend 433 the fatherless and oppressed, 434
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. 435
For the music director; by David.
11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. 437
How can you say to me, 438
“Flee to a mountain like a bird! 439
11:2 For look, the wicked 440 prepare 441 their bows, 442
they put their arrows on the strings,
to shoot in the darkness 443 at the morally upright. 444
11:3 When the foundations 445 are destroyed,
what can the godly 446 accomplish?” 447
11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; 448
the Lord’s throne is in heaven. 449
his eyes 452 examine 453 all people. 454
11:5 The Lord approves of 455 the godly, 456
but he 457 hates 458 the wicked and those who love to do violence. 459
11:6 May the Lord rain down 460 burning coals 461 and brimstone 462 on the wicked!
A whirlwind is what they deserve! 463
11:7 Certainly 464 the Lord is just; 465
he rewards godly deeds; 466
the upright will experience his favor. 467
For the music director; according to the sheminith style; 469 a psalm of David.
12:1 Deliver, Lord!
For the godly 470 have disappeared; 471
people of integrity 472 have vanished. 473
12:2 People lie to one another; 474
they flatter and deceive. 475
12:3 May the Lord cut off 476 all flattering lips,
and the tongue that boasts! 477
12:4 They say, 478 “We speak persuasively; 479
we know how to flatter and boast. 480
Who is our master?” 481
12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, 482
because of the painful cries 483 of the needy,
I will spring into action,” 484 says the Lord.
“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” 485
12:6 The Lord’s words are absolutely reliable. 486
They are as untainted as silver purified in a furnace on the ground,
where it is thoroughly refined. 487
12:7 You, Lord, will protect them; 488
you will continually shelter each one from these evil people, 489
12:8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere, 490
when people promote evil. 491
For the music director; a psalm of David.
13:1 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me? 493
How long will you pay no attention to me? 494
13:2 How long must I worry, 495
and suffer in broad daylight? 496
How long will my enemy gloat over me? 497
13:3 Look at me! 498 Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me, 499 or else I will die! 500
13:4 Then 501 my enemy will say, “I have defeated him!”
Then 502 my foes will rejoice because I am upended.
13:5 But I 503 trust in your faithfulness.
May I rejoice because of your deliverance! 504
13:6 I will sing praises 505 to the Lord
when he vindicates me. 506
For the music director; by David.
14:1 Fools say to themselves, 508 “There is no God.” 509
They sin and commit evil deeds; 510
none of them does what is right. 511
14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven 512 at the human race, 513
to see if there is anyone who is wise 514 and seeks God. 515
14:3 Everyone rejects God; 516
they are all morally corrupt. 517
None of them does what is right, 518
not even one!
14:4 All those who behave wickedly 519 do not understand – 520
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to the Lord.
14:5 They are absolutely terrified, 521
for God defends the godly. 522
14:6 You want to humiliate the oppressed, 523
even though 524 the Lord is their 525 shelter.
14:7 I wish the deliverance 526 of Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the well-being of his people, 527
may Jacob rejoice, 528
may Israel be happy! 529
A psalm of David.
15:1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home? 531
Who may live on your holy hill? 532
15:2 Whoever lives a blameless life, 533
does what is right,
and speaks honestly. 534
15:3 He 535 does not slander, 536
or do harm to others, 537
or insult his neighbor. 538
15:4 He despises a reprobate, 539
but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. 540
He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. 541
15:5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money. 542
He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. 543
The one who lives like this 544 will never be upended.
A prayer 546 of David.
16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. 547
16:2 I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord,
my only source of well-being.” 548
16:3 As for God’s chosen people who are in the land,
and the leading officials I admired so much 549 –
16:4 their troubles multiply,
they desire other gods. 550
I will not pour out drink offerings of blood to their gods, 551
nor will I make vows in the name of their gods. 552
16:5 Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; 553
you make my future secure. 554
16:6 It is as if I have been given fertile fields
or received a beautiful tract of land. 555
16:7 I will praise 556 the Lord who 557 guides 558 me;
yes, during the night I reflect and learn. 559
16:8 I constantly trust in the Lord; 560
because he is at my right hand, I will not be upended.
16:9 So my heart rejoices
and I am happy; 561
My life is safe. 562
16:10 You will not abandon me 563 to Sheol; 564
you will not allow your faithful follower 565 to see 566 the Pit. 567
16:11 You lead me in 568 the path of life; 569
I experience absolute joy in your presence; 570
you always give me sheer delight. 571
A prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 573
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 574
17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! 575
Decide what is right! 576
17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; 577
you have examined me during the night. 578
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful. 579
17:4 As for the actions of people 580 –
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men. 581
17:5 I carefully obey your commands; 582
I do not deviate from them. 583
17:6 I call to you for you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me! 584
Hear what I say! 585
17:7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds, 586
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies. 587
17:8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! 588
Hide me in the shadow of your wings! 589
17:9 Protect me from 590 the wicked men who attack 591 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 592
they speak arrogantly. 594
17:11 They attack me, now they surround me; 595
they intend to throw me to the ground. 596
17:12 He 597 is like a lion 598 that wants to tear its prey to bits, 599
like a young lion crouching 600 in hidden places.
17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 601 Knock him down! 602
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 603
17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 604
from the murderers of this world! 605
They enjoy prosperity; 606
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 607
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 608
17:15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; 609
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me. 610
For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang 612 to the Lord the words of this song when 613 the Lord rescued him from the power 614 of all his enemies, including Saul. 615
“I love 617 you, Lord, my source of strength! 618
18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, 619 my stronghold, 620 my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where 621 I take shelter, 622
my shield, the horn that saves me, 623 and my refuge. 624
18:3 I called 625 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 626
and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:4 The waves 627 of death engulfed me,
the currents 628 of chaos 629 overwhelmed me. 630
18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, 631
the snares of death trapped me. 632
18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God. 633
From his heavenly temple 634 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 635
18:7 The earth heaved and shook; 636
the roots of the mountains 637 trembled; 638
they heaved because he was angry.
18:8 Smoke ascended from 639 his nose; 640
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 641
he hurled down fiery coals. 642
18:9 He made the sky sink 643 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
18:10 He mounted 644 a winged angel 645 and flew;
he glided 646 on the wings of the wind. 647
18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, 648
in thick rain clouds. 649
18:12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals. 650
18:13 The Lord thundered 651 in 652 the sky;
the sovereign One 653 shouted. 654
18:14 He shot his 655 arrows and scattered them, 656
many lightning bolts 657 and routed them. 658
18:15 The depths 659 of the sea 660 were exposed;
the inner regions 661 of the world were uncovered
by 662 your battle cry, 663 Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose. 664
18:16 He reached down 665 from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water. 666
18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 667
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18:18 They confronted 668 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 669
18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 670
18:20 The Lord repaid 671 me for my godly deeds; 672
he rewarded 673 my blameless behavior. 674
18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 675
I have not rebelled against my God. 676
18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations, 677
and I do not reject his rules. 678
18:23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning. 679
18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 680
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 681
18:25 You prove to be loyal 682 to one who is faithful; 683
you prove to be trustworthy 684 to one who is innocent. 685
18:26 You prove to be reliable 686 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 687 to one who is perverse. 688
18:27 For you deliver oppressed 689 people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look. 690
18:28 Indeed, 691 you are my lamp, Lord. 692
My God 693 illuminates the darkness around me. 694
18:29 Indeed, 695 with your help 696 I can charge against 697 an army; 698
by my God’s power 699 I can jump over a wall. 700
18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 701
the Lord’s promise 702 is reliable; 703
he is a shield to all who take shelter 704 in him.
18:31 Indeed, 705 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 706 besides our God? 707
18:32 The one true God 708 gives 709 me strength; 710
he removes 711 the obstacles in my way. 712
18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; 713
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 714
18:34 He trains my hands for battle; 715
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 716
18:35 You give me your protective shield; 717
your right hand supports me; 718
your willingness to help 719 enables me to prevail. 720
my feet 722 do not slip.
18:37 I chase my enemies and catch 723 them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
18:38 I beat them 724 to death; 725
they fall at my feet. 726
18:39 You give me strength 727 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 728
18:40 You make my enemies retreat; 729
I destroy those who hate me. 730
18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; 731
they cry out to the Lord, 732 but he does not answer them.
18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; 733
I beat them underfoot 734 like clay 735 in the streets.
18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; 736
you make me 737 a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 738
18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 739
Foreigners are powerless 740 before me;
18:45 foreigners lose their courage; 741
they shake with fear 742 as they leave 743 their strongholds. 744
My protector 746 is praiseworthy! 747
The God who delivers me 748 is exalted as king! 749
18:47 The one true God 750 completely vindicates me; 751
he makes nations submit to me. 752
18:48 He delivers me 753 from my enemies;
you snatch me away 754 from those who attack me; 755
you rescue me from violent men.
18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, 756 O Lord!
I will sing praises to you! 757
18:50 He 758 gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 759
he is faithful 760 to his chosen ruler, 761
to David and his descendants 762 forever.” 763
For the music director; a psalm of David.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 765
the sky displays his handiwork. 766
19:2 Day after day it speaks out; 767
night after night it reveals his greatness. 768
19:3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its 769 voice literally heard.
19:4 Yet its voice 770 echoes 771 throughout the earth;
its 772 words carry 773 to the distant horizon. 774
In the sky 775 he has pitched a tent for the sun. 776
19:5 Like a bridegroom it emerges 777 from its chamber; 778
like a strong man it enjoys 779 running its course. 780
19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, 781
and goes from one end of the sky to the other; 782
nothing can escape 783 its heat.
19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 784
The rules set down by the Lord 785 are reliable 786
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 787
19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair 788
and make one joyful. 789
The Lord’s commands 790 are pure 791
and give insight for life. 792
19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right 793
and endure forever. 794
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just. 795
19:10 They are of greater value 796 than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight 797 than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
19:11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; 798
those who obey them receive a rich reward. 799
19:12 Who can know all his errors? 800
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 801
19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant 802 sins;
do not allow such sins to control me. 803
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant 804 rebellion.
19:14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight, 805
O Lord, my sheltering rock 806 and my redeemer. 807
For the music director; a psalm of David.
20:1 May the Lord answer 809 you 810 when you are in trouble; 811
may the God of Jacob 812 make you secure!
20:2 May he send you help from his temple; 813
from Zion may he give you support!
20:3 May he take notice 814 of your offerings;
may he accept 815 your burnt sacrifice! (Selah)
20:4 May he grant your heart’s desire; 816
may he bring all your plans to pass! 817
20:5 Then we will shout for joy over your 818 victory;
we will rejoice 819 in the name of our God!
May the Lord grant all your requests!
20:6 Now I am sure 820 that the Lord will deliver 821 his chosen king; 822
he will intervene for him 823 from his holy heavenly temple, 824
and display his mighty ability to deliver. 825
20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, 826
but we 827 depend on 828 the Lord our God.
but we 830 will stand firm. 831
20:9 The Lord will deliver the king; 832
he will answer us 833 when we call to him for help! 834
For the music director; a psalm of David.
21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give; 836
he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide. 837
21:2 You grant 838 him his heart’s desire;
you do not refuse his request. 839 (Selah)
21:3 For you bring him 840 rich 841 blessings; 842
you place a golden crown on his head.
21:4 He asked you to sustain his life, 843
and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty. 844
21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor; 845
you give him majestic splendor. 846
21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence. 847
21:7 For the king trusts 848 in the Lord,
and because of the sovereign Lord’s 849 faithfulness he is not upended. 850
21:8 You 851 prevail over 852 all your enemies;
your power is too great for those who hate you. 853
21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace 854 when you appear; 855
the Lord angrily devours them; 856
the fire consumes them.
21:10 You destroy their offspring 857 from the earth,
their descendants 858 from among the human race. 859
21:11 Yes, 860 they intend to do you harm; 861
they dream up a scheme, 862 but they do not succeed. 863
21:12 For you make them retreat 864
when you shoot your arrows at them. 865
21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! 866
We will sing and praise 867 your power!
For the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 869 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 870
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 871
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 872
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 873
22:4 In you our ancestors 874 trusted;
they trusted in you 875 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 876
22:6 But I 877 am a worm, 878 not a man; 879
people insult me and despise me. 880
22:7 All who see me taunt 881 me;
they mock me 882 and shake their heads. 883
“Commit yourself 885 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 886 rescue him!
Let the Lord 887 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 888
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 889 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 890
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 891
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 892
22:12 Many bulls 893 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 894 hem me in.
22:13 They 895 open their mouths to devour me 896
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 897
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 898
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 899 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 900 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 901
You 902 set me in the dust of death. 903
22:16 Yes, 904 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 905
22:17 I can count 906 all my bones;
my enemies 907 are gloating over me in triumph. 908
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 909 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 910 Hurry and help me! 911
22:20 Deliver me 912 from the sword!
Save 913 my life 914 from the claws 915 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 916
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 917
You have answered me! 918
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 919
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 920 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 921
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 922 of the oppressed; 923
he did not ignore him; 924
when he cried out to him, he responded. 925
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 926 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 927
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 928
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 929 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 930
Let all the nations 931 worship you! 932
22:28 For the Lord is king 933
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 934 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 935
all those who are descending into the grave 936 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 937
22:30 A whole generation 938 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 939
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 940
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 941
A psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, 943
I lack nothing. 944
23:2 He takes me to lush pastures, 945
he leads me to refreshing water. 946
23:3 He restores my strength. 947
He leads me down 948 the right paths 949
for the sake of his reputation. 950
23:4 Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, 951
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me. 954
23:5 You prepare a feast before me 955
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh 956 my head with oil;
my cup is completely full. 957
23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness 958 will pursue 959 me all my days, 960
and I will live in 961 the Lord’s house 962 for the rest of my life. 963
A psalm of David.
24:1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live in it.
24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established 965 it upon the ocean currents. 966
24:3 Who is allowed to ascend 967 the mountain of the Lord? 968
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
24:4 The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure, 969
who does not lie, 970
or make promises with no intention of keeping them. 971
24:5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord, 972
and vindicated by the God who delivers them. 973
24:6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. 974 (Selah)
Rise up, 976 you eternal doors!
Then the majestic king 977 will enter! 978
24:8 Who is this majestic king? 979
The Lord who is strong and mighty!
The Lord who is mighty in battle!
24:9 Look up, you gates!
Rise up, you eternal doors!
Then the majestic king will enter!
24:10 Who is this majestic king?
The Lord who commands armies! 980
He is the majestic king! (Selah)
By David.
25:1 O Lord, I come before you in prayer. 982
25:2 My God, I trust in you.
Please do not let me be humiliated;
do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!
25:3 Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.
Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted 983 and humiliated.
25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!
Teach me your paths! 984
25:5 Guide me into your truth 985 and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
25:6 Remember 986 your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,
for you have always acted in this manner. 987
25:7 Do not hold against me 988 the sins of my youth 989 or my rebellious acts!
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! 990
25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; 991
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. 992
25:9 May he show 993 the humble what is right! 994
May he teach 995 the humble his way!
25:10 The Lord always proves faithful and reliable 996
to those who follow the demands of his covenant. 997
25:11 For the sake of your reputation, 998 O Lord,
forgive my sin, because it is great. 999
25:12 The Lord shows his faithful followers
the way they should live. 1000
25:13 They experience his favor; 1001
their descendants 1002 inherit the land. 1003
25:14 The Lord’s loyal followers receive his guidance, 1004
and he reveals his covenantal demands to them. 1005
25:15 I continually look to the Lord for help, 1006
for he will free my feet from the enemy’s net. 1007
25:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone 1008 and oppressed!
25:17 Deliver me from my distress; 1009
rescue me from my suffering! 1010
25:18 See my pain and suffering!
Forgive all my sins! 1011
25:19 Watch my enemies, for they outnumber me;
they hate me and want to harm me. 1012
25:20 Protect me 1013 and deliver me!
Please do not let me be humiliated,
for I have taken shelter in you!
25:21 May integrity and godliness protect me,
for I rely on you!
25:22 O God, rescue 1014 Israel
from all their distress! 1015
By David.
26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have integrity, 1017
and I trust in the Lord without wavering.
26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!
Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! 1018
26:3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, 1019
and your loyalty continually motivates me. 1020
26:4 I do not associate 1021 with deceitful men,
or consort 1022 with those who are dishonest. 1023
26:5 I hate the mob 1024 of evil men,
and do not associate 1025 with the wicked.
26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle, 1026
so I can appear before your altar, 1027 O Lord,
and to tell about all your amazing deeds. 1029
26:8 O Lord, I love the temple where you live, 1030
the place where your splendor is revealed. 1031
26:9 Do not sweep me away 1032 with sinners,
or execute me along with violent people, 1033
26:10 who are always ready to do wrong 1034
or offer a bribe. 1035
26:11 But I have integrity! 1036
Rescue me 1037 and have mercy on me!
and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.
By David.
27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! 1040
I fear no one! 1041
The Lord protects my life!
I am afraid of no one! 1042
27:2 When evil men attack me 1043
to devour my flesh, 1044
when my adversaries and enemies attack me, 1045
they stumble and fall. 1046
27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,
I do not fear. 1047
Even when war is imminent, 1048
I remain confident. 1049
27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –
this is what I desire!
I want to live 1050 in the Lord’s house 1051 all the days of my life,
so I can gaze at the splendor 1052 of the Lord
and contemplate in his temple.
27:5 He will surely 1053 give me shelter 1054 in the day of danger; 1055
he will hide me in his home; 1056
he will place me 1057 on an inaccessible rocky summit. 1058
27:6 Now I will triumph
over my enemies who surround me! 1059
I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy! 1060
I will sing praises to the Lord!
27:7 Hear me, 1061 O Lord, when I cry out!
Have mercy on me and answer me!
27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, 1062
and I do pray to you, O Lord. 1063
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You are my deliverer! 1065
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me!
27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me, 1066
the Lord would take me in. 1067
27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; 1068
lead me along a level path 1069 because of those who wait to ambush me! 1070
27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 1071
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 1072
27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? 1073
Be strong and confident! 1075
Rely on the Lord!
By David.
28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!
My protector, 1077 do not ignore me! 1078
If you do not respond to me, 1079
I will join 1080 those who are descending into the grave. 1081
28:2 Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,
when I lift my hands 1082 toward your holy temple! 1083
28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,
with those who behave wickedly, 1084
who talk so friendly to their neighbors, 1085
while they plan to harm them! 1086
28:4 Pay them back for their evil deeds!
Pay them back for what they do!
Punish them! 1087
28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,
or the way he carries out justice. 1088
The Lord 1089 will permanently demolish them. 1090
28:6 The Lord deserves praise, 1091
for he has heard my plea for mercy! 1092
28:7 The Lord strengthens and protects me; 1093
I trust in him with all my heart. 1094
I am rescued 1095 and my heart is full of joy; 1096
I will sing to him in gratitude. 1097
28:8 The Lord strengthens his people; 1098
he protects and delivers his chosen king. 1099
28:9 Deliver your people!
Empower 1100 the nation that belongs to you! 1101
Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms 1102 at all times! 1103
A psalm of David.
29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, 1105
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! 1106
29:2 Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation! 1107
Worship the Lord in holy attire! 1108
29:3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; 1109
the majestic God thunders, 1110
the Lord appears over the surging water. 1111
29:4 The Lord’s shout is powerful, 1112
the Lord’s shout is majestic. 1113
29:5 The Lord’s shout breaks 1114 the cedars,
the Lord shatters 1115 the cedars of Lebanon. 1116
29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion 1117 like a young ox. 1118
29:7 The Lord’s shout strikes 1119 with flaming fire. 1120
29:8 The Lord’s shout shakes 1121 the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 1122
29:9 The Lord’s shout bends 1123 the large trees 1124
and strips 1125 the leaves from the forests. 1126
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!” 1127
29:10 The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters, 1128
the Lord sits enthroned 1129 as the eternal king.
29:11 The Lord gives 1130 his people strength; 1131
the Lord grants his people security. 1132
A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; 1134 by David.
30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, 1135
and did not allow my enemies to gloat 1136 over me.
30:2 O Lord my God,
I cried out to you and you healed me. 1137
30:3 O Lord, you pulled me 1138 up from Sheol;
you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. 1139
30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers 1140 of his;
give thanks to his holy name. 1141
30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment,
and his good favor restores one’s life. 1142
One may experience sorrow during the night,
but joy arrives in the morning. 1143
30:6 In my self-confidence I said,
“I will never be upended.” 1144
30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. 1145
Then you rejected me 1146 and I was terrified.
30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;
I begged the Lord for mercy: 1147
30:9 “What 1148 profit is there in taking my life, 1149
in my descending into the Pit? 1150
Can the dust of the grave 1151 praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty? 1152
30:10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me!
O Lord, deliver me!” 1153
30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. 1154
30:12 So now 1155 my heart 1156 will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always 1157 give thanks to you.
For the music director; a psalm of David.
31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
Vindicate me by rescuing me! 1159
Quickly deliver me!
Be my protector and refuge, 1161
a stronghold where I can be safe! 1162
31:3 For you are my high ridge 1163 and my stronghold;
for the sake of your own reputation 1164 you lead me and guide me. 1165
31:4 You will free me 1166 from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
31:5 Into your hand I entrust my life; 1167
you will rescue 1168 me, O Lord, the faithful God.
31:6 I hate those who serve worthless idols, 1169
but I trust in the Lord.
31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,
because you notice my pain
and you are aware of how distressed I am. 1170
31:8 You do not deliver me over to the power of the enemy;
you enable me to stand 1171 in a wide open place.
31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!
My eyes grow dim 1172 from suffering. 1173
I have lost my strength. 1174
31:10 For my life nears its end in pain;
my years draw to a close as I groan. 1175
My strength fails me because of 1176 my sin,
and my bones become brittle. 1177
31:11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me; 1178
my neighbors are appalled by my suffering 1179 –
those who know me are horrified by my condition; 1180
those who see me in the street run away from me.
31:12 I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about; 1181
I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar. 1182
31:13 For I hear what so many are saying, 1183
the terrifying news that comes from every direction. 1184
When they plot together against me,
they figure out how they can take my life.
31:14 But I trust in you, O Lord!
I declare, “You are my God!”
31:15 You determine my destiny! 1185
Rescue me from the power of my enemies and those who chase me.
31:16 Smile 1186 on your servant!
Deliver me because of your faithfulness!
31:17 O Lord, do not let me be humiliated,
for I call out to you!
May evil men be humiliated!
May they go wailing to the grave! 1187
31:18 May lying lips be silenced –
lips 1188 that speak defiantly against the innocent 1189
with arrogance and contempt!
31:19 How great is your favor, 1190
which you store up for your loyal followers! 1191
In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter 1192 in you. 1193
31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks 1194 of men; 1195
you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. 1196
31:21 The Lord deserves praise 1197
for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. 1198
31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, 1199
“I am cut off from your presence!” 1200
But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers 1201 of his!
The Lord protects those who have integrity,
but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. 1202
31:24 Be strong and confident, 1203
all you who wait on the Lord!
By David; a well-written song. 1205
32:1 How blessed 1206 is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, 1207
whose sin is pardoned! 1208
32:2 How blessed is the one 1209 whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish, 1210
in whose spirit there is no deceit. 1211
32:3 When I refused to confess my sin, 1212
my whole body wasted away, 1213
while I groaned in pain all day long.
32:4 For day and night you tormented me; 1214
you tried to destroy me 1215 in the intense heat 1216 of summer. 1217 (Selah)
32:5 Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess 1218 my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins. 1219 (Selah)
32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers 1220 should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity. 1221
Certainly 1222 when the surging water 1223 rises,
it will not reach them. 1224
32:7 You are my hiding place;
you protect me from distress.
You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. 1225 (Selah)
32:8 I will instruct and teach you 1226 about how you should live. 1227
I will advise you as I look you in the eye. 1228
32:9 Do not be 1229 like an unintelligent horse or mule, 1230
which will not obey you
unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit. 1231
32:10 An evil person suffers much pain, 1232
but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him. 1233
32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! 1234
33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!
It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.
33:2 Give thanks to the Lord with the harp!
Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument!
33:3 Sing to him a new song! 1236
Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him! 1237
33:4 For 1238 the Lord’s decrees 1239 are just, 1240
and everything he does is fair. 1241
33:5 The Lord promotes 1242 equity and justice;
the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth. 1243
33:6 By the Lord’s decree 1244 the heavens were made;
by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. 1245
33:7 He piles up the water of the sea; 1246
he puts the oceans 1247 in storehouses.
33:8 Let the whole earth fear 1248 the Lord!
Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him!
33:9 For he spoke, and it 1249 came into existence,
he issued the decree, 1250 and it stood firm.
33:10 The Lord frustrates 1251 the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans 1252 of the peoples.
33:11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever;
his plans abide throughout the ages. 1253
33:12 How blessed 1254 is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession. 1255
33:13 The Lord watches 1256 from heaven;
he sees all people. 1257
33:14 From the place where he lives he looks carefully
at all the earth’s inhabitants.
33:15 He is the one who forms every human heart, 1258
and takes note of all their actions.
33:16 No king is delivered by his vast army;
a warrior is not saved by his great might.
33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; 1259
despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.
33:18 Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, 1260
those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness 1261
33:19 by saving their lives from death 1262
and sustaining them during times of famine. 1263
33:20 We 1264 wait for the Lord;
he is our deliverer 1265 and shield. 1266
33:21 For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
33:22 May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, 1267
for 1268 we wait for you.
Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. 1270
34:1 I will praise 1271 the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him. 1272
34:2 I will boast 1273 in the Lord;
let the oppressed hear and rejoice! 1274
34:3 Magnify the Lord with me!
Let’s praise 1275 his name together!
34:4 I sought the Lord’s help 1276 and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
34:5 Those who look to him for help are happy;
their faces are not ashamed. 1277
34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;
he saved him 1278 from all his troubles.
34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around
the Lord’s 1279 loyal followers 1280 and delivers them. 1281
34:8 Taste 1282 and see that the Lord is good!
How blessed 1283 is the one 1284 who takes shelter in him! 1285
34:9 Remain loyal to 1286 the Lord, you chosen people of his, 1287
for his loyal followers 1288 lack nothing!
34:10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
34:11 Come children! Listen to me!
I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. 1289
34:12 Do you want to really live? 1290
Would you love to live a long, happy life? 1291
34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words 1292
or use deceptive speech! 1293
34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right! 1294
Strive for peace and promote it! 1295
34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help. 1296
34:16 But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. 1297
34:17 The godly 1298 cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles. 1299
34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers 1300 those who are discouraged. 1301
34:19 The godly 1302 face many dangers, 1303
but the Lord saves 1304 them 1305 from each one of them.
34:20 He protects 1306 all his bones; 1307
not one of them is broken. 1308
34:21 Evil people self-destruct; 1309
those who hate the godly are punished. 1310
34:22 The Lord rescues his servants; 1311
all who take shelter in him escape punishment. 1312
By David.
35:1 O Lord, fight 1314 those who fight with me!
Attack those who attack me!
35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield, 1315
and rise up to help me!
35:3 Use your spear and lance 1316 against 1317 those who chase me!
Assure me with these words: 1318 “I am your deliverer!”
35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!
May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! 1319
35:5 May they be 1320 like wind-driven chaff,
as the Lord’s angel 1321 attacks them! 1322
35:6 May their path be 1323 dark and slippery,
as the Lord’s angel chases them!
35:7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me
and dug a pit to trap me. 1324
35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise! 1325
Let the net they hid catch them!
Let them fall into destruction! 1326
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance. 1327
35:10 With all my strength I will say, 1328
“O Lord, who can compare to you?
You rescue 1329 the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; 1330
the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” 1331
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, 1332
and falsely accuse me. 1333
35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; 1334
I am overwhelmed with sorrow. 1335
35:13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, 1336
and refrained from eating food. 1337
(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) 1338
35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. 1339
I bowed down 1340 in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. 1341
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me. 1342
They tore at me without stopping to rest. 1343
35:16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, 1344
and tried to bite me. 1345
35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? 1346
Rescue 1347 me 1348 from their destructive attacks;
guard my life 1349 from the young lions!
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 1350
I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 1351
35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason 1352 gloat 1353 over me!
Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! 1354
35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, 1355
but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. 1356
35:21 They are ready to devour me; 1357
they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” 1358
35:22 But you take notice, 1359 Lord!
O Lord, do not remain far away from me!
35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up 1360 and vindicate me! 1361
My God and Lord, defend my just cause! 1362
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat 1363 over me!
35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, 1364 “Aha! We have what we wanted!” 1365
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 1366
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 1367
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, 1368 “May the Lord be praised, 1369 for he wants his servant to be secure.” 1370
35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice, 1371
and praise you all day long. 1372
For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. 1374
36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. 1375
He does not fear God, 1376
36:2 for he is too proud
to recognize and give up his sin. 1377
36:3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;
he does not care about doing what is wise and right. 1378
36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; 1379
he does not reject what is evil. 1380
36:5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; 1381
your faithfulness to the clouds. 1382
36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, 1383
your fairness like the deepest sea;
you preserve 1384 mankind and the animal kingdom. 1385
36:7 How precious 1386 is your loyal love, O God!
The human race finds shelter under your wings. 1387
36:8 They are filled with food from your house,
and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.
36:9 For you are the one who gives
and sustains life. 1388
36:10 Extend 1389 your loyal love to your faithful followers, 1390
and vindicate 1391 the morally upright! 1392
36:11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,
or let evil men make me homeless! 1393
36:12 I can see the evildoers! They have fallen! 1394
They have been knocked down and are unable to get up! 1395
[22:1] 1 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 2 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 3 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 4 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 5 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 6 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 8 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 9 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 10 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 11 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 12 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 13 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 14 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 15 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 16 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 17 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 18 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 19 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 20 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 21 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:8] sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
[22:9] 22 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 23 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 24 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:10] sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
[22:11] 25 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 26 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 27 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 28 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 29 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 30 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 31 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 32 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 33 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 34 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 35 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 36 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 38 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 39 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 40 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 41 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 42 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 43 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 44 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 46 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 47 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 48 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 49 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 50 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 51 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 52 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 53 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:24] 55 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 56 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 57 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 59 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 60 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 61 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 62 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 63 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 64 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 65 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 66 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 67 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 68 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 69 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 70 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 71 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 72 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 73 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 74 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:1] 75 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 76 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 77 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 78 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[1:1] 79 sn Psalm 1. In this wisdom psalm the author advises his audience to reject the lifestyle of the wicked and to be loyal to God. The psalmist contrasts the destiny of the wicked with that of the righteous, emphasizing that the wicked are eventually destroyed while the godly prosper under the Lord’s protective care.
[1:1] 80 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 3; Pss 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[1:1] 81 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” (Generic “he” is employed in vv. 2-3). Since the godly man described in the psalm is representative of followers of God (note the plural form צַדִּיקִים [tsadiqim, “righteous, godly”] in vv. 5-6), one could translate the collective singular with the plural “those” both here and in vv. 2-3, where singular pronouns and verbal forms are utilized in the Hebrew text (cf. NRSV). However, here the singular form may emphasize that godly individuals are usually outnumbered by the wicked. Retaining the singular allows the translation to retain this emphasis.
[1:1] 82 tn Heb “walk in.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 1 refer in this context to characteristic behavior. The sequence “walk–stand–sit” envisions a progression from relatively casual association with the wicked to complete identification with them.
[1:1] 83 tn The Hebrew noun translated “advice” most often refers to the “counsel” or “advice” one receives from others. To “walk in the advice of the wicked” means to allow their evil advice to impact and determine one’s behavior.
[1:1] 84 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21).
[1:1] 85 tn “Pathway” here refers to the lifestyle of sinners. To “stand in the pathway of/with sinners” means to closely associate with them in their sinful behavior.
[1:1] 86 tn Here the Hebrew term מוֹשַׁב (moshav), although often translated “seat” (cf. NEB, NIV), appears to refer to the whole assembly of evildoers. The word also carries the semantic nuance “assembly” in Ps 107:32, where it is in synonymous parallelism with קָהָל (qahal, “assembly”).
[1:1] 87 tn The Hebrew word refers to arrogant individuals (Prov 21:24) who love conflict (Prov 22:10) and vociferously reject wisdom and correction (Prov 1:22; 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12). To “sit in the assembly” of such people means to completely identify with them in their proud, sinful plans and behavior.
[1:2] 88 tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead”) introduces a contrast between the sinful behavior depicted in v. 1 and the godly lifestyle described in v. 2.
[1:2] 89 tn Heb “his delight [is] in the law of the
[1:2] 90 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the characteristic behavior described here and lends support to the hyperbolic adverbial phrase “day and night.” The verb הָגָה (hagag) means “to recite quietly; to meditate” and refers metonymically to intense study and reflection.
[1:3] 92 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same characteristic force as the imperfect in the preceding verse. According to the psalmist, the one who studies and obeys God’s commands typically prospers.
[1:3] 93 tn Heb “channels of water.”
[1:3] 95 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the typical nature of the actions/states they describe.
[1:3] 96 tn Heb “in its season.”
[1:3] 97 tn Or “fade”; “wither.”
[1:3] sn The author compares the godly individual to a tree that has a rich water supply (planted by flowing streams), develops a strong root system, and is filled with leaves and fruit. The simile suggests that the godly have a continual source of life which in turn produces stability and uninterrupted prosperity.
[1:3] 98 tn Heb “and all which he does prospers”; or “and all which he does he causes to prosper.” (The simile of the tree does not extend to this line.) It is not certain if the Hiphil verbal form (יַצְלִיחַ, yatsliakh) is intransitive-exhibitive (“prospers”) or causative (“causes to prosper”) here. If the verb is intransitive, then כֹּל (kol, “all, everything”) is the subject. If the verb is causative, then the godly individual or the Lord himself is the subject and כֹּל is the object. The wording is reminiscent of Josh 1:8, where the Lord tells Joshua: “This law scroll must not leave your lips! You must memorize it day and night so you can carefully obey all that is written in it. Then you will prosper (literally, “cause your way to prosper”) and be successful.”
[1:4] 99 tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead,” cf. v. 2) introduces a contrast between the prosperity of the godly depicted in v. 3 and the destiny of the wicked described in v. 4.
[1:4] 100 tn Heb “[they are] like the chaff which [the] wind blows about.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.
[1:4] sn Wind-driven chaff. In contrast to the well-rooted and productive tree described in v. 3, the wicked are like a dried up plant that has no root system and is blown away by the wind. The simile describes the destiny of the wicked (see vv. 5-6).
[1:5] 102 tn Heb “arise in,” but the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “stand”; “endure,” as in 1 Sam 13:14 and Job 8:15. The negated Hebrew imperfect verbal form is here taken as indicating incapability or lack of potential, though one could understand the verb form as indicating what is typical (“do not withstand”) or what will happen (“will not withstand”).
[1:5] 103 tn Heb “the judgment.” The article indicates a judgment that is definite in the mind of the speaker. In the immediate context this probably does not refer to the “final judgment” described in later biblical revelation, but to a temporal/historical judgment which the author anticipates. Periodically during the OT period, God would come in judgment, removing the wicked from the scene, while preserving a godly remnant (see Gen 6-9; Ps 37; Hab 3).
[1:5] 104 tn Heb “and sinners in the assembly (or “circle”) of [the] godly.” The negative particle and verb from the preceding line are assumed by ellipsis here (“will not arise/stand”).
[1:5] sn The assembly of the godly is insulated from divine judgment (Ps 37:12-17, 28-29).
[1:6] 105 tn The translation understands כי as asseverative. Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 6 as a theological explanation for vv. 3-5, which contrasts the respective destinies of the godly and the wicked.
[1:6] 106 tn Heb “the
[1:6] 107 tn Heb “but the way of the wicked perishes.” The “way of the wicked” may refer to their course of life (Ps 146:9; Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1) or their sinful behavior (Prov 12:26; 15:9). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form probably describes here what typically happens, though one could take the form as indicating what will happen (“will perish”).
[2:1] 108 sn Psalm 2. In this royal psalm the author asserts the special status of the divinely chosen Davidic king and warns the nations and their rulers to submit to the authority of God and his chosen vice-regent.
[2:1] 109 tn The question is rhetorical. Rather than seeking information, the psalmist expresses his outrage that the nations would have the audacity to rebel against God and his chosen king.
[2:1] 110 tn The Hebrew verb רָגַשׁ (ragash) occurs only here. In Dan 6:6, 11, 15 the Aramaic cognate verb describes several officials acting as a group. A Hebrew nominal derivative is used in Ps 55:14 of a crowd of people in the temple.
[2:1] 111 tn The interrogative לָמָּה (lamah, “why?”) is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[2:1] 112 tn Or “peoples” (so many English versions).
[2:1] 113 tn The Hebrew imperfect form describes the rebellion as underway. The verb הָגָה (hagah), which means “to recite quietly, meditate,” here has the metonymic nuance “devise, plan, plot” (see Ps 38:12; Prov 24:2).
[2:1] 114 tn Heb “devising emptiness.” The noun רִיק (riq, “emptiness”) may characterize their behavior as “worthless, morally bankrupt” but more likely refers to the outcome of their plots (i.e., failure). As the rest of the psalm emphasizes, their rebellion will fail.
[2:2] 115 sn The expression kings of the earth refers somewhat hyperbolically to the kings who had been conquered by and were subject to the Davidic king.
[2:2] 116 tn Or “take their stand.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes their action as underway.
[2:2] 117 tn Or “conspire together.” The verbal form is a Niphal from יָסַד (yasad). BDB 413-14 s.v. יָסַד defines the verb as “establish, found,” but HALOT 417 s.v. II יסד proposes a homonym meaning “get together, conspire” (an alternate form of סוּד, sud).
[2:2] 118 tn Heb “and against his anointed one.” The Davidic king is the referent (see vv. 6-7).
[2:3] 119 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The quotation represents the words of the rebellious kings.
[2:3] 120 tn Heb “their (i.e., the
[2:3] 121 tn Heb “throw off from us.”
[2:4] 122 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).
[2:4] 123 tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
[2:4] 124 tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”
[2:5] 125 sn And terrifies them in his rage. This line focuses on the effect that God’s angry response (see previous line) has on the rebellious kings.
[2:5] 126 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification to indicate that the speaker is the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV).
[2:6] 127 tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”
[2:6] 128 tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”
[2:7] 129 tn The words “the king says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The speaker is the Lord’s chosen king.
[2:7] 130 tn Or “I will relate the decree. The
[2:7] 131 sn ‘You are my son!’ The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 89:26-27). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
[2:8] 132 sn I will give you the nations. The
[2:9] 133 tc The LXX reads “you will shepherd them.” This reading, quoted in the Greek text of the NT in Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15, assumes a different vocalization of the consonantal Hebrew text and understands the verb as רָעָה (ra’ah, “to shepherd”) rather than רָעָע (ra’a’, “to break”). But the presence of נָפַץ (nafats, “to smash”) in the next line strongly favors the MT vocalization.
[2:9] 134 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁבֶט (shevet) can refer to a “staff” or “rod,” but here it probably refers to the Davidic king’s royal scepter, symbolizing his sovereignty.
[2:9] 135 sn Like a potter’s jar. Before the Davidic king’s awesome power, the rebellious nations are like fragile pottery.
[2:10] 136 sn The speaker here is either the psalmist or the Davidic king, who now addresses the rebellious kings.
[2:10] 137 tn The Niphal has here a tolerative nuance; the kings are urged to submit themselves to the advice being offered.
[2:11] 138 tn The Hebrew verb translated “serve” refers here to submitting to the Lord’s sovereignty as expressed through the rule of the Davidic king. Such “service” would involve maintaining allegiance to the Davidic king by paying tribute on a regular basis.
[2:11] 139 tn Traditionally, “rejoice with trembling” (KJV). The verb גִּיל (gil) normally means “rejoice,” but this meaning does not fit well here in conjunction with “in trembling.” Some try to understand “trembling” (and the parallel יִרְאָה, yir’ah, “fear”) in the sense of “reverential awe” and then take the verbs “serve” and “rejoice” in the sense of “worship” (cf. NASB). But רְעָדָה (rÿ’adah, “trembling”) and its related terms consistently refer to utter terror and fear (see Exod 15:15; Job 4:14; Pss 48:6; 55:5; 104:32; Isa 33:14; Dan 10:11) or at least great emotional distress (Ezra 10:9). It seems more likely here that גִּיל carries its polarized meaning “mourn, lament,” as in Hos 10:5. “Mourn, lament” would then be metonymic in this context for “repent” (referring to one’s rebellious ways). On the meaning of the verb in Hos 10:5, see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea (AB), 556-57.
[2:12] 140 tn Traditionally, “kiss the son” (KJV). But בַּר (bar) is the Aramaic word for “son,” not the Hebrew. For this reason many regard the reading as suspect. Some propose emendations of vv. 11b-12a. One of the more popular proposals is to read בִּרְעָדָה נַשְּׁקוּ לְרַגְלָיו (bir’adah nashÿqu lÿraslayv, “in trembling kiss his feet”). It makes better sense to understand בַּר (bar) as an adjective meaning “pure” (see Pss 24:4; 73:1 and BDB 141 s.v. בַּר 3) functioning here in an adverbial sense. If read this way, then the syntactical structure of exhortation (imperative followed by adverbial modifier) corresponds to the two preceding lines (see v. 11). The verb נָשַׁק (nashaq, “kiss”) refers metonymically to showing homage (see 1 Sam 10:1; Hos 13:2). The exhortation in v. 12a advocates a genuine expression of allegiance and warns against insincerity. When swearing allegiance, vassal kings would sometimes do so insincerely, with the intent of rebelling when the time was right. The so-called “Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon” also warn against such an attitude. In this treaty the vassal is told: “If you, as you stand on the soil where this oath [is sworn], swear the oath with your words and lips [only], do not swear with your entire heart, do not transmit it to your sons who will live after this treaty, if you take this curse upon yourselves but do not plan to keep the treaty of Esarhaddon…may your sons and grandsons because of this fear in the future” (see J. B. Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East, 2:62).
[2:12] 141 tn Throughout the translation of this verse the third person masculine pronouns refer to the
[2:12] 142 tn The implied subject of the verb is the
[2:12] 143 tn Heb “and you will perish [in the] way.” The Hebrew word דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to their rebellious behavior (not to a pathway, as often understood). It functions syntactically as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb “perish.”
[2:12] 144 tn Or “burns.” The
[2:12] 145 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; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[2:12] 146 sn Who take shelter in him. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[3:1] 147 sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).
[3:1] 148 sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).
[3:1] 149 tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).
[3:1] 150 tn Heb “many rise up against me.”
[3:2] 151 tn Heb “there is no deliverance for him in God.”
[3:2] 152 sn The function of the Hebrew term סֶלָה (selah), transliterated here “Selah,” is uncertain. It may be a musical direction of some kind.
[3:3] 153 tn Heb “a shield round about me.”
[3:3] 154 tn Heb “my glory,” or “my honor.” The psalmist affirms that the
[3:3] 155 tn Heb “[the one who] lifts my head.” This phrase could be understood to refer to a general strengthening of the psalmist by God during difficult circumstances. However, if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase “lift the head” could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position (cf. Gen 40:13 where the same phrase is used). Like the Hebrew text, the present translation (“who restores me”) can be understood in either sense.
[3:4] 156 tn The prefixed verbal form could be an imperfect, yielding the translation “I cry out,” but the verb form in the next line (a vav [ו] consecutive with the preterite) suggests this is a brief narrative of what has already happened. Consequently the verb form in v. 4a is better understood as a preterite, “I cried out.” (For another example of the preterite of this same verb form, see Ps 30:8.) Sometime after the crisis arose, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and received an assuring answer. Now he confidently awaits the fulfillment of the divine promise.
[3:4] 157 sn His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1-2). The psalmist recognizes that the
[3:5] 158 tn The three verbal forms that appear in succession here (perfect + vav [ו] consecutive with preterite + perfect) are most naturally taken as narrational. When the psalmist received an assuring word from the
[3:5] 159 tn Or “supports”; “sustains.” In this explanatory causal clause the imperfect verbal form probably has a habitual or present progressive nuance, for the psalmist is confident of God’s continual protection (see v. 3). Another option is to take the verb as a preterite, “for the
[3:6] 160 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s continuing attitude as he faces the crisis at hand.
[3:6] 161 tn Or perhaps “troops.” The Hebrew noun עָם (’am) sometimes refers to a military contingent or army.
[3:6] 162 tn Heb “who all around take a stand against me.”
[3:7] 163 tn In v. 2 the psalmist describes his enemies as those who “confront” him (קָמִים [qamim], literally, “rise up against him”). Now, using the same verbal root (קוּם, qum) he asks the
[3:7] 164 tn Elsewhere in the psalms the particle כִּי (ki), when collocated with a perfect verbal form and subordinated to a preceding imperative directed to God, almost always has an explanatory or causal force (“for, because”) and introduces a motivating argument for why God should respond positively to the request (see Pss 5:10; 6:2; 12:1; 16:1; 41:4; 55:9; 56:1; 57:1; 60:2; 69:1; 74:20; 119:94; 123:3; 142:6; 143:8). (On three occasions the כִּי is recitative after a verb of perception [“see/know that,” see Pss 4:3; 25:19; 119:159]). If כִּי is taken as explanatory here, then the psalmist is arguing that God should deliver him now because that is what God characteristically does. However, such a motivating argument is not used in the passages cited above. The motivating argument usually focuses on the nature of the psalmist’s dilemma or the fact that he trusts in the Lord. For this reason it is unlikely that כִּי has its normal force here. Most scholars understand the particle כִּי as having an asseverative (emphasizing) function here (“indeed, yes”; NEB leaves the particle untranslated).
[3:7] 165 tn If the particle כִּי (ki) is taken as explanatory, then the perfect verbal forms in v. 7b would describe God’s characteristic behavior. However, as pointed out in the preceding note on the word “yes,” the particle probably has an asseverative force here. If so, the perfects may be taken as indicating rhetorically 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 assault on his enemies as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm, as expressed before (vv. 3-6) and after this (v. 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“Strike all my enemies on the jaw, break the teeth of the wicked”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[3:7] 166 sn The expression break the teeth may envision violent hand-to hand combat, though it is possible that the enemies are pictured here as a dangerous animal (see Job 29:17).
[3:7] 167 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
[3:8] 168 tn Heb “to the
[3:8] 169 tn Heb “upon your people [is] your blessing.” In this context God’s “blessing” includes deliverance/protection, vindication, and sustained life (see Pss 21:3, 6; 24:5).
[4:1] 170 sn Psalm 4. The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer, expresses his confidence that the Lord will intervene, and urges his enemies to change their ways and place their trust in God. He concludes with another prayer for divine intervention and again affirms his absolute confidence in God’s protection.
[4:1] 171 tn Heb “God of my righteousness.”
[4:1] 172 tn Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his 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 as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[4:1] 173 tn Or “show me favor.”
[4:2] 175 tn Heb “sons of man.”
[4:2] 176 tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”
[4:2] 177 tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[4:2] 179 tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.
[4:3] 180 tn Heb “and know that.”
[4:3] 181 tn Heb “that the
[4:4] 183 sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.
[4:4] 184 tn Heb “say in your heart(s) on your bed(s) and wail/lament.” The verb דֹמּוּ (dommu) is understood as a form of דָמָם (“wail, lament”) in sorrow and repentance. Another option is to take the verb from II דָמָם (damam, “be quiet”); cf. NIV, NRSV “be silent.”
[4:5] 185 tn Or “proper, right.” The phrase also occurs in Deut 33:19 and Ps 51:19.
[4:5] 186 sn Trust in the
[4:6] 187 tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face,
[4:6] sn Smile upon us. Though many are discouraged, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and transform the situation.
[4:7] 188 tn Heb “you place joy in my heart.” Another option is to understand the perfect verbal form as indicating certitude, “you will make me happier.”
[4:7] 189 tn Heb “from (i.e., more than) the time (when) their grain and their wine are abundant.”
[4:8] 190 tn Heb “in peace at the same time I will lie down and sleep.”
[4:8] 191 tn Heb “for you,
[5:1] 192 sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.
[5:1] 193 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).
[5:1] 195 tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.
[5:3] 196 sn In the morning is here viewed as the time of prayer (Pss 59:16; 88:13) and/or of deliverance (Ps 30:5).
[5:3] 197 tn The imperfect is here understood in a specific future sense; the psalmist is expressing his confidence that God will be willing to hear his request. Another option is to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s wish or request. In this case one could translate, “
[5:3] 199 tn Heb “I will arrange for you.” Some understand a sacrifice or offering as the implied object (cf. NEB “I set out my morning sacrifice”). The present translation assumes that the implied object is the psalmist’s case/request. See Isa 44:7.
[5:3] 200 tn Heb “and I will watch.”
[5:4] 202 tn Heb “not a God [who] delights [in] wickedness [are] you.”
[5:4] 203 tn The Hebrew text has simply the singular form רע, which may be taken as an abstract noun “evil” (the reference to “wickedness” in the preceding line favors this; cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) or as a substantival adjective “evil one” (the references to evil people in the next two verses favor this; cf. NIV “with you the wicked cannot dwell”).
[5:4] 204 tn Heb “cannot dwell as a resident alien [with] you.” The negated imperfect verbal form here indicates incapability or lack of permission. These people are morally incapable of dwelling in God’s presence and are not permitted to do so.
[5:4] sn Only the godly are allowed to dwell with the Lord. Evil people are excluded. See Ps 15.
[5:5] 205 tn Heb “before your eyes.”
[5:5] 206 sn You hate. The
[5:5] 207 tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”
[5:6] 208 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates God’s typical response to such individuals. Another option is to translate the verb as future (“You will destroy”); the psalmist may be envisioning a time of judgment when God will remove the wicked from the scene.
[5:6] 209 tn Heb “those who speak a lie.” In the OT a “lie” does not refer in a general philosophical sense to any statement that fails to correspond to reality. Instead it refers more specifically to a slanderous and/or deceitful statement that promotes one’s own selfish, sinful interests and/or exploits or harms those who are innocent. Note the emphasis on violence and deceit in the following line.
[5:6] 210 tn The imperfect verbal form highlights the
[5:6] 211 tn Heb “a man of bloodshed and deceit.” The singular אִישׁ (’ish, “man”) is used here in a collective or representative sense; thus the translation “people” is appropriate here. Note the plural forms in vv. 5-6a.
[5:7] 212 sn But as for me. By placing the first person pronoun at the beginning of the verse, the psalmist highlights the contrast between the evildoers’ actions and destiny, outlined in the preceding verses, with his own.
[5:7] 213 sn I will enter your house. The psalmist is confident that God will accept him into his presence, in contrast to the evildoers (see v. 5).
[5:7] 214 tn Heb “in fear [of] you.” The Hebrew noun יִרְאָה (yir’ah, “fear”), when used of fearing God, is sometimes used metonymically for what it ideally produces: “worship, reverence, piety.”
[5:8] 215 tn God’s providential leading is in view. His צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) includes here the deliverance that originates in his righteousness; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 842 s.v.
[5:8] 216 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 27:11; 56:2.
[5:8] 217 tn Heb “make level before me your way.” The imperative “make level” is Hiphil in the Kethib (consonantal text); Piel in the Qere (marginal reading). God’s “way” is here the way in which he leads the psalmist providentially (see the preceding line, where the psalmist asks the Lord to lead him).
[5:9] 219 tn Heb “for there is not in his mouth truthfulness.” The singular pronoun (“his”) probably refers back to the “man of bloodshed and deceit” mentioned in v. 6. The singular is collective or representative, as the plural in the next line indicates, and so has been translated “they.”
[5:9] 220 tn Heb “their inward part[s] [is] destruction.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse.
[5:9] 221 tn Heb “their throat is an open grave.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse. The metaphor is suggested by the physical resemblance of the human throat to a deeply dug grave; both are dark chasms.
[5:9] 222 tn Heb “they make smooth their tongue.” Flattering, deceitful words are in view. See Ps 12:2. The psalmist’s deceitful enemies are compared to the realm of death/Sheol in v. 9b. Sheol was envisioned as a dark region within the earth, the entrance to which was the grave with its steep slopes (cf. Ps 88:4-6). The enemies’ victims are pictured here as slipping down a steep slope (the enemies’ tongues) and falling into an open grave (their throat) that terminates in destruction in the inner recesses of Sheol (their stomach). The enemies’ קרב (“inward part”) refers here to their thoughts and motives, which are destructive in their intent. The throat is where these destructive thoughts are transformed into words, and their tongue is what they use to speak the deceitful words that lead their innocent victims to their demise.
[5:9] sn As the psalmist walks down the path in which God leads him, he asks the
[5:10] 223 tn Heb “declare/regard them as guilty.” Declaring the psalmist’s adversaries guilty is here metonymic for judging them or paying them back for their wrongdoing.
[5:10] 224 tn Heb “may they fall from their plans.” The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation. The psalmist calls judgment down on the evildoers. Their plans will be their downfall in that God will judge them for their evil schemes.
[5:10] 225 tn Or “banish them.”
[5:10] 226 tn The Hebrew noun used here, פֶּשַׁע (pesha’), refers to rebellious actions. The psalmist pictures his enemies as rebels against God (see the next line).
[5:11] 227 sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[5:11] 228 tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive of wish or prayer. The psalmist calls on God to reward his faithful followers.
[5:11] 229 tn Or perhaps more hyperbolically, “forever.”
[5:11] 230 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form is a jussive of wish or prayer.
[5:11] 231 tn Heb “put a cover over them.” The verb form is a Hiphil imperfect from סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “cover, shut off”). The imperfect expresses the psalmist’s wish or request.
[5:11] 232 tn Heb “the lovers of your name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to the Lord. See Pss 69:36; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[5:11] 233 tn The vav (ו) with prefixed verbal form following the volitional “shelter them” indicates purpose or result (“so that those…may rejoice).
[5:12] 235 tn Or “bless.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line highlight how God characteristically rewards and protects the godly.
[5:12] 236 tn Or “innocent.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense.
[5:12] 237 tn Heb “surround.” In 1 Sam 23:26 the verb describes how Saul and his men hemmed David in as they chased him.
[5:12] 238 tn Heb “him.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense and is thus translated “them.”
[5:12] 239 tn Or “with favor” (cf. NRSV). There is no preposition before the noun in the Hebrew text, nor is there a pronoun attached. “Favor” here stands by metonymy for God’s defensive actions on behalf of the one whom he finds acceptable.
[6:1] 240 sn Psalm 6. The psalmist begs the Lord to withdraw his anger and spare his life. Having received a positive response to his prayer, the psalmist then confronts his enemies and describes how they retreat.
[6:1] 241 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit, “sheminith”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.
[6:1] 242 sn The implication is that the psalmist has sinned, causing God to discipline him by bringing a life-threatening illness upon him (see vv. 2-7).
[6:2] 243 tn Or “show me favor.”
[6:2] 244 tn Normally the verb בָּהַל (bahal) refers to an emotional response and means “tremble with fear, be terrified” (see vv. 3, 10). Perhaps here the “bones” are viewed as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. However, the verb may describe one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment.
[6:3] 245 tn Heb “my being is very terrified.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[6:3] 246 tn Heb “and you,
[6:4] 247 tn Heb “my being,” or “my life.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[6:4] 248 sn Deliver me because of your faithfulness. Though the psalmist is experiencing divine discipline, he realizes that God has made a commitment to him in the past, so he appeals to God’s faithfulness in his request for help.
[6:5] 249 tn Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.
[6:5] 250 tn The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
[6:5] sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
[6:6] 251 tn Heb “I cause to swim through all the night my bed.”
[6:6] 252 tn Heb “with my tears my bed I flood/melt.”
[6:7] 253 tn The Hebrew text has the singular “eye” here.
[6:7] 254 tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”
[6:7] 255 tn Or perhaps, “grow old.”
[6:7] 256 sn In his weakened condition the psalmist is vulnerable to the taunts and threats of his enemies.
[6:8] 257 tn Heb “all [you] workers of wickedness.” See Ps 5:5.
[6:8] 258 sn The
[6:9] 259 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a preterite here; it is parallel to a perfect and refers to the fact that the
[6:10] 260 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling judgment down on his enemies.
[6:10] 261 tn Heb “and may they be very terrified.” The psalmist uses the same expression in v. 3 to describe the terror he was experiencing. Now he asks the
[7:1] 262 sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.
[7:1] 263 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.
[7:1] 264 tn Or “on account of.”
[7:1] 265 sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.
[7:1] 266 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[7:2] 267 tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew text, even though “all who chase me” in v. 1 refers to a whole group of enemies. The singular is also used in vv. 4-5, but the psalmist returns to the plural in v. 6. The singular is probably collective, emphasizing the united front that the psalmist’s enemies present. This same alternation between a collective singular and a plural referring to enemies appears in Pss 9:3, 6; 13:4; 31:4, 8; 41:6, 10-11; 42:9-10; 55:3; 64:1-2; 74:3-4; 89:22-23; 106:10-11; 143:3, 6, 9.
[7:2] 268 tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[7:2] 269 tn Heb “tearing and there is no one rescuing.” The verbal form translated “tearing” is a singular active participle.
[7:3] 270 tn Heb “if I have done this.”
[7:3] 271 tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.
[7:4] 272 tn Heb “if I have repaid the one at peace with me evil.” The form שׁוֹלְמִי (sholÿmi, “the one at peace with me”) probably refers to a close friend or ally, i.e., one with whom the psalmist has made a formal agreement. See BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלוֹם 4.a.
[7:4] 273 tn Heb “or rescued my enemy in vain.” The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive (the verb form is pseudo-cohortative; see IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3) carries on the hypothetical nuance of the perfect in the preceding line. Some regard the statement as a parenthetical assertion that the psalmist is kind to his enemies. Others define חָלַץ (khalats) as “despoil” (cf. NASB, NRSV “plundered”; NIV “robbed”), an otherwise unattested nuance for this verb. Still others emend the verb to לָחַץ (lakhats, “oppress”). Most construe the adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “emptily, vainly”) with “my enemy,” i.e., the one who is my enemy in vain.” The present translation (1) assumes an emendation of צוֹרְרִי (tsorÿriy, “my enemy”) to צוֹרְרוֹ (tsorÿro, “his [i.e., the psalmist’s ally’s] enemy”) following J. Tigay, “Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties,” JBL 89 (1970): 178-86, (2) understands the final mem (ם) on רֵיקָם as enclitic, and (3) takes רִיק (riq) as an adjective modifying “his enemy.” (For other examples of a suffixed noun followed by an attributive adjective without the article, see Pss 18:17 (“my strong enemy”), 99:3 (“your great and awesome name”) and 143:10 (“your good spirit”). The adjective רִיק occurs with the sense “lawless” in Judg 9:4; 11:3; 2 Chr 13:7. In this case the psalmist affirms that he has not wronged his ally, nor has he given aid to his ally’s enemies. Ancient Near Eastern treaties typically included such clauses, with one or both parties agreeing not to lend aid to the treaty partner’s enemies.
[7:5] 274 tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC 168 §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.
[7:5] 275 tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[7:5] 276 tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.
[7:5] 277 tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”
[7:5] 278 tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy, “my honor”) to כְבֵדִי (khÿvediy, “my liver” as the seat of life), but the term כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy) is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.
[7:6] 279 tn Heb “in your anger.”
[7:6] 280 tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to עַבְרוֹת (’avrot, “angry outbursts”) as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “rise up against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.
[7:6] 281 tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands אֵלִי (’eliy, “my God”) instead of אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”; the LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case צִוִּיתָ (tsivvita, “[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[7:7] 282 tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”
[7:7] 283 tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return”) to שֵׁבָה (shevah, “sit [in judgment]”) because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.
[7:8] 284 sn The
[7:8] 285 tn Heb “judge me, O
[7:8] 286 tn Heb “according to my blamelessness.” The imperative verb translated “vindicate” governs the second line as well.
[7:8] 287 tn The Hebrew form עָלָי (’alay) has been traditionally understood as the preposition עַל (’al, “over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”). This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see HALOT 824-25 s.v. I עַל, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:44-45, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 98.
[7:9] 288 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
[7:9] 289 tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.
[7:9] 290 tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.
[7:9] 291 tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.
[7:9] 292 tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.
[7:9] 293 tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
[7:10] 294 tn Traditionally, “my shield is upon God” (cf. NASB). As in v. 8, עַל (’al) should be understood as a divine title, here compounded with “God” (cf. NIV, “God Most High”). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:45-46. The shield metaphor pictures God as a protector against deadly attacks.
[7:10] 295 tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
[7:11] 296 tn Heb “God (the divine name אֵל [’el] is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb זֹעֵם (zo’em) means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice leads him to prepare to execute judgment as described in the following verses.
[7:12] 297 tn Heb “If he”; the referent (a person who is a sinner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The subject of the first verb is understood as the sinner who fails to repent of his ways and becomes the target of God’s judgment (vv. 9, 14-16).
[7:12] 298 tn Heb “if he does not return, his sword he sharpens.” The referent (God) of the pronominal subject of the second verb (“sharpens”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:12] 299 tn Heb “his bow he treads and prepares it.” “Treading the bow” involved stepping on one end of it in order to string it and thus prepare it for battle.
[7:13] 300 tn Heb “and for him he prepares the weapons of death.”
[7:13] 301 tn Heb “his arrows into flaming [things] he makes.”
[7:14] 302 tn Heb “and he conceives harm and gives birth to a lie.”
[7:14] sn Pregnant with wickedness…gives birth to harmful lies. The psalmist metaphorically pictures the typical sinner as a pregnant woman, who is ready to give birth to wicked, destructive schemes and actions.
[7:15] 303 tn Heb “a pit he digs and he excavates it.” Apparently the imagery of hunting is employed; the wicked sinner digs this pit to entrap and destroy his intended victim. The redundancy in the Hebrew text has been simplified in the translation.
[7:15] 304 tn The verb forms in vv. 15-16 describe the typical behavior and destiny of those who attempt to destroy others. The image of the evildoer falling into the very trap he set for his intended victim emphasizes the appropriate nature of God’s judgment.
[7:16] 305 tn Heb “his harm [i.e., the harm he conceived for others, see v. 14] returns on his head.”
[7:16] 306 tn Heb “and on his forehead his violence [i.e., the violence he intended to do to others] comes down.”
[7:17] 307 tn Heb “according to.”
[7:17] 308 tn Heb “[to] the name of the
[8:1] 309 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
[8:1] 310 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
[8:1] 311 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:1] 312 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
[8:1] 313 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:1] 314 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
[8:2] 315 tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.
[8:2] 316 tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.
[8:3] 317 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
[8:4] 318 tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.
[8:4] 319 tn Heb “remember him.”
[8:4] 320 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
[8:4] 321 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 322 tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him…”) of the preceding statement (see GKC 328 §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him….” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26-27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26-27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26-27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).
[8:5] 323 tn Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 324 sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 325 tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
[8:6] 326 tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 327 tn Heb “under his feet.”
[8:6] sn Placed everything under their authority. This verse affirms that mankind rules over God’s creation as his vice-regent. See Gen 1:26-30.
[8:7] 328 tn Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
[8:9] 330 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:9] 331 tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
[8:9] 332 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:9] 333 sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.
[9:1] 334 sn Psalm 9. The psalmist, probably speaking on behalf of Israel or Judah, praises God for delivering him from hostile nations. He celebrates God’s sovereignty and justice, and calls on others to join him in boasting of God’s greatness. Many Hebrew
[9:1] 335 tc The meaning of the Hebrew term עַלְמוּת (’almut) is uncertain. Some
[9:1] 336 tn The cohortative forms in vv. 1-2 express the psalmist’s resolve to praise God publicly.
[9:2] 337 tn Heb “[to] your name, O Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyo/) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[9:3] 338 tn Or “perish”; or “die.” The imperfect verbal forms in this line either emphasize what typically happens or describe vividly the aftermath of a recent battle in which the
[9:4] 339 tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”
[9:4] 340 tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).
[9:5] 341 tn The verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke” and in this context taken to refer to the
[9:5] 342 tn The singular form is collective (note “nations” and “their name”). In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). In this context the hostile nations who threaten Israel/Judah are in view.
[9:5] 343 tn Heb “their name you wiped out forever and ever.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 5 probably refer to a recent victory (definite past or present perfect use), although they might express what is typical (characteristic use).
[9:6] 344 tn Heb “the enemy – they have come to an end [in] ruins permanently.” The singular form אוֹיֵב (’oyev, “enemy”) is collective. It is placed at the beginning of the verse to heighten the contrast with יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[9:6] 345 tn Heb “you uprooted cities.”
[9:6] 346 tn Heb “it has perished, their remembrance, they.” The independent pronoun at the end of the line is in apposition to the preceding pronominal suffix and lends emphasis (see IBHS 299 §16.3.4). The referent of the masculine pronoun is the nations/enemies (cf. v. 5), not the cities (the Hebrew noun עָרִים [’arim, “cities”] is grammatically feminine). This has been specified in the present translation for clarity; many modern translations retain the pronoun “them,” resulting in ambiguity (cf. NRSV “their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished”).
[9:7] 347 tn The construction vav (ו) + subject highlights the contrast between the exalted
[9:7] 348 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, see v. 4). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[9:7] 349 tn Heb “he establishes for justice his throne.”
[9:8] 350 tn Heb “the peoples.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 8 either describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).
[9:9] 351 tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.
[9:9] 352 tn Heb “and the
[9:9] 353 tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).
[9:10] 354 tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the
[9:10] 355 tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”
[9:11] 356 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, and therefore ruling – see v. 4). Another option is to translate as “lives” or “dwells.”
[9:11] 357 tn Heb “declare among the nations his deeds.”
[9:12] 358 tn Heb “for the one who seeks shed blood remembered them.” The idiomatic expression “to seek shed blood” seems to carry the idea “to seek payment/restitution for one’s shed blood.” The plural form דָּמִים (damim, “shed blood”) occurs only here as the object of דָּרַשׁ (darash); the singular form דָּם (dam, “blood”) appears with the verb in Gen 9:5; 42:22; Ezek 33:6. “Them,” the pronominal object of the verb “remembered,” refers to the oppressed, mentioned specifically in the next line, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:12] 359 tn Heb “did not forget.”
[9:12] 360 tn Heb “the cry for help of the oppressed.” In this context the “oppressed” are the psalmist and those he represents, whom the hostile nations have threatened.
[9:13] 361 tn The words “when they prayed,” though not represented in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarification. The petition in vv. 13-14 is best understood as the cry for help which the oppressed offered to God when the nations threatened. The
[9:13] 362 tn Or “show me favor.”
[9:13] 363 tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”
[9:13] 364 tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”
[9:14] 365 tn Or “so that I might.”
[9:14] 366 tn Heb “all your praise.” “Praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt it.
[9:14] 367 sn Daughter Zion is an idiomatic title for Jerusalem. It appears frequently in the prophets, but only here in the psalms.
[9:14] 368 tn Heb “in your deliverance.”
[9:15] 369 tn Heb “sank down.”
[9:15] 370 sn The hostility of the nations against God’s people is their downfall, for it prompts God to intervene and destroy them. See also Ps 7:15-16.
[9:16] 371 tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).
[9:16] 372 tn This is probably a technical musical term.
[9:17] 373 tn Heb “the wicked turn back to Sheol.” The imperfect verbal form either emphasizes what typically happens or describes vividly the aftermath of the
[9:17] 374 tn The words “this is the destiny of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The verb “are turned back” is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[9:17] 375 tn Heb “forget.” “Forgetting God” refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see also Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 44:20). The nations’ refusal to acknowledge God’s sovereignty accounts for their brazen attempt to attack and destroy his people.
[9:18] 377 tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.
[9:19] 378 sn Rise up,
[9:20] 380 tn Heb “place,
[9:20] 381 tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).
[10:1] 382 sn Psalm 10. Many Hebrew
[10:1] 383 tn Heb “you hide for times in trouble.” The interrogative “why” is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The Hiphil verbal form “hide” has no expressed object. Some supply “your eyes” by ellipsis (see BDB 761 s.v. I עָלַם Hiph and HALOT 835 s.v. I עלם hif) or emend the form to a Niphal (“you hide yourself,” see BHS, note c; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[10:2] 384 tn Heb “because of the pride of [the] wicked he burns [i.e. hotly pursues] [the] oppressed.” The singular forms רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) and עָנִי (’aniy, “oppressed”) are collective and representative, as indicated in the next line, which uses plural verb forms to describe the actions of both.
[10:2] 385 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 describe either what typically happens (from the psalmist’s perspective) or what the psalmist was experiencing at the time he offered this prayer.
[10:2] 386 tn Heb “they are trapped in the schemes which they have thought up.” The referents of the two pronominal suffixes on the verbs have been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent of the first suffix (“they”) is taken as the oppressed, while the referent of the second (“they”) is taken to be the wicked (cf. NIV, which renders “wicked” in the previous line as a collective singular). Others take the referent of both occurrences of “they” in the line to be the wicked (cf. NRSV, “let them be caught in the schemes they have devised”).
[10:3] 387 tn The translation assumes כִּי (ki) is asseverative: “indeed, certainly.” Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 3 as giving the reason why the wicked so arrogantly seek to destroy the helpless (so NASB, NRSV).
[10:3] 388 tn The representative or typical evildoer is described in vv. 3-11, 13, 15. Since the singular form predominates in these verses, it has been retained in the translation.
[10:3] 389 tn Heb “the wicked [one] boasts on account of the desire of his appetite.” The translation assumes that the preposition עַל (’al) introduces the reason why the wicked boasts (cf. this use of עַל with הָלַל (halal) in Ps 119:164 and Ezra 3:11). In this case, the “desire of his appetite” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired.
[10:3] 390 tn The translation assumes the active participle is substantival, referring to the wicked man mentioned in the preceding line. The substantival participle is then understood as the subject of the following verbs. For other examples of the participle of בָּצַע (batsar) used of those who desire and/or acquire wealth through dishonest and/or violent means, see Prov 1:19; 15:27; Jer 6:13; 8:10; Hab 2:9.
[10:3] 391 tn The verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) normally means “to bless,” but in a few cases it exhibits the polarized meaning “to curse” (1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Job 1:5-11; 2:5-9). (Some regard this use of בָּרַךְ as a mere euphemism.) The verb refers to the act of pronouncing or calling down a formal curse upon the object of one’s anger.
[10:3] 392 tn The conjunction “and” is supplied in the translation; it does not appear in the Hebrew text.
[10:3] 393 tn Another option is to translate, “he blesses one who robs others, [but] he curses the
[10:4] 394 tn Heb “the wicked [one], according to the height of his nose, he does not seek, there is no God, all his thoughts.” The phrase “height of his nose” probably refers to an arrogant or snooty attitude; it likely pictures one with his nose turned upward toward the sky in pride. One could take the “wicked” as the subject of the negated verb “seek,” in which case the point is that the wicked do not “seek” God. The translation assumes that this statement, along with “there is no God,” is what the wicked man thinks to himself. In this case God is the subject of the verb “seek,” and the point is that God will not hold the wicked man accountable for his actions. Verse 13 strongly favors this interpretation. The statement “there is no God” is 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 v. 11).
[10:5] 395 tn Heb “they are firm, his ways, at every time.” The verb חַיִל (khayil, “be firm, be strong”) occurs only here and in Job 20:21, where it has the sense “endure.”
[10:5] 396 tc Heb “[on a] height, your judgments from before him.” If the MT is retained, then the idea may be that God’s “judgments” are high above (i.e., not recognized) by the wicked man. However, the syntax is awkward. The translation assumes an emendation of מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) to סָרוּ (saru, “[your judgments] are turned aside”), the final mem (ם) being dittographic (note the initial mem on the immediately following word [מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, mishÿfatekha, “your judgments”). “Judgments” probably refers here to God’s laws or commands, rather than his judicial decisions or acts of judgment.
[10:5] 397 tn Heb “all his enemies, he snorts against them.” This may picture the wicked man defiantly challenging his enemies because he is confident of success. Another option is to take יָפִיחַ (yafiakh) from the root יָפַח (yafakh, “to testify”) and translate “he testifies against all his enemies,” implying that he gets the upper hand over them in legal battles. The noun יָפֵחַ (yafeakh, “witness”) is attested in biblical Hebrew (see Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3). The verb, however, is not clearly attested.
[10:6] 398 tn Heb “he says in his heart/mind.”
[10:6] 399 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.” The traditional accentuation of the MT understands these words with the following line.
[10:6] 400 tn Heb “who, not in calamity.” If אֲשֶׁר (’asher) is taken as a relative pronoun here, then one could translate, “[I] who [am] not in calamity.” Some emend אֲשֶׁר to אֹשֶׁר (’osher, “happiness”; see HALOT 99 s.v. אֹשֶׁר); one might then translate, “[I live in] happiness, not in calamity.” The present translation assumes that אֲשֶׁר functions here as a causal conjunction, “because, for.” For this use of אֲשֶׁר, see BDB 83 s.v. אֲשֶׁר 8.c (where the present text is not cited).
[10:7] 401 tn Heb “[with] a curse his mouth is full, and lies and injury.”
[10:7] 402 tn Heb “under his tongue are destruction and wickedness.” The words translated “destruction and wickedness” are also paired in Ps 90:10. They also appear in proximity in Pss 7:14 and 55:10.
[10:8] 403 tn Heb “he sits in the ambush of the villages.”
[10:8] 404 tn Heb “his eyes for an unfortunate person lie hidden.” The language may picture a lion (see v. 9) peering out from its hiding place in anticipation that an unsuspecting victim will soon come strolling along.
[10:9] 405 tn Or “in its den.”
[10:9] 406 tn The verb, which also appears in the next line, occurs only here and in Judg 21:21.
[10:9] 407 tn The singular form is collective (see v. 10) or refers to the typical or representative oppressed individual.
[10:9] 408 tn Or “when he [i.e., the wicked man] pulls in his net.”
[10:9] sn The background of the imagery is hunting, where the hunter uses a net to entrap an unsuspecting bird or wild animal.
[10:10] 409 tn Heb “he crushes, he is bowed down, and he falls into his strong [ones], [the] unfortunate [ones].” This verse presents several lexical and syntactical difficulties. The first word (יִדְכֶּה, yidekeh) is an otherwise unattested Qal form of the verb דָּכָה (dakhah, “crush”). (The Qere [marginal] form is imperfect; the consonantal text [Kethib] has the perfect with a prefixed conjunction vav [ו].) If the wicked man’s victim is the subject, which seems to be the case (note the two verbs which follow), then the form should be emended to a Niphal (יִדָּכֶה, yiddakheh). The phrase בַּעֲצוּמָיו (ba’atsumayv, “into his strong [ones]”), poses interpretive problems. The preposition -בְּ (bet) follows the verb נָפַל (nafal, “fall”), so it may very well carry the nuance “into” here, with “his strong [ones]” then referring to something into which the oppressed individual falls. Since a net is mentioned in the preceding verse as the instrument used to entrap the victim, it is possible that “strong [ones]” here refers metonymically to the wicked man’s nets or traps. Ps 35:8 refers to a man falling into a net (רֶשֶׁת, reshet), as does Ps 141:10 (where the plural of מִכְמָר [mikhmar, “net”] is used). A hunter’s net (רֶשֶׁת), is associated with snares (פַּח [pakh], מֹקְשִׁים, [moqÿshim]) and ropes (חֲבָלִים, khavalim) in Ps 140:5. The final word in the verse (חֶלְכָּאִים (khelka’im, “unfortunate [ones]”) may be an alternate form of חֵלְכָח (khelkhakh, “unfortunate [one]”; see vv. 8, 14). The Qere (marginal reading) divides the form into two words, חֵיל כָּאִים (khel ka’im, “army/host of disheartened [ones]”). The three verb forms in v. 10 are singular because the representative “oppressed” individual is the grammatical subject (see the singular עָנִי [’aniy] in v. 9).
[10:11] 410 tn Heb “he says in his heart.” See v. 6.
[10:11] 411 tn Heb “God forgets, he hides his face, he never sees.”
[10:12] 412 sn Rise up, O
[10:12] 413 tn Heb “lift up your hand.” Usually the expression “lifting the hand” refers to praying (Pss 28:2; 134:2) or making an oath (Ps 106:26), but here it probably refers to “striking a blow” (see 2 Sam 18:28; 20:21). Note v. 15, where the psalmist asks the
[10:13] 414 tn The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s outrage that the wicked would have the audacity to disdain God.
[10:13] 415 tn Heb “he says in his heart” (see vv. 6, 11). Another option is to understand an ellipsis of the interrogative particle here (cf. the preceding line), “Why does he say in his heart?”
[10:13] 416 tn Here the wicked man addresses God directly.
[10:13] 417 tn Heb “you will not seek.” The verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as generalizing about what is typical and translate, “you do not hold [people] accountable.”
[10:14] 418 tn Heb “you see.” One could translate the perfect as generalizing, “you do take notice.”
[10:14] 419 tn If the preceding perfect is taken as generalizing, then one might understand כִּי (ki) as asseverative: “indeed, certainly.”
[10:14] 420 tn Here the imperfect emphasizes God’s typical behavior.
[10:14] 421 tn Heb “destruction and suffering,” which here refers metonymically to the wicked, who dish out pain and suffering to their victims.
[10:14] 422 tn Heb “to give into your hand, upon you, he abandons, [the] unfortunate [one].” The syntax is awkward and the meaning unclear. It is uncertain who or what is being given into God’s hand. Elsewhere the idiom “give into the hand” means to deliver into one’s possession. If “to give” goes with what precedes (as the accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests), then this may refer to the wicked man being delivered over to God for judgment. The present translation assumes that “to give” goes with what follows (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). The verb יַעֲזֹב (ya’azov) here has the nuance “entrust” (see Gen 39:6; Job 39:11); the direct object (“[his] cause”) is implied.
[10:14] 424 tn Heb “[for] one who is fatherless, you are a deliverer.” The noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9).
[10:14] sn The fatherless. Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 68:5; 82:3; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
[10:15] 425 sn The arm symbolizes the strength of the wicked, which they use to oppress and exploit the weak.
[10:15] 426 tn Heb “you seek his wickedness.” As in v. 13, the verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as describing a fact, “you hold him accountable,” or as anticipating divine judgment, “you will hold him accountable.” However, since the verb is in apparent parallelism with the preceding imperative (“break”), it is better to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s desire or request.
[10:15] 427 tn Heb “you will not find.” It is uncertain how this statement relates to what precedes. Some take בַל (bal), which is used as a negative particle in vv. 4, 6, 11, 18, as asseverative here, “Indeed find (i.e., judge his wickedness).” The translation assumes that the final words are an asyndetic relative clause which refers back to what the wicked man boasted in God’s face (“you will not find [i.e., my wickedness]”). See v. 13.
[10:16] 428 tn Heb “the
[10:16] 429 tn Or “the nations perish from his land.” The perfect verb form may express what is typical or it may express rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude that God’s deliverance is “as good as done.”
[10:16] sn The nations may be the underlying reality behind the psalmist’s references to the “wicked” in the earlier verses. This reference to the nations may have motivated the combining of Ps 10 with Ps 9 (see Ps 9:5, 15, 19).
[10:17] 430 sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.
[10:17] 432 tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”
[10:18] 433 tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”
[10:18] 434 tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.
[10:18] 435 tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.
[11:1] 436 sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.
[11:1] 437 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[11:1] 438 tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[11:1] 439 tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.
[11:2] 440 tn In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and threaten his people (Ps 3:8).
[11:2] 441 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form depicts the enemies’ hostile action as underway.
[11:2] 443 sn In the darkness. The enemies’ attack, the precise form of which is not indicated, is compared here to a night ambush by archers; the psalmist is defenseless against this deadly attack.
[11:2] 444 tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
[11:3] 445 tn The precise meaning of this rare word is uncertain. An Ugaritic cognate is used of the “bottom” or “base” of a cliff or mountain (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47, 159). The noun appears in postbiblical Hebrew with the meaning “foundation” (see Jastrow 1636 s.v. שָׁת).
[11:3] 446 tn The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form “pure [of heart]” in the previous verse.
[11:3] 447 sn The quotation of the advisers’ words (which begins in 11:1c) ends at this point. They advise the psalmist to flee because the enemy is poised to launch a deadly attack. In such a lawless and chaotic situation godly people like the psalmist can accomplish nothing, so they might as well retreat to a safe place.
[11:4] 448 tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The
[11:4] 449 sn The
[11:4] 450 sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.
[11:4] 451 tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the
[11:4] 453 tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.
[11:4] 454 tn Heb “test the sons of men.”
[11:5] 455 tn Heb “examines,” the same verb used in v. 4b. But here it is used in a metonymic sense of “examine and approve” (see Jer 20:12).
[11:5] 456 tn The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form “pure (of heart)” in v. 2.
[11:5] 457 tn Heb “his [very] being.” A נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, soul”) is also attributed to the Lord in Isa 1:14, where a suffixed form of the noun appears as the subject of the verb “hate.” Both there and here the term is used of the seat of one’s emotions and passions.
[11:5] 458 sn He hates the wicked. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds, and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 5:5.
[11:5] 459 tn Heb “the wicked [one] and the lover of violence.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked [ones]”) in vv. 2 and 6.
[11:6] 460 tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the
[11:6] 461 tc The MT reads “traps, fire, and brimstone,” but the image of God raining traps, or snares, down from the sky is bizarre and does not fit the fire and storm imagery of this verse. The noun פַּחִים (pakhim, “traps, snares”) should be emended to פַּחֲמֵי (pakhamey, “coals of [fire]”). The rare noun פֶּחָם (pekham, “coal”) occurs in Prov 26:21 and Isa 44:12; 54:16.
[11:6] 462 sn The image of God “raining down” brimstone on the objects of his judgment also appears in Gen 19:24 and Ezek 38:22.
[11:6] 463 tn Heb “[may] a wind of rage [be] the portion of their cup.” The precise meaning of the rare noun זִלְעָפוֹת (zil’afot) is uncertain. It may mean “raging heat” (BDB 273 s.v. זַלְעָפָה) or simply “rage” (HALOT 272 s.v. זַלְעָפָה). If one understands the former sense, then one might translate “hot wind” (cf. NEB, NRSV). The present translation assumes the latter nuance, “a wind of rage” (the genitive is attributive) referring to a “whirlwind” symbolic of destructive judgment. In this mixed metaphor, judgment is also compared to an allotted portion of a beverage poured into one’s drinking cup (see Hab 2:15-16).
[11:7] 466 tn Heb “he loves righteous deeds.” The “righteous deeds” are probably those done by godly people (see v. 5). The Lord “loves” such deeds in the sense that he rewards them. Another option is to take צְדָקוֹת (tsÿdaqot) as referring to God’s acts of justice (see Ps 103:6). In this case one could translate, “he loves to do just deeds.”
