Kejadian 3:15
Konteks3:15 And I will put hostility 1 between you and the woman
and between your offspring and her offspring; 2
her offspring will attack 3 your head,
and 4 you 5 will attack her offspring’s heel.” 6
Mazmur 22:1--69:36
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 8 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 9
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 10
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. 11
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 12
22:4 In you our ancestors 13 trusted;
they trusted in you 14 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 15
22:6 But I 16 am a worm, 17 not a man; 18
people insult me and despise me. 19
22:7 All who see me taunt 20 me;
they mock me 21 and shake their heads. 22
“Commit yourself 24 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 25 rescue him!
Let the Lord 26 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 27
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 28 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 29
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 30
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 31
22:12 Many bulls 32 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 33 hem me in.
22:13 They 34 open their mouths to devour me 35
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 36
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 37
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 38 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 39 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 40
You 41 set me in the dust of death. 42
22:16 Yes, 43 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 44
22:17 I can count 45 all my bones;
my enemies 46 are gloating over me in triumph. 47
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 48 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 49 Hurry and help me! 50
22:20 Deliver me 51 from the sword!
Save 52 my life 53 from the claws 54 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 55
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 56
You have answered me! 57
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 58
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 59 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 60
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 61 of the oppressed; 62
he did not ignore him; 63
when he cried out to him, he responded. 64
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 65 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 66
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 67
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 68 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 69
Let all the nations 70 worship you! 71
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 73 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 74
all those who are descending into the grave 75 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 76
22:30 A whole generation 77 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 78
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 79
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 80
A psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, 82
I lack nothing. 83
23:2 He takes me to lush pastures, 84
he leads me to refreshing water. 85
23:3 He restores my strength. 86
He leads me down 87 the right paths 88
for the sake of his reputation. 89
23:4 Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, 90
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me. 93
23:5 You prepare a feast before me 94
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh 95 my head with oil;
my cup is completely full. 96
23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness 97 will pursue 98 me all my days, 99
and I will live in 100 the Lord’s house 101 for the rest of my life. 102
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 104 it upon the ocean currents. 105
24:3 Who is allowed to ascend 106 the mountain of the Lord? 107
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
24:4 The one whose deeds are blameless
and whose motives are pure, 108
who does not lie, 109
or make promises with no intention of keeping them. 110
24:5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord, 111
and vindicated by the God who delivers them. 112
24:6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,
Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. 113 (Selah)
Rise up, 115 you eternal doors!
Then the majestic king 116 will enter! 117
24:8 Who is this majestic king? 118
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! 119
He is the majestic king! (Selah)
By David.
25:1 O Lord, I come before you in prayer. 121
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 122 and humiliated.
25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!
Teach me your paths! 123
25:5 Guide me into your truth 124 and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
25:6 Remember 125 your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,
for you have always acted in this manner. 126
25:7 Do not hold against me 127 the sins of my youth 128 or my rebellious acts!
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! 129
25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; 130
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. 131
25:9 May he show 132 the humble what is right! 133
May he teach 134 the humble his way!
25:10 The Lord always proves faithful and reliable 135
to those who follow the demands of his covenant. 136
25:11 For the sake of your reputation, 137 O Lord,
forgive my sin, because it is great. 138
25:12 The Lord shows his faithful followers
the way they should live. 139
25:13 They experience his favor; 140
their descendants 141 inherit the land. 142
25:14 The Lord’s loyal followers receive his guidance, 143
and he reveals his covenantal demands to them. 144
25:15 I continually look to the Lord for help, 145
for he will free my feet from the enemy’s net. 146
25:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone 147 and oppressed!
25:17 Deliver me from my distress; 148
rescue me from my suffering! 149
25:18 See my pain and suffering!
Forgive all my sins! 150
25:19 Watch my enemies, for they outnumber me;
they hate me and want to harm me. 151
25:20 Protect me 152 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 153 Israel
from all their distress! 154
By David.
26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have integrity, 156
and I trust in the Lord without wavering.
26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!
Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! 157
26:3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, 158
and your loyalty continually motivates me. 159
26:4 I do not associate 160 with deceitful men,
or consort 161 with those who are dishonest. 162
26:5 I hate the mob 163 of evil men,
and do not associate 164 with the wicked.
26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle, 165
so I can appear before your altar, 166 O Lord,
and to tell about all your amazing deeds. 168
26:8 O Lord, I love the temple where you live, 169
the place where your splendor is revealed. 170
26:9 Do not sweep me away 171 with sinners,
or execute me along with violent people, 172
26:10 who are always ready to do wrong 173
or offer a bribe. 174
26:11 But I have integrity! 175
Rescue me 176 and have mercy on me!
and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.
By David.
27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! 179
I fear no one! 180
The Lord protects my life!
I am afraid of no one! 181
27:2 When evil men attack me 182
to devour my flesh, 183
when my adversaries and enemies attack me, 184
they stumble and fall. 185
27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,
I do not fear. 186
Even when war is imminent, 187
I remain confident. 188
27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –
this is what I desire!
I want to live 189 in the Lord’s house 190 all the days of my life,
so I can gaze at the splendor 191 of the Lord
and contemplate in his temple.
27:5 He will surely 192 give me shelter 193 in the day of danger; 194
he will hide me in his home; 195
he will place me 196 on an inaccessible rocky summit. 197
27:6 Now I will triumph
over my enemies who surround me! 198
I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy! 199
I will sing praises to the Lord!
27:7 Hear me, 200 O Lord, when I cry out!
Have mercy on me and answer me!
27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, 201
and I do pray to you, O Lord. 202
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You are my deliverer! 204
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me!
27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me, 205
the Lord would take me in. 206
27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; 207
lead me along a level path 208 because of those who wait to ambush me! 209
27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 210
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 211
27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? 212
Be strong and confident! 214
Rely on the Lord!
By David.
28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!
My protector, 216 do not ignore me! 217
If you do not respond to me, 218
I will join 219 those who are descending into the grave. 220
28:2 Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,
when I lift my hands 221 toward your holy temple! 222
28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,
with those who behave wickedly, 223
who talk so friendly to their neighbors, 224
while they plan to harm them! 225
28:4 Pay them back for their evil deeds!
Pay them back for what they do!
Punish them! 226
28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,
or the way he carries out justice. 227
The Lord 228 will permanently demolish them. 229
28:6 The Lord deserves praise, 230
for he has heard my plea for mercy! 231
28:7 The Lord strengthens and protects me; 232
I trust in him with all my heart. 233
I am rescued 234 and my heart is full of joy; 235
I will sing to him in gratitude. 236
28:8 The Lord strengthens his people; 237
he protects and delivers his chosen king. 238
28:9 Deliver your people!
Empower 239 the nation that belongs to you! 240
Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms 241 at all times! 242
A psalm of David.
29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, 244
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! 245
29:2 Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation! 246
Worship the Lord in holy attire! 247
29:3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; 248
the majestic God thunders, 249
the Lord appears over the surging water. 250
29:4 The Lord’s shout is powerful, 251
the Lord’s shout is majestic. 252
29:5 The Lord’s shout breaks 253 the cedars,
the Lord shatters 254 the cedars of Lebanon. 255
29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion 256 like a young ox. 257
29:7 The Lord’s shout strikes 258 with flaming fire. 259
29:8 The Lord’s shout shakes 260 the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 261
29:9 The Lord’s shout bends 262 the large trees 263
and strips 264 the leaves from the forests. 265
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!” 266
29:10 The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters, 267
the Lord sits enthroned 268 as the eternal king.
29:11 The Lord gives 269 his people strength; 270
the Lord grants his people security. 271
A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; 273 by David.
30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, 274
and did not allow my enemies to gloat 275 over me.
30:2 O Lord my God,
I cried out to you and you healed me. 276
30:3 O Lord, you pulled me 277 up from Sheol;
you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. 278
30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers 279 of his;
give thanks to his holy name. 280
30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment,
and his good favor restores one’s life. 281
One may experience sorrow during the night,
but joy arrives in the morning. 282
30:6 In my self-confidence I said,
“I will never be upended.” 283
30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. 284
Then you rejected me 285 and I was terrified.
30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;
I begged the Lord for mercy: 286
30:9 “What 287 profit is there in taking my life, 288
in my descending into the Pit? 289
Can the dust of the grave 290 praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty? 291
30:10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me!
O Lord, deliver me!” 292
30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. 293
30:12 So now 294 my heart 295 will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always 296 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! 298
Quickly deliver me!
Be my protector and refuge, 300
a stronghold where I can be safe! 301
31:3 For you are my high ridge 302 and my stronghold;
for the sake of your own reputation 303 you lead me and guide me. 304
31:4 You will free me 305 from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
31:5 Into your hand I entrust my life; 306
you will rescue 307 me, O Lord, the faithful God.
31:6 I hate those who serve worthless idols, 308
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. 309
31:8 You do not deliver me over to the power of the enemy;
you enable me to stand 310 in a wide open place.
31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!
My eyes grow dim 311 from suffering. 312
I have lost my strength. 313
31:10 For my life nears its end in pain;
my years draw to a close as I groan. 314
My strength fails me because of 315 my sin,
and my bones become brittle. 316
31:11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me; 317
my neighbors are appalled by my suffering 318 –
those who know me are horrified by my condition; 319
those who see me in the street run away from me.
31:12 I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about; 320
I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar. 321
31:13 For I hear what so many are saying, 322
the terrifying news that comes from every direction. 323
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! 324
Rescue me from the power of my enemies and those who chase me.
31:16 Smile 325 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! 326
31:18 May lying lips be silenced –
lips 327 that speak defiantly against the innocent 328
with arrogance and contempt!
31:19 How great is your favor, 329
which you store up for your loyal followers! 330
In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter 331 in you. 332
31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks 333 of men; 334
you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. 335
31:21 The Lord deserves praise 336
for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. 337
31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, 338
“I am cut off from your presence!” 339
But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers 340 of his!
The Lord protects those who have integrity,
but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. 341
31:24 Be strong and confident, 342
all you who wait on the Lord!
By David; a well-written song. 344
32:1 How blessed 345 is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, 346
whose sin is pardoned! 347
32:2 How blessed is the one 348 whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish, 349
in whose spirit there is no deceit. 350
32:3 When I refused to confess my sin, 351
my whole body wasted away, 352
while I groaned in pain all day long.
32:4 For day and night you tormented me; 353
you tried to destroy me 354 in the intense heat 355 of summer. 356 (Selah)
32:5 Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess 357 my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins. 358 (Selah)
32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers 359 should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity. 360
Certainly 361 when the surging water 362 rises,
it will not reach them. 363
32:7 You are my hiding place;
you protect me from distress.
You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. 364 (Selah)
32:8 I will instruct and teach you 365 about how you should live. 366
I will advise you as I look you in the eye. 367
32:9 Do not be 368 like an unintelligent horse or mule, 369
which will not obey you
unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit. 370
32:10 An evil person suffers much pain, 371
but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him. 372
32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! 373
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! 375
Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him! 376
33:4 For 377 the Lord’s decrees 378 are just, 379
and everything he does is fair. 380
33:5 The Lord promotes 381 equity and justice;
the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth. 382
33:6 By the Lord’s decree 383 the heavens were made;
by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. 384
33:7 He piles up the water of the sea; 385
he puts the oceans 386 in storehouses.
33:8 Let the whole earth fear 387 the Lord!
Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him!
33:9 For he spoke, and it 388 came into existence,
he issued the decree, 389 and it stood firm.
33:10 The Lord frustrates 390 the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans 391 of the peoples.
33:11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever;
his plans abide throughout the ages. 392
33:12 How blessed 393 is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession. 394
33:13 The Lord watches 395 from heaven;
he sees all people. 396
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, 397
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; 398
despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.
33:18 Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, 399
those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness 400
33:19 by saving their lives from death 401
and sustaining them during times of famine. 402
33:20 We 403 wait for the Lord;
he is our deliverer 404 and shield. 405
33:21 For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
33:22 May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, 406
for 407 we wait for you.
Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. 409
34:1 I will praise 410 the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him. 411
34:2 I will boast 412 in the Lord;
let the oppressed hear and rejoice! 413
34:3 Magnify the Lord with me!
Let’s praise 414 his name together!
34:4 I sought the Lord’s help 415 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. 416
34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;
he saved him 417 from all his troubles.
34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around
the Lord’s 418 loyal followers 419 and delivers them. 420
34:8 Taste 421 and see that the Lord is good!
How blessed 422 is the one 423 who takes shelter in him! 424
34:9 Remain loyal to 425 the Lord, you chosen people of his, 426
for his loyal followers 427 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. 428
34:12 Do you want to really live? 429
Would you love to live a long, happy life? 430
34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words 431
or use deceptive speech! 432
34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right! 433
Strive for peace and promote it! 434
34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help. 435
34:16 But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. 436
34:17 The godly 437 cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles. 438
34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers 439 those who are discouraged. 440
34:19 The godly 441 face many dangers, 442
but the Lord saves 443 them 444 from each one of them.
34:20 He protects 445 all his bones; 446
not one of them is broken. 447
34:21 Evil people self-destruct; 448
those who hate the godly are punished. 449
34:22 The Lord rescues his servants; 450
all who take shelter in him escape punishment. 451
By David.
35:1 O Lord, fight 453 those who fight with me!
Attack those who attack me!
35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield, 454
and rise up to help me!
35:3 Use your spear and lance 455 against 456 those who chase me!
Assure me with these words: 457 “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! 458
35:5 May they be 459 like wind-driven chaff,
as the Lord’s angel 460 attacks them! 461
35:6 May their path be 462 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. 463
35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise! 464
Let the net they hid catch them!
Let them fall into destruction! 465
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance. 466
35:10 With all my strength I will say, 467
“O Lord, who can compare to you?
You rescue 468 the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; 469
the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” 470
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, 471
and falsely accuse me. 472
35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; 473
I am overwhelmed with sorrow. 474
35:13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, 475
and refrained from eating food. 476
(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) 477
35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. 478
I bowed down 479 in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. 480
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me. 481
They tore at me without stopping to rest. 482
35:16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, 483
and tried to bite me. 484
35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? 485
Rescue 486 me 487 from their destructive attacks;
guard my life 488 from the young lions!
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 489
I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 490
35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason 491 gloat 492 over me!
Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! 493
35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, 494
but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. 495
35:21 They are ready to devour me; 496
they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” 497
35:22 But you take notice, 498 Lord!
O Lord, do not remain far away from me!
35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up 499 and vindicate me! 500
My God and Lord, defend my just cause! 501
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat 502 over me!
35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, 503 “Aha! We have what we wanted!” 504
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 505
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 506
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, 507 “May the Lord be praised, 508 for he wants his servant to be secure.” 509
35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice, 510
and praise you all day long. 511
For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. 513
36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. 514
He does not fear God, 515
36:2 for he is too proud
to recognize and give up his sin. 516
36:3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;
he does not care about doing what is wise and right. 517
36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; 518
he does not reject what is evil. 519
36:5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; 520
your faithfulness to the clouds. 521
36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, 522
your fairness like the deepest sea;
you preserve 523 mankind and the animal kingdom. 524
36:7 How precious 525 is your loyal love, O God!
The human race finds shelter under your wings. 526
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. 527
36:10 Extend 528 your loyal love to your faithful followers, 529
and vindicate 530 the morally upright! 531
36:11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,
or let evil men make me homeless! 532
36:12 I can see the evildoers! They have fallen! 533
They have been knocked down and are unable to get up! 534
By David.
37:1 Do not fret 536 when wicked men seem to succeed! 537
Do not envy evildoers!
37:2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants. 538
37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! 539
37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, 540
and he will answer your prayers. 541
37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! 542
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 543
37:6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause. 544
37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! 545
Wait confidently 546 for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, 547
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! 548
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
37:9 Wicked men 549 will be wiped out, 550
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. 551
37:10 Evil men will soon disappear; 552
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 553
37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity. 554
37:12 Evil men plot against the godly 555
and viciously attack them. 556
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 557 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 558
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 559 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 560
37:15 Their swords will pierce 561 their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
37:16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men, 562
37:17 for evil men will lose their power, 563
but the Lord sustains 564 the godly.
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 565
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 566
37:19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come; 567
when famine comes they will have enough to eat. 568
37:20 But 569 evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated 570 –
they will go up in smoke. 571
37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous. 572
37:22 Surely 573 those favored by the Lord 574 will possess the land,
but those rejected 575 by him will be wiped out. 576
37:23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable. 577
37:24 Even if 578 he trips, he will not fall headlong, 579
for the Lord holds 580 his hand.
37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 581 forced to search for food. 582
37:26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, 583
and his children 584 are blessed.
37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! 585
Then you will enjoy lasting security. 586
37:28 For the Lord promotes 587 justice,
and never abandons 588 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 589
but the children 590 of evil men are wiped out. 591
37:29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 592
37:31 The law of their God controls their thinking; 593
their 594 feet do not slip.
37:32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them. 595
37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 596
37:34 Rely 597 on the Lord! Obey his commands! 598
Then he will permit you 599 to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men. 600
37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men 601
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 602
37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! 603
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! 604
For the one who promotes peace has a future. 605
37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; 606
evil men have no future. 607
37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; 608
he protects them in times of trouble. 609
37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, 610
for they seek his protection.
A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention. 612
38:1 O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger!
Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury! 613
38:2 For your arrows pierce 614 me,
and your hand presses me down. 615
38:3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment; 616
I am deprived of health because of my sin. 617
38:4 For my sins overwhelm me; 618
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
38:5 My wounds 619 are infected and starting to smell, 620
because of my foolish sins. 621
38:6 I am dazed 622 and completely humiliated; 623
all day long I walk around mourning.
38:7 For I am overcome with shame 624
and my whole body is sick. 625
38:8 I am numb with pain and severely battered; 626
I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel. 627
38:9 O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire; 628
my groaning is not hidden from you.
38:10 My heart beats quickly;
my strength leaves me;
I can hardly see. 629
38:11 Because of my condition, 630 even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance; 631
my neighbors stand far away. 632
38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; 633
those who want to harm me speak destructive words;
all day long they say deceitful things.
38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;
I am like a mute who cannot speak. 634
38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear
and is incapable of arguing his defense. 635
38:15 Yet 636 I wait for you, O Lord!
You will respond, O Lord, my God!
38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me; 637
when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me. 638
38:17 For I am about to stumble,
and I am in constant pain. 639
38:18 Yes, 640 I confess my wrongdoing,
and I am concerned about my sins.
38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; 641
those who hate me without cause outnumber me. 642
38:20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;
though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me. 643
38:21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!
My God, do not remain far away from me!
38:22 Hurry and help me, 644 O Lord, my deliverer!
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.
39:1 I decided, 646 “I will watch what I say
and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. 647
I will put a muzzle over my mouth
while in the presence of an evil man.” 648
I held back the urge to speak. 650
My frustration grew; 651
39:3 my anxiety intensified. 652
As I thought about it, I became impatient. 653
Finally I spoke these words: 654
39:4 “O Lord, help me understand my mortality
and the brevity of life! 655
Let me realize how quickly my life will pass! 656
39:5 Look, you make my days short-lived, 657
and my life span is nothing from your perspective. 658
Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. 659
39:6 Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. 660
Surely they accumulate worthless wealth
without knowing who will eventually haul it away.” 661
39:7 But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?
You are my only hope! 662
39:8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!
Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!
39:9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth
because of what you have done. 663
39:10 Please stop wounding me! 664
You have almost beaten me to death! 665
39:11 You severely discipline people for their sins; 666
like a moth you slowly devour their strength. 667
Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)
39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!
Listen to my cry for help!
Do not ignore my sobbing! 668
For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;
I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were. 669
39:13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy
before I pass away. 670
For the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 672 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 673
out of the slimy mud. 674
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing. 675
40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 676
praising our God. 677
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 678
40:4 How blessed 679 is the one 680 who trusts in the Lord 681
and does not seek help from 682 the proud or from liars! 683
40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 684
No one can thwart you! 685
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 686
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 687
You make that quite clear to me! 688
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
40:7 Then I say,
“Look! I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 689
40:8 I want to do what pleases you, 690 my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” 691
40:9 I have told the great assembly 692 about your justice. 693
Look! I spare no words! 694
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 695
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 696
40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold 697 your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 698
40:12 For innumerable dangers 699 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 700
40:13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! 701
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 702
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 703
40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated 704 and disgraced! 705
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 706 your deliverance say continually, 707
“May the Lord be praised!” 708
40:17 I am oppressed and needy! 709
May the Lord pay attention to me! 710
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O my God, do not delay!
For the music director; a psalm of David.
41:1 How blessed 712 is the one who treats the poor properly! 713
When trouble comes, 714 the Lord delivers him. 715
41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! 716
May he be blessed 717 in the land!
Do not turn him over 718 to his enemies! 719
41:3 The Lord supports 720 him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness. 721
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
41:5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, 723
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 724
41:6 When someone comes to visit, 725 he pretends to be friendly; 726
he thinks of ways to defame me, 727
and when he leaves he slanders me. 728
41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; 729
they plan ways to harm me.
‘An awful disease 731 overwhelms him, 732
and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’ 733
41:9 Even my close friend 734 whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. 735
41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!” 736
41:11 By this 737 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does 738 not triumph 739 over me.
41:12 As for me, you uphold 740 me because of my integrity; 741
you allow 742 me permanent access to your presence. 743
41:13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise 744
in the future and forevermore! 745
We agree! We agree! 746
Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)
For the music director; a well-written song 748 by the Korahites.
42:1 As a deer 749 longs 750 for streams of water,
so I long 751 for you, O God!
for the living God.
I say, 753 “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” 754
42:3 I cannot eat, I weep day and night; 755
all day long they say to me, 756 “Where is your God?”
42:4 I will remember and weep! 757
For I was once walking along with the great throng to the temple of God,
shouting and giving thanks along with the crowd as we celebrated the holy festival. 758
42:5 Why are you depressed, 759 O my soul? 760
Why are you upset? 761
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 762
so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan, 764
from Hermon, 765 from Mount Mizar. 766
42:7 One deep stream calls out to another 767 at the sound of your waterfalls; 768
all your billows and waves overwhelm me. 769
42:8 By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, 770
and by night he gives me a song, 771
a prayer 772 to the living God.
42:9 I will pray 773 to God, my high ridge: 774
“Why do you ignore 775 me?
Why must I walk around mourning 776
because my enemies oppress me?”
42:10 My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone, 777
as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 778
42:11 Why are you depressed, 779 O my soul? 780
Why are you upset? 781
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 782
43:1 Vindicate me, O God!
Fight for me 784 against an ungodly nation!
Deliver me 785 from deceitful and evil men! 786
43:2 For you are the God who shelters me. 787
Why do you reject me? 788
Why must I walk around 789 mourning 790
because my enemies oppress me?
43:3 Reveal 791 your light 792 and your faithfulness!
They will lead me, 793
they will escort 794 me back to your holy hill, 795
and to the place where you live. 796
43:4 Then I will go 797 to the altar of God,
to the God who gives me ecstatic joy, 798
so that I express my thanks to you, 799 O God, my God, with a harp.
43:5 Why are you depressed, 800 O my soul? 801
Why are you upset? 802
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 803
For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song. 805
44:1 O God, we have clearly heard; 806
our ancestors 807 have told us
what you did 808 in their days,
in ancient times. 809
44:2 You, by your power, 810 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; 811
you crushed 812 the people living there 813 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it. 814
44:3 For they did not conquer 815 the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength, 816
but rather by your power, 817 strength 818 and good favor, 819
for you were partial to 820 them.
44:4 You are my 821 king, O God!
Decree 822 Jacob’s 823 deliverance!
44:5 By your power 824 we will drive back 825 our enemies;
by your strength 826 we will trample down 827 our foes! 828
44:6 For I do not trust in my bow,
and I do not prevail by my sword.
44:7 For you deliver 829 us from our enemies;
you humiliate 830 those who hate us.
44:8 In God I boast all day long,
and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)
44:9 But 831 you rejected and embarrassed us!
You did not go into battle with our armies. 832
44:10 You made us retreat 833 from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. 834
44:11 You handed us 835 over like sheep to be eaten;
you scattered us among the nations.
44:12 You sold 836 your people for a pittance; 837
you did not ask a high price for them. 838
44:13 You made us 839 an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. 840
44:14 You made us 841 an object of ridicule 842 among the nations;
foreigners treat us with contempt. 843
44:15 All day long I feel humiliated 844
and am overwhelmed with shame, 845
44:16 before the vindictive enemy
who ridicules and insults me. 846
44:17 All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you 847
or violated your covenant with us. 848
44:18 We have not been unfaithful, 849
nor have we disobeyed your commands. 850
44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; 851
you have covered us with darkness. 852
44:20 If we had rejected our God, 853
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, 854
44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows 855 one’s thoughts? 856
44:22 Yet because of you 857 we are killed all day long;
we are treated like 858 sheep at the slaughtering block. 859
44:23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Wake up! 860 Do not reject us forever!
44:24 Why do you look the other way, 861
and ignore 862 the way we are oppressed and mistreated? 863
44:25 For we lie in the dirt,
with our bellies pressed to the ground. 864
44:26 Rise up and help us!
Rescue us 865 because of your loyal love!
For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 867 by the Korahites, a well-written poem, 868 a love song.
45:1 My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. 869
I say, “I have composed this special song 870 for the king;
my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.” 871
45:2 You are the most handsome of all men! 872
You speak in an impressive and fitting manner! 873
For this reason 874 God grants you continual blessings. 875
45:3 Strap your sword to your thigh, O warrior! 876
Appear in your majestic splendor! 877
45:4 Appear in your majesty and be victorious! 878
Ride forth for the sake of what is right, 879
on behalf of justice! 880
Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts! 881
45:5 Your arrows are sharp
and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
Nations fall at your feet. 882
45:6 Your throne, 883 O God, is permanent. 884
The scepter 885 of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
45:7 You love 886 justice and hate evil. 887
For this reason God, your God 888 has anointed you 889
with the oil of joy, 890 elevating you above your companions. 891
45:8 All your garments are perfumed with 892 myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From the luxurious palaces 893 comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. 894
45:9 Princesses 895 are among your honored guests, 896
your bride 897 stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. 898
Observe and pay attention! 900
Forget your homeland 901 and your family! 902
45:11 Then 903 the king will be attracted by 904 your beauty.
After all, he is your master! Submit 905 to him! 906
45:12 Rich people from Tyre 907
will seek your favor by bringing a gift. 908
45:13 The princess 909 looks absolutely magnificent, 910
decked out in pearls and clothed in a brocade trimmed with gold. 911
45:14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king.
Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her,
are led before you. 912
45:15 They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession
and enter the royal palace. 913
45:16 Your 914 sons will carry 915 on the dynasty of your ancestors; 916
you will make them princes throughout the land.
45:17 I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, 917
then the nations will praise you 918 forever.
For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; 920 a song.
46:1 God is our strong refuge; 921
he is truly our helper in times of trouble. 922
46:2 For this reason we do not fear 923 when the earth shakes, 924
and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 925
46:3 when its waves 926 crash 927 and foam,
and the mountains shake 928 before the surging sea. 929 (Selah)
46:4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, 930
the special, holy dwelling place of 931 the sovereign One. 932
46:5 God lives within it, 933 it cannot be moved. 934
God rescues it 935 at the break of dawn. 936
46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. 937
God 938 gives a shout, 939 the earth dissolves. 940
46:7 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! 941
The God of Jacob 942 is our protector! 943 (Selah)
46:8 Come! Witness the exploits 944 of the Lord,
who brings devastation to the earth! 945
46:9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; 946
he shatters 947 the bow and breaks 948 the spear;
he burns 949 the shields with fire. 950
46:10 He says, 951 “Stop your striving and recognize 952 that I am God!
I will be exalted 953 over 954 the nations! I will be exalted over 955 the earth!”
46:11 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! 956
The God of Jacob 957 is our protector! 958 (Selah)
For the music director; by the Korahites; a psalm.
47:1 All you nations, clap your hands!
Shout out to God in celebration! 960
47:2 For the sovereign Lord 961 is awe-inspiring; 962
he is the great king who rules the whole earth! 963
47:3 He subdued nations beneath us 964
and countries 965 under our feet.
47:4 He picked out for us a special land 966
to be a source of pride for 967 Jacob, 968 whom he loves. 969 (Selah)
47:5 God has ascended his throne 970 amid loud shouts; 971
the Lord has ascended his throne amid the blaring of ram’s horns. 972
47:6 Sing to God! Sing!
Sing to our king! Sing!
47:7 For God is king of the whole earth!
Sing a well-written song! 973
47:8 God reigns 974 over the nations!
God sits on his holy throne!
47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble,
along with the people of the God of Abraham, 975
for God has authority over the rulers 976 of the earth.
He is highly exalted! 977
A song, a psalm by the Korahites.
48:1 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise
in the city of our God, 979 his holy hill.
48:2 It is lofty and pleasing to look at, 980
a source of joy to the whole earth. 981
Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon; 982
it is the city of the great king.
48:3 God is in its fortresses;
he reveals himself as its defender. 983
48:4 For 984 look, the kings assemble; 985
they advance together.
48:5 As soon as they see, 986 they are shocked; 987
they are terrified, they quickly retreat. 988
48:6 Look at them shake uncontrollably, 989
like a woman writhing in childbirth. 990
48:7 With an east wind
you shatter 991 the large ships. 992
48:8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds, now we have seen them, 993
in the city of the Lord, the invincible Warrior, 994
in the city of our God.
God makes it permanently secure. 995 (Selah)
48:9 We reflect on your loyal love, O God,
within your temple.
48:10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth
is worthy of your reputation, O God. 996
You execute justice! 997
48:11 Mount Zion rejoices;
the towns 998 of Judah are happy, 999
because of your acts of judgment. 1000
48:12 Walk around 1001 Zion! Encircle it!
Count its towers!
48:13 Consider its defenses! 1002
Walk through 1003 its fortresses,
so you can tell the next generation about it! 1004
48:14 For God, our God, is our defender forever! 1005
For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites.
49:1 Listen to this, all you nations!
Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world! 1009
49:2 Pay attention, all you people, 1010
both rich and poor!
49:3 I will declare a wise saying; 1011
I will share my profound thoughts. 1012
49:4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom;
I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. 1013
49:5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, 1014
when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? 1015
49:6 They trust 1016 in their wealth
and boast 1017 in their great riches.
49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; 1018
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price 1019
49:8 (the ransom price for a human life 1020 is too high,
and people go to their final destiny), 1021
49:9 so that he might continue to live 1022 forever
and not experience death. 1023
49:10 Surely 1024 one sees 1025 that even wise people die; 1026
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away 1027
and leave their wealth to others. 1028
49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,
their eternal dwelling place. 1029
They name their lands after themselves, 1030
49:12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last, 1031
they are like animals 1032 that perish. 1033
49:13 This is the destiny of fools, 1034
and of those who approve of their philosophy. 1035 (Selah)
49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, 1036
with death as their shepherd. 1037
The godly will rule 1038 over them when the day of vindication dawns; 1039
Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. 1040
49:15 But 1041 God will rescue 1042 my life 1043 from the power 1044 of Sheol;
certainly 1045 he will pull me to safety. 1046 (Selah)
49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich 1047
and his wealth multiplies! 1048
49:17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;
his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. 1049
49:18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well!”
49:19 But he will join his ancestors; 1050
they will never again see the light of day. 1051
49:20 Wealthy people do not understand; 1052
they are like animals 1053 that perish. 1054
A psalm by Asaph.
50:1 El, God, the Lord 1056 speaks,
and summons the earth to come from the east and west. 1057
50:2 From Zion, the most beautiful of all places, 1058
God comes in splendor. 1059
50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; 1060
consuming fire goes ahead of him
and all around him a storm rages. 1061
50:4 He summons the heavens above,
as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people. 1062
“Assemble my covenant people before me, 1064
those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice!” 1065
50:6 The heavens declare his fairness, 1066
for God is judge. 1067 (Selah)
“Listen my people! I am speaking!
Listen Israel! I am accusing you! 1069
I am God, your God!
50:8 I am not condemning 1070 you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me. 1071
50:9 I do not need to take 1072 a bull from your household
or goats from your sheepfolds.
50:10 For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,
as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. 1073
50:11 I keep track of 1074 every bird in the hills,
and the insects 1075 of the field are mine.
50:12 Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
50:13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls?
Do I drink the blood of goats? 1076
50:14 Present to God a thank-offering!
Repay your vows to the sovereign One! 1077
50:15 Pray to me when you are in trouble! 1078
I will deliver you, and you will honor me!” 1079
50:16 God says this to the evildoer: 1080
“How can you declare my commands,
and talk about my covenant? 1081
50:17 For you hate instruction
and reject my words. 1082
50:18 When you see a thief, you join him; 1083
you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives. 1084
50:19 You do damage with words, 1085
and use your tongue to deceive. 1086
50:20 You plot against your brother; 1087
you slander your own brother. 1088
50:21 When you did these things, I was silent, 1089
so you thought I was exactly like you. 1090
But now I will condemn 1091 you
and state my case against you! 1092
50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God! 1093
Otherwise I will rip you to shreds 1094
and no one will be able to rescue you.
50:23 Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. 1095
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.” 1096
For the music director; a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba. 1098
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of 1099 your loyal love!
Because of 1100 your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! 1101
51:2 Wash away my wrongdoing! 1102
Cleanse me of my sin! 1103
51:3 For I am aware of 1104 my rebellious acts;
I am forever conscious of my sin. 1105
51:4 Against you – you above all 1106 – I have sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
So 1107 you are just when you confront me; 1108
you are right when you condemn me. 1109
51:5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,
a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. 1110
51:6 Look, 1111 you desire 1112 integrity in the inner man; 1113
you want me to possess wisdom. 1114
51:7 Sprinkle me 1115 with water 1116 and I will be pure; 1117
wash me 1118 and I will be whiter than snow. 1119
51:8 Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! 1120
May the bones 1121 you crushed rejoice! 1122
51:9 Hide your face 1123 from my sins!
Wipe away 1124 all my guilt!
51:10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! 1125
Renew a resolute spirit within me! 1126
Do not take your Holy Spirit 1128 away from me! 1129
51:12 Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance!
Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! 1130
51:13 Then I will teach 1131 rebels your merciful ways, 1132
and sinners will turn 1133 to you.
51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, 1134 O God, the God who delivers me!
Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. 1135
51:15 O Lord, give me the words! 1136
Then my mouth will praise you. 1137
51:16 Certainly 1138 you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; 1139
you do not desire a burnt sacrifice. 1140
51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit 1141 –
O God, a humble and repentant heart 1142 you will not reject. 1143
51:18 Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! 1144
Fortify 1145 the walls of Jerusalem! 1146
51:19 Then you will accept 1147 the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;
then bulls will be sacrificed 1148 on your altar. 1149
For the music director; a well-written song 1151 by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” 1152
52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, 1153 O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 1154
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; 1155
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 1156
52:3 You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth. 1157 (Selah)
52:4 You love to use all the words that destroy, 1158
and the tongue that deceives.
52:5 Yet 1159 God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. 1160
He will scoop you up 1161 and remove you from your home; 1162
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 1163
52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make 1164 God his protector!
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” 1165
52:8 But I 1166 am like a flourishing 1167 olive tree in the house of God;
I continually 1168 trust in God’s loyal love.
52:9 I will continually 1169 thank you when 1170 you execute judgment; 1171
I will rely 1172 on you, 1173 for your loyal followers know you are good. 1174
For the music director; according to the machalath style; 1176 a well-written song 1177 by David.
53:1 Fools say to themselves, 1178 “There is no God.” 1179
They sin and commit evil deeds; 1180
none of them does what is right. 1181
53:2 God looks down from heaven 1182 at the human race, 1183
to see if there is anyone who is wise 1184 and seeks God. 1185
53:3 Everyone rejects God; 1186
they are all morally corrupt. 1187
None of them does what is right, 1188
not even one!
53:4 All those who behave wickedly 1189 do not understand 1190 –
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
53:5 They are absolutely terrified, 1191
even by things that do not normally cause fear. 1192
For God annihilates 1193 those who attack you. 1194
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them. 1195
53:6 I wish the deliverance 1196 of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people, 1197
may Jacob rejoice, 1198
may Israel be happy! 1199
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 1201 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” 1202
54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! 1203
Vindicate me 1204 by your power!
54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to what I say! 1205
54:3 For foreigners 1206 attack me; 1207
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. 1208 (Selah)
54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! 1209
The Lord is among those who support me. 1210
54:5 May those who wait to ambush me 1211 be repaid for their evil! 1212
As a demonstration of your faithfulness, 1213 destroy them!
54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice 1214 to you!
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!
54:7 Surely 1215 he rescues me from all trouble, 1216
and I triumph over my enemies. 1217
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 1219 by David.
55:1 Listen, O God, to my prayer!
Do not ignore 1220 my appeal for mercy!
55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!
I am so upset 1221 and distressed, 1222 I am beside myself, 1223
55:3 because of what the enemy says, 1224
and because of how the wicked 1225 pressure me, 1226
for they hurl trouble 1227 down upon me 1228
and angrily attack me.
55:4 My heart beats violently 1229 within me;
the horrors of death overcome me. 1230
55:5 Fear and panic overpower me; 1231
terror overwhelms 1232 me.
55:6 I say, 1233 “I wish I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and settle in a safe place!
55:7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
55:8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind 1234 and the gale.”
55:9 Confuse them, 1235 O Lord!
Frustrate their plans! 1236
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, 1237
while wickedness and destruction 1238 are within it.
55:11 Disaster is within it;
violence 1239 and deceit do not depart from its public square.
55:12 Indeed, 1240 it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, 1241
or else I could hide from him.
55:13 But it is you, 1242 a man like me, 1243
my close friend in whom I confided. 1244
55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; 1245
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
55:15 May death destroy them! 1246
May they go down alive into Sheol! 1247
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
55:16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
55:17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan, 1248
and he will hear 1249 me. 1250
55:18 He will rescue 1251 me and protect me from those who attack me, 1252
even though 1253 they greatly outnumber me. 1254
55:19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them. 1255 (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God. 1256
55:20 He 1257 attacks 1258 his friends; 1259
he breaks his solemn promises to them. 1260
55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, 1261
but he harbors animosity in his heart. 1262
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords. 1263
55:22 Throw your burden 1264 upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you. 1265
He will never allow the godly to be upended. 1266
55:23 But you, O God, will bring them 1267 down to the deep Pit. 1268
Violent and deceitful people 1269 will not live even half a normal lifespan. 1270
But as for me, I trust in you.
For the music director; according to the yonath-elem-rechovim style; 1272 a prayer 1273 of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath. 1274
56:1 Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me! 1275
All day long hostile enemies 1276 are tormenting me. 1277
56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat 1278 attack me all day long.
Indeed, 1279 many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. 1280
I trust in you.
56:4 In God – I boast in his promise 1282 –
in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 1283 do to me? 1284
56:5 All day long they cause me trouble; 1285
they make a habit of plotting my demise. 1286
56:6 They stalk 1287 and lurk; 1288
they watch my every step, 1289
as 1290 they prepare to take my life. 1291
56:7 Because they are bent on violence, do not let them escape! 1292
In your anger 1293 bring down the nations, 1294 O God!
56:8 You keep track of my misery. 1295
Put my tears in your leather container! 1296
Are they not recorded in your scroll? 1297
56:9 My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help; 1298
I know that God is on my side. 1299
56:10 In God – I boast in his promise 1300 –
in the Lord – I boast in his promise 1301 –
56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 1302 do to me? 1303
56:12 I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God; 1304
I will give you the thank-offerings you deserve, 1305
56:13 when you deliver 1306 my life from death.
You keep my feet from stumbling, 1307
so that I might serve 1308 God as I enjoy life. 1309
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 1311 a prayer 1312 of David, written when he fled from Saul into the cave. 1313
57:1 Have mercy on me, O God! Have mercy on me!
For in you I have taken shelter. 1314
In the shadow of your wings 1315 I take shelter
until trouble passes.
57:2 I cry out for help to the sovereign God, 1316
to the God who vindicates 1317 me.
57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me 1318
from my enemies who hurl insults! 1319 (Selah)
May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!
57:4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down 1320 among those who want to devour me; 1321
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are a sharp sword. 1322
57:5 Rise up 1323 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 1324
57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; 1325
I am discouraged. 1326
They have dug a pit for me. 1327
They will fall 1328 into it! (Selah)
57:7 I am determined, 1329 O God! I am determined!
I will sing and praise you!
Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 1331
57:9 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Master!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 1332
57:10 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 1333
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
57:11 Rise up 1334 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 1335
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 1337 a prayer 1338 of David.
58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? 1339
Do you judge people 1340 fairly?
58:2 No! 1341 You plan how to do what is unjust; 1342
you deal out violence in the earth. 1343
58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; 1344
liars go astray as soon as they are born. 1345
58:4 Their venom is like that of a snake, 1346
like a deaf serpent 1347 that does not hear, 1348
58:5 that does not respond to 1349 the magicians,
or to a skilled snake-charmer.
58:6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths!
Smash the jawbones of the lions, O Lord!
58:7 Let them disappear 1350 like water that flows away! 1351
Let them wither like grass! 1352
58:8 Let them be 1353 like a snail that melts away as it moves along! 1354
Let them be like 1355 stillborn babies 1356 that never see the sun!
58:9 Before the kindling is even placed under your pots, 1357
he 1358 will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat. 1359
58:10 The godly 1360 will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
58:11 Then 1361 observers 1362 will say,
“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! 1363
Yes indeed, there is a God who judges 1364 in the earth!”
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 1366 a prayer 1367 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 1368
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 1369 from those who attack me! 1370
59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! 1371
Rescue me from violent men! 1372
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 1373
powerful men stalk 1374 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 1375
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 1376 they are anxious to attack. 1377
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 1378
59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, 1379 the God of Israel,
rouse yourself and punish 1380 all the nations!
Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)
59:6 They return in the evening;
they growl 1381 like a dog
and prowl around outside 1382 the city.
59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 1383
for they say, 1384
“Who hears?”
59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; 1385
you taunt 1386 all the nations.
59:9 You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! 1387
For God is my refuge. 1388
59:10 The God who loves me will help me; 1389
God will enable me to triumph over 1390 my enemies. 1391
59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,
because then my people might forget the lesson. 1392
Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,
O Lord who shields us! 1393
59:12 They speak sinful words. 1394
So let them be trapped by their own pride
and by the curses and lies they speak!
59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!
Let them know that God rules
in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)
59:14 They return in the evening;
they growl 1395 like a dog
and prowl around outside 1396 the city.
59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full. 1397
59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge 1398
and my place of shelter when I face trouble. 1399
59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! 1400
For God is my refuge, 1401 the God who loves me. 1402
For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; 1404 a prayer 1405 of David written to instruct others. 1406 It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down 1407 12,000 Edomites 1408 in the Valley of Salt. 1409
60:1 O God, you have rejected us. 1410
You suddenly turned on us in your anger. 1411
Please restore us! 1412
60:2 You made the earth quake; you split it open. 1413
Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall. 1414
60:3 You have made your people experience hard times; 1415
you have made us drink intoxicating wine. 1416
60:4 You have given your loyal followers 1417 a rallying flag,
so that they might seek safety from the bow. 1418 (Selah)
60:5 Deliver by your power 1419 and answer me, 1420
so that the ones you love may be safe. 1421
60:6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 1422
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem;
the Valley of Succoth I will measure off. 1423
60:7 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 1424
Ephraim is my helmet, 1425
Judah my royal scepter. 1426
60:8 Moab is my washbasin. 1427
I will make Edom serve me. 1428
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” 1429
60:9 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 1430
60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
60:11 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 1431
60:12 By God’s power we will conquer; 1432
he will trample down 1433 our enemies.
For the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.
61:1 O God, hear my cry for help!
Pay attention to my prayer!
61:2 From the most remote place on earth 1435
I call out to you in my despair. 1436
Lead me 1437 up to an inaccessible rocky summit! 1438
61:3 Indeed, 1439 you are 1440 my shelter,
a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. 1441
61:4 I will be a permanent guest in your home; 1442
I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. 1443 (Selah)
61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;
you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. 1444
61:6 Give the king long life!
Make his lifetime span several generations! 1445
61:7 May he reign 1446 forever before God!
Decree that your loyal love and faithfulness should protect him. 1447
61:8 Then I will sing praises to your name continually, 1448
as I fulfill 1449 my vows day after day.
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.
62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; 1451
he is the one who delivers me. 1452
62:2 He alone is my protector 1453 and deliverer.
He is my refuge; 1454 I will not be upended. 1455
62:3 How long will you threaten 1456 a man?
All of you are murderers, 1457
as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. 1458
62:4 They 1459 spend all their time planning how to bring him 1460 down. 1461
They love to use deceit; 1462
they pronounce blessings with their mouths,
but inwardly they utter curses. 1463 (Selah)
62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! 1464
For he is the one who gives me confidence. 1465
62:6 He alone is my protector 1466 and deliverer.
He is my refuge; 1467 I will not be upended. 1468
62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;
God is my strong protector and my shelter. 1469
62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!
Pour out your hearts before him! 1470
God is our shelter! (Selah)
62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;
human beings are unreliable. 1471
When they are weighed in the scales,
all of them together are lighter than air. 1472
62:10 Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! 1473
Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! 1474
If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! 1475
62:11 God has declared one principle;
two principles I have heard: 1476
God is strong, 1477
62:12 and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. 1478
For you repay men for what they do. 1479
A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. 1481
63:1 O God, you are my God! I long for you! 1482
My soul thirsts 1483 for you,
my flesh yearns for you,
in a dry and parched 1484 land where there is no water.
63:2 Yes, 1485 in the sanctuary I have seen you, 1486
and witnessed 1487 your power and splendor.
63:3 Because 1488 experiencing 1489 your loyal love is better than life itself,
my lips will praise you.
63:4 For this reason 1490 I will praise you while I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands. 1491
63:5 As if with choice meat 1492 you satisfy my soul. 1493
My mouth joyfully praises you, 1494
63:6 whenever 1495 I remember you on my bed,
and think about you during the nighttime hours.
63:7 For you are my deliverer; 1496
under your wings 1497 I rejoice.
63:8 My soul 1498 pursues you; 1499
your right hand upholds me.
63:9 Enemies seek to destroy my life, 1500
but they will descend into the depths of the earth. 1501
63:10 Each one will be handed over to the sword; 1502
their corpses will be eaten by jackals. 1503
63:11 But the king 1504 will rejoice in God;
everyone who takes oaths in his name 1505 will boast,
for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up. 1506
For the music director; a psalm of David.
64:1 Listen to me, 1508 O God, as I offer my lament!
Protect 1509 my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. 1510
64:2 Hide me from the plots of evil men,
from the crowd of evildoers. 1511
64:3 They 1512 sharpen their tongues like a sword;
they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, 1513
64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent 1514 in secluded places.
They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. 1515
64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. 1516
They plan how to hide 1517 snares,
and boast, 1518 “Who will see them?” 1519
64:6 They devise 1520 unjust schemes;
they disguise 1521 a well-conceived plot. 1522
Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. 1523
64:7 But God will shoot 1524 at them;
suddenly they will be 1525 wounded by an arrow. 1526
64:8 Their slander will bring about their demise. 1527
All who see them will shudder, 1528
64:9 and all people will fear. 1529
They will proclaim 1530 what God has done,
and reflect on his deeds.
64:10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
and take shelter in him.
All the morally upright 1531 will boast. 1532
For the music director; a psalm of David, a song.
65:1 Praise awaits you, 1534 O God, in Zion.
Vows made to you are fulfilled.
all people approach you. 1536
65:3 Our record of sins overwhelms me, 1537
but you forgive 1538 our acts of rebellion.
65:4 How blessed 1539 is the one whom you choose,
and allow to live in your palace courts. 1540
May we be satisfied with the good things of your house –
your holy palace. 1541
65:5 You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance,
O God, our savior. 1542
All the ends of the earth trust in you, 1543
as well as those living across the wide seas. 1544
65:6 You created the mountains by your power, 1545
and demonstrated your strength. 1546
65:7 You calm the raging seas 1547
and their roaring waves,
as well as the commotion made by the nations. 1548
65:8 Even those living in the most remote areas are awestruck by your acts; 1549
you cause those living in the east and west to praise you. 1550
65:9 You visit the earth and give it rain; 1551
you make it rich and fertile 1552
with overflowing streams full of water. 1553
You provide grain for them, 1554
for you prepare the earth to yield its crops. 1555
65:10 You saturate 1556 its furrows,
and soak 1557 its plowed ground. 1558
With rain showers you soften its soil, 1559
and make its crops grow. 1560
65:11 You crown the year with your good blessings, 1561
and you leave abundance in your wake. 1562
65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, 1563
and the hills are clothed with joy. 1564
65:13 The meadows are clothed with sheep,
and the valleys are covered with grain.
They shout joyfully, yes, they sing.
For the music director; a song, a psalm.
66:1 Shout out praise to God, all the earth!
66:2 Sing praises about the majesty of his reputation! 1566
Give him the honor he deserves! 1567
66:3 Say to God:
“How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power your enemies cower in fear 1568 before you.
66:4 All the earth worships 1569 you
and sings praises to you!
They sing praises to your name!” (Selah)
66:5 Come and witness 1570 God’s exploits! 1571
His acts on behalf of people are awesome! 1572
66:6 He turned the sea into dry land; 1573
they passed through the river on foot. 1574
Let us rejoice in him there! 1575
66:7 He rules 1576 by his power forever;
he watches 1577 the nations.
Stubborn rebels should not exalt 1578 themselves. (Selah)
66:8 Praise 1579 our God, you nations!
Loudly proclaim his praise! 1580
66:9 He preserves our lives 1581
and does not allow our feet to slip.
66:10 For 1582 you, O God, tested us;
you purified us like refined silver.
66:11 You led us into a trap; 1583
you caused us to suffer. 1584
66:12 You allowed men to ride over our heads;
we passed through fire and water,
but you brought us out into a wide open place. 1585
66:13 I will enter 1586 your temple with burnt sacrifices;
I will fulfill the vows I made to you,
66:14 which my lips uttered
and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
66:15 I will offer up to you fattened animals as burnt sacrifices,
along with the smell of sacrificial rams.
I will offer cattle and goats. (Selah)
66:16 Come! Listen, all you who are loyal to God! 1587
I will declare what he has done for me.
66:17 I cried out to him for help 1588
and praised him with my tongue. 1589
66:18 If I had harbored sin in my heart, 1590
the Lord would not have listened.
66:19 However, God heard;
he listened to my prayer.
66:20 God deserves praise, 1591
for 1592 he did not reject my prayer
or abandon his love for me! 1593
For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.
67:1 May God show us his favor 1595 and bless us! 1596
May he smile on us! 1597 (Selah)
67:2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;
all nations will know how you deliver your people. 1598
67:3 Let the nations thank you, O God!
Let all the nations thank you! 1599
67:4 Let foreigners 1600 rejoice and celebrate!
For you execute justice among the nations,
and govern the people living on earth. 1601 (Selah)
67:5 Let the nations thank you, O God!
Let all the nations thank you! 1602
67:6 The earth yields its crops.
May God, our God, bless us!
Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves. 1604
For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.
68:1 God springs into action! 1606
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries 1607 run from him. 1608
68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. 1609
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
68:3 But the godly 1610 are happy;
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy. 1611
68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! 1612
For the Lord is his name! 1613
Rejoice before him!
68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows. 1614
God rules from his holy palace. 1615
68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; 1616
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. 1617
But sinful rebels live in the desert. 1618
68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, 1619
when you march through the desert, 1620 (Selah)
68:8 the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai, 1621
before God, the God of Israel. 1622
68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall 1623 on your chosen people. 1624
When they 1625 are tired, you sustain them, 1626
68:10 for you live among them. 1627
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
many, many women spread the good news. 1629
68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! 1630
The lovely lady 1631 of the house divides up the loot.
68:13 When 1632 you lie down among the sheepfolds, 1633
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold. 1634
68:14 When the sovereign judge 1635 scatters kings, 1636
let it snow 1637 on Zalmon!
68:15 The mountain of Bashan 1638 is a towering mountain; 1639
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. 1640
68:16 Why do you look with envy, 1641 O mountains 1642 with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has decided to live? 1643
Indeed 1644 the Lord will live there 1645 permanently!
68:17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands. 1646
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 1647
68:18 You ascend on high, 1648
you have taken many captives. 1649
You receive tribute 1650 from 1651 men,
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed the Lord God lives there! 1652
68:19 The Lord deserves praise! 1653
Day after day 1654 he carries our burden,
the God who delivers us. (Selah)
68:20 Our God is a God who delivers;
the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. 1655
68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion. 1656
68:22 The Lord says,
“I will retrieve them 1657 from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
68:23 so that your feet may stomp 1658 in their blood,
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” 1659
68:24 They 1660 see your processions, O God –
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. 1661
68:25 Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, 1662
in the midst of young women playing tambourines. 1663
68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! 1664
68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, 1665
and the princes of Judah in their robes, 1666
along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. 1667
O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,
68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! 1668
Kings bring tribute to you.
68:30 Sound your battle cry 1669 against the wild beast of the reeds, 1670
and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! 1671
They humble themselves 1672 and offer gold and silver as tribute. 1673
God 1674 scatters 1675 the nations that like to do battle.
68:31 They come with red cloth 1676 from Egypt,
Ethiopia 1677 voluntarily offers tribute 1678 to God.
68:32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah)
68:33 to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times! 1679
Look! He thunders loudly. 1680
68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, 1681
his sovereignty over Israel,
and the power he reveals in the skies! 1682
68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! 1683
It is the God of Israel 1684 who gives the people power and strength.
God deserves praise! 1685
For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 1687 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 1688
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 1689
I am in 1690 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 1691
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 1692
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 1693 outnumber me. 1694
They make me repay what I did not steal! 1695
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 1696
my guilt is not hidden from you. 1697
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 1698
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 1699 humiliation for your sake 1700
and am thoroughly disgraced. 1701
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 1702
69:9 Certainly 1703 zeal for 1704 your house 1705 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 1706
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 1707
which causes others to insult me. 1708
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 1709
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 1710
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 1711
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 1712
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 1713 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 1714 devour me! 1715
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 1716
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 1717 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 1718
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 1719
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 1720
69:20 Their insults are painful 1721 and make me lose heart; 1722
I look 1723 for sympathy, but receive none, 1724
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 1725 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 1726
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 1727
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 1728
Make them shake violently! 1729
69:24 Pour out your judgment 1730 on them!
May your raging anger 1731 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 1732
69:26 For they harass 1733 the one whom you discipline; 1734
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 1735
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 1736
Do not vindicate them! 1737
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 1738
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 1739
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 1740
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 1741
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 1742
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 1743 may you be encouraged! 1744
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 1745
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 1746 will again live in them and possess Zion. 1747
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 1748 will live in it. 1749
Yesaya 53:1-12
Konteks53:1 Who would have believed 1750 what we 1751 just heard? 1752
When 1753 was the Lord’s power 1754 revealed through him?
53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, 1755
like a root out of parched soil; 1756
he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, 1757
no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 1758
53:3 He was despised and rejected by people, 1759
one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness;
people hid their faces from him; 1760
he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 1761
53:4 But he lifted up our illnesses,
he carried our pain; 1762
even though we thought he was being punished,
attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 1763
53:5 He was wounded because of 1764 our rebellious deeds,
crushed because of our sins;
he endured punishment that made us well; 1765
because of his wounds we have been healed. 1766
53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep;
each of us had strayed off on his own path,
but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. 1767
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 1768
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 1769
53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial 1770 –
but who even cared? 1771
Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; 1772
because of the rebellion of his own 1773 people he was wounded.
53:9 They intended to bury him with criminals, 1774
but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, 1775
because 1776 he had committed no violent deeds,
nor had he spoken deceitfully.
53:10 Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,
once restitution is made, 1777
he will see descendants and enjoy long life, 1778
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.
53:11 Having suffered, he will reflect on his work,
he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. 1779
“My servant 1780 will acquit many, 1781
for he carried their sins. 1782
53:12 So I will assign him a portion with the multitudes, 1783
he will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, 1784
because he willingly submitted 1785 to death
and was numbered with the rebels,
when he lifted up the sin of many
and intervened 1786 on behalf of the rebels.”
Daniel 9:24-26
Konteks9:24 “Seventy weeks 1787 have been determined
concerning your people and your holy city
to put an end to 1788 rebellion,
to bring sin 1789 to completion, 1790
to atone for iniquity,
to bring in perpetual 1791 righteousness,
to seal up 1792 the prophetic vision, 1793
and to anoint a most holy place. 1794
9:25 So know and understand:
From the issuing of the command 1795 to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem 1796 until an anointed one, a prince arrives, 1797
there will be a period of seven weeks 1798 and sixty-two weeks.
It will again be built, 1799 with plaza and moat,
but in distressful times.
9:26 Now after the sixty-two weeks,
an anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. 1800
As for the city and the sanctuary,
the people of the coming prince will destroy 1801 them.
But his end will come speedily 1802 like a flood. 1803
Until the end of the war that has been decreed
there will be destruction.
Zakharia 12:10
Konteks12:10 “I will pour out on the kingship 1804 of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, 1805 the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn. 1806
Zakharia 13:7
Konteks13:7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,”
says the Lord who rules over all.
Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; 1807
I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.
Lukas 18:31-33
Konteks18:31 Then 1808 Jesus 1809 took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, 1810 and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 1811 18:32 For he will be handed over 1812 to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, 1813 mistreated, 1814 and spat on. 1815 18:33 They will flog him severely 1816 and kill him. Yet 1817 on the third day he will rise again.”
Lukas 24:26
Konteks24:26 Wasn’t 1818 it necessary 1819 for the Christ 1820 to suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
Lukas 24:46
Konteks24:46 and said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ 1821 would suffer 1822 and would rise from the dead on the third day,
Lukas 24:1
Konteks24:1 Now on the first day 1823 of the week, at early dawn, the women 1824 went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices 1825 they had prepared.
Kolose 1:3
Konteks1:3 We always 1826 give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
[3:15] 1 tn The Hebrew word translated “hostility” is derived from the root אֵיב (’ev, “to be hostile, to be an adversary [or enemy]”). The curse announces that there will be continuing hostility between the serpent and the woman. The serpent will now live in a “battle zone,” as it were.
[3:15] 2 sn The Hebrew word translated “offspring” is a collective singular. The text anticipates the ongoing struggle between human beings (the woman’s offspring) and deadly poisonous snakes (the serpent’s offspring). An ancient Jewish interpretation of the passage states: “He made the serpent, cause of the deceit, press the earth with belly and flank, having bitterly driven him out. He aroused a dire enmity between them. The one guards his head to save it, the other his heel, for death is at hand in the proximity of men and malignant poisonous snakes.” See Sib. Or. 1:59-64. For a similar interpretation see Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.50-51).
[3:15] 3 tn Heb “he will attack [or “bruise”] you [on] the head.” The singular pronoun and verb agree grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “head” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A crushing blow to the head would be potentially fatal.
[3:15] 4 tn Or “but you will…”; or “as they attack your head, you will attack their heel.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is understood as contrastive. Both clauses place the subject before the verb, a construction that is sometimes used to indicate synchronic action (see Judg 15:14).
[3:15] 5 sn You will attack her offspring’s heel. Though the conflict will actually involve the serpent’s offspring (snakes) and the woman’s offspring (human beings), v. 15b for rhetorical effect depicts the conflict as being between the serpent and the woman’s offspring, as if the serpent will outlive the woman. The statement is personalized for the sake of the addressee (the serpent) and reflects the ancient Semitic concept of corporate solidarity, which emphasizes the close relationship between a progenitor and his offspring. Note Gen 28:14, where the
[3:15] 6 tn Heb “you will attack him [on] the heel.” The verb (translated “attack”) is repeated here, a fact that is obscured by some translations (e.g., NIV “crush…strike”). The singular pronoun agrees grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “heel” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A bite on the heel from a poisonous serpent is potentially fatal.
[3:15] sn The etiological nature of v. 15 is apparent, though its relevance for modern western man is perhaps lost because we rarely come face to face with poisonous snakes. Ancient Israelites, who often encountered snakes in their daily activities (see, for example, Eccl 10:8; Amos 5:19), would find the statement quite meaningful as an explanation for the hostility between snakes and humans. (In the broader ancient Near Eastern context, compare the Mesopotamian serpent omens. See H. W. F. Saggs, The Greatness That Was Babylon, 309.) This ongoing struggle, when interpreted in light of v. 15, is a tangible reminder of the conflict introduced into the world by the first humans’ rebellion against God. Many Christian theologians (going back to Irenaeus) understand v. 15 as the so-called protevangelium, supposedly prophesying Christ’s victory over Satan (see W. Witfall, “Genesis 3:15 – a Protevangelium?” CBQ 36 [1974]: 361-65; and R. A. Martin, “The Earliest Messianic Interpretation of Genesis 3:15,” JBL 84 [1965]: 425-27). In this allegorical approach, the woman’s offspring is initially Cain, then the whole human race, and ultimately Jesus Christ, the offspring (Heb “seed”) of the woman (see Gal 4:4). The offspring of the serpent includes the evil powers and demons of the spirit world, as well as those humans who are in the kingdom of darkness (see John 8:44). According to this view, the passage gives the first hint of the gospel. Satan delivers a crippling blow to the Seed of the woman (Jesus), who in turn delivers a fatal blow to the Serpent (first defeating him through the death and resurrection [1 Cor 15:55-57] and then destroying him in the judgment [Rev 12:7-9; 20:7-10]). However, the grammatical structure of Gen 3:15b does not suggest this view. The repetition of the verb “attack,” as well as the word order, suggests mutual hostility is being depicted, not the defeat of the serpent. If the serpent’s defeat were being portrayed, it is odd that the alleged description of his death comes first in the sentence. If he has already been crushed by the woman’s “Seed,” how can he bruise his heel? To sustain the allegorical view, v. 15b must be translated in one of the following ways: “he will crush your head, even though you attack his heel” (in which case the second clause is concessive) or “he will crush your head as you attack his heel” (the clauses, both of which place the subject before the verb, may indicate synchronic action).
[22:1] 7 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] 8 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 9 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] 10 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] 11 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 12 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] 14 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 15 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 16 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] 17 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 18 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 19 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 20 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 21 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 22 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 23 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] 24 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] 25 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 26 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 27 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] 28 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] 29 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 30 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] 31 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 32 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 33 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 34 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 35 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] 36 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 37 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 38 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 39 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] 40 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 41 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] 42 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 44 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] 45 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 46 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] 47 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 48 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 49 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 50 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 52 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 53 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 54 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] 55 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 56 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] 57 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] 58 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] 59 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:24] 61 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 62 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 63 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] 65 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 66 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 67 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] 68 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 69 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 70 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 71 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 72 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 73 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] 74 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] 75 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] 76 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 77 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 78 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 79 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 80 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] 81 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] 82 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] 83 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] 84 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] 85 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] 86 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] 87 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] 88 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] 89 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] 90 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] 91 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 4, as in vv. 1-3, highlight what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.
[23:4] 92 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] 93 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] 94 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] 95 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] 96 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] 97 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] 98 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] 99 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
[23:6] 100 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] 101 tn Heb “the house of the
[23:6] 102 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] 103 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] 104 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
[24:2] 105 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] 106 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
[24:3] 107 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
[24:4] 108 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] 109 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] 110 tn Heb “and does not swear an oath deceitfully.”
[24:5] 111 tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the
[24:5] 112 tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”
[24:6] 113 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] 114 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] 115 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”
[24:7] 116 tn Or “king of glory.”
[24:7] 117 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[24:8] 118 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] 119 tn Traditionally, “the
[25:1] 120 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] 121 tn Heb “to you, O
[25:3] 122 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] 123 sn Teach me your paths. In this context the
[25:5] 124 sn The
[25:6] 125 tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.
[25:6] 126 tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”
[25:7] 127 tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.
[25:7] 128 sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.
[25:7] 129 tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O
[25:8] 130 tn Heb “good and just.”
[25:8] 131 tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”
[25:9] 132 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.
[25:9] 133 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] 134 tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).
[25:10] 135 tn Heb “all the paths of the
[25:10] 136 tn Heb “to the ones who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
[25:11] 137 tn Heb “name.” By forgiving the sinful psalmist, the
[25:11] 138 sn Forgive my sin, because it is great. The psalmist readily admits his desperate need for forgiveness.
[25:12] 139 tn Heb “Who is this man, the one who fears the
[25:13] 140 tn Heb “his life in goodness dwells.” The singular is representative (see v. 14).
[25:13] 141 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[25:14] 143 tn Heb “the advice of the
[25:14] 144 tn Heb “and his covenant, to make them know.”
[25:15] 145 tn Heb “my eyes continually [are] toward the
[25:15] 146 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] 147 tn That is, helpless and vulnerable.
[25:17] 148 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] 149 tn Heb “from my distresses lead me out.”
[25:18] 150 tn Heb “lift up all my sins.”
[25:19] 151 tn Heb “see my enemies for they are numerous, and [with] violent hatred they hate me.”
[25:22] 154 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] 155 sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.
[26:1] 156 tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”
[26:2] 157 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] 158 tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”
[26:3] 159 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] 161 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] 162 tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”
[26:5] 163 tn Heb “assembly, company.”
[26:5] 164 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] 165 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] 166 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] 167 tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”
[26:7] 168 tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.
[26:8] 169 tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”
[26:8] 170 tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”
[26:9] 171 tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”
[26:9] 172 tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[26:10] 173 tn Heb “who [have] in their hands evil.”
[26:10] 174 tn Heb “and their right hand is full of a bribe.”
[26:11] 175 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] 176 tn Or “redeem me.”
[26:12] 177 tn Heb “my foot stands in a level place.”
[27:1] 178 sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.
[27:1] 179 tn Heb “the
[27:1] 180 tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:1] 181 tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:2] 182 tn Heb “draw near to me.”
[27:2] 183 sn To devour my flesh. The psalmist compares his enemies to dangerous, hungry predators (see 2 Kgs 9:36; Ezek 39:17).
[27:2] 184 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] 185 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] 186 tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”
[27:3] 187 tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”
[27:3] 188 tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”
[27:4] 189 tn Heb “my living.”
[27:4] 190 sn The
[27:5] 192 tn Or “for he will.” The translation assumes the כִּי (ki) is asseverative here, rather than causal.
[27:5] 193 tn Heb “he will hide me in his hut.”
[27:5] 196 tn The three imperfect verb forms in v. 5 anticipate a positive response to the prayer offered in vv. 7-12.
[27:5] 197 tn Heb “on a rocky summit he lifts me up.” The
[27:6] 198 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] 199 tn Heb “I will sacrifice in his tent sacrifices of a shout for joy” (that is, “sacrifices accompanied by a joyful shout”).
[27:8] 201 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] 202 tn Heb “your face, O
[27:9] 203 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] 204 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[27:10] 205 tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
[27:10] 206 tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
[27:11] 207 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
[27:11] 208 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] 209 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.
[27:12] 210 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
[27:12] 211 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] 212 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the
[27:14] 214 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”
[28:1] 215 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] 216 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] 217 tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”
[28:1] 218 tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”
[28:1] 219 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
[28:1] 220 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] 221 sn I lift my hands. Lifting one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer.
[28:2] 222 tn The Hebrew term דְּבִיר (dÿvir, “temple”) actually refers to the most holy place within the sanctuary.
[28:3] 223 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[28:3] 224 tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”
[28:3] 225 tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”
[28:4] 226 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] 227 tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the
[28:5] 228 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[28:5] 229 tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.
[28:6] 230 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[28:6] 231 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] 232 tn Heb “The
[28:7] 233 tn Heb “in him my heart trusts.”
[28:7] 234 tn Or “I am helped.”
[28:7] 235 tn Heb “and my heart exults.”
[28:7] 236 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] 237 tn Heb “the
[28:8] 238 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] 240 tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.
[28:9] 241 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] 243 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] 244 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] 245 tn Or “ascribe to the
[29:2] 246 tn Heb “ascribe to the
[29:2] 247 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
[29:3] 248 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:3] 249 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the
[29:3] 250 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] 251 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:4] 252 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:5] 253 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
[29:5] 254 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] 255 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] 256 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
[29:6] 257 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] 258 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] 259 sn The
[29:8] 260 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:8] 261 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] 262 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:9] 263 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] 264 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] 265 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] 266 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
[29:10] 267 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] 268 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
[29:11] 269 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
[29:11] 270 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] 271 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] 272 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] 273 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] 274 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] 276 sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.
[30:3] 278 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] 279 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] 280 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
[30:5] 281 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] 282 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] 283 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] 284 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] 285 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] 286 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.
[30:9] 287 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] 288 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
[30:9] 289 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] 290 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[30:9] 291 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] 292 tn Heb “be a helper to me.”
[30:11] 293 sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.
[30:12] 294 tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”
[30:12] 295 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] 297 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] 298 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”
[31:2] 299 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[31:2] 300 tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”
[31:2] 301 tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”
[31:3] 302 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] 303 tn Heb “name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the
[31:3] 304 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] 305 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] 306 tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.
[31:5] 307 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] 308 tn Heb “the ones who observe vain things of falsehood.” See Jonah 2:9.
[31:7] 309 tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”
[31:8] 310 tn Heb “you cause my feet to stand.”
[31:9] 311 tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”
[31:9] 312 tn Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.
[31:9] 313 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] 314 tn Heb “and my years in groaning.”
[31:10] 315 tn Heb “stumbles in.”
[31:10] 316 tn Heb “grow weak.”
[31:11] 317 tn Heb “because of all my enemies I am a reproach.”
[31:11] 318 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] 319 tn Heb “and [an object of ] horror to those known by me.”
[31:12] 320 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] 321 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] 322 tn Heb “the report of many.”
[31:13] 323 tn Heb “the terror from all around.”
[31:15] 324 tn Heb “in your hand [are] my times.”
[31:16] 325 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
[31:17] 326 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] 327 tn Heb “the [ones which].”
[31:19] 329 tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”
[31:19] 330 tn Heb “for those who fear you.”
[31:19] 331 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[31:19] 332 tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”
[31:20] 333 tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”
[31:20] 334 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] 335 tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”
[31:21] 336 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[31:21] 337 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] 338 tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”
[31:22] 339 tn Heb “from before your eyes.”
[31:23] 340 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] 341 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] 342 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”
[32:1] 343 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] 344 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] 345 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] 346 tn Heb “lifted up.”
[32:1] 347 tn Heb “covered over.”
[32:2] 348 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] 349 tn Heb “blessed [is] the man to whom the
[32:2] 350 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] 351 tn Heb “when I was silent.”
[32:3] 352 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] 353 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
[32:4] 354 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] 355 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] 356 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] 357 tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”
[32:5] 358 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] 359 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] 360 tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the
[32:6] 361 tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.
[32:6] 362 sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.
[32:6] 363 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] 364 tn Heb “[with] shouts of joy of deliverance you surround me.”
[32:8] 365 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] 366 tn Heb “I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way [in] which you should walk.”
[32:8] 367 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] 368 tn The verb form is plural (i.e., “do not all of you be”); the psalmist addresses the whole group.
[32:9] 369 tn Heb “like a horse, like a mule without understanding.”
[32:9] 370 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] 371 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] 372 tn Heb “but the one who trusts in the
[32:11] 373 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] 374 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] 375 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] 376 tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”
[33:4] 377 sn For the
[33:4] 378 tn Heb “word.” In this context, which depicts the
[33:4] 380 tn Heb “and all his work [is] in faithfulness.”
[33:5] 381 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[33:5] 382 tn Heb “fills the earth.”
[33:6] 384 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] 385 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] 386 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] 387 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[33:9] 388 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] 389 tn Heb “he commanded.”
[33:10] 390 tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the
[33:10] 391 tn Heb “thoughts.”
[33:11] 392 tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The
[33:12] 393 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] 394 tn Heb “inheritance.”
[33:13] 395 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.
[33:13] 396 tn Heb “all the sons of men.”
[33:15] 397 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] 398 tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”
[33:18] 399 tn Heb “look, the eye of the
[33:18] 400 tn Heb “for the ones who wait for his faithfulness.”
[33:19] 401 tn Heb “to save from death their live[s].”
[33:19] 402 tn Heb “and to keep them alive in famine.”
[33:20] 403 tn Or “our lives.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[33:20] 404 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[33:20] 405 tn Or “protector.”
[33:22] 406 tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O
[34:1] 408 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] 409 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] 411 tn Heb “continually [will] his praise [be] in my mouth.”
[34:2] 412 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] 413 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] 415 tn Heb “I sought the
[34:5] 416 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] 417 tn The pronoun refers back to “this oppressed man,” namely, the psalmist.
[34:7] 418 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the
[34:7] 419 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:7] 420 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] 421 tn This verb is normally used of tasting or savoring food. The metaphor here appears to compare the
[34:8] 422 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] 423 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] 424 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[34:9] 426 tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”
[34:9] 427 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:11] 428 tn Heb “the fear of the
[34:12] 429 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] 430 tn Heb “[Who] loves days to see good?”
[34:13] 431 tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”
[34:13] 432 tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”
[34:14] 434 tn Heb “seek peace and pursue it.”
[34:15] 435 tn Heb “the eyes of the
[34:16] 436 tn Heb “the face of the
[34:17] 437 tn Heb “they” (i.e., the godly mentioned in v. 15).
[34:17] 438 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] 439 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the
[34:18] 440 tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”
[34:19] 441 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular form; the representative or typical godly person is envisioned.
