Book 1
(Psalms 1-41)
1:1 How blessed 2 is the one 3 who does not follow 4 the advice 5 of the wicked, 6
or stand in the pathway 7 with sinners,
or sit in the assembly 8 of scoffers! 9
1:2 Instead 10 he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; 11
he meditates on 12 his commands 13 day and night.
1:3 He is like 14 a tree planted by flowing streams; 15
it 16 yields 17 its fruit at the proper time, 18
and its leaves never fall off. 19
He succeeds in everything he attempts. 20
1:4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead 21 they are like wind-driven chaff. 22
1:5 For this reason 23 the wicked cannot withstand 24 judgment, 25
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. 26
1:6 Certainly 27 the Lord guards the way of the godly, 28
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction. 29
6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, 30 so the Lord turned them over to 31 Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites 32 overwhelmed Israel. 33 Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters 34 for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, 35 the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. 36 6:4 They invaded the land 37 and devoured 38 its crops 39 all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, 40 and they took away 41 the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded 42 with their cattle and tents, they were as thick 43 as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. 44 They came to devour 45 the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he 46 sent a prophet 47 to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt 48 and took you out of that place of slavery. 49 6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power 50 and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship 51 the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” 52
6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger 53 came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon 54 was threshing 55 wheat in a winepress 56 so he could hide it from the Midianites. 57 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, 58 but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster 59 overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, 60 ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself 61 turned to him and said, “You have the strength. 62 Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! 63 Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon 64 said to him, “But Lord, 65 how 66 can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 67 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but 68 I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” 69 6:17 Gideon 70 said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, 71 then give me 72 a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back 73 with a gift 74 and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”
6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, 75 along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food 76 to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, 77 and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. 78 6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff. 79 Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared. 80
6:22 When Gideon realized 81 that it was the Lord’s messenger, he 82 said, “Oh no! 83 Master, Lord! 84 I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! 85 Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” 86 To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. 87 Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. 88 Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants 89 and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family 90 and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 91
6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw 92 the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another, 93 “Who did this?” 94 They investigated the matter thoroughly 95 and concluded 96 that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! 97 He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, 98 “Must you fight Baal’s battles? 99 Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause 100 will die by morning! 101 If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! 102 After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” 103 6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, 104 because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east 105 assembled. They crossed the Jordan River 106 and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of 107 Gideon. He blew a trumpet, 108 summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 109 6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. 110 He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.
6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, 111 as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. 112 6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it 113 is dry, then I will be sure 114 that you will use me to deliver Israel, 115 as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked. 116 When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. 117 6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. 118 Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” 119 6:40 That night God did as he asked. 120 Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.
1 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.
2 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).
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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).
7 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.
8 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”).
9 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.
10 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.
11 tn Heb “his delight [is] in the law of the
12 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.
13 tn Or “his law.”
19 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.
20 tn Heb “channels of water.”
21 tn Heb “which.”
22 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the typical nature of the actions/states they describe.
23 tn Heb “in its season.”
24 tn Or “fade”; “wither.”
25 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.”
28 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.
29 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.
37 tn Or “Therefore.”
38 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”).
39 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).
40 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”).
46 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.
47 tn Heb “the
48 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”).
55 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
56 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
64 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
65 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
66 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
73 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
74 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (vÿ’alu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ’alayv).
82 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
83 tn Heb “destroyed.”
84 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
85 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
86 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
91 tn Heb “came up.”
92 tn Heb “numerous.”
93 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
94 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
100 tn Heb “the
101 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
102 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
103 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
109 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
118 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
119 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
127 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
128 tn Heb “Now Gideon his son…” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.
129 tn Heb “beating out.”
130 sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
131 tn Heb “Midian.”
136 tn Heb “But my lord.”
137 tn Heb “all this.”
138 tn Heb “saying.”
145 sn Some interpreters equate the
146 tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”
147 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
154 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
155 tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (’adoniy, “my lord”) in v. 13.
156 tn Heb “with what.”
157 tn Heb “in my father’s house.”
163 tn Or “certainly.”
164 tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”
172 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
173 tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”
174 tn Heb “perform for me.”
181 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
182 tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.
190 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
191 tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
199 tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”
200 tn Heb “and he did so.”
208 tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”
209 tn Heb “went from his eyes.”
217 tn Heb “saw.”
218 tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
219 tn Or “Ah!”
220 tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (’adonay yÿhvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15],
226 tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.
235 tn Heb “The
244 tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.
253 tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.
262 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
263 tn Heb “house.”
264 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
271 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
280 tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”
281 tn Heb “this thing.”
282 tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.
283 tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”
289 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
298 tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”
299 tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”
300 tn Heb “fights for him.”
301 sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.
302 tn Heb “fight for himself.”
303 tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).
307 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub-Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight!”
316 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”
317 tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
325 tn Heb “clothed.”
326 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
327 tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”
334 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
343 tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”
344 tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
352 tn Heb “all the ground.”
353 tn Or “know.”
354 tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”
361 tn Heb “And it was so.”
362 tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece – a bowl full of water.”
370 tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”
371 tn Heb “let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”
379 tn Heb “God did so that night.”