[11:7] 467 tn Heb “the upright will see his face.” The singular subject (“upright”) does not agree with the plural verb. However, collective singular nouns can be construed with a plural predicate (see GKC 462 §145.b). Another possibility is that the plural verb יֶחֱזוּ (yekhezu) is a corruption of an original singular form. To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 17:15 and Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזָה (khazah), is used]). On the form פָנֵימוֹ (fanemo, “his face”) see GKC 300-301 §103.b, n. 3.
[12:1] 468 sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.
[12:1] 469 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.
[12:1] 470 tn The singular form is collective or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[12:1] 471 tn Or “have come to an end.”
[12:1] 472 tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”
[12:1] 473 tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”
[12:2] 474 tn Heb “falsehood they speak, a man with his neighbor.” The imperfect verb forms in v. 2 describe what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
[12:2] 475 tn Heb “[with] a lip of smoothness, with a heart and a heart they speak.” Speaking a “smooth” word refers to deceptive flattery (cf. Ps 5:9; 55:21; Prov 2:16; 5:3; 7:5, 21; 26:28; 28:23; Isa 30:10). “Heart” here refers to their mind, from which their motives and intentions originate. The repetition of the noun indicates diversity (see GKC 396 §123.f, IBHS 116 §7.2.3c, and Deut 25:13, where the phrase “weight and a weight” refers to two different measuring weights). These people have two different types of “hearts.” Their flattering words seem to express kind motives and intentions, but this outward display does not really reflect their true motives. Their real “heart” is filled with evil thoughts and destructive intentions. The “heart” that is seemingly displayed through their words is far different from the real “heart” they keep disguised. (For the idea see Ps 28:3.) In 1 Chr 12:33 the phrase “without a heart and a heart” means “undivided loyalty.”
[12:3] 476 tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the
[12:3] 477 tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”
[12:4] 478 tn Heb “which say.” The plural verb after the relative pronoun indicates a plural antecedent for the pronoun, probably “lips” in v. 3.
[12:4] 479 tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to accomplish their purposes. The preposition -לְ (l) prefixed to “our tongue” may be dittographic.
[12:4] 480 tn Heb “our lips [are] with us.” This odd expression probably means, “our lips are in our power,” in the sense that they say what they want, whether it be flattery or boasting. For other cases where אֵת (’et, “with”) has the sense “in the power of,” see Ps 38:10 and other texts listed by BDB 86 s.v. 3.a.
[12:4] 481 sn The rhetorical question expresses the arrogant attitude of these people. As far as they are concerned, they are answerable to no one for how they speak.
[12:5] 482 tn The term translated “oppressed” is an objective genitive; the oppressed are the recipients/victims of violence.
[12:5] 483 tn Elsewhere in the psalms this noun is used of the painful groans of prisoners awaiting death (79:11; 102:20). The related verb is used of the painful groaning of those wounded in combat (Jer 51:52; Ezek 26:15) and of the mournful sighing of those in grief (Ezek 9:4; 24:17).
[12:5] 484 tn Heb “I will rise up.”
[12:5] 485 tn Heb “I will place in deliverance, he pants for it.” The final two words in Hebrew (יָפִיחַ לוֹ, yafiakh lo) comprise an asyndetic relative clause, “the one who pants for it.” “The one who pants” is the object of the verb “place” and the antecedent of the pronominal suffix (in the phrase “for it”) is “deliverance.” Another option is to translate, “I will place in deliverance the witness for him,” repointing יָפִיחַ (a Hiphil imperfect from פּוּחַ, puakh, “pant”) as יָפֵחַ (yafeakh), a noun meaning “witness.” In this case the
[12:6] 486 tn Heb “the words of the
[12:6] 487 tn Heb “[like] silver purified in a furnace of [i.e., “on”] the ground, refined seven times.” The singular participle מְזֻקָּק (mÿzuqqaq, “refined”) modifies “silver.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of שִׁבְעָתָיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”), see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.
[12:7] 488 tn The third person plural pronominal suffix on the verb is masculine, referring back to the “oppressed” and “needy” in v. 5 (both of those nouns are plural in form), suggesting that the verb means “protect” here. The suffix does not refer to אִמֲרוֹת (’imarot, “words”) in v. 6, because that term is feminine gender.
[12:7] 489 tn Heb “you will protect him from this generation permanently.” The third masculine singular suffix on the verb “protect” is probably used in a distributive sense, referring to each one within the group mentioned previously (the oppressed/needy, referred to as “them” in the preceding line). On this grammatical point see GKC 396 §123.f (where the present text is not cited). (Some Hebrew
[12:8] 490 tn Heb “the wicked walk all around.” One could translate v. 8a as an independent clause, in which case it would be a concluding observation in proverbial style. The present translation assumes that v. 8a is a subordinate explanatory clause, or perhaps a subordinate temporal clause (“while the wicked walk all around”). The adverb סָבִיב (saviv, “around”), in combination with the Hitpael form of the verb “walk” (which indicates repeated action), pictures the wicked as ubiquitous. They have seemingly overrun society.
[12:8] 491 tn Heb “when evil is lifted up by the sons of man.” The abstract noun זֻלּוּת (zulut, “evil”) occurs only here. On the basis of evidence from the cognate languages (see HALOT 272 s.v.), one might propose the meaning “base character,” or “morally foolish behavior.”
[13:1] 492 sn Psalm 13. The psalmist, who is close to death, desperately pleads for God’s deliverance and affirms his trust in God’s faithfulness.
[13:1] 493 tn Heb “will you forget me continually.”
[13:1] 494 tn Heb “will you hide your face from me.”
[13:2] 495 tn Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”
[13:2] 496 tn Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”
[13:2] 497 tn Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”
[13:3] 499 tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good.
[13:3] 500 tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”
[13:5] 503 tn The grammatical construction used here (conjunction with independent pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s defeated condition envisioned in v. 4 and confident attitude he displays in v. 5.
[13:5] 504 tn Heb “may my heart rejoice in your deliverance.” The verb form is jussive. Having expressed his trust in God’s faithful character and promises, the psalmist prays that his confidence will prove to be well-placed. “Heart” is used here of the seat of the emotions.
[13:6] 505 tn The verb form is cohortative, indicating the psalmist’s resolve (or vow) to praise the
[13:6] 506 tn Or “for he will have vindicated me.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here. The idiom גָמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
[14:1] 507 sn Psalm 14. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.
[14:1] 508 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
[14:1] 509 sn “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
[14:1] 510 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” 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.
[14:1] 511 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[14:2] 512 sn The picture of the
[14:2] 513 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
[14:2] 514 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
[14:2] 515 sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
[14:3] 516 tn Heb “everyone turns aside.”
[14:3] 517 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[14:3] 518 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[14:4] 519 tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8.
[14:4] 520 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question (rendered in the translation as a positive affirmation) 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. 5-7).
[14:5] 521 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.
[14:5] 522 tn Heb “for God is with a godly generation.” The Hebrew noun דּוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the general class of people who are characterized by godliness. See BDB 190 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.
[14:6] 523 tn Heb “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame.” Using a second person plural verb form, the psalmist addresses the wicked. Since the context indicates their attempt to harm the godly will be thwarted, the imperfect should be taken in a subjunctive (cf. NASB, NRSV) rather than an indicative manner (cf. NIV). Here it probably expresses their desire or intent (“want to humiliate”).
[14:6] 524 tn It is unlikely that כִּי (ki) has a causal force here. The translation assumes a concessive force; another option is to understand an asseverative use (“certainly, indeed”).
[14:6] 525 tn Heb “his.” The antecedent of the singular pronoun is the singular form עָנִי (’ani, “oppressed”) in the preceding line. The singular is collective or representative here (and thus translated as plural, “they”).
[14:7] 526 sn The deliverance of Israel. This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
[14:7] 527 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
[14:7] 528 tn The verb form is jussive.
[14:7] 529 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
[15:1] 530 sn Psalm 15. This psalm describes the character qualities that one must possess to be allowed access to the divine presence.
[15:1] 531 tn Heb “Who may live as a resident alien in your tent?”
[15:1] 532 sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.
[15:2] 533 tn Heb “one who walks blamelessly.”
[15:2] 534 tn Heb “one who speaks truth in his heart”; or “one who speaks truth [that is] in his heart.” This apparently refers to formulating a truthful statement in one’s mind and then honestly revealing that statement in one’s speech.
[15:3] 535 sn Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age.
[15:3] 536 tn Heb “he does not slander upon his tongue.” For another example of רָגַל (ragal, “slander”) see 2 Sam 19:28.
[15:3] 537 tn Or “his fellow.”
[15:3] 538 tn Heb “and he does not lift up an insult against one who is near to him.”
[15:4] 539 tn Heb “despised in his eyes [is] a rejected [one].” The Hebrew term נִמְאָס (nim’as, “rejected [one]”) apparently refers here to one who has been rejected by God because of his godless behavior. It stands in contrast to “those who fear God” in the following line.
[15:4] 540 tn Heb “those who fear the
[15:4] 541 tn Heb “he takes an oath to do harm and does not change.” The phrase “to do harm” cannot mean “do harm to others,” for the preceding verse clearly characterizes this individual as one who does not harm others. In this context the phrase must refer to an oath to which a self-imprecation is attached. The godly individual takes his commitments to others so seriously he is willing to “swear to his own hurt.” For an example of such an oath, see Ruth 1:16-17.
[15:5] 542 sn He does not charge interest. Such an individual is truly generous, and not simply concerned with making a profit.
[15:5] 543 tn Heb “a bribe against the innocent he does not take.” For other texts condemning the practice of a judge or witness taking a bribe, see Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19; 27:25; 1 Sam 8:3; Ezek 22:12; Prov 17:23.
[15:5] 544 tn Heb “does these things.”
[16:1] 545 sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.
[16:1] 546 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[16:1] 547 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).
[16:1] sn Taken shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[16:2] 548 tn Heb “my good [is] not beyond you.” For the use of the preposition עַל (’al) in the sense of “beyond,” see BDB 755 s.v. 2.
[16:3] 549 tn Heb “regarding the holy ones who [are] in the land, they; and the mighty [ones] in [whom is/was] all my desire.” The difficult syntax makes the meaning of the verse uncertain. The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s angelic assembly (see Ps 89:5, 7), but the qualifying clause “who are in the land” suggests that here it refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3).
[16:4] 550 tn Heb “their troubles multiply, another, they pay a dowry.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The Hebrew term עַצְּבוֹתָם (’atsÿvotam, “troubles”) appears to be a plural form of עַצֶּבֶת (’atsÿvet, “pain, wound”; see Job 9:28; Ps 147:3). Because idolatry appears to be in view (see v. 4b), some prefer to emend the noun to עַצְּבִים (’atsÿvim, “idols”). “Troubles” may be a wordplay on “idols” or a later alteration designed to emphasize that idolatry leads to trouble. The singular form אחר (“another”) is syntactically problematic here. Perhaps the form should be emended to a plural אֲחֵרִים (’akherim, “others”). (The final mem [ם] could have been lost by haplography; note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the next word.) In this case it might be taken as an abbreviated form of the well-attested phrase אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים (’elohim ’akherim, “other gods”). (In Isa 42:8 the singular form אַחַר (’akher, “another”) is used of another god.) The verb מָהַר (mahar) appears in the Qal stem; the only other use of a Qal verbal form of a root מָהַר is in Exod 22:15, where the denominative verb מָהֹר (mahor, “purchase [a wife]”) appears; cf. the related noun מֹהַר (mohar, “bride money, purchase price for a wife”). If that verb is understood here, then the idolaters are pictured as eager bridegrooms paying the price to acquire the object of their desire. Another option is to emend the verb to a Piel and translate, “hurry (after).”
[16:4] 551 tn Heb “I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood.” The third masculine plural suffix would appear to refer back to the people/leaders mentioned in v. 3. However, if we emend אֲחֵר (’akher, “another”) to the plural אֲחֵרִים (’akherim, “other [gods]”) in v. 4, the suffix can be understood as referring to these gods – “the drink offerings [made to] them.” The next line favors this interpretation. Perhaps this refers to some type of pagan cultic ritual. Elsewhere wine is the prescribed content of drink offerings.
[16:4] 552 tn Heb “and I will not lift up their names upon my lips.” The expression “lift up the name” probably refers here to swearing an oath in the name of deity (see Exod 20:7; Deut 5:11). If so, the third masculine plural suffix on “names” likely refers to the pagan gods, not the people/leaders. See the preceding note.
[16:5] 553 tn Heb “O
[16:5] 554 tc Heb “you take hold of my lot.” The form תּוֹמִיךְ (tomikh) should be emended to a participle, תוֹמֵךְ (tomekh). The psalmist pictures the
[16:6] 555 tn Heb “measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant [places]; yes, property [or “an inheritance”] is beautiful for me.” On the dative use of עַל, see BDB 758 s.v. II.8. Extending the metaphor used in v. 5, the psalmist compares the divine blessings he has received to a rich, beautiful tract of land that one might receive by allotment or inheritance.
[16:7] 556 tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”
[16:7] 558 tn Or “counsels, advises.”
[16:7] 559 tn Heb “yes, [during] nights my kidneys instruct [or “correct”] me.” The “kidneys” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s moral character (see Ps 26:2). In the quiet darkness the
[16:8] 560 tn Heb “I set the
[16:9] 561 tn Heb “my glory is happy.” Some view the Hebrew term כְּבוֹדִי (kÿvodiy, “my glory”) 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 30:12; 57:9; 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.”
[16:9] 562 tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.
[16:10] 563 tn Or “my life.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[16:10] 564 sn In ancient Israelite cosmology Sheol is the realm of the dead, viewed as being under the earth’s surface. See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 165-76.
[16:10] 565 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד [khasid], traditionally rendered “holy one”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10). The psalmist here refers to himself, as the parallel line (“You will not abandon me to Sheol”) indicates.
[16:10] 566 tn That is, “experience.” The psalmist is confident that the Lord will protect him in his present crisis (see v. 1) and prevent him from dying.
[16:10] sn According to Peter, the words of Ps 16:8-11 are applicable to Jesus (Acts 2:25-29). Peter goes on to argue that David, being a prophet, foresaw future events and spoke of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:30-33). Paul seems to concur with Peter in this understanding (see Acts 13:35-37). For a discussion of the NT application of these verses to Jesus’ resurrection, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 292-95.
[16:10] 567 tn The Hebrew word שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 30:9; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4). Note the parallelism with the previous line.
[16:11] 568 tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”
[16:11] 569 tn This is a metaphorical way of saying, “you preserve my life.” The phrase “path of life” stands in contrast to death/Sheol in Prov 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 15:24.
[16:11] 570 tn Heb “abundance of joy [is] with your face.” The plural form of the noun שִׂמְחָה (simkhah, “joy”) occurs only here and in Ps 45:15. It may emphasize the degree of joy experienced.
[16:11] 571 tn Heb “delight [is] in your right hand forever.” The plural form of the adjective נָעִים (na’im, “pleasant, delightful”) may here emphasize the degree of delight experienced (see Job 36:11).
[17:1] 572 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
[17:1] 573 tn Heb “hear,
[17:1] 574 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
[17:2] 575 tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsa’) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.
[17:2] 576 tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)
[17:3] 577 tn Heb “you tested my heart.”
[17:3] 578 tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”
[17:3] 579 tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.
[17:4] 580 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
[17:4] 581 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
[17:5] 582 tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.
[17:5] 583 tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”
[17:6] 584 tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”
[17:7] 586 tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”
[17:7] 587 tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.
[17:7] sn Those who look to you for protection from their enemies. “Seeking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[17:8] 588 tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.
[17:8] 589 sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[17:9] 590 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:9] 591 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
[17:9] 592 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (bÿnefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
[17:10] 593 tn Heb “their fat they close.” The Hebrew term חֵלֶב (khelev, “fat”) appears to stand by metonymy for their calloused hearts. They attack the psalmist without feeling any pity or remorse. Some propose emending the text to חֵלֶב לִבָּמוֹ (khelev libbamo, “fat of their heart[s]; cf. Ps 119:70, “their heart is insensitive like fat”). This assumes haplography of the לב (lamed-bet) consonantal sequence.
[17:10] 594 tn Heb “[with] their mouth they speak with arrogance.”
[17:11] 595 tc Heb “our steps, now they surround me.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “surround me,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has “surround us,” harmonizing the pronoun to the preceding “our steps.” The first person plural pronoun does not fit the context, where the psalmist speaks as an individual. In the preceding verses the psalmist uses a first person singular verbal or pronominal form twenty times. For this reason it is preferable to emend “our steps” to אִשְּׁרוּנִי (’ishÿruni, “they attack me”) from the verbal root אָשֻׁר (’ashur, “march, stride, track”).
[17:11] 596 tn Heb “their eyes they set to bend down in the ground.”
[17:12] 597 tn Here the psalmist switches to the singular pronoun; he views his enemies collectively, or singles out a representative of the group, perhaps its leader.
[17:12] 598 tn Heb “his likeness [is] like a lion.”
[17:12] 599 tn Heb “[that] longs to tear.”
[17:13] 601 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
[17:13] 602 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
[17:13] 603 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
[17:14] 604 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
[17:14] 605 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
[17:14] 606 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
[17:14] 607 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
[17:14] sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.
[17:14] 608 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
[17:15] 609 tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”
[17:15] 610 tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (tÿmunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see v. 15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.
[17:15] sn When I awake you will reveal yourself to me. Some see in this verse an allusion to resurrection. According to this view, when the psalmist awakens from the sleep of death, he will see God. It is unlikely that the psalmist had such a highly developed personal eschatology. As noted above, it is more likely that he is anticipating a divine visitation and mystical encounter as a prelude to his deliverance from his enemies.
[18:1] 611 sn Psalm 18. In this long song of thanks, the psalmist (a Davidic king, traditionally understood as David himself) affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. The psalmist’s experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the psalm appears in 2 Sam 22:1-51.
[18:1] 613 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[18:1] 615 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[18:1] 616 tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.
[18:1] 617 tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.
[18:1] 618 tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”
[18:2] 619 sn 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.
[18:2] 620 sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.
[18:2] 622 sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[18:2] 623 tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”
[18:2] sn Though some see “horn” as referring to a horn-shaped peak of a hill, or to the “horns” of an altar where one could find refuge, it is more likely that the horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that uses its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36. Ps 18:2 uses the metaphor of the horn in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord himself is compared to a horn. He is to the psalmist what the horn is to the ox, a source of defense and victory.
[18:2] 624 tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”
[18:3] 625 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where the psalmist recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect.
[18:3] 626 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
[18:4] 627 tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.
[18:4] 628 tn The Hebrew noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[18:4] 629 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (vÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness.” It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[18:4] 630 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (see “engulfed”) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[18:5] 631 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[18:5] 632 tn Heb “confronted me.”
[18:6] 633 tn In this poetic narrative context the four prefixed verbal forms in v. 6 are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[18:6] 634 tn Heb “from his temple.” Verse 10, which pictures God descending from the sky, indicates that the heavenly temple is in view, not the earthly one.
[18:6] 635 tc Heb “and my cry for help before him came into his ears.” 2 Sam 22:7 has a shorter reading, “my cry for help, in his ears.” It is likely that Ps 18:6 MT as it now stands represents a conflation of two readings: (1) “my cry for help came before him,” (2) “my cry for help came into his ears.” See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (SBLDS), 144, n. 13.
[18:7] 636 sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
[18:7] 637 tn 2 Sam 22:8 has “heavens” which forms a merism with “earth” in the preceding line. The “foundations of the heavens” would be the mountains. However, the reading “foundations of the mountains” has a parallel in Deut 32:22.
[18:7] 638 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive in the verse.
[18:8] 639 tn Heb “within”; or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition -בְּ (bÿ) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
[18:8] 640 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here. See also v. 15, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
[18:8] 641 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
[18:8] sn Fire devoured as it came from his mouth. For other examples of fire as a weapon in OT theophanies and ancient Near Eastern portrayals of warring gods and kings, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 165-67.
[18:8] 642 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (cf. Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (cf. Ps 120:4).
[18:9] 643 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[cause to] bend, bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the
[18:10] 644 tn Or “rode upon.”
[18:10] 645 tn Heb “a cherub.” Because of the typical associations of the word “cherub” in English with chubby winged babies, the term has been rendered “winged angel” in the translation.
[18:10] sn Winged angel (Heb “cherub”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Pss 80:1; 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the
[18:10] 646 tc 2 Sam 22:11 reads “appeared” (from רָאָה, ra’ah); the relatively rare verb דָאָה (da’ah, “glide”) is more difficult and probably the original reading here in Ps 18.
[18:10] 647 sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict (1) the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option (2) is that two different vehicles (a cherub and the wind) are envisioned. Yet another option (3) is that the wind is personified as a cherub. For a discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in v. 10, see M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.
[18:11] 648 tc Heb “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 reads, “he made darkness around him coverings,” omitting “his hiding place” and pluralizing “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering”) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the Hebrew letter samek: סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvivotayv sukkato).