[34:19] 443 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the
[34:19] 444 tn Heb “him,” agreeing with the singular form in the preceding line.
[34:20] 445 tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.
[34:20] 446 tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.
[34:20] 447 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] 448 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] 449 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] 450 tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.
[34:22] 451 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[35:1] 452 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] 454 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] 455 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] 456 tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”
[35:3] 457 tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”
[35:4] 458 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] 459 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.
[35:5] 460 sn See the mention of the
[35:5] 461 tn Heb “as the
[35:6] 462 tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[35:7] 463 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] 464 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] 465 tn The psalmist’s prayer for his enemies’ demise continues. See vv. 4-6.
[35:9] 466 tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the
[35:10] 467 tn Heb “all my bones will say.”
[35:10] 468 tn Heb “[the one who] rescues.” The substantival participle in the Hebrew text characterizes God as one who typically rescues the oppressed.
[35:10] 469 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] 470 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] 471 tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”
[35:11] 472 tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”
[35:12] 473 tn Heb “they repay me evil instead of good.”
[35:12] 474 tn Heb “[there is] bereavement to my soul.”
[35:13] 475 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] 476 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] 477 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] 478 tn Heb “like a friend, like a brother to me I walked about.”
[35:14] 479 sn I bowed down. Bowing down was a posture for mourning. See Ps 38:6.
[35:14] 480 tn Heb “like mourning for a mother [in] sorrow I bowed down.”
[35:15] 481 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] 482 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] 483 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] 484 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] 485 tn Heb “O Lord, how long will you see?”
[35:17] 486 tn Heb “bring back, restore.”
[35:17] 488 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] 489 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.
[35:18] 490 tn Heb “among numerous people.”
[35:19] 491 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] 493 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] 494 tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”
[35:20] 495 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] 496 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] 497 tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).
[35:22] 498 tn Heb “you see, O
[35:23] 499 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] 500 tn Heb “for my justice.”
[35:23] 501 tn Heb “for my cause.”
[35:25] 503 tn Heb “in their heart[s].”
[35:25] 504 tn Heb “Aha! Our desire!” The “desire” of the psalmist’s enemies is to triumph over him.
[35:26] 505 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”
[35:26] 506 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] 507 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).
[35:27] 508 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[35:27] 509 tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”
[35:28] 510 tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”
[35:28] 511 tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[36:1] 512 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] 513 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] 514 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] 515 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] 516 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] 517 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] 518 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] 519 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.
[36:5] 520 tn Heb “[is] in the heavens.”
[36:5] 521 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] 522 tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.
[36:6] 524 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] 526 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] 527 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] 528 tn Heb “draw out to full length.”
[36:10] 529 tn Heb “to those who know you.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “know”) is used here of those who “know” the
[36:10] 530 tn Heb “and your justice to.” The verb “extend” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[36:10] 531 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] 532 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] 533 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] 534 tn The psalmist uses perfect verbal forms in v. 12 to describe the demise of the wicked as if it has already taken place.
[37:1] 535 sn Psalm 37. The psalmist urges his audience not to envy the wicked, but to trust in and obey the Lord, for he will destroy sinners and preserve the godly. When the smoke of judgment clears, the wicked will be gone, but the godly will remain and inherit God’s promised blessings. The psalm is an acrostic; every other verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[37:1] 536 tn The verb form is singular (see vv. 3-10 as well, where the second person verbs and pronouns are also singular). The psalmist’s exhortation has a wisdom flavor to it; it is personalized for each member of his audience.
[37:1] 537 tn Heb “over sinners.” The context indicates that the psalmist has in mind the apparent power and success of sinners. See v. 7b.
[37:2] 538 tn Heb “like green vegetation.”
[37:3] 539 tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (ra’ah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.
[37:4] 540 tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).
[37:4] 541 tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”
[37:5] 542 tn Heb “roll your way upon the
[37:5] 543 tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the
[37:6] 544 tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”
[37:7] 545 tn Heb “Be quiet before the
[37:7] 546 tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vÿhitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vÿtokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yÿhvah) and (2) the final lamed (ל) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).
[37:7] 547 tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”
[37:8] 548 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
[37:9] 549 tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.
[37:9] 550 tn Or “cut off, removed.”
[37:9] 551 tn Heb “and those who wait on the
[37:10] 552 tn Heb “and yet, a little, there will be no wicked [one].”
[37:10] 553 tn Heb “and you will carefully look upon his place, but he will not be [there].” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer is in view.
[37:11] 554 tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”
[37:12] 555 tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.
[37:12] 556 tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.
[37:13] 557 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
[37:13] 558 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
[37:14] 559 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
[37:14] 560 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
[37:15] 561 tn Heb “enter into.”
[37:16] 562 tn Heb “Better [is] a little to the godly one than the wealth of many evil ones.” The following verses explain why this is true. Though a godly individual may seem to have only meager possessions, he always has what he needs and will eventually possess the land. The wicked may prosper for a brief time, but will eventually be destroyed by divine judgment and lose everything.
[37:17] 563 tn Heb “for the arms of the evil ones will be broken.”
[37:17] 564 tn The active participle here indicates this is characteristically true.
[37:18] 565 tn Heb “the
[37:18] 566 tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”
[37:19] 567 tn Heb “in a time of trouble.”
[37:19] 568 tn Heb “in days of famine they will be satisfied.”
[37:20] 569 tn Or “for,” but Hebrew כי in this case would have to extend all the way back to v. 17a. Another option is to understand the particle as asseverative, “surely” (see v. 22).
[37:20] 570 tc The meaning of the MT (כִּיקַר כָּרִים [kiqar karim], “like what is precious among the pastures/rams”) is uncertain. One possibility is to take the noun כָּרִים as “pastures” and interpret “what is precious” as referring to flowers that blossom but then quickly disappear (see v. 2 and BDB 430 s.v. יָקָר 3). If כָּרִים is taken as “rams,” then “what is precious” might refer to the choicest portions of rams. The present translation follows a reading in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpPs37), כיקוד כורם (“like the burning of an oven”). The next line, which pictures the
[37:20] 571 tn Heb “they perish in smoke, they perish.” In addition to repeating the verb for emphasis, the psalmist uses the perfect form of the verb to picture the enemies’ demise as if it had already taken place. In this way he draws attention to the certitude of their judgment.
[37:21] 572 tn Heb “an evil [man] borrows and does not repay; but a godly [man] is gracious and gives.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The three active participles and one imperfect (“repay”) draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the two types.
[37:22] 573 tn The particle כִּי is best understood as asseverative or emphatic here.
[37:22] 574 tn Heb “those blessed by him.” The pronoun “him” must refer to the Lord (see vv. 20, 23), so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:22] 576 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed” (see v. 9).
[37:23] 577 tn Heb “from the
[37:24] 578 tn Other translation options for כִּי in this context are “when” (so NASB) or “though” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[37:24] 579 tn Heb “be hurled down.”
[37:24] 580 tn The active participle indicates this is characteristically true. See v. 17.
[37:25] 581 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:25] 582 tn Heb “or his offspring searching for food.” The expression “search for food” also appears in Lam 1:11, where Jerusalem’s refugees are forced to search for food and to trade their valuable possessions for something to eat.
[37:26] 583 tn The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
[37:26] 584 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:27] 585 tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).
[37:27] 586 tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.
[37:28] 587 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[37:28] 588 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.
[37:28] 589 tn Or “protected forever.”
[37:28] 590 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:28] 591 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.
[37:30] 592 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
[37:31] 593 tn Heb “the law of his God [is] in his heart.” The “heart” is here the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
[37:31] 594 tn Heb “his.” The pronoun has been translated as plural to agree with the representative or typical “godly” in v. 30.
[37:32] 595 tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
[37:33] 596 tn Heb “the
[37:34] 598 tn Heb “keep his way.” The
[37:34] 599 tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.
[37:34] 600 tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”
[37:35] 601 tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.
[37:35] 602 tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mit’areh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (’arah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (’alah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (’ezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.
[37:36] 603 tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).
[37:37] 605 tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).
[37:38] 606 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
[37:38] 607 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
[37:39] 608 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the
[37:39] 609 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
[37:40] 610 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.
[38:1] 611 sn Psalm 38. The author asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He confesses his sin and recognizes that the crisis he faces is the result of divine discipline. Yet he begs the Lord not to reject him.
[38:1] 612 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “to cause to remember.” The same form, the Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the heading of Ps 70. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
[38:1] 613 tn The words “continue to” are supplied in the translation of both lines. The following verses make it clear that the psalmist is already experiencing divine rebuke/punishment. He asks that it might cease.
[38:1] sn Compare Ps 38:1 with Ps 6:1, which has similar wording.
[38:2] 614 tn The verb Hebrew נָחַת (nakhat) apparently here means “penetrate, pierce” (note the use of the Qal in Prov 17:10). The psalmist pictures the
[38:2] 615 tn Heb “and your hand [?] upon me.” The meaning of the verb נָחַת (nakhat) is unclear in this context. It is preferable to emend the form to וַתָּנַח (vattanakh) from the verb נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”). In this case the text would read literally, “and your hand rests upon me” (see Isa 25:10, though the phrase is used in a positive sense there, unlike Ps 38:2).
[38:3] 616 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh from before your anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger at the psalmist’s sin.
[38:3] 617 tn Heb “there is no health in my bones from before my sin.”
[38:4] 618 tn Heb “pass over my head.”
[38:5] 619 sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows.
[38:5] 620 tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).
[38:5] 621 tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”
[38:6] 622 tn The verb’s precise shade of meaning in this context is not entirely clear. The verb, which literally means “to bend,” may refer to the psalmist’s posture. In Isa 21:3 it seems to mean “be confused, dazed.”
[38:6] 623 tn Heb “I am bowed down to excess.”
[38:7] 624 tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).
[38:7] 625 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).
[38:8] 626 tn Heb “I am numb and crushed to excess.”
[38:8] 627 tn Heb “I roar because of the moaning of my heart.”
[38:9] 628 tn Heb “O Lord, before you [is] all my desire.”
[38:10] 629 tn Heb “and the light of my eyes, even they, there is not with me.” The “light of the eyes” may refer to physical energy (see 1 Sam 14:27, 29), life itself (Ps 13:3), or the ability to see (Prov 29:23).
[38:11] 630 tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”
[38:11] 631 tn Heb “stand [aloof].”
[38:11] 632 tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”
[38:12] 633 tn Heb “lay snares.”
[38:13] 634 sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).
[38:14] 635 tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”
[38:15] 636 tn Or perhaps “surely.”
[38:16] 637 tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).
[38:16] 638 tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.
[38:17] 639 tn Heb “and my pain [is] before me continually.”
[38:18] 640 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[38:19] 641 tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).
[38:19] 642 tn Heb “are many.”
[38:20] 643 tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”
[38:22] 644 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Ps 22:19.
[39:1] 645 sn Psalm 39. The psalmist laments his frailty and mortality as he begs the Lord to take pity on him and remove his disciplinary hand.
[39:1] 647 tn Heb “I will watch my ways, from sinning with my tongue.”
[39:1] 648 sn The psalmist wanted to voice a lament to the
[39:2] 649 tn Heb “I was mute [with] silence.”
[39:2] 650 tn Heb “I was quiet from good.” He kept quiet, resisting the urge to find emotional release and satisfaction by voicing his lament.
[39:2] sn I held back the urge to speak. For a helpful discussion of the relationship (and tension) between silence and complaint in ancient Israelite lamentation, see E. S. Gerstenberger, Psalms, Part I (FOTL), 166-67.
[39:2] 651 tn Heb “and my pain was stirred up.” Emotional pain is in view here.
[39:3] 652 tn Heb “my heart was hot within me.”
[39:3] 653 tn Heb “In my reflection fire burned.” The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite (past tense) or an imperfect being used in a past progressive or customary sense (“fire was burning”).
[39:3] 654 tn Heb “I spoke with my tongue.” The phrase “these words” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[39:4] 655 tn Heb “Cause me to know, O
[39:4] 656 tn Heb “Let me know how transient I am!”
[39:5] 657 tn Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 309.
[39:5] 658 tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”
[39:5] 659 tn Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”
[39:6] 660 tn Heb “surely, as an image man walks about.” The preposition prefixed to “image” indicates identity here.
[39:6] sn People go through life (Heb “man walks about”). “Walking” is here used as a metaphor for living. The point is that human beings are here today, gone tomorrow. They have no lasting substance and are comparable to mere images or ghosts.
[39:6] 661 tc Heb “Surely [in] vain they strive, he accumulates and does not know who gathers them.” The MT as it stands is syntactically awkward. The verb forms switch from singular (“walks about”) to plural (“they strive”) and then back to singular (“accumulates and does not know”), even though the subject (generic “man”) remains the same. Furthermore there is no object for the verb “accumulates” and no plural antecedent for the plural pronoun (“them”) attached to “gathers.” These problems can be removed if one emends the text from הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן (hevel yehemaun, “[in] vain they strive”) to הֶבְלֵי הָמוֹן (hevley hamon, “vain things of wealth”). This assumes a misdivision in the MT and a virtual dittography of vav (ו) between the mem and nun of המון. The present translation follows this emendation.
[39:7] 662 tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”
[39:9] 663 tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).
[39:10] 664 tn Heb “remove from upon me your wound.”
[39:10] 665 tn Heb “from the hostility of your hand I have come to an end.”
[39:11] 666 tn “with punishments on account of sin you discipline a man.”
[39:11] 667 tc Heb “you cause to dissolve, like a moth, his desired [thing].” The translation assumes an emendation of חֲמוּדוֹ (khamudo, “his desirable [thing]”) to חֶמְדוֹ (khemdo, “his loveliness” [or “beauty”]), a reading that is supported by a few medieval Hebrew
[39:12] 668 tn Heb “do not be deaf to my tears.”
[39:12] 669 tn Heb “For a resident alien [am] I with you, a sojourner like all my fathers.”
[39:12] sn Resident aliens were dependent on the mercy and goodwill of others. The Lord was concerned that resident aliens be treated properly. See Deut 24:17-22, Ps 146:9.
[39:13] 670 tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.
[40:1] 671 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
[40:1] 672 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:2] 673 tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).
[40:2] 674 tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[40:2] 675 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
[40:3] 676 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
[40:3] 677 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
[40:3] 678 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the
[40:4] 679 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).
[40:4] 680 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
[40:4] 681 tn Heb “who has made the
[40:4] 682 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
[40:4] 683 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
[40:5] 684 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 685 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (’arakh ’el, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
[40:5] 686 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
[40:6] 687 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
[40:6] 688 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
[40:7] 689 tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.
[40:8] 691 tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.
[40:9] 692 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
[40:9] 693 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
[40:9] 694 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
[40:10] 695 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
[40:10] 696 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
[40:11] 697 tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).
[40:11] 698 tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.
[40:12] 699 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
[40:12] 700 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
[40:13] 701 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[40:14] 702 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
[40:14] 703 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[40:14] sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
[40:15] 704 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[40:15] 705 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
[40:16] 706 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
[40:16] 707 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
[40:16] 708 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[40:17] 709 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[40:17] 710 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The
[41:1] 711 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
[41:1] 712 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; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[41:1] 713 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
[41:1] 714 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
[41:1] 715 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the
[41:2] 716 tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.
[41:2] 717 tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
[41:2] 718 tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.
[41:2] 719 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
[41:3] 720 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
[41:3] 721 tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.
[41:4] 722 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
[41:5] 723 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
[41:5] 724 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
[41:6] 726 tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
[41:6] 727 tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
[41:6] 728 tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
[41:7] 729 tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
[41:8] 730 tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
[41:8] 731 tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
[41:8] 732 tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
[41:8] 733 tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
[41:9] 734 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
[41:9] 735 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.
[41:9] sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
[41:10] 736 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
[41:11] 737 sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.
[41:11] 738 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
[41:12] 740 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
[41:12] 741 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
[41:12] 742 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
[41:12] 743 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
[41:13] 744 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[41:13] 745 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
[41:13] 746 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
[42:1] 747 sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew
[42:1] 748 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.
[42:1] 749 tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.
[42:1] 750 tn Or “pants [with thirst].”
[42:1] 751 tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[42:2] 752 tn Or “my soul thirsts.”
[42:2] 753 tn The words “I say” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
[42:2] 754 tn Heb “When will I go and appear [to] the face of God?” Some emend the Niphal verbal form אֵרָאֶה (’era’eh, “I will appear”) to a Qal אֶרְאֶה (’er’eh, “I will see”; see Gen 33:10), but the Niphal can be retained if one understands ellipsis of אֶת (’et) before “face” (see Exod 34:24; Deut 31:11).
[42:3] 755 tn Heb “My tears have become my food day and night.”
[42:3] 756 tn Heb “when [they] say to me all the day.” The suffixed third masculine plural pronoun may have been accidentally omitted from the infinitive בֶּאֱמֹר (be’ÿmor, “when [they] say”). Note the term בְּאָמְרָם (bÿ’omram, “when they say”) in v. 10.
[42:4] 757 tn Heb “These things I will remember and I will pour out upon myself my soul.” “These things” are identified in the second half of the verse as those times when the psalmist worshiped in the
[42:4] 758 tc Heb “for I was passing by with the throng [?], I was walking with [?] them to the house of God; with a voice of a ringing shout and thanksgiving a multitude was observing a festival.” The Hebrew phrase בַּסָּךְ אֶדַּדֵּם (bassakh ’eddaddem, “with the throng [?] I was walking with [?]”) is particularly problematic. The noun סָךְ (sakh) occurs only here. If it corresponds to הָמוֹן (hamon, “multitude”) then one can propose a meaning “throng.” The present translation assumes this reading (cf. NIV, NRSV). The form אֶדַּדֵּם (“I will walk with [?]”) is also very problematic. The form can be taken as a Hitpael from דָּדָה (dadah; this verb possibly appears in Isa 38:15), but the pronominal suffix is problematic. For this reason many emend the form to ם[י]אַדִּרִ (’adirim, “nobles”) or ם-רִ[י]אַדִ (’adirim, “great,” with enclitic mem [ם]). The present translation understands the latter and takes the adjective “great” as modifying “throng.” If one emends סָךְ (sakh, “throng [?]”) to סֹךְ (sokh, “shelter”; see the Qere of Ps 27:5), then ר[י]אַדִּ (’addir) could be taken as a divine epithet, “[in the shelter of] the majestic one,” a reading which may find support in the LXX and Syriac Peshitta.
[42:5] 759 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[42:5] 760 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[42:5] 761 tn Heb “and [why] are you in turmoil upon me?” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the descriptive present nuance of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
[42:5] 762 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of his face.” The verse division in the Hebrew text is incorrect. אֱלֹהַי (’elohay, “my God”) at the beginning of v. 7 belongs with the end of v. 6 (see the corresponding refrains in 42:11 and 43:5, both of which end with “my God” after “saving acts of my face”). The Hebrew term פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”) should be emended to פְּנֵי (pÿney, “face of”). The emended text reads, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention.
[42:6] 763 tn Heb “my God, upon me my soul bows down.” As noted earlier, “my God” belongs with the end of v. 6.
[42:6] 764 tn Heb “therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan.” “Remember” is here used metonymically for prayer (see vv. 8-9). As the next line indicates, the region of the upper Jordan, where the river originates, is in view.
[42:6] 765 tc Heb “Hermons.” The plural form of the name occurs only here in the OT. Some suggest the plural refers to multiple mountain peaks (cf. NASB) or simply retain the plural in the translation (cf. NEB), but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note that the next form in the text begins with the letter mem) or enclitic. At a later time it was misinterpreted as a plural marker and vocalized accordingly.
[42:6] 766 tn The Hebrew term מִצְעָר (mits’ar) is probably a proper name (“Mizar”), designating a particular mountain in the Hermon region. The name appears only here in the OT.
[42:7] 767 tn Heb “deep calls to deep.” The Hebrew noun תְּהוֹם (tÿhom) often refers to the deep sea, but here, where it is associated with Hermon, it probably refers to mountain streams. The word can be used of streams and rivers (see Deut 8:7; Ezek 31:4).
[42:7] 768 tn The noun צִנּוֹר (tsinnor, “waterfall”) occurs only here and in 2 Sam 5:8, where it apparently refers to a water shaft. The psalmist alludes to the loud rushing sound of mountain streams and cascading waterfalls. Using the poetic device of personification, he imagines the streams calling out to each other as they hear the sound of the waterfalls.
[42:7] 769 tn Heb “pass over me” (see Jonah 2:3). As he hears the sound of the rushing water, the psalmist imagines himself engulfed in the current. By implication he likens his emotional distress to such an experience.
[42:8] 770 sn The psalmist believes that the Lord has not abandoned him, but continues to extend his loyal love. To this point in the psalm, the author has used the name “God,” but now, as he mentions the divine characteristic of loyal love, he switches to the more personal divine name Yahweh (rendered in the translation as “the
[42:8] 771 tn Heb “his song [is] with me.”
[42:8] 772 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[42:9] 773 tn The cohortative form indicates the psalmist’s resolve.
[42:9] 774 tn 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; Pss 18:2; 31:3.
[42:9] 776 sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar idea.
[42:10] 777 tc Heb “with a shattering in my bones my enemies taunt me.” A few medieval Hebrew
[42:10] 778 sn “Where is your God?” The enemies ask this same question in v. 3.
[42:11] 779 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[42:11] 780 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[42:11] 781 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
[42:11] 782 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God”), that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is almost identical to the one in v. 5. See also Ps 43:5.
[43:1] 783 sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew
[43:1] 784 tn Or “argue my case.”
[43:1] 785 tn The imperfect here expresses a request or wish. Note the imperatives in the first half of the verse. See also v. 3.
[43:1] 786 tn Heb “from the deceitful and evil man.” The Hebrew text uses the singular form “man” in a collective sense, as the reference to a “nation” in the parallel line indicates.
[43:2] 787 tn Heb “God of my place of refuge,” that is, “God who is my place of refuge.” See Ps 31:4.
[43:2] 788 tn The question is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but זָנַח (zanakh, “reject”) is a stronger verb than שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”).
[43:2] 789 tn The language is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but the Hitpael form of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh; as opposed to the Qal form in 42:9) expresses more forcefully the continuing nature of the psalmist’s distress.
[43:2] 790 sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar statement.
[43:3] 792 sn God’s deliverance is compared here to a light which will lead the psalmist back home to the Lord’s temple. Divine deliverance will in turn demonstrate the Lord’s faithfulness to his people.
[43:3] 793 tn Or “may they lead me.” The prefixed verbal forms here and in the next line may be taken as jussives.
[43:3] 795 sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill is Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.
[43:3] 796 tn Or “to your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the
[43:4] 797 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. Prefixed with the vav (ו) conjunctive it also expresses the result or outcome of the preceding verbs “lead” and “escort.”
[43:4] 798 tn Heb “to God, the joy of my happiness.” The phrase “joy of my happiness” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the degree of the psalmist’s joy. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[43:4] 799 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates purpose (“so that”) or intention.
[43:5] 800 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[43:5] 801 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[43:5] 802 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
[43:5] 803 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is identical to the one in Ps 42:11. See also 42:5, which differs only slightly.
[44:1] 804 sn Psalm 44. The speakers in this psalm (the worshiping community within the nation Israel) were disappointed with God. The psalm begins on a positive note, praising God for leading Israel to past military victories. Verses 1-8 appear to be a song of confidence and petition which the people recited prior to battle. But suddenly the mood changes as the nation laments a recent defeat. The stark contrast between the present and the past only heightens the nation’s confusion. Israel trusted in God for victory, but the Lord rejected them and allowed them to be humiliated in battle. If Israel had been unfaithful to God, their defeat would make sense, but the nation was loyal to the Lord. Comparing the Lord to a careless shepherd, the nation urges God to wake up and to extend his compassion to his suffering people.
[44:1] 805 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
[44:1] 806 tn Heb “with our ears we have heard.”
[44:1] 807 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.
[44:1] 808 tn Heb “the work you worked.”
[44:1] 809 tn Heb “in the days of old.” This refers specifically to the days of Joshua, during Israel’s conquest of the land, as vv. 2-3 indicate.
[44:2] 810 tn Heb “you, your hand.”
[44:2] 811 tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.
[44:2] 812 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).
[44:2] 814 tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.
[44:3] 815 tn Or “take possession of.”
[44:3] 816 tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
[44:3] 817 tn Heb “your right hand.” The
[44:3] 819 tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
[44:3] 820 tn Or “favorable toward.”
[44:4] 821 sn The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1-3, 5, 7-8) in vv. 1-8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.
[44:4] 822 tc The LXX assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [mÿtsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the MT, which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the MT is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (’elohay mÿtsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”).
[44:4] tn Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.
[44:4] 823 tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
[44:5] 825 tn Heb “gore” (like an ox). If this portion of the psalm contains the song of confidence/petition the Israelites recited prior to battle, then the imperfects here and in the next line may express their expectation of victory. Another option is that the imperfects function in an emphatic generalizing manner. In this case one might translate, “you [always] drive back…you [always] trample down.”
[44:5] sn The Hebrew verb translated “drive back” is literally “gore”; the imagery is that of a powerful wild ox that “gores” its enemies and tramples them underfoot.
[44:5] 826 tn Heb “in your name.” The
[44:5] 827 sn The image of the powerful wild ox continues; see the note on the phrase “drive back” in the preceding line.
[44:5] 828 tn Heb “those who rise up [against] us.”
[44:7] 829 tn Or “have delivered,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
[44:7] 830 tn Or “have humiliated,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
[44:9] 831 tn The particle אַף (’af, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.
[44:9] 832 tn Heb “you did not go out with our armies.” The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:10] 833 tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”
[44:10] 834 tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).
[44:11] 835 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 836 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 837 tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”
[44:12] 838 tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”
[44:13] 839 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:13] 840 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”
[44:14] 841 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:14] 842 tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”
[44:14] 843 tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).
[44:15] 844 tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”
[44:15] 845 tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”
[44:16] 846 tn Heb “from the voice of one who ridicules and insults, from the face of an enemy and an avenger.” See Ps 8:2.
[44:17] 847 tn Heb “we have not forgotten you.” To “forget” God refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see v. 20, as well as Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 9:17).Thus the translation “we have not rejected you” has been used.
[44:17] 848 tn Heb “and we did not deal falsely with your covenant.”
[44:18] 849 tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.
[44:18] 850 tn Heb “and our steps did [not] turn aside from your path.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line). God’s “path” refers to his commands, i.e., the moral pathway he has prescribed for the psalmist. See Pss 17:5; 25:4.
[44:19] 851 tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”
[44:19] 852 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל+מָוֶת [mavet + tsel]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness” (cf. NIV, NRSV). An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 44:19 darkness symbolizes defeat and humiliation.
[44:20] 853 tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the
[44:20] 854 tn Heb “and spread out your hands to another god.” Spreading out the hands was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). In its most fundamental sense זר (“another; foreign; strange”) refers to something that is outside one’s circle, often making association with it inappropriate. A “strange” god is an alien deity, an “outside god” (see L. A. Snijders, TDOT 4:54-55).
[44:21] 855 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
[44:21] 856 tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.
[44:22] 857 tn The statement “because of you” (1) may simply indicate that God is the cause of the Israelites’ defeat (see vv. 9-14, where the nation’s situation is attributed directly to God’s activity, and cf. NEB, NRSV), or (2) it may suggest they suffer because of their allegiance to God (see Ps 69:7 and Jer 15:15). In this case one should translate, “for your sake” (cf. NASB, NIV). The citation of this verse in Rom 8:36 follows the LXX (Ps 43:23 LXX), where the Greek term ἕνεκεν (Jeneken; LXX ἕνεκα) may likewise mean “because of” or “for the sake of” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἕνεκα 1).
[44:22] 858 tn Or “regarded as.”
[44:22] 859 tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.
[44:23] 860 sn Wake up! See Ps 35:23.
[44:24] 861 tn Heb “Why do you hide your face?” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[44:24] 863 tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”
[44:25] 864 tn Heb “for our being/life sinks down to the dirt, our belly clings to the earth.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[44:26] 865 tn Or “redeem us.” See Pss 25:22; 26:11; 69:18; 119:134.
[45:1] 866 sn Psalm 45. This is a romantic poem celebrating the Davidic king’s marriage to a lovely princess. The psalmist praises the king for his military prowess and commitment to justice, urges the bride to be loyal to the king, and anticipates that the marriage will be blessed with royal offspring.
[45:1] 867 tn Heb “according to lilies.” “Lilies” may be a tune title or musical style, suggestive of romantic love. The imagery of a “lily” appears frequently in the Song of Solomon in a variety of contexts (see 2:1-2, 16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2-3; 7:2).
[45:1] 868 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
[45:1] 869 tn Heb “[with] a good word.” The “good word” probably refers here to the song that follows.
[45:1] 870 tn Heb “my works [are] for a king.” The plural “works” may here indicate degree, referring to the special musical composition that follows.
[45:1] 871 tn Heb “my tongue [is] a stylus of a skillful scribe.” Words flow from the psalmist’s tongue just as they do from a scribe’s stylus.
[45:2] 872 tn Heb “you are handsome from the sons of man.” The preposition “from” is used in a comparative (“more than”) sense. The peculiar verb form יָפְיָפִיתָ (yafyafita) is probably the result of dittography of yod-pe (יפ) and should be emended to יָפִיתָ (yafita). See GKC 152 §55.e.
[45:2] 873 tn Heb “favor is poured out on your lips.” “Lips” probably stands by metonymy for the king’s speech. Some interpret the Hebrew term חֵן (khen) as referring here to “gracious (i.e., kind and polite) speech”, but the word probably refers more generally to “attractive” speech that is impressively articulated and fitting for the occasion. For other instances of the term being used of speech, see Prov 22:11 and Eccl 10:12.
[45:2] 874 tn Or “this demonstrates.” The construction עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore”) usually indicates what logically follows from a preceding statement. However, here it may infer the cause from the effect, indicating the underlying basis or reason for what precedes (see BDB 487 s.v. I כֵּן 3.f; C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 1:386).
[45:2] 875 tn Or “blesses you forever.” Here “bless” means to “endue with the power and skill to rule effectively,” as the following verses indicate.
[45:3] 876 tn Or “mighty one.”
[45:3] 877 tn The Hebrew text has simply, “your majesty and your splendor,” which probably refers to the king’s majestic splendor when he appears in full royal battle regalia.
[45:4] 878 tn Heb “and your majesty, be successful.” The syntax is awkward. The phrase “and your majesty” at the beginning of the verse may be accidentally repeated (dittography); it appears at the end of v. 3.
[45:4] 879 tn Or “for the sake of truth.”
[45:4] 880 tc The precise meaning of the MT is uncertain. The form עַנְוָה (’anvah) occurs only here. One could emend the text to עֲנָוָה וְצֶדֶק (’anavah vÿtsedeq, “[for the sake of truth], humility, and justice”). In this case “humility” would perhaps allude to the king’s responsibility to “serve” his people by promoting justice (cf. NIV “in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יַעַן (ya’an, “because; on account of”) which would form a suitable parallel to עַל־דְּבַר (’al-dÿvar, “because; for the sake of”) in the preceding line.
[45:4] 881 tn Heb “and your right hand will teach you mighty acts”; or “and may your right hand teach you mighty acts.” After the imperatives in the first half of the verse, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive likely indicates purpose (“so that your right hand might teach you mighty acts”) or result (see the present translation). The “right hand” here symbolizes the king’s military strength. His right hand will “teach” him mighty acts by performing them and thereby causing him to experience their magnificence.
[45:5] 882 tn Heb “your arrows are sharp – peoples beneath you fall – in the heart of the enemies of the king.” The choppy style reflects the poet’s excitement.
[45:6] 883 sn The king’s throne here symbolizes his rule.
[45:6] 884 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[45:6] sn O God. The king is clearly the addressee here, as in vv. 2-5 and 7-9. Rather than taking the statement at face value, many prefer to emend the text because the concept of deifying the earthly king is foreign to ancient Israelite thinking (cf. NEB “your throne is like God’s throne, eternal”). However, it is preferable to retain the text and take this statement as another instance of the royal hyperbole that permeates the royal psalms. Because the Davidic king is God’s vice-regent on earth, the psalmist addresses him as if he were God incarnate. God energizes the king for battle and accomplishes justice through him. A similar use of hyperbole appears in Isa 9:6, where the ideal Davidic king of the eschaton is given the title “Mighty God” (see the note on this phrase there). Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Rameses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique” (see Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67). Ps 45:6 and Isa 9:6 probably envision a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.
[45:6] 885 sn The king’s scepter symbolizes his royal authority.
[45:7] 886 sn To love justice means to actively promote it.
[45:7] 887 sn To hate evil means to actively oppose it.
[45:7] 888 tn For other examples of the repetition of Elohim, “God,” see Pss 43:4; 48:8, 14; 50:7; 51:14; 67:7. Because the name Yahweh (“
[45:7] 889 sn Anointed you. When read in the light of the preceding context, the anointing is most naturally taken as referring to the king’s coronation. However, the following context (vv. 8-9) focuses on the wedding ceremony, so some prefer to see this anointing as part of the king’s preparations for the wedding celebration. Perhaps the reference to his anointing at his coronation facilitates the transition to the description of the wedding, for the king was also anointed on this occasion.
[45:7] 890 sn The phrase oil of joy alludes to the fact that the coronation of the king, which was ritually accomplished by anointing his head with olive oil, was a time of great celebration and renewed hope. (If one understands the anointing in conjunction with the wedding ceremony, the “joy” would be that associated with the marriage.) The phrase “oil of joy” also appears in Isa 61:3, where mourners are granted “oil of joy” in conjunction with their deliverance from oppression.
[45:7] 891 tn Heb “from your companions.” The “companions” are most naturally understood as others in the royal family or, more generally, as the king’s countrymen.
[45:7] sn Verses 6-7 are quoted in Heb 1:8-9, where they are applied to Jesus.
[45:8] 892 tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[45:8] 893 tn Heb “the palaces of ivory.” The phrase “palaces of ivory” refers to palaces that had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. Such decoration with ivory was characteristic of a high level of luxury. See 1 Kgs 22:39 and Amos 3:15.
[45:8] 894 tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”
[45:9] 895 tn Heb “daughters of kings.”
[45:9] 896 tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.
[45:9] 897 tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.
[45:9] 898 tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”
[45:9] sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.
[45:10] 899 tn Heb “daughter.” The Hebrew noun בת (“daughter”) can sometimes refer to a young woman in a general sense (see H. Haag, TDOT 2:334).
[45:10] sn Listen, O princess. The poet now addresses the bride.
[45:10] 900 tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.
[45:10] 901 tn Heb “your people.” This reference to the “people” of the princess suggests she was a foreigner. Perhaps the marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between Israel (or Judah) and a neighboring state. The translation “your homeland” reflects such a situation.
[45:10] 902 tn Heb “and the house of your father.”
[45:11] 903 tn After the preceding imperatives, the jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is best understood as introducing a purpose (“so that the king might desire your beauty”) or result clause (see the present translation and cf. also NASB). The point seems to be this: The bride might tend to be homesick, which in turn might cause her to mourn and diminish her attractiveness. She needs to overcome this temptation to unhappiness and enter into the marriage with joy. Then the king will be drawn to her natural beauty.
[45:11] 906 sn Submit to him. The poet here makes the point that the young bride is obligated to bring pleasure to her new husband. Though a foreign concept to modern western culture, this was accepted as the cultural norm in the psalmist’s day.
[45:12] 907 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[45:12] 908 tn Heb “and a daughter of Tyre with a gift, your face they will appease, the rich of people.” The phrase “daughter of Tyre” occurs only here in the OT. It could be understood as addressed to the bride, indicating she was a Phoenician (cf. NEB). However, often in the OT the word “daughter,” when collocated with the name of a city or country, is used to personify the referent (see, for example, “Daughter Zion” in Ps 9:14, and “Daughter Babylon” in Ps 137:8). If that is the case here, then “Daughter Tyre” identifies the city-state of Tyre as the place from which the rich people come (cf. NRSV). The idiom “appease the face” refers to seeking one’s favor (see Exod 32:11; 1 Sam 13:12; 1 Kgs 13:6; 2 Kgs 13:4; 2 Chr 33:12; Job 11:19; Ps 119:58; Prov 19:6; Jer 26:19; Dan 9:13; Zech 7:2; 8:21-22; Mal 1:9).
[45:13] 909 tn Heb “[the] daughter of a king.”
[45:13] 910 tn Heb “[is] completely glorious.”
[45:13] 911 tc Heb “within, from settings of gold, her clothing.” The Hebrew term פְּנִימָה (pÿnimah, “within”), if retained, would go with the preceding line and perhaps refer to the bride being “within” the palace or her bridal chamber (cf. NIV, NRSV). Since the next two lines refer to her attire (see also v. 9b), it is preferable to emend the form to פְּנִינִיהָּ (“her pearls”) or to פְּנִינִים (“pearls”). The mem (מ) prefixed to “settings” is probably dittographic.