[18:11] 649 tc Heb “darkness of water, clouds of clouds.” The noun “darkness” (חֶשְׁכַת, kheshkhat) is probably a corruption of an original reading חשׁרת, a form that is preserved in 2 Sam 22:12. The latter is a construct form of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”) which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חָשַׁר (khashar, “to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The phrase חַשְׁרַת מַיִם (khashrat mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground (see F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry [SBLDS], 146, n. 33).
[18:12] 650 tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.
[18:13] 651 sn Thunder is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 179-83.
[18:13] 652 tn 2 Sam 22:14 has “from.”
[18:13] 653 tn Heb “the 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 Ps 47:2.
[18:13] 654 tc The text of Ps 18:13 adds at this point, “hail and coals of fire.” These words are probably accidentally added from v. 12b; they do not appear in 2 Sam 22:14.
[18:13] tn Heb “offered his voice.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line.
[18:14] 655 tn 2 Sam 22:15 omits the pronominal suffix (“his”).
[18:14] 656 tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to the psalmist’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).
[18:14] 657 sn Lightning is a common motif in in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 190-92.
[18:14] 658 tn Heb “lightning bolts, many.” 2 Sam 22:15 has simply “lightning” (בָּרָק, baraq). The identity of the word רָב (rav) in Ps 18:14 is problematic. (1) It may be a form of a rare verb רָבַב (ravav, “to shoot”), perhaps attested in Gen 49:23 as well. In this case one might translate, “he shot lightning bolts and routed them.” Other options include (2) understanding רָב (rav) as an adverbial use of the adjective, “lightning bolts in abundance,” or (3) emending the form to רַבּוּ (rabbu), from רָבַב (ravav, “be many”) or to רָבוּ (ravu), from רָבָה (ravah, “be many”) – both a haplography of the vav (ו); note the initial vav on the immediately following form – and translating “lightning bolts were in abundance.”
[18:14] sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 77:17-18; 144:6; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
[18:15] 660 tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.
[18:15] 661 tn Or “foundations.”
[18:15] 662 tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.
[18:15] 663 tn The noun is derived from the verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which 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 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 Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[18:15] 664 tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the
[18:16] 665 tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[18:16] 666 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see v. 4 and Ps 144:7).
[18:17] 667 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
[18:18] 668 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 5. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[18:18] 669 tn Heb “became my support.”
[18:19] 670 tn Or “delighted in me.”
[18:20] 671 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[18:20] 672 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-24 make clear, the psalmist refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. In these verses the psalmist explains that the
[18:20] 673 tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 24) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.
[18:20] 674 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” “Hands” suggest activity and behavior.
[18:21] 675 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
[18:21] 676 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical; the idea is, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
[18:22] 677 tn Heb “for all his regulations [are] before me.” The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf. Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf. vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf. v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.
[18:22] 678 tn Heb “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” 2 Sam 22:23 reads, “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; the psalmist here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The Lord’s “rules” are the stipulations of the covenant which the king was responsible to obey (see Ps 89:31; cf. v. 30 and Deut 17:18-20).
[18:23] 679 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way.
[18:23] sn Kept myself from sinning. Leading a blameless life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the Lord (see Ps 101).
[18:24] 680 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.”
[18:24] 681 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.” 2 Sam 22:25 reads “according to my purity before his eyes.” The verbal repetition (compare vv. 20 and 24) sets off vv. 20-24 as a distinct sub-unit within the psalm.
[18:25] 682 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[18:25] 683 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[18:25] 685 tn Heb “a man of innocence.”
[18:26] 686 tn Or “blameless.”
[18:26] 687 tn The Hebrew verb פָתַל (patal) is used in only three other texts. In Gen 30:8 it means literally “to wrestle,” or “to twist.” In Job 5:13 it refers to devious individuals, and in Prov 8:8 to deceptive words.
[18:26] 688 tn The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted, crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4).
[18:26] sn Verses 25-26 affirm God’s justice. He responds to people in accordance with their moral character. His response mirrors their actions. The faithful and blameless find God to be loyal and reliable in his dealings with them. But deceivers discover he is able and willing to use deceit to destroy them. For a more extensive discussion of the theme of divine deception in the OT, see R. B. Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28.
[18:27] 689 tn Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).
[18:27] 690 tn Heb “but proud eyes you bring low.” 2 Sam 22:28 reads, “your eyes [are] upon the proud, [whom] you bring low.”
[18:28] 691 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki)is asseverative here.
[18:28] 692 tn Ps 18:28 reads literally, “you light my lamp,
[18:28] 693 tn 2 Sam 22:29 repeats the name “
[18:28] 694 tn Heb “my darkness.”
[18:29] 695 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[18:29] 697 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”
[18:29] 698 tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.
[18:29] sn I can charge against an army. The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
[18:29] 699 tn Heb “and by my God.”
[18:29] 700 sn I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
[18:30] 701 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[18:30] 702 sn The
[18:30] 703 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:30] 704 sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.
[18:31] 706 tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of divine protection. See v. 2, where the Hebrew term צוּר (tsur) is translated “rocky summit.”
[18:31] 707 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the
[18:32] 708 tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the
[18:32] 709 tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.
[18:32] 710 tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”
[18:32] sn Gives me strength. As the following context makes clear, this refers to physical and emotional strength for battle (see especially v. 39).
[18:32] 711 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.
[18:32] 712 tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
[18:33] 713 tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”
[18:33] 714 tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.
[18:33] sn Habakkuk uses similar language to describe his faith during difficult times. See Hab 3:19.
[18:34] 715 sn He trains my hands. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
[18:34] 716 tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms”; or “my arms bend a bow of bronze.” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) apparently means “pull back, bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The third feminine singular verbal form appears to agree with the feminine singular noun קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”). In this case the verb must be taken as Niphal (passive). However, it is possible that “my arms” is the subject of the verb and “bow” the object. In this case the verb is Piel (active). For other examples of a feminine singular verb being construed with a plural noun, see GKC 464 §145.k.
[18:34] sn The strongest bow (Heb “bow of bronze”) probably refers to a bow laminated with bronze strips, or to a purely ceremonial or decorative bow made entirely from bronze. In the latter case the language is hyperbolic, for such a weapon would not be functional in battle.
[18:35] 717 tn Heb “and you give to me the shield of your deliverance.”
[18:35] sn You give me your protective shield. Ancient Near Eastern literature often refers to a god giving a king special weapons. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 260-61.
[18:35] 718 tc 2 Sam 22:36 omits this line, perhaps due to homoioarcton. A scribe’s eye may have jumped from the vav (ו) prefixed to “your right hand” to the vav prefixed to the following “and your answer,” causing the copyist to omit by accident the intervening words (“your right hand supports me and”).
[18:35] 719 tn The MT of Ps 18:35 appears to read, “your condescension,” apparently referring to God’s willingness to intervene (cf. NIV “you stoop down”). However, the noun עֲנָוָה (’anavah) elsewhere means “humility” and is used only here of God. The form עַנְוַתְךָ (’anvatÿkha) may be a fully written form of the suffixed infinitive construct of עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”; a defectively written form of the infinitive appears in 2 Sam 22:36). In this case the psalmist refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer; one might translate, “your favorable response.”
[18:35] 720 tn Heb “makes me great.”
[18:36] 721 tn Heb “you make wide my step under me.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives the psalmist the capacity to run quickly.
[18:36] 722 tn Heb “lower legs.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun, which occurs only here, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 112. A cognate Akkadian noun means “lower leg.”
[18:37] 723 tn 2 Sam 22:38 reads “destroy.”
[18:38] 724 tn Or “smash them.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “and I wiped them out and smashed them.”
[18:38] 725 tn Heb “until they are unable to rise.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “until they do not rise.”
[18:38] 726 sn They fall at my feet. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 294-97.
[18:39] 727 tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.
[18:39] 728 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
[18:39] sn My foes kneel before me. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 268.
[18:40] 729 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.
[18:40] 730 sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the
[18:41] 731 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[18:41] 732 tn Heb “to the
[18:41] sn They cry out. This reference to the psalmist’s enemies crying out for help to the
[18:42] 733 tn Heb “I pulverize them like dust upon the face of the wind.” The phrase “upon the face of” here means “before.” 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “like dust of the earth.”
[18:42] 734 tc Ps 18:42 reads, “I empty them out” (Hiphil of ריק), while 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “I crush them, I stomp on them” (juxtaposing the synonyms דקק and רקע). It is likely that the latter is a conflation of variants. One, but not both, of the verbs in 2 Sam 22:43 is probably original; “empty out” does not form as good a parallel with “grind, pulverize” in the parallel line.
[18:43] 736 tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.
[18:43] 737 tn 2 Sam 22:44 reads, “you keep me.”
[18:43] 738 tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 44-45). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.
[18:44] 739 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
[18:44] 740 tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).
[18:45] 741 tn Heb “wither, wear out.”
[18:45] 742 tn The meaning of חָרַג (kharag, “shake”) is established on the basis of cognates in Arabic and Aramaic. 2 Sam 22:46 reads חָגַר (khagar), which might mean here, “[they] come limping” (on the basis of a cognate in postbiblical Hebrew). The normal meaning for חָגַר (“gird”) makes little sense here.
[18:45] 744 tn Heb “their prisons.” The besieged cities of the foreigners are compared to prisons.
[18:46] 745 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the
[18:46] 746 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.
[18:46] 747 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
[18:46] 748 tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”
[18:46] 749 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
[18:47] 750 tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.
[18:47] 751 tn Heb “is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication.
[18:47] sn Completely vindicates me. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.
[18:47] 752 tn Heb “he subdues nations beneath me.” On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue,” a homonym of דָּבַר, davar, “speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 47:3 and 2 Chr 22:10. 2 Sam 22:48 reads “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
[18:48] 753 tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”
[18:48] 754 tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the
[18:48] 755 tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”
[18:49] 756 sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the
[18:49] 757 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
[18:50] 758 tn Or “the one who.”
[18:50] 759 tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.
[18:50] 760 tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”
[18:50] 761 tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.
[18:50] 762 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[18:50] 763 sn If David is the author of the psalm (see the superscription), then he here anticipates that God will continue to demonstrate loyalty to his descendants who succeed him. If the author is a later Davidic king, then he views the divine favor he has experienced as the outworking of God’s faithful promises to David his ancestor.
[19:1] 764 sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.
[19:1] 765 sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.
[19:1] 766 tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.
[19:2] 767 tn Heb “it gushes forth a word.” The “sky” (see v. 1b) is the subject of the verb. Though not literally speaking (see v. 3), it clearly reveals God’s royal majesty. The sun’s splendor and its movement across the sky is in view (see vv. 4-6).
[19:2] 768 tn Heb “it [i.e., the sky] declares knowledge,” i.e., knowledge about God’s royal majesty and power (see v. 1). This apparently refers to the splendor and movements of the stars. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 2, like the participles in the preceding verse, combine with the temporal phrases (“day after day” and “night after night”) to emphasize the ongoing testimony of the sky.
[19:3] 769 tn Heb “their.” The antecedent of the plural pronoun is “heavens” (v. 1).
[19:4] 770 tc The MT reads, “their measuring line” (קוּם, qum). The noun קַו (qav, “measuring line”) makes no sense in this context. The reading קוֹלָם (qolam, “their voice”) which is supported by the LXX, is preferable.
[19:4] 771 tn Heb “goes out,” or “proceeds forth.”
[19:4] 772 tn Heb “their” (see the note on the word “its” in v. 3).
[19:4] 773 tn The verb is supplied in the translation. The Hebrew text has no verb; יָצָא (yatsa’, “goes out”) is understood by ellipsis.
[19:4] 774 tn Heb “to the end of the world.”
[19:4] 775 tn Heb “in them” (i.e., the heavens).
[19:4] 776 sn He has pitched a tent for the sun. The personified sun emerges from this “tent” in order to make its daytime journey across the sky. So the “tent” must refer metaphorically to the place where the sun goes to rest during the night.
[19:5] 777 tn The participle expresses the repeated or regular nature of the action.
[19:5] 778 tn The Hebrew noun חֻפָּה (khufah, “chamber”) occurs elsewhere only in Isa 4:5 and Joel 2:16 (where it refers to the bedroom of a bride and groom).
[19:5] sn Like a bridegroom. The metaphor likens the sun to a bridegroom who rejoices on his wedding night.
[19:5] 779 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the regularity of the action.
[19:5] 780 tn Heb “[on] a path.”
[19:5] sn Like a strong man. The metaphorical language reflects the brilliance of the sunrise, which attests to the sun’s vigor.
[19:6] 781 tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”
[19:6] 782 tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”
[19:6] 783 tn Heb “is hidden from.”
[19:7] 784 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
[19:7] 785 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
[19:7] 786 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[19:7] 787 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
[19:8] 788 tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.
[19:8] 789 tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.
[19:8] 790 tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.
[19:8] 791 tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.
[19:8] 792 tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.
[19:9] 793 tn Heb “the fear of the
[19:9] 794 tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”
[19:9] 795 sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.
[19:10] 796 tn Heb “more desirable.”
[19:10] 797 tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).
[19:11] 798 tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”
[19:11] 799 tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”
[19:12] 800 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
[19:12] 801 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
[19:13] 802 tn Or “presumptuous.”
[19:13] 803 tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”
[19:14] 805 tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”
[19:14] 806 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
[19:14] 807 tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.
[20:1] 808 sn Psalm 20. The people pray for the king’s success in battle. When the king declares his assurance that the Lord will answer the people’s prayer, they affirm their confidence in God’s enablement.
[20:1] 809 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in vv. 1b-5 are interpreted as jussives of prayer (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). Another option is to understand them as imperfects, “the
[20:1] 810 sn May the
[20:1] 811 tn Heb “in a day of trouble.”
[20:1] 812 tn Heb “the name of the God of Jacob.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his very person and to the divine characteristics suggested by his name, in this case “God of Jacob,” which highlights his relationship to Israel.
[20:2] 813 tc Heb “from [the] temple.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix (ן, nun) has probably been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word begins with a prefixed vav (ו). See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 184.
[20:3] 814 tn Or “remember.” For other examples of the verb זָכַר (zakhar) carrying the nuance “take notice of,” see Pss 8:4 and 9:12.
[20:3] 815 tc Heb “consider as fat.” The verbal form should probably be emended to יְדַשְּׁנֶהָ (yÿdashÿneha), the final he (ה) being understood as a third feminine singular pronominal suffix referring back to the feminine noun “burnt sacrifice.”
[20:4] 816 tn Heb “may he give to you according to your heart.” This probably refers to the king’s prayer for protection and victory in battle. See vv. 5-6.
[20:4] 817 sn May he bring all your plans to pass. This probably refers to the king’s strategy for battle.
[20:5] 818 sn Your victory. Here the king is addressed (see v. 1).
[20:5] 819 tc The Hebrew verb דָּגַל (dagal) occurs only here in the Qal. If accepted as original, it may carry the nuance “raise a banner,” but it is preferable to emend the form to נגיל (“we will rejoice”) which provides better parallelism with “shout for joy” and fits well with the prepositional phrase “in the name of our God” (see Ps 89:16).
[20:6] sn Now I am sure. The speaker is not identified. It is likely that the king, referring to himself in the third person (note “his chosen king”), responds to the people’s prayer. Perhaps his confidence is due to the reception of a divine oracle of salvation.
[20:6] 821 tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the
[20:6] 822 tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.
[20:6] 823 tn Heb “he will answer him.”
[20:6] 824 tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”
[20:6] 825 tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).
[20:7] 826 tn Heb “these in chariots and these in horses.” No verb appears; perhaps the verb “invoke” is to be supplied from the following line. In this case the idea would be that some “invoke” (i.e., trust in) their military might for victory (cf. NEB “boast”; NIV “trust”; NRSV “take pride”). Verse 8 suggests that the “some/others” mentioned here are the nation’s enemies.
[20:7] 827 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s faithful people and the others mentioned in the previous line.
[20:7] 828 tn Heb “we invoke the name of.” The Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar), when combined with the phrase “in the name,” means “to invoke” (see Josh 23:7; Isa 48:1; Amos 6:10). By invoking the
[20:8] 829 tn Or “stumble and fall down.”
[20:8] 830 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s victorious people and the defeated enemies mentioned in the previous line. The perfect verbal forms either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle. They describe the demise of the enemy as being as good as done.
[20:8] 831 tn Or “rise up and remain upright.” On the meaning of the Hitpolel of עוּד (’ud), see HALOT 795 s.v. I עוד. The verbal forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle.
[20:9] 832 tc This translation assumes an emendation of the verbal form הוֹשִׁיעָה (hoshi’ah). As it stands, the form is an imperative. In this case the people return to the petitionary mood with which the psalm begins (“O
[20:9] 833 tn If the imperative is retained in the preceding line, then the prefixed verbal form is best taken as a jussive of prayer, “may he answer us.” However, if the imperative in the previous line is emended to a perfect, the prefixed form is best taken as imperfect, “he will answer us” (see the note on the word “king” at the end of the previous line).
[20:9] 834 tn Heb “in the day we call.”
[21:1] 835 sn Psalm 21. The psalmist praises the Lord for the way he protects and blesses the Davidic king.
[21:1] 836 tn Heb “in your strength.” The translation interprets the pronominal suffix as subjective, rather than merely descriptive (or attributive).
[21:1] 837 tn Heb “and in your deliverance, how greatly he rejoices.”
[21:2] 838 tn The translation assumes the perfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing, stating factually what God typically does for the king. Another option is to take them as present perfects, “you have granted…you have not refused.” See v. 4, which mentions a specific request for a long reign.
[21:2] 839 tn Heb “and the request of his lips you do not refuse.”
[21:3] 840 tn Or “meet him [with].”
[21:3] 842 sn You bring him rich blessings. The following context indicates that God’s “blessings” include deliverance/protection, vindication, sustained life, and a long, stable reign (see also Pss 3:8; 24:5).
[21:4] 843 tn Heb “life he asked from you.” Another option is to translate the perfect verbal forms in v. 4 with the present tense, “he asks…you grant.”
[21:4] 844 tn Heb “you have granted him length of days forever and ever.” The phrase “length of days,” when used of human beings, usually refers to a lengthy period of time (such as one’s lifetime). See, for example, Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20. The additional phrase “forever and ever” is hyperbolic. While it seems to attribute eternal life to the king (see Pss 61:6-7; 72:5 as well), the underlying reality is the king’s enduring dynasty. He will live on, as it were, through his descendants, who will continue to rule over his kingdom long after he has passed off the scene.
[21:5] 845 tn Or “great glory.”
[21:5] 846 tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.
[21:6] 847 tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.
[21:7] 848 tn The active participle draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action.
[21:7] 849 tn Traditionally “the Most High’s.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. Note the focus of vv. 8-12 and see Ps 47:2.
[21:7] 850 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “he will not be upended” (cf. NRSV “he shall not be moved”). Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense.
[21:8] 851 tn The king is now addressed. One could argue that the
[21:8] 852 tn Heb “your hand finds.” The idiom pictures the king grabbing hold of his enemies and defeating them (see 1 Sam 23:17). The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 8-12 may be translated with the future tense, as long as the future is understood as generalizing.
[21:8] 853 tn Heb “your right hand finds those who hate you.”
[21:9] 854 tn Heb “you make them like a furnace of fire.” Although many modern translations retain the literal Hebrew, the statement is elliptical. The point is not that he makes them like a furnace, but like an object burned in a furnace (cf. NEB, “at your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace”).
[21:9] 855 tn Heb “at the time of your face.” The “face” of the king here refers to his angry presence. See Lam 4:16.
[21:9] 856 tn Heb “the
[21:10] 857 tn Heb “fruit.” The next line makes it clear that offspring is in view.
[21:10] 859 tn Heb “sons of man.”
[21:11] 861 tn Heb “they extend against you harm.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 11 are taken as generalizing, stating factually what the king’s enemies typically do. Another option is to translate with the past tense (“they intended…planned”).
[21:11] 863 tn Heb “they lack ability.”
[21:12] 864 tn Heb “you make them a shoulder,” i.e., “you make them turn and run, showing the back of their neck and shoulders.”
[21:12] 865 tn Heb “with your bowstrings you fix against their faces,” i.e., “you fix your arrows on the bowstrings to shoot at them.”
[21:13] 866 tn Heb “in your strength,” but English idiom does not require the pronoun.
[21:13] sn The psalm concludes with a petition to the Lord, asking him to continue to intervene in strength for the king and nation.
[21:13] 867 tn Heb “sing praise.”
[22:1] 868 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 869 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 870 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 871 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 872 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 873 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 875 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 876 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 877 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 878 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 879 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 880 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 881 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 882 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 883 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 884 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 885 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 886 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 887 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 888 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:8] sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
[22:9] 889 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 890 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 891 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:10] sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
[22:11] 892 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 893 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 894 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 895 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 896 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 897 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 898 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 899 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 900 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 901 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 902 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 903 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 905 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 906 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 907 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 908 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 909 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 910 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 911 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 913 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 914 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 915 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 916 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 917 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 918 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 919 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 920 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:23] 921 tn Heb “fear him.”
[22:24] 922 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 923 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 924 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 926 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 927 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 928 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 929 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 930 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 931 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 932 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 933 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 934 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 935 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 936 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 937 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 938 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 939 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 940 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 941 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:1] 942 sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.
[23:1] 943 sn The LORD is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the LORD is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.
[23:1] 944 tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the LORD as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.
[23:2] 945 tn Heb “he makes me lie down in lush pastures.” The Hiphil verb יַרְבִּיצֵנִי (yarbitseniy) has a causative-modal nuance here (see IBHS 445-46 §27.5 on this use of the Hiphil), meaning “allows me to lie down” (see also Jer 33:12). The point is that the shepherd takes the sheep to lush pastures and lets them eat and rest there. Both imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing and highlight the psalmist’s typical experience.
[23:2] 946 tn Both genitives in v. 2 indicate an attribute of the noun they modify: דֶּשֶׁא (deshe’) characterizes the pastures as “lush” (i.e., rich with vegetation), while מְנֻחוֹת (mÿnukhot) probably characterizes the water as refreshing. In this case the plural indicates an abstract quality. Some take מְנֻחוֹת in the sense of “still, calm” (i.e., as describing calm pools in contrast to dangerous torrents) but it is unlikely that such a pastoral scene is in view. Shepherds usually watered their sheep at wells (see Gen 29:2-3; Exod 2:16-19). Another option is to take מְנֻחוֹת as “resting places” and to translate, “water of/at the resting places” (i.e., a genitive of location; see IBHS 147-48 §9.5.2e).
[23:2] sn Within the framework of the metaphor, the psalmist/sheep is declaring in v. 2 that his shepherd provides the essentials for physical life. At a deeper level the psalmist may be referring to more than just physical provision, though that would certainly be included.
[23:3] 947 tn The appearance of the Hebrew term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi), traditionally translated “my soul,” might suggest a spiritualized interpretation for the first line of v. 3. However, at the surface level of the shepherd/sheep metaphor, this is unlikely. When it occurs with a pronominal suffix נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. 4 נֶפֶשׁ.a). In this context, where the statement most naturally refers to the physical provision just described, the form is best translated simply “me.” The accompanying verb (a Polel form [factitive use] of שׁוּב [shuv]), if referring to the physical provision just described, carries the nuance “refresh, restore strength.”
[23:3] 948 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יְשׁוֹבֵב [yÿshovev] and יַנְחֵנִי [yakheniy]), like those in vv. 1-2, highlight what is typical of the shepherd/sheep relationship.
[23:3] 949 tn The attributive genitive צֶדֶק (tsedeq) is traditionally translated “righteousness” here, as if designating a moral or ethical quality. But this seems unlikely, for it modifies מַעְגְּלֵי (ma’ggÿley, “paths”). Within the shepherd/sheep metaphor, the phrase likely refers to “right” or “correct” paths, i.e. ones that lead to pastures, wells, or the fold. While צֶדֶק usually does carry a moral or ethical nuance, it can occasionally refer to less abstract things, such as weights and offerings. In this context, which emphasizes divine provision and protection, the underlying reality is probably God’s providential guidance. The psalmist is confident that God takes him down paths that will ultimately lead to something beneficial, not destructive.
[23:3] 950 tn The Hebrew term שֶׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the shepherd’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.) The statement לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (lÿma’an shÿmo, “for the sake of his name”) makes excellent sense within the framework of the shepherd/sheep metaphor. Shepherds, who sometimes hired out their services, were undoubtedly concerned about their vocational reputation. To maintain their reputation as competent shepherds, they had to know the “lay of the land” and make sure they led the sheep down the right paths to the proper destinations. The underlying reality is a profound theological truth: God must look out for the best interests of the one he has promised to protect, because if he fails to do so, his faithfulness could legitimately be called into question and his reputation damaged.
[23:4] 951 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל [tsel] + מָוֶת [mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צָלַם, tsalam) meaning “darkness.” 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. If the word does indeed mean “darkness,” it modifies גַיְא (gay’, “valley, ravine”) quite naturally. At the metaphorical level, v. 4 pictures the shepherd taking his sheep through a dark ravine where predators might lurk. The life-threatening situations faced by the psalmist are the underlying reality behind the imagery.
[23:4] 952 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 4, as in vv. 1-3, highlight what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
[23:4] 953 tn The Hebrew term רַע (ra’) is traditionally translated “evil” here, perhaps suggesting a moral or ethical nuance. But at the level of the metaphor, the word means “danger, injury, harm,” as a sheep might experience from a predator. The life-threatening dangers faced by the psalmist, especially the enemies mentioned in v. 5, are the underlying reality.
[23:4] 954 tn The Piel of נָחַם (nakham), when used with a human object, means “comfort, console.” But here, within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations.
[23:5] 955 sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23,” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.
[23:5] 956 tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.
[23:5] 957 tn The rare noun רְַָויָה (rÿvayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.
[23:6] 958 tn The noun חֶסֶד (khesed; v. 6) has been the subject of several monographs. G. R. Clark concludes that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient.” He explains that an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him- or herself.” (See G. R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267.) HALOT 336-37 s.v. defines the word as “loyalty,” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate meanings might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
[23:6] 959 tn The use of רָדַף (radaf, “pursue, chase”) with טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov vakhesed, “goodness and faithfulness”) as subject is ironic. This is the only place in the entire OT where either of these nouns appears as the subject of this verb רָדַף (radaf, “pursue”). This verb is often used to describe the hostile actions of enemies. One might expect the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 5) to chase him, but ironically God’s “goodness and faithfulness” (which are personified and stand by metonymy for God himself) pursue him instead. The word “pursue” is used outside of its normal context in an ironic manner and creates a unique, but pleasant word picture of God’s favor (or a kind God) “chasing down” the one whom he loves.
[23:6] 960 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
[23:6] 961 tn The verb form וְשַׁבְתִּי (vÿshavtiy) is a Qal perfect (with vav [ו] consecutive), first common singular, from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) and should be translated, “and I will return.” But this makes no sense when construed with the following phrase, “in the house of the
[23:6] 962 tn Heb “the house of the
[23:6] 963 tn The phrase אֹרֶךְ יָמִים (’orekh yamim, “length of days”) is traditionally translated “forever.” However, this phrase, when used elsewhere of people, usually refers to a lengthy period of time, such as one’s lifetime, and does not mean “forever” in the sense of eternity. (Cf. Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20.) Furthermore, the parallel phrase “all the days of my life” suggests this more limited meaning. Psalm 21:4, where the phrase is followed by “forever and ever,” may be an exception, though the juxtaposition of the phrases may be an example of intensification, where the second phrase goes beyond the limits of the first, rather than synonymity. Even if one takes both expressions as referring to eternal life, the language is part of the king’s hyperbolic description of the
[24:1] 964 sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.
[24:2] 965 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
[24:2] 966 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
[24:3] 967 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
[24:3] 968 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
[24:4] 969 tn Heb “the innocent of hands and the pure of heart.” The “hands” allude to one’s actions, the “heart” to one’s thought life and motives.
[24:4] 970 tn Heb “who does not lift up for emptiness my life.” The first person pronoun on נַפְשִׁי (nafshiy, “my life”) makes little sense here; many medieval Hebrew
[24:4] 971 tn Heb “and does not swear an oath deceitfully.”
[24:5] 972 tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the
[24:5] 973 tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”
[24:6] 974 tn Heb “this [is the] generation of the ones seeking him, the ones seeking your face, Jacob.” To “seek the
[24:6] sn This verse presents a somewhat idealized view of Jacob’s descendants as devoted worshipers of the Lord.
[24:7] 975 tn Heb “lift up your heads.” The gates of the Lord’s dwelling place are here personified. The idiom “lift up the head” often means “be confident, bold” (see Judg 8:28; Job 10:15; Ps 83:2; Zech 1:21).
[24:7] 976 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”
[24:7] 977 tn Or “king of glory.”
[24:7] 978 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[24:8] 979 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.
[24:10] 980 tn Traditionally, “the
[25:1] 981 sn Psalm 25. The psalmist asks for divine protection, guidance and forgiveness as he affirms his loyalty to and trust in the Lord. This psalm is an acrostic; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except for v. 18, which, like v. 19, begins with ר (resh) instead of the expected ק (qof). The final verse, which begins with פ (pe), stands outside the acrostic scheme.
[25:1] 982 tn Heb “to you, O
[25:3] 983 tn Heb “those who deal in treachery in vain.” The adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “in vain”) probably refers to the failure (or futility) of their efforts. Another option is to understand it as meaning “without cause” (cf. NIV “without excuse”; NRSV “wantonly treacherous”).
[25:4] 984 sn Teach me your paths. In this context the
[25:5] 985 sn The
[25:6] 986 tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.
[25:6] 987 tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”
[25:7] 988 tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.
[25:7] 989 sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.
[25:7] 990 tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O
[25:8] 991 tn Heb “good and just.”
[25:8] 992 tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”
[25:9] 993 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.
[25:9] 994 tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.
[25:9] 995 tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).
[25:10] 996 tn Heb “all the paths of the
[25:10] 997 tn Heb “to the ones who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
[25:11] 998 tn Heb “name.” By forgiving the sinful psalmist, the
[25:11] 999 sn Forgive my sin, because it is great. The psalmist readily admits his desperate need for forgiveness.
[25:12] 1000 tn Heb “Who is this man, the one who fears the
[25:13] 1001 tn Heb “his life in goodness dwells.” The singular is representative (see v. 14).
[25:13] 1002 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[25:14] 1004 tn Heb “the advice of the
[25:14] 1005 tn Heb “and his covenant, to make them know.”
[25:15] 1006 tn Heb “my eyes continually [are] toward the
[25:15] 1007 tn Heb “for he will bring out from a net my feet.” The hostility of the psalmist’s enemies is probably in view (see v. 19).
[25:16] 1008 tn That is, helpless and vulnerable.
[25:17] 1009 tc Heb “the distresses of my heart, they make wide.” The text makes little if any sense as it stands, unless this is an otherwise unattested intransitive use of the Hiphil of רָחַב (rakhav, “be wide”). It is preferable to emend the form הִרְחִיבוּ (hirkhivu; Hiphil perfect third plural “they make wide”) to הַרְחֵיב (harkhev; Hiphil imperative masculine singular “make wide”). (The final vav [ו] can be joined to the following word and taken as a conjunction.) In this case one can translate, “[in/from] the distresses of my heart, make wide [a place for me],” that is, “deliver me from the distress I am experiencing.” For the expression “make wide [a place for me],” see Ps 4:1.
[25:17] 1010 tn Heb “from my distresses lead me out.”
[25:18] 1011 tn Heb “lift up all my sins.”
[25:19] 1012 tn Heb “see my enemies for they are numerous, and [with] violent hatred they hate me.”
[25:22] 1015 tn Heb “his distresses.”
[25:22] sn O God, rescue Israel from all their distress. It is possible that the psalmist speaks on behalf of the nation throughout this entire psalm. Another option is that v. 22 is a later addition to the psalm which applies an original individual lament to the covenant community. If so, it may reflect an exilic setting.
[26:1] 1016 sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.
[26:1] 1017 tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”
[26:2] 1018 tn Heb “evaluate my kidneys and my heart.” The kidneys and heart were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
[26:3] 1019 tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”
[26:3] 1020 tn Heb “and I walk about in your loyalty.”
[26:3] sn The psalmist’s awareness of the Lord’s faithfulness and…loyalty toward him motivates him to remain loyal to the Lord and to maintain his moral purity.
[26:4] 1022 tn Heb “go.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.
[26:4] 1023 tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”
[26:5] 1024 tn Heb “assembly, company.”
[26:5] 1025 tn Heb “sit.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.
[26:6] 1026 tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.
[26:6] 1027 tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[26:7] 1028 tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”
[26:7] 1029 tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.
[26:8] 1030 tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”
[26:8] 1031 tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”
[26:9] 1032 tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”
[26:9] 1033 tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[26:10] 1034 tn Heb “who [have] in their hands evil.”
[26:10] 1035 tn Heb “and their right hand is full of a bribe.”
[26:11] 1036 tn Heb “and I in my integrity walk.” The psalmist uses the imperfect verbal form to emphasize this is his practice. The construction at the beginning of the verse (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist and the sinners mentioned in vv. 9-10.
[26:11] 1037 tn Or “redeem me.”
[26:12] 1038 tn Heb “my foot stands in a level place.”
[27:1] 1039 sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.
[27:1] 1040 tn Heb “the
[27:1] 1041 tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:1] 1042 tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:2] 1043 tn Heb “draw near to me.”
[27:2] 1044 sn To devour my flesh. The psalmist compares his enemies to dangerous, hungry predators (see 2 Kgs 9:36; Ezek 39:17).
[27:2] 1045 tn Heb “my adversaries and my enemies against me.” The verb “draw near” (that is, “attack”) is understood by ellipsis; see the previous line.
[27:2] 1046 tn The Hebrew verbal forms are perfects. The translation assumes the psalmist is generalizing here, but another option is to take this as a report of past experience, “when evil men attacked me…they stumbled and fell.”
[27:3] 1047 tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”
[27:3] 1048 tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”
[27:3] 1049 tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”
[27:4] 1050 tn Heb “my living.”
[27:4] 1051 sn The
[27:5] 1053 tn Or “for he will.” The translation assumes the כִּי (ki) is asseverative here, rather than causal.
[27:5] 1054 tn Heb “he will hide me in his hut.”
[27:5] 1057 tn The three imperfect verb forms in v. 5 anticipate a positive response to the prayer offered in vv. 7-12.
[27:5] 1058 tn Heb “on a rocky summit he lifts me up.” The
[27:6] 1059 tn Heb “and now my head will be lifted up over my enemies all around me.”
[27:6] sn In vv. 1-3 the psalmist generalizes, but here we discover that he is facing a crisis and is under attack from enemies (see vv. 11-12).
[27:6] 1060 tn Heb “I will sacrifice in his tent sacrifices of a shout for joy” (that is, “sacrifices accompanied by a joyful shout”).
[27:7] 1061 tn Heb “my voice.”
[27:8] 1062 tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the
[27:8] 1063 tn Heb “your face, O
[27:9] 1064 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” 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).
[27:9] 1065 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[27:10] 1066 tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
[27:10] 1067 tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
[27:11] 1068 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
[27:11] 1069 sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).
[27:11] 1070 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.
[27:12] 1071 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
[27:12] 1072 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.
[27:13] 1073 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the
[27:14] 1075 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”
[28:1] 1076 sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.
[28:1] 1077 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
[28:1] 1078 tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”
[28:1] 1079 tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”
[28:1] 1080 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
[28:1] 1081 tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.
[28:2] 1082 sn I lift my hands. Lifting one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer.
[28:2] 1083 tn The Hebrew term דְּבִיר (dÿvir, “temple”) actually refers to the most holy place within the sanctuary.
[28:3] 1084 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[28:3] 1085 tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”
[28:3] 1086 tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”
[28:4] 1087 tn Heb “Give to them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their due to them.” The highly repetitive style reflects the psalmist’s agitated emotional state and draws attention to his yearning for justice.
[28:5] 1088 tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the
[28:5] 1089 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[28:5] 1090 tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.
[28:6] 1091 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[28:6] 1092 sn He has heard my plea for mercy. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes at this point, because the Lord responded positively to his petition and assured him that he would deliver him.
[28:7] 1093 tn Heb “The
[28:7] 1094 tn Heb “in him my heart trusts.”
[28:7] 1095 tn Or “I am helped.”
[28:7] 1096 tn Heb “and my heart exults.”
[28:7] 1097 tn Heb “and from my song I will thank him.” As pointed in the Hebrew text, מִשִּׁירִי (mishiri) appears to be “from my song,” but the preposition “from” never occurs elsewhere with the verb “to thank” (Hiphil of יָדָה, yadah). Perhaps משׁיר is a noun form meaning “song.” If so, it can be taken as an adverbial accusative, “and [with] my song I will thank him.” See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 236.
[28:8] 1098 tn Heb “the
[28:8] 1099 tn Heb “he [is] a refuge of help for his anointed one.” The noun מָשִׁיחַ (mashiakh, “anointed one”) refers to the Davidic king, who perhaps speaks as representative of the nation in this psalm. See Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 84:9; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17.
[28:9] 1101 tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.
[28:9] 1102 tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”
[28:9] sn The shepherd metaphor is sometimes associated with royal responsibility. See 2 Sam 5:2; 7:7; Mic 5:2-4).
[29:1] 1104 sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.
[29:1] 1105 tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.
[29:1] tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.
[29:1] 1106 tn Or “ascribe to the
[29:2] 1107 tn Heb “ascribe to the
[29:2] 1108 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
[29:3] 1109 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:3] 1110 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the
[29:3] 1111 tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the
[29:4] 1112 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:4] 1113 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:5] 1114 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
[29:5] 1115 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears 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).
[29:5] 1116 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13).
[29:6] 1117 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
[29:6] 1118 sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.
[29:7] 1119 tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the
[29:7] 1120 sn The
[29:8] 1121 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:8] 1122 sn Kadesh. The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.
[29:9] 1123 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:9] 1124 tc Heb “the deer.” Preserving this reading, some translate the preceding verb, “causes [the deer] to give premature birth” (cf. NEB, NASB). But the Polel of חוּל/חִיל (khul/khil) means “give birth,” not “cause to give birth,” and the statement “the
[29:9] 1125 tn The verb is used in Joel 1:7 of locusts stripping the leaves from a tree. The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
[29:9] 1126 tn The usual form of the plural of יַעַר (ya’ar, “forest”) is יְעָרִים (yÿ’arim). For this reason some propose an emendation to יְעָלוֹת (yÿ’alot, “female mountain goats”) which would fit nicely in the parallelism with “deer” (cf. NEB “brings kids early to birth”). In this case one would have to understand the verb חָשַׂף (khasaf) to mean “cause premature birth,” an otherwise unattested homonym of the more common חָשַׂף (“strip bare”).
[29:9] sn The Lord’s thunderous shout is accompanied by high winds which damage the trees of the forest.
[29:9] 1127 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
[29:10] 1128 tn The noun מַּבּוּל (mabbul, “flood”) appears only here and in Gen 6-11, where it refers to the Noahic flood. Some see a reference to that event here. The presence of the article (perhaps indicating uniqueness) and the switch to the perfect verbal form (which could be taken as describing a past situation) might support this. However, the immediate context indicates that the referent of מַּבּוּל is the “surging waters” mentioned in v. 3. The article indicates waters that are definite in the mind of the speaker and the perfect is probably descriptive in function, like “thunders” in v. 3. However, even though the historical flood is not the primary referent here, there may be a literary allusion involved. The psalmist views the threatening chaotic sea as a contemporary manifestation of the destructive waters of old.
[29:10] 1129 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
[29:11] 1130 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
[29:11] 1131 sn Strength. This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16.
[29:11] 1132 tn Heb “blesses his people with peace.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) probably refers here to the protection and prosperity experienced by God’s people after the
[30:1] 1133 sn Psalm 30. The author thanks the Lord for delivering him from death and urges others to join him in praise. The psalmist experienced divine discipline for a brief time, but when he cried out for help the Lord intervened and restored his favor.
[30:1] 1134 tn Heb “a song of the dedication of the house.” The referent of “house” is unclear. It is possible that David wrote this psalm for the dedication ceremony of Solomon’s temple. Another possibility is that the psalm was used on the occasion of the dedication of the second temple following the return from exile, or on the occasion of the rededication of the temple in Maccabean times.
[30:1] 1135 tn Elsewhere the verb דָּלָה (dalah) is used of drawing water from a well (Exod 2:16, 19; Prov 20:5). The psalmist was trapped in the pit leading to Sheol (see v. 3), but the
[30:2] 1137 sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.
[30:3] 1139 tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”
[30:4] 1140 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[30:4] 1141 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
[30:5] 1142 tn Heb “for [there is] a moment in his anger, [but] life in his favor.” Because of the parallelism with “moment,” some understand חַיִּים (khayyim) in a quantitative sense: “lifetime” (cf. NIV, NRSV). However, the immediate context, which emphasizes deliverance from death (see v. 3), suggests that חַיִּים has a qualitative sense: “physical life” or even “prosperous life” (cf. NEB “in his favour there is life”).
[30:5] 1143 tn Heb “in the evening weeping comes to lodge, but at morning a shout of joy.” “Weeping” is personified here as a traveler who lodges with one temporarily.
[30:6] 1144 sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).
[30:7] 1145 tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).
[30:7] 1146 tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).
[30:8] 1147 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.
[30:9] 1148 sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.
[30:9] 1149 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
[30:9] 1150 tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).