[45:14] 912 tn Heb “virgins after her, her companions, are led to you.” Some emend לָךְ (lakh, “to you”) to לָהּ (lah, “to her,” i.e., the princess), because the princess is now being spoken of in the third person (vv. 13-14a), rather than being addressed directly (as in vv. 10-12). However, the ambiguous suffixed form לָךְ need not be taken as second feminine singular. The suffix can be understood as a pausal second masculine singular form, addressed to the king. The translation assumes this to be the case; note that the king is addressed once more in vv. 16-17, where the second person pronouns are masculine.
[45:15] 913 tn Heb “they are led with joy and happiness, they enter the house of the king.”
[45:16] 914 tn The pronoun is second masculine singular, indicating the king is being addressed from this point to the end of the psalm.
[45:16] 915 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive and the statement interpreted as a prayer, “May your sons carry on the dynasty of your ancestors!” The next line could then be taken as a relative clause, “[your sons] whom you will make princes throughout the land.”
[45:16] 916 tn Heb “in place of your fathers will be your sons.”
[45:17] 917 tn Heb “I will cause your name to be remembered in every generation and generation.” The cohortative verbal form expresses the poet’s resolve. The king’s “name” stands here for his reputation and character, which the poet praised in vv. 2-7.
[45:17] 918 sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.
[46:1] 919 sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.
[46:1] 920 sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.
[46:1] 921 tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”
[46:1] 922 tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.
[46:2] 923 tn The imperfect is taken in a generalizing sense (cf. NEB) because the situation described in vv. 2-3 is understood as symbolizing typical world conditions. In this case the imperfect draws attention to the typical nature of the response. The covenant community characteristically responds with confidence, not fear. Another option is to take the situation described as purely hypothetical. In this case one might translate, “We will not fear, even though the earth should shake” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[46:2] 924 tn The Hiphil infinitival form is normally taken to mean “when [the earth] is altered,” being derived from מוּר (mur, “to change”). In this case the Hiphil would be intransitive, as in Ps 15:4. HALOT 560 s.v. II מור emends the form to a Niphal and derives it from a homonymic root מוּר attested in Arabic with the meaning “shake.”
[46:2] 925 tn Heb “heart of the seas.” The plural may be used for emphasis, pointing to the deepest sea. Note that the next verse uses a singular pronoun (“its waters,” “its swelling”) in referring back to the plural noun.
[46:3] 926 tn Heb “its waters.”
[46:3] 928 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the characteristic nature of the activity described.
[46:3] 929 tn Heb “at its swelling.” The Hebrew word often means “pride.” If the sea is symbolic of hostile nations, then this may be a case of double entendre. The surging, swelling sea symbolizes the proud, hostile nations. On the surface the psalmist appears to be depicting a major natural catastrophe, perhaps a tidal wave. If so, then the situation would be hypothetical. However, the repetition of the verbs הָמָה (hamah, “crash; roar,” v. 3) and מוֹט (mot, “shake,” v. 2) in v. 6, where nations/kingdoms “roar” and “shake,” suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:4] 930 tn Heb “A river, its channels cause the city of God to be glad.”
[46:4] sn The city of God is Jerusalem (see Pss 48:1-2; 87:2-3). The river’s “channels” are probably irrigation ditches vital to growing crops. Some relate the imagery to the “waters of Shiloah” (see Isa 8:6), which flowed from the Gihon spring to the pool of Siloam. In Isa 8:6-8 these waters are contrasted with the flood waters symbolizing Assyria. Even if this is the reality behind the imagery, the picture of a river flowing through Jerusalem is idealized and exaggerated. The river and irrigation ditches symbolize the peace and prosperity that the Lord provides for Jerusalem, in contrast to the havoc produced by the turbulent waters (symbolic of the nations) outside the city. Some see here an adaptation of Canaanite (or, more specifically, Jebusite) mythical traditions of rivers/springs flowing from the high god El’s dwelling place. The Songs of Zion do utilize such imagery at times (see Ps 48:2). The image of a river flowing through Zion may have inspired prophetic visions of an eschatological river flowing from the temple (see Ezek 47:1-12; Joel 3:18).
[46:4] 931 tn Heb “the holy [place] of the dwelling places of.” The adjective “holy” is used here in a substantival manner and placed in construct with the following noun (see GKC 428 §132.c). Origen’s transliterated text assumes the reading קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness; holy place”), while the LXX assumes a Piel verbal form קִדֵּשׁ (qidesh, “makes holy”) and takes the following form as “his dwelling place.” The plural form מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkÿney, “dwelling places of”) is probably a plural of degree, emphasizing the special character of this dwelling place. See GKC 397 §124.b. The form stands as an appositional genitive in relation to the preceding construct noun.
[46:4] 932 tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
[46:5] 933 tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.
[46:5] 934 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.
[46:5] 935 tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.
[46:5] 936 tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).
[46:5] sn At the break of dawn. The “morning” is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Ps 30:5; Isa 17:14). There may be an allusion here to Exod 14:27 (where the Lord destroyed the Egyptians at the “break of dawn”) or, more likely, to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege, when the people discovered the dead bodies of the Assyrian army in the morning (Isa 37:36).
[46:6] 937 tn Heb “nations roar, kingdoms shake.” The Hebrew verb הָמָה (hamah, “roar, be in uproar”) is used in v. 3 of the waves crashing, while the verb מוֹט (mot, “overthrown”) is used in v. 2 of mountains tumbling into the sea (see also v. 5, where the psalm affirms that Jerusalem “cannot be moved”). The repetition of the verbs suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:6] 938 tn Heb “He.” God is the obvious referent here (see v. 5), and has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[46:6] 939 tn Heb “offers his voice.” In theophanic texts the phrase refers to God’s thunderous shout which functions as a battle cry (see Pss 18:13; 68:33).
[46:6] 940 tn Or “melts.” See Amos 9:5. The image depicts the nation’s helplessness before Jerusalem’s defender, who annihilates their armies (see vv. 8-9). The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the characteristic nature of the action described.
[46:7] 941 tn Heb “the
[46:7] 942 tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).
[46:7] 943 tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).
[46:8] 944 sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).
[46:8] 945 tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.
[46:9] 946 tn Heb “[the] one who causes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” The participle continues the description begun in v. 8b and indicates that this is the
[46:9] 947 tn The verb שָׁבַר (shavar, “break”) appears in the Piel here (see Ps 29:5). In the OT it occurs thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3). The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.
[46:9] 948 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries along the generalizing emphasis of the preceding imperfect.
[46:9] 949 tn The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.
[46:9] 950 tn Heb “wagons he burns with fire.” Some read “chariots” here (cf. NASB), but the Hebrew word refers to wagons or carts, not chariots, elsewhere in the OT. In this context, where military weapons are mentioned, it is better to revocalize the form as עֲגִלוֹת (’agilot, “round shields”), a word which occurs only here in the OT, but is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic.
[46:10] 951 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[46:10] 952 tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.
[46:10] 953 tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).
[46:11] 956 tn Heb “the
[46:11] 957 tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).
[46:11] 958 tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).
[47:1] 959 sn Psalm 47. In this hymn the covenant community praises the Lord as the exalted king of the earth who has given them victory over the nations and a land in which to live.
[47:1] 960 tn Heb “Shout to God with [the] sound of a ringing cry!”
[47:2] 961 tn Heb “the
[47:2] 962 tn Or “awesome.” The Niphal participle נוֹרָא (nora’), when used of God in the psalms, focuses on the effect that his royal splendor and powerful deeds have on those witnessing his acts (Pss 66:3, 5; 68:35; 76:7, 12; 89:7; 96:4; 99:3; 111:9). Here it refers to his capacity to fill his defeated foes with terror and his people with fearful respect.
[47:2] 963 tn Heb “a great king over all the earth.”
[47:3] 964 tn On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue”), a homonym of דָּבַר (“speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 18:47 and 2 Chr 22:10. The preterite form of the verb suggests this is an historical reference and the next verse, which mentions the gift of the land, indicates that the conquest under Joshua is in view.
[47:3] 965 tn Or “peoples” (see Pss 2:1; 7:7; 9:8; 44:2).
[47:4] 966 tn Heb “he chose for us our inheritance.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite (see “subdued” in v. 3).
[47:4] 967 tn Heb “the pride of.” The phrase is appositional to “our inheritance,” indicating that the land is here described as a source of pride to God’s people.
[47:4] 968 tn That is, Israel.
[47:4] 969 sn Jacob whom he loves. The Lord’s covenantal devotion to his people is in view.
[47:5] 970 sn God ascended his throne. In the context of vv. 3-4, which refer to the conquest of the land under Joshua, v. 5 is best understood as referring to an historical event. When the Lord conquered the land and placed his people in it, he assumed a position of kingship, as predicted by Moses (see Exod 15:17-18, as well as Ps 114:1-2). That event is here described metaphorically in terms of a typical coronation ceremony for an earthly king (see 2 Sam 15:10; 2 Kgs 9:13). Verses 1-2, 8-9 focus on God’s continuing kingship, which extends over all nations.
[47:5] 971 tn Heb “God ascended amid a shout.” The words “his throne” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The
[47:5] 972 tn Heb “the
[47:7] 973 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term also occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142. Here, in a context of celebration, the meaning “skillful, well-written” would fit particularly well.
[47:8] 974 tn When a new king was enthroned, his followers would acclaim him king using this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3ms מָלַךְ, malakh, “to reign,” followed by the name of the king). See 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13, as well as Isa 52:7. In this context the perfect verbal form is generalizing, but the declaration logically follows the historical reference in v. 5 to the
[47:9] 975 tc The words “along with” do not appear in the MT. However, the LXX has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the MT is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the LXX is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.
[47:9] 976 tn Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.
[47:9] 977 tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.
[48:1] 978 sn Psalm 48. This so-called “Song of Zion” celebrates the greatness and glory of the Lord’s dwelling place, Jerusalem. His presence in the city elevates it above all others and assures its security.
[48:1] 979 sn The city of our God is Jerusalem, which is also referred to here as “his holy hill,” that is, Zion (see v. 2, as well as Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 87:1; Dan 9:16).
[48:2] 980 tn Heb “beautiful of height.” The Hebrew term נוֹף (nof, “height”) is a genitive of specification after the qualitative noun “beautiful.” The idea seems to be that Mount Zion, because of its lofty appearance, is pleasing to the sight.
[48:2] 981 sn A source of joy to the whole earth. The language is hyperbolic. Zion, as the dwelling place of the universal king, is pictured as the world’s capital. The prophets anticipated this idealized picture becoming a reality in the eschaton (see Isa 2:1-4).
[48:2] 982 tn Heb “Mount Zion, the peaks of Zaphon.” Like all the preceding phrases in v. 2, both phrases are appositional to “city of our God, his holy hill” in v. 1, suggesting an identification in the poet’s mind between Mount Zion and Zaphon. “Zaphon” usually refers to the “north” in a general sense (see Pss 89:12; 107:3), but here, where it is collocated with “peaks,” it refers specifically to Mount Zaphon, located in the vicinity of ancient Ugarit and viewed as the mountain where the gods assembled (see Isa 14:13). By alluding to West Semitic mythology in this way, the psalm affirms that Mount Zion is the real divine mountain, for it is here that the
[48:3] 983 tn Heb “he is known for an elevated place.”
[48:4] 984 tn The logical connection between vv. 3-4 seems to be this: God is the protector of Zion and reveals himself as the city’s defender – this is necessary because hostile armies threaten the city.
[48:4] 985 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 4-6 are understood as descriptive. In dramatic style (note הִנֵּה, hinneh, “look”) the psalm describes an enemy attack against the city as if it were occurring at this very moment. Another option is to take the perfects as narrational (“the kings assembled, they advanced”), referring to a particular historical event, such as Sennacherib’s siege of the city in 701
[48:5] 986 tn The object of “see” is omitted, but v. 3b suggests that the
[48:5] 987 tn Heb “they look, so they are shocked.” Here כֵּן (ken, “so”) has the force of “in the same measure.”
[48:5] 988 tn The translation attempts to reflect the staccato style of the Hebrew text, where the main clauses of vv. 4-6 are simply juxtaposed without connectives.
[48:6] 989 tn Heb “trembling seizes them there.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” (BDB 1027 s.v.).
[48:6] 990 tn Heb “[with] writhing like one giving birth.”
[48:6] sn The language of vv. 5-6 is reminiscent of Exod 15:15.
[48:7] 991 tn The switch to the imperfect, as well as the introduction of the ship metaphor, perhaps signals a change to a generalizing tone; the
[48:7] 992 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to and from the distant western port of Tarshish. These ships, which were the best of their class, here symbolize the mere human strength of hostile armies, which are incapable of withstanding the
[48:8] 993 tn Heb “As we have heard, so we have seen.” The community had heard about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history. Having personally witnessed his saving power with their own eyes, they could now affirm that the tradition was not exaggerated or inaccurate.
[48:8] 994 tn Heb “the
[48:8] 995 tn Or “God makes it secure forever.” The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.
[48:10] 996 tn Heb “like your name, O God, so [is] your praise to the ends of the earth.” Here “name” refers to God’s reputation and revealed character.
[48:10] 997 tn Heb “your right hand is full of justice.” The “right hand” suggests activity and power.
[48:11] 998 tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
[48:11] 999 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)
[48:11] 1000 sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.
[48:12] 1001 tn The verb forms in vv. 12-13 are plural; the entire Judahite community is addressed.
[48:13] 1002 tn Heb “set your heart to its rampart.”
[48:13] 1003 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word translated “walk through,” which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Cf. NEB “pass…in review”; NIV “view.”
[48:13] 1004 sn The city’s towers, defenses, and fortresses are outward reminders and tangible symbols of the divine protection the city enjoys.
[48:14] 1005 tn Heb “for this is God, our God, forever and ever.” “This” might be paraphrased, “this protector described and praised in the preceding verses.”
[48:14] 1006 tn The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.
[48:14] 1007 tn In the Hebrew text the psalm ends with the words עַל־מוּת (’al-mut, “upon [unto?] dying”), which make little, if any, sense. M. Dahood (Psalms [AB], 1:293) proposes an otherwise unattested plural form עֹלָמוֹת (’olamot; from עוֹלָם, ’olam, “eternity”). This would provide a nice parallel to עוֹלָם וָעֶד (’olam va’ed, “forever”) in the preceding line, but elsewhere the plural of עוֹלָם appears as עֹלָמִים (’olamim). It is preferable to understand the phrase as a musical direction of some sort (see עַל־מוּת [’al-mut] in the superscription of Ps 9) or to emend the text to עַל־עֲלָמוֹת (’al-’alamot, “according to the alamoth style”; see the heading of Ps 46). In either case it should be understood as belonging with the superscription of the following psalm.
[49:1] 1008 sn Psalm 49. In this so-called wisdom psalm (see v. 3) the psalmist states that he will not fear the rich enemies who threaten him, for despite their wealth, they are mere men who will die like everyone else. The psalmist is confident the Lord will vindicate the godly and protect them from the attacks of their oppressors.
[49:1] 1009 tn The rare noun חָלֶד (kheled, “world”) occurs in Ps 17:14 and perhaps also in Isa 38:11 (see the note on “world” there).
[49:2] 1010 tn Heb “even the sons of mankind, even the sons of man.” Because of the parallel line, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, some treat these expressions as polar opposites, with בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes (cf. NIV, NRSV). But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; 62:9; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand “even the sons of mankind” and “even the sons of man” as synonymous expressions (cf. NEB “all mankind, every living man”). The repetition emphasizes the need for all people to pay attention, for the psalmist’s message is relevant to everyone.
[49:3] 1011 tn Heb “my mouth will speak wisdom.” According to BDB 315 s.v. חָכְמָה the plural חָכְמוֹת (khokhmot, “wisdom”) indicates degree or emphasis here.
[49:3] 1012 tn Heb “and the meditation of my heart [i.e., mind] is understanding.” The Hebrew term הָגוּת (hagut, “meditation”), derived from הָגָה (hagah, “to recite quietly; to meditate”), here refers to thoughts that are verbalized (see the preceding line). The plural form תְבוּנוֹת (tÿvunot, “understanding”) indicates degree or emphasis (see GKC 397-98 §124.e).
[49:4] 1013 tn Heb “I will turn my ear to a wise saying, I will open [i.e., “reveal; explain”] my insightful saying with a harp.” In the first line the psalmist speaks as a pupil who learns a song of wisdom from a sage. This suggests that the resulting insightful song derives from another source, perhaps God himself. Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה/מָשָׁל (mashal/khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), lessons from history (Ps 78:2), and proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6). Here it appears to refer to the insightful song that follows, which reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent the inevitable – death. Another option is that the word pair refers more specifically to the closely related proverbial sayings of vv. 12, 20 (note the use of the verb מָשָׁל, mashal, “to be like” in both verses). In this case the psalmist first hears the sayings and then explains (Heb “opens”) their significance (see vv. 5-11, 13-19).
[49:5] 1014 tn Heb “days of trouble.” The phrase also occurs in Ps 94:13. The question is rhetorical; there is no reason to be afraid when the rich oppressors threaten the weak (see v. 17). The following verses explain why this is so.
[49:5] 1015 tc The MT has, “the iniquity of my heels surrounds me.” The clause is best understood as temporal and as elaborating on the preceding phrase “times of trouble.” If the MT is retained, the genitive “of my heels” would probably indicate location (“the iniquity at my heels”); the sinful actions of the rich threaten to overtake the psalmist, as it were. It is better, however, to emend עֲקֵבַי (’aqivay, “my heels”) to either (1) עֲקֻבַּי (’aqubay, “my deceitful ones,” i.e., “those who deceive me” [from the adjective עָקֹב (’aqov), “deceitful,” see Jer 17:9]) or (2) עֹקְבַי (’oqÿvay, “those who deceive me” [a suffixed active participle from עָקַב, ’aqav, “betray, deceive”]). Origen’s transliteration of the Hebrew text favors the first of these options. Either of the emendations provides a much smoother transition to v. 6, because “those who trust in their wealth” would then be appositional to “those who deceive me.”
[49:6] 1016 tn Heb “the ones who trust.” The substantival participle stands in apposition to “those who deceive me” (v. 5).
[49:6] 1017 tn The imperfect verbal form emphasizes their characteristic behavior.
[49:7] 1018 tn Heb “a brother, he surely does not ransom, a man.” The sequence אִישׁ...אָח (’akh...’ish, “a brother…a man”) is problematic, for the usual combination is אָח...אָח (“a brother…a brother”) or אִישׁ...אִישׁ (“a man…a man”). When אִישׁ and אָח are combined, the usual order is אָח...אִישׁ (“a man…a brother”), with “brother” having a third masculine singular suffix, “his brother.” This suggests that “brother” is the object of the verb and “man” the subject. (1) Perhaps the altered word order and absence of the suffix can be explained by the text’s poetic character, for ellipsis is a feature of Hebrew poetic style. (2) Another option, supported by a few medieval Hebrew
[49:7] 1019 tn Heb “he cannot pay to God his ransom price.” Num 35:31 may supply the legal background for the metaphorical language used here. The psalmist pictures God as having a claim on the soul of the individual. When God comes to claim the life that ultimately belongs to him, he demands a ransom price that is beyond the capability of anyone to pay. The psalmist’s point is that God has ultimate authority over life and death; all the money in the world cannot buy anyone a single day of life beyond what God has decreed.
[49:8] 1020 tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.
[49:8] 1021 tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.
[49:9] 1022 tn The jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is taken as indicating purpose/result in relation to the statement made in v. 8. (On this use of the jussive after an imperfect, see GKC 322 §109.f.) In this case v. 8 is understood as a parenthetical comment.
[49:9] 1023 tn Heb “see the Pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 55:24; 103:4).
[49:10] 1024 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).
[49:10] 1025 tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).
[49:10] 1026 tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.
[49:10] 1027 tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
[49:10] 1028 sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.
[49:11] 1029 tc Heb “their inward part [is] their houses [are] permanent, their dwelling places for a generation and a generation.” If one follows the MT, then קֶרֶב (qerev, “inward part”) must refer to the seat of these people’s thoughts (for other examples of this use of the term, see BDB 899 s.v., though BDB prefers an emendation in this passage). In this case all three lines of v. 11 expose these people’s arrogant assumption that they will last forever, which then stands in sharp contrast to reality as summarized in v. 12. In this case one might translate the first two lines, “they think that their houses are permanent and that their dwelling places will last forever” (cf. NASB). Following the lead of several ancient versions, the present translation assumes an emendation of קִרְבָּם (qirbam, “their inward part”) to קְבָרִים (qÿvarim, “graves”). This assumes that the letters bet (ב) and resh (ר) were accidentally transposed in the MT. In this case the first two lines support the point made in v. 10, while the third line of v. 11 stands in contrast to v. 12. The phrase בֵּית עוֹלָם (bet ’olam, “permanent house”) is used of a tomb in Eccl 12:5 (as well as in Phoenician tomb inscriptions, see DNWSI 1:160 for a list of texts) and מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling place”) refers to a tomb in Isa 22:16. Cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV.
[49:11] 1030 sn Naming their lands after themselves is a claim of possession.
[49:12] 1031 tn Heb “but mankind in honor does not remain.” The construction vav (ו) + noun at the beginning of the verse can be taken as contrastive in relation to what precedes. The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some scholars emend יָלִין (yalin, “remains”) to יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 20.
[49:12] 1033 tn The verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease; destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (“be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [דָּמָה, “be silent,” and דָּמָה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense in v. 20, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.
[49:13] 1034 tn Heb “this [is] their way, [there is] folly [belonging] to them.” The Hebrew term translated “this” could refer (1) back to the preceding verse[s] or (2) ahead to the subsequent statements. The translation assumes the latter, since v. 12 appears to be a refrain that concludes the psalm’s first major section and marks a structural boundary. (A similar refrain [see v. 20] concludes the second half of the psalm.) The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) often refers to one’s lifestyle, but, if it relates to what follows, then here it likely refers metonymically to one’s destiny (the natural outcome of one’s lifestyle [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “fate”]). (See the discussion in K. Koch, TDOT 3:285.) If one prefers the more common nuance (“lifestyle”), then the term would look back to the self-confident attitude described in the earlier verses.
[49:13] 1035 tn Heb “and after them, in their mouth they take delight.” The meaning of the MT is not entirely clear. “After them” is understood here as substantival, “those who come after them” or “those who follow them.” “Their mouth” is taken as a metonymy for the arrogant attitude verbalized by the rich. In the expression “take delight in,” the preposition -ב (bet) introduces the object/cause of one’s delight (see Pss 147:10; 149:4). So the idea here is that those who come after/follow the rich find the philosophy of life they verbalize and promote to be attractive and desirable.
[49:14] 1036 tn Heb “like sheep to Sheol they are appointed.” The verb form שַׁתּוּ (shatu) is apparently derived from שָׁתַת (shatat), which appears to be a variant of the more common שִׁית (shiyt, “to place; to set”; BDB 1060 s.v. שָׁתַת and GKC 183 §67.ee). Some scholars emend the text to שָׁחוּ (shakhu; from the verbal root שׁוּח [shukh, “sink down”]) and read “they descend.” The present translation assumes an emendation to שָׁטוּ (shatu; from the verbal root שׁוּט [shut, “go; wander”]), “they travel, wander.” (The letter tet [ט] and tav [ת] sound similar; a scribe transcribing from dictation could easily confuse them.) The perfect verbal form is used in a rhetorical manner to speak of their destiny as if it were already realized (the so-called perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect).
[49:14] 1037 tn Heb “death will shepherd them,” that is, death itself (personified here as a shepherd) will lead them like a flock of helpless, unsuspecting sheep to Sheol, the underworld, the land of the dead.
[49:14] 1038 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the perfect verbal form in v. 14a. The psalmist speaks of this coming event as if it were already accomplished.
[49:14] 1039 tn Heb “will rule over them in the morning.” “Morning” here is a metaphor for a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 59:16; 90:14; 143:8; Isa 17:14). In this context the psalmist confidently anticipates a day of vindication when the
[49:14] 1040 tn Heb “their form [will become an object] for the consuming of Sheol, from a lofty residence, to him.” The meaning of this syntactically difficult text is uncertain. The translation assumes that צוּר (tsur, “form”; this is the Qere [marginal] reading; the Kethib has צִירָם [tsiram, “their image”]) refers to their physical form or bodies. “Sheol” is taken as the subject of “consume” (on the implied “become” before the infinitive “to consume” see GKC 349 §114.k). The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “lofty residence” is understood as privative, “away from; so as not.” The preposition -ל (lamed) is possessive, while the third person pronominal suffix is understood as a representative singular.
[49:15] 1041 tn Or “certainly.”
[49:15] 1043 tn Or “me.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[49:15] 1046 tn Heb “he will take me.” To improve the poetic balance of the verse, some move the words “from the power of Sheol” to the following line. The verse would then read: “But God will rescue my life; / from the power of Sheol he will certainly deliver me” (cf. NEB).
[49:15] sn According to some, the psalmist here anticipates the resurrection (or at least an afterlife in God’s presence). But it is more likely that the psalmist here expresses his hope that God will rescue him from premature death at the hands of the rich oppressors denounced in the psalm. The psalmist is well aware that all (the wise and foolish) die (see vv. 7-12), but he is confident God will lead him safely through the present “times of trouble” (v. 5) and sweep the wicked away to their final destiny. The theme is a common one in the so-called wisdom psalms (see Pss 1, 34, 37, 112). For a fuller discussion of the psalmists’ view of the afterlife, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 284-88.
[49:16] 1047 sn When a man becomes rich. Why would people fear such a development? The acquisition of wealth makes individuals powerful and enables them to oppress others (see vv. 5-6).
[49:16] 1048 tn Heb “when the glory of his house grows great.”
[49:17] 1049 tn Heb “his glory will not go down after him.”
[49:19] 1050 tn Verses 18-19a are one long sentence in the Hebrew text, which reads: “Though he blesses his soul in his life, [saying], ‘And let them praise you, for you do well for yourself,’ it [that is, his soul] will go to the generation of his fathers.” This has been divided into two sentences in the translation for clarity, in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
[49:19] 1051 tn Heb “light.” The words “of day” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[49:20] 1052 tn Heb “mankind in honor does not understand.” The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some emend יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) to יָלִין (yalin, “remains”), but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 12.
[49:20] 1054 tn The Hebrew verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease, destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [I דָּמַה, “be silent,” and II דָּמַה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense here, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.
[50:1] 1055 sn Psalm 50. This psalm takes the form of a covenant lawsuit in which the Lord comes to confront his people in a formal manner (as in Isa 1:2-20). The Lord emphasizes that he places priority on obedience and genuine worship, not empty ritual.
[50:1] 1056 sn Israel’s God is here identified with three names: El (אֵל [’el], or “God”), Elohim (אֱלֹהִים [’elohim], or “God”), and Yahweh (יְהוָה [yÿhvah] or “the
[50:1] 1057 tn Heb “and calls [the] earth from the sunrise to its going.”
[50:2] 1058 tn Heb “the perfection of beauty.”
[50:2] 1059 tn Or “shines forth.”
[50:2] sn Comes in splendor. The psalmist may allude ironically to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.
[50:3] 1060 tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”
[50:3] 1061 tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”
[50:4] 1062 tn Or perhaps “to testify against his people.”
[50:4] sn The personified heavens and earth (see v. 1 as well) are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people (see Isa 1:2). Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).
[50:5] 1063 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s summons to the defendant follows.
[50:5] 1064 tn Or “Gather to me my covenant people.” The Hebrew term חָסִיד (khasid, “covenant people”) elsewhere in the psalms is used in a positive sense of God’s loyal followers (see the note at Ps 4:3), but here, as the following line makes clear, the term has a neutral sense and simply refers to those who have outwardly sworn allegiance to God, not necessarily to those whose loyalty is genuine.
[50:5] 1065 tn Heb “the cutters of my covenant according to sacrifice.” A sacrifice accompanied the covenant-making ceremony and formally ratified the agreement (see Exod 24:3-8).
[50:6] 1067 tn Or “for God, he is about to judge.” The participle may be taken as substantival (as in the translation above) or as a predicate (indicating imminent future action in this context).
[50:7] 1068 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.
[50:7] 1069 tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[50:8] 1071 tn Heb “and your burnt sacrifices before me continually.”
[50:9] 1072 tn Or “I will not take.”
[50:10] 1073 tn Heb “[the] animals on a thousand hills.” The words “that graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The term בְּהֵמוֹה (bÿhemot, “animal”) refers here to cattle (see Ps 104:14).
[50:11] 1075 tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word, which occurs only here and in Ps 80:13, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.
[50:13] 1076 tn The rhetorical questions assume an emphatic negative response, “Of course not!”
[50:14] 1077 tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
[50:15] 1078 tn Heb “call [to] me in a day of trouble.”
[50:15] 1079 sn In vv. 7-15 the Lord makes it clear that he was not rebuking Israel because they had failed to offer sacrifices (v. 8a). On the contrary, they had been faithful in doing so (v. 8b). However, their understanding of the essence of their relationship with God was confused. Apparently they believed that he needed/desired such sacrifices and that offering them would ensure their prosperity. But the Lord owns all the animals of the world and did not need Israel’s meager sacrifices (vv. 9-13). Other aspects of the relationship were more important to the Lord. He desired Israel to be thankful for his blessings (v. 14a), to demonstrate gratitude for his intervention by repaying the vows they made to him (v. 14b), and to acknowledge their absolute dependence on him (v. 15a). Rather than viewing their sacrifices as somehow essential to God’s well-being, they needed to understand their dependence on him.
[50:16] 1080 tn Heb “evil [one].” The singular adjective is used here in a representative sense; it refers to those within the larger covenant community who have blatantly violated the
[50:16] 1081 tn Heb “What to you to declare my commands and lift up my covenant upon your mouth?” The rhetorical question expresses sarcastic amazement. The
[50:17] 1082 tn Heb “and throw my words behind you.”
[50:18] 1083 tn Heb “you run with him.”
[50:18] 1084 tn Heb “and with adulterers [is] your portion.”
[50:19] 1085 tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”
[50:19] 1086 tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”
[50:20] 1087 tn Heb “you sit, against your brother you speak.” To “sit” and “speak” against someone implies plotting against that person (see Ps 119:23).
[50:20] 1088 tn Heb “against the son of your mother you give a fault.”
[50:21] 1089 tn Heb “these things you did and I was silent.” Some interpret the second clause (“and I was silent”) as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, “[When you do these things], should I keep silent?” (cf. NEB). See GKC 335 §112.cc.
[50:21] sn The Lord was silent in the sense that he delayed punishment. Of course, God’s patience toward sinners eventually runs out. The divine “silence” is only temporary (see v. 3, where the psalmist, having described God’s arrival, observes that “he is not silent”).
[50:21] 1090 tn The Hebrew infinitive construct (הֱיוֹת, heyot) appears to function like the infinitive absolute here, adding emphasis to the following finite verbal form (אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh). See GKC 339-40 §113.a. Some prefer to emend הֱיוֹת (heyot) to the infinitive absolute form הָיוֹ (hayo).
[50:21] 1091 tn Or “rebuke” (see v. 8).
[50:21] 1092 tn Heb “and I will set in order [my case against you] to your eyes.” The cohortative form expresses the
[50:22] 1093 tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.
[50:22] 1094 sn Elsewhere in the psalms this verb is used (within a metaphorical framework) of a lion tearing its prey (see Pss 7:2; 17:12; 22:13).
[50:23] 1095 sn The reference to a thank-offering recalls the earlier statement made in v. 14. Gratitude characterizes genuine worship.
[50:23] 1096 tn Heb “and [to one who] sets a way I will show the deliverance of God.” Elsewhere the phrase “set a way” simply means “to travel” (see Gen 30:36; cf. NRSV). The present translation assumes an emendation of וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ (vÿsam derekh) to וְשֹׁמֵר דְּרָכַּי (vÿshomer dÿrakhay, “and [the one who] keeps my ways” [i.e., commands, see Pss 18:21; 37:34). Another option is to read וְשֹׁמֵר דַּרְכּוֹ (vÿshomer darko, “and [the one who] guards his way,” i.e., “the one who is careful to follow a godly lifestyle”; see Ps 39:1).
[51:1] 1097 sn Psalm 51. The psalmist confesses his sinfulness to God and begs for forgiveness and a transformation of his inner character. According to the psalm superscription, David offered this prayer when Nathan confronted him with his sin following the king’s affair with Bathsheba (see 2 Sam 11-12). However, the final two verses of the psalm hardly fit this situation, for they assume the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed and that the sacrificial system has been temporarily suspended. These verses are probably an addition to the psalm made during the period of exile following the fall of Jerusalem in 586
[51:1] 1098 tn Heb “a psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him when he had gone to Bathsheba.”
[51:1] 1099 tn Or “according to.”
[51:1] 1100 tn Or “according to.”
[51:1] 1101 tn Traditionally “blot out my transgressions.” Because of the reference to washing and cleansing in the following verse, it is likely that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to wiping an object clean (note the use of the verb מָחָה (makhah) in the sense of “wipe clean; dry” in 2 Kgs 21:13; Prov 30:20; Isa 25:8). Another option is that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to erasing or blotting out names from a register (see Exod 32:32-33). In this case one might translate, “erase all record of my rebellious acts.”
[51:2] 1102 tn Heb “Thoroughly wash me from my wrongdoing.”
[51:2] 1103 sn In vv. 1b-2 the psalmist uses three different words to emphasize the multifaceted character and degree of his sin. Whatever one wants to call it (“rebellious acts,” “wrongdoing,” “sin”), he has done it and stands morally polluted in God’s sight. The same three words appear in Exod 34:7, which emphasizes that God is willing to forgive sin in all of its many dimensions. In v. 2 the psalmist compares forgiveness and restoration to physical cleansing. Perhaps he likens spiritual cleansing to the purification rites of priestly law.
[51:3] 1105 tn Heb “and my sin [is] in front of me continually.”
[51:4] 1106 tn Heb “only you,” as if the psalmist had sinned exclusively against God and no other. Since the Hebrew verb חָטָא (hata’, “to sin”) is used elsewhere of sinful acts against people (see BDB 306 s.v. 2.a) and David (the presumed author) certainly sinned when he murdered Uriah (2 Sam 12:9), it is likely that the psalmist is overstating the case to suggest that the attack on Uriah was ultimately an attack on God himself. To clarify the point of the hyperbole, the translation uses “especially,” rather than the potentially confusing “only.”
[51:4] 1107 tn The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) normally indicates purpose (“in order that”), but here it introduces a logical consequence of the preceding statement. (Taking the clause as indicating purpose here would yield a theologically preposterous idea – the psalmist purposely sinned so that God’s justice might be vindicated!) For other examples of לְמַעַן indicating result, see 2 Kgs 22:17; Jer 27:15; Amos 2:7, as well as IBHS 638-40 §38.3.
[51:4] 1108 tn Heb “when you speak.” In this context the psalmist refers to God’s word of condemnation against his sin delivered through Nathan (cf. 2 Sam 12:7-12).
[51:4] 1109 tn Heb “when you judge.”
[51:5] 1110 tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.
[51:6] 1111 sn The juxtaposition of two occurrences of “look” in vv. 5-6 draws attention to the sharp contrast between the sinful reality of the psalmist’s condition and the lofty ideal God has for him.
[51:6] 1112 tn The perfect is used in a generalizing sense here.
[51:6] 1113 tn Heb “in the covered [places],” i.e., in the inner man.
[51:6] 1114 tn Heb “in the secret [place] wisdom you cause me to know.” The Hiphil verbal form is causative, while the imperfect is used in a modal sense to indicate God’s desire (note the parallel verb “desire”).
[51:6] sn You want me to possess wisdom. Here “wisdom” does not mean “intelligence” or “learning,” but refers to moral insight and skill.
[51:7] 1115 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:7] 1116 tn Heb “cleanse me with hyssop.” “Hyssop” was a small plant (see 1 Kgs 4:33) used to apply water (or blood) in purification rites (see Exod 12:22; Lev 14:4-6, 49-52; Num 19:6-18. The psalmist uses the language and imagery of such rites to describe spiritual cleansing through forgiveness.
[51:7] 1117 tn After the preceding imperfect, the imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates result.
[51:7] 1118 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:7] 1119 sn I will be whiter than snow. Whiteness here symbolizes the moral purity resulting from forgiveness (see Isa 1:18).
[51:8] 1120 tn Heb “cause me to hear happiness and joy.” The language is metonymic: the effect of forgiveness (joy) has been substituted for its cause. The psalmist probably alludes here to an assuring word from God announcing that his sins are forgiven (a so-called oracle of forgiveness). The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. The synonyms “happiness” and “joy” are joined together as a hendiadys to emphasize