[30:9] 1151 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:9] 1152 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”
[30:9] sn According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 6:5; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
[30:10] 1153 tn Heb “be a helper to me.”
[30:11] 1154 sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.
[30:12] 1155 tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”
[30:12] 1156 tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “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; 57:9; 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.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.
[31:1] 1158 sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.
[31:1] 1159 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”
[31:2] 1160 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[31:2] 1161 tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”
[31:2] 1162 tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”
[31:3] 1163 sn The metaphor of the high ridge pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[31:3] 1164 tn Heb “name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the
[31:3] 1165 tn The present translation assumes that the imperfect verbal forms are generalizing, “you lead me and guide me.” Other options are to take them as an expression of confidence about the future, “you will lead me and guide me” (cf. NASB), or as expressing a prayer, “lead me and guide me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[31:4] 1166 tn Heb “bring me out.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form expresses the psalmist’s confidence about the future. Another option is to take the form as expressing a prayer, “free me.”
[31:5] 1167 tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.
[31:5] 1168 tn Or “redeem.” The perfect verbal form is understood here as anticipatory, indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer that he can describe his deliverance as if it had already happened. Another option is to take the perfect as precative, expressing a wish or request (“rescue me”; cf. NIV). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[31:6] 1169 tn Heb “the ones who observe vain things of falsehood.” See Jonah 2:9.
[31:7] 1170 tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”
[31:8] 1171 tn Heb “you cause my feet to stand.”
[31:9] 1172 tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”
[31:9] 1173 tn Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.
[31:9] 1174 tn Heb “my breath and my stomach [grow weak].” Apparently the verb in the previous line (“grow dim, be weakened”) is to be understood here. The Hebrew term נפשׁ can mean “life,” or, more specifically, “throat, breath.” The psalmist seems to be lamenting that his breathing is impaired because of the physical and emotional suffering he is forced to endure.
[31:10] 1175 tn Heb “and my years in groaning.”
[31:10] 1176 tn Heb “stumbles in.”
[31:10] 1177 tn Heb “grow weak.”
[31:11] 1178 tn Heb “because of all my enemies I am a reproach.”
[31:11] 1179 tc Heb “and to my neighbors, exceedingly.” If the MT is retained, then these words probably go with what precedes. However the syntactical awkwardness of the text suggests it is textually corrupt. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 258) suggests that the initial mem (מ) on מְאֹד (me’od, “exceedingly”) be understood as an enclitic mem (ם) which was originally suffixed to the preceding form and then later misinterpreted. The resulting form אֵד (’ed) can then be taken as a defectively written form of אֵיד (’ed, “calamity”). If one follows this emendation, then the text reads literally, “and to my neighbors [I am one who experiences] calamity.” The noun פַחַד (fakhad, “[object of] horror”) occurs in the next line; אֵיד and פַחַד appear in parallelism elsewhere (see Prov 1:26-27).
[31:11] 1180 tn Heb “and [an object of ] horror to those known by me.”
[31:12] 1181 tn Heb “I am forgotten, like a dead man, from [the] heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the center of one’s thoughts.
[31:12] 1182 tn Heb “I am like a broken jar.” One throws away a broken jar without a second thought because it is considered worthless and useless.
[31:13] 1183 tn Heb “the report of many.”
[31:13] 1184 tn Heb “the terror from all around.”
[31:15] 1185 tn Heb “in your hand [are] my times.”
[31:16] 1186 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
[31:17] 1187 tn The verb יִדְּמוּ (yiddÿmu) is understood as a form of דָּמַם (damam, “wail, lament”). Another option is to take the verb from דָּמַם (“be quiet”; see BDB 198-99 s.v. I דָּמַם), in which case one might translate, “May they lie silent in the grave.”
[31:18] 1188 tn Heb “the [ones which].”
[31:19] 1190 tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”
[31:19] 1191 tn Heb “for those who fear you.”
[31:19] 1192 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[31:19] 1193 tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”
[31:20] 1194 tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”
[31:20] 1195 tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.
[31:20] 1196 tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”
[31:21] 1197 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[31:21] 1198 tn Heb “for he caused his faithfulness to be amazing to me in a besieged city.” The psalmist probably speaks figuratively here. He compares his crisis to being trapped in a besieged city, but the
[31:22] 1199 tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”
[31:22] 1200 tn Heb “from before your eyes.”
[31:23] 1201 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[31:23] 1202 tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.
[31:24] 1203 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”
[32:1] 1204 sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.
[32:1] 1205 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.
[32:1] 1206 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, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.
[32:1] 1207 tn Heb “lifted up.”
[32:1] 1208 tn Heb “covered over.”
[32:2] 1209 tn Heb “man.” The word choice reflects the perspective of the psalmist, who is male. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender and age specific “man” has been translated with the more neutral “one.”
[32:2] 1210 tn Heb “blessed [is] the man to whom the
[32:2] 1211 sn In whose spirit there is no deceit. The point is not that the individual is sinless and pure. In this context, which focuses on confession and forgiveness of sin, the psalmist refers to one who refuses to deny or hide his sin, but instead honestly confesses it to God.
[32:3] 1212 tn Heb “when I was silent.”
[32:3] 1213 tn Heb “my bones became brittle.” The psalmist pictures himself as aging and growing physically weak. Trying to cover up his sin brought severe physical consequences.
[32:4] 1214 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
[32:4] 1215 tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (lÿshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (lÿshuddiy, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.
[32:4] sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.
[32:4] 1216 tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”
[32:4] 1217 sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.
[32:5] 1218 tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”
[32:5] 1219 tn Heb “the wrongdoing of my sin.” By joining synonyms for “sin” in this way, the psalmist may be emphasizing the degree of his wrongdoing.
[32:6] 1220 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[32:6] 1221 tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the
[32:6] 1222 tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.
[32:6] 1223 sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.
[32:6] 1224 tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.
[32:7] 1225 tn Heb “[with] shouts of joy of deliverance you surround me.”
[32:8] 1226 tn The second person pronominal forms in this verse are singular. The psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually (see also the note on the word “eye” in the next line). A less likely option (but one which is commonly understood) is that the
[32:8] 1227 tn Heb “I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way [in] which you should walk.”
[32:8] 1228 tn Heb “I will advise, upon you my eye,” that is, “I will offer advice [with] my eye upon you.” In 2 Chr 20:12 the statement “our eye is upon you” means that the speakers are looking to the
[32:9] 1229 tn The verb form is plural (i.e., “do not all of you be”); the psalmist addresses the whole group.
[32:9] 1230 tn Heb “like a horse, like a mule without understanding.”
[32:9] 1231 tn Heb “with a bridle and bit, its [?] to hold, not to come near to you.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun עֲדִי (’adiy) is uncertain. Normally the word refers to “jewelry,” so some suggest the meaning “trappings” here (cf. NASB). Some emend the form to לְחֵיהֶם (lÿkhehem, “their jawbones”) but it is difficult to see how the present Hebrew text, even if corrupt, could have derived from this proposed original reading. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 265) takes the form from an Arabic root and translates “whose gallop.” Cf. also NRSV “whose temper must be curbed.”
[32:10] 1232 tn Heb “many [are the] pains of evil [one].” The singular form is representative here; the typical evildoer, representative of the larger group of wicked people, is in view.
[32:10] 1233 tn Heb “but the one who trusts in the
[32:11] 1234 tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the
[33:1] 1235 sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.
[33:3] 1236 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.
[33:3] 1237 tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”
[33:4] 1238 sn For the
[33:4] 1239 tn Heb “word.” In this context, which depicts the
[33:4] 1241 tn Heb “and all his work [is] in faithfulness.”
[33:5] 1242 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[33:5] 1243 tn Heb “fills the earth.”
[33:6] 1245 tn Heb “and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” The words “were created” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons; they are understood by ellipsis (note “were made” in the preceding line). The description is consistent with Gen 1:16, which indicates that God spoke the heavenly luminaries into existence.
[33:7] 1246 tn Heb “[he] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ged, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the
[33:7] 1247 tn Or “watery depths.” The form תְּהוֹמוֹת (tÿhomot, “watery depths”) is the plural form of תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “great deep”; see Gen 1:2).
[33:8] 1248 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[33:9] 1249 tn That is, “all the earth” in the first line of v. 8. The apparent antecedent of the masculine subject of the verbs in v. 9 (note וַיֶּהִי [vayyehiy] and וַיַּעֲמֹד [vayya’amod]) is “earth” or “world,” both of which are feminine nouns. However, כָּל (kol, “all”) may be the antecedent, or the apparent lack of agreement may be explained by the collective nature of the nouns involved here (see GKC 463 §145.e).
[33:9] 1250 tn Heb “he commanded.”
[33:10] 1251 tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the
[33:10] 1252 tn Heb “thoughts.”
[33:11] 1253 tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The
[33:12] 1254 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; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[33:12] 1255 tn Heb “inheritance.”
[33:13] 1256 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.
[33:13] 1257 tn Heb “all the sons of men.”
[33:15] 1258 tn Heb “the one who forms together their heart[s].” “Heart” here refers to human nature, composed of intellect, emotions and will. The precise force of יָחַד (yakhad, “together”) is unclear here. The point seems to be that the
[33:17] 1259 tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”
[33:18] 1260 tn Heb “look, the eye of the
[33:18] 1261 tn Heb “for the ones who wait for his faithfulness.”
[33:19] 1262 tn Heb “to save from death their live[s].”
[33:19] 1263 tn Heb “and to keep them alive in famine.”
[33:20] 1264 tn Or “our lives.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[33:20] 1265 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[33:20] 1266 tn Or “protector.”
[33:22] 1267 tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O
[34:1] 1269 sn Psalm 34. In this song of thanksgiving the psalmist praises God for delivering him from distress. He encourages others to be loyal to the Lord, tells them how to please God, and assures them that the Lord protects his servants. The psalm is an acrostic; vv. 1-21 begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. (Verse 6 begins with the letter he (ה) and v. 7 with the letter zayin (ז). The letter vav (ו), which comes between ה and ז, seems to be omitted, although it does appear at the beginning of v. 6b. The final verse of the psalm, which begins with the letter pe (פ), is outside the acrostic scheme.
[34:1] 1270 tn Heb “By David, when he changed his sense before Abimelech and he drove him away and he went.”
[34:1] sn Pretended to be insane. The psalm heading appears to refer to the account in 1 Sam 21:10-15 which tells how David, fearful that King Achish of Gath might kill him, pretended to be insane in hopes that the king would simply send him away. The psalm heading names the king Abimelech, not Achish, suggesting that the tradition is confused on this point. However, perhaps “Abimelech” was a royal title, rather than a proper name. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 278.
[34:1] 1272 tn Heb “continually [will] his praise [be] in my mouth.”
[34:2] 1273 tn Heb “my soul will boast”; or better, “let my soul boast.” Following the cohortative form in v. 1, it is likely that the prefixed verbal form here is jussive.
[34:2] 1274 tn The two prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best taken as jussives, for the psalmist is calling his audience to worship (see v. 3).
[34:4] 1276 tn Heb “I sought the
[34:5] 1277 tc Heb “they look to him and are radiant and their faces are not ashamed.” The third person plural subject (“they”) is unidentified; there is no antecedent in the Hebrew text. For this reason some prefer to take the perfect verbal forms in the first line as imperatives, “look to him and be radiant” (cf. NEB, NRSV). Some medieval Hebrew
[34:6] 1278 tn The pronoun refers back to “this oppressed man,” namely, the psalmist.
[34:7] 1279 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the
[34:7] 1280 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:7] 1281 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same generalizing force as the active participle in the first line. See GKC 329 §111.u.
[34:8] 1282 tn This verb is normally used of tasting or savoring food. The metaphor here appears to compare the
[34:8] 1283 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, 3; 2:12; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[34:8] 1284 tn Heb “man.” The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.”
[34:8] 1285 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[34:9] 1287 tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”
[34:9] 1288 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:11] 1289 tn Heb “the fear of the
[34:12] 1290 tn Heb “Who is the man who desires life?” The rhetorical question is used to grab the audience’s attention. “Life” probably refers here to quality of life, not just physical existence or even duration of life. See the following line.
[34:12] 1291 tn Heb “[Who] loves days to see good?”
[34:13] 1292 tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”
[34:13] 1293 tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”
[34:14] 1295 tn Heb “seek peace and pursue it.”
[34:15] 1296 tn Heb “the eyes of the
[34:16] 1297 tn Heb “the face of the
[34:17] 1298 tn Heb “they” (i.e., the godly mentioned in v. 15).
[34:17] 1299 tn The three perfect verbal forms are taken in a generalizing sense in v. 17 and translated with the present tense (note the generalizing mood of vv. 18-22).
[34:18] 1300 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the
[34:18] 1301 tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”
[34:19] 1302 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular form; the representative or typical godly person is envisioned.
[34:19] 1304 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the
[34:19] 1305 tn Heb “him,” agreeing with the singular form in the preceding line.
[34:20] 1306 tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.
[34:20] 1307 tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.
[34:20] 1308 sn Not one of them is broken. The author of the Gospel of John saw a fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ experience on the cross (see John 19:31-37), for the Roman soldiers, when they saw that Jesus was already dead, did not break his legs as was customarily done to speed the death of crucified individuals. John’s use of the psalm seems strange, for the statement in its original context suggests that the Lord protects the godly from physical harm. Jesus’ legs may have remained unbroken, but he was brutally and unjustly executed by his enemies. John seems to give the statement a literal sense that is foreign to its original literary context by applying a promise of divine protection to a man who was seemingly not saved by God. However, John saw in this incident a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate deliverance and vindication. His unbroken bones were a reminder of God’s commitment to the godly and a sign of things to come. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of the story; God vindicated him, as John goes on to explain in the following context (John 19:38-20:18).
[34:21] 1309 tn Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.
[34:21] 1310 tn Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.
[34:22] 1311 tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.
[34:22] 1312 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[35:1] 1313 sn Psalm 35. The author, who faces ruthless enemies who seek his life for no reason, begs the Lord to fight his battles for him and to vindicate him by annihilating his adversaries.
[35:2] 1315 tn Two different types of shields are mentioned here. See also Ezek 38:4. Many modern translations render the first term (translated here “small shield”) as “buckler” (cf. NASB “buckler and shield”; the order is often reversed in the translation, apparently for stylistic reasons: cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “shield and buckler”). The English term “buckler,” referring to a small round shield held on the arm to protect the upper body, is unfamiliar to many modern readers, so the term “small shield” was used in the present translation for clarity.
[35:3] 1316 tn Or “javelin.” On the meaning of this word, which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, see M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:210-11.
[35:3] 1317 tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”
[35:3] 1318 tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”
[35:4] 1319 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See also the distinct jussive form in v. 6.
[35:5] 1320 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.
[35:5] 1321 sn See the mention of the
[35:5] 1322 tn Heb “as the
[35:6] 1323 tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[35:7] 1324 tc Heb “for without cause they hid for me a pit of their net, without cause they dug for my life.” It appears that the words “pit” and “net” have been transposed. “Net” goes with the verb “hid” in the first line (see v. 8, as well as Pss 9:15; 31:4), while “pit” goes with the verb “dug” in the second line (see Ps 7:15).
[35:8] 1325 tn Heb “let destruction [which] he does not know come to him.” The singular is used of the enemy in v. 8, probably in a representative or collective sense. The psalmist has more than one enemy, as vv. 1-7 make clear.
[35:8] 1326 tn The psalmist’s prayer for his enemies’ demise continues. See vv. 4-6.
[35:9] 1327 tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the
[35:10] 1328 tn Heb “all my bones will say.”
[35:10] 1329 tn Heb “[the one who] rescues.” The substantival participle in the Hebrew text characterizes God as one who typically rescues the oppressed.
[35:10] 1330 tn Heb “from [the one who is] too strong for him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense. The typical oppressed individual and typical oppressor are in view.
[35:10] 1331 tn Heb “the oppressed [one] and needy [one] from [the one who] robs him.” As in the previous line, the singular forms are used in a representative sense.
[35:11] 1332 tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”
[35:11] 1333 tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”
[35:12] 1334 tn Heb “they repay me evil instead of good.”
[35:12] 1335 tn Heb “[there is] bereavement to my soul.”
[35:13] 1336 tn Heb “as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.” Sackcloth was worn by mourners. When the psalmist’s enemies were sick, he was sorry for their misfortune and mourned for them.
[35:13] 1337 sn Fasting was also a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities, such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[35:13] 1338 tn Heb “and my prayer upon my chest will return.” One could translate, “but my prayer was returning upon my chest,” but the use of the imperfect verbal form sets this line apart from the preceding and following lines (vv. 13a, 14), which use the perfect to describe the psalmist’s past actions.
[35:14] 1339 tn Heb “like a friend, like a brother to me I walked about.”
[35:14] 1340 sn I bowed down. Bowing down was a posture for mourning. See Ps 38:6.
[35:14] 1341 tn Heb “like mourning for a mother [in] sorrow I bowed down.”
[35:15] 1342 tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).
[35:15] 1343 tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.
[35:16] 1344 tc The MT reads “as profane [ones] of mockers of food,” which is nonsensical. The present translation assumes (1) an emendation of בְּחַנְפֵי (bÿkhanfey, “as profane men”) to בְּחַנְפִי (bekhanfiy, “when I tripped”; preposition + Qal infinitive construct from II חָנַף [“limp”] + first common singular pronominal suffix) and (2) an emendation of לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג (la’agey ma’og, “mockers of food”) to עָגוּ[ם]לַעְגָּ (la’gam ’agu, “[with] taunting they taunted”; masculine plural noun with enclitic mem + Qal perfect third common plural from לַּעַג [la’ag, “taunt”]).
[35:16] 1345 tn Heb “gnashing at me with their teeth.” The infinitive absolute adds a complementary action – they gnashed with their teeth as they taunted.
[35:17] 1346 tn Heb “O Lord, how long will you see?”
[35:17] 1347 tn Heb “bring back, restore.”
[35:17] 1349 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone (see Ps 22:20). The verb “guard” is supplied in the translation, because the verb “rescue” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[35:18] 1350 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.
[35:18] 1351 tn Heb “among numerous people.”
[35:19] 1352 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).
[35:19] 1353 tn Heb “rejoice.”
[35:19] 1354 tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).
[35:20] 1355 tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”
[35:20] 1356 tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.
[35:21] 1357 tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.
[35:21] 1358 tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).
[35:22] 1359 tn Heb “you see, O
[35:23] 1360 sn Though he is confident that the Lord is aware of his situation (see v. 22a), the psalmist compares the Lord’s inactivity to sleep and urges him to wake up.
[35:23] 1361 tn Heb “for my justice.”
[35:23] 1362 tn Heb “for my cause.”
[35:24] 1363 tn Heb “rejoice.”
[35:25] 1364 tn Heb “in their heart[s].”
[35:25] 1365 tn Heb “Aha! Our desire!” The “desire” of the psalmist’s enemies is to triumph over him.
[35:26] 1366 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”
[35:26] 1367 tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.
[35:27] 1368 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).
[35:27] 1369 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[35:27] 1370 tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”
[35:28] 1371 tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”
[35:28] 1372 tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[36:1] 1373 sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.
[36:1] 1374 tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.
[36:1] 1375 tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a a few medieval Hebrew
[36:1] 1376 tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.
[36:2] 1377 tn Heb “for it causes to be smooth to him in his eyes to find his sin to hate.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. Perhaps the point is this: His rebellious attitude makes him reject any notion that God will hold him accountable. His attitude also prevents him from recognizing and repudiating his sinful ways.
[36:3] 1378 tn Heb “he ceases to exhibit wisdom to do good.” The Hiphil forms are exhibitive, indicating the outward expression of an inner attitude.
[36:4] 1379 tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.
[36:4] 1380 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.
[36:5] 1381 tn Heb “[is] in the heavens.”
[36:5] 1382 sn The Lord’s loyal love/faithfulness is almost limitless. He is loyal and faithful to his creation and blesses mankind and the animal kingdom with physical life and sustenance (vv. 6-9).
[36:6] 1383 tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.
[36:6] 1385 sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.
[36:7] 1387 tn Heb “and the sons of man in the shadow of your wings find shelter.” The preservation of physical life is in view, as the next verse makes clear.
[36:9] 1388 tn Heb “for with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light.” Water (note “fountain”) and light are here metaphors for life.
[36:10] 1389 tn Heb “draw out to full length.”
[36:10] 1390 tn Heb “to those who know you.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “know”) is used here of those who “know” the
[36:10] 1391 tn Heb “and your justice to.” The verb “extend” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[36:10] 1392 tn Heb “the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
[36:11] 1393 tn Heb “let not a foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the evil ones cause me to wander as a fugitive.”
[36:12] 1394 tn Heb “there the workers of wickedness have fallen.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the evildoers lying fallen at a spot that is vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.).
[36:12] 1395 tn The psalmist uses perfect verbal forms in v. 12 to describe the demise of the wicked as if it has already taken place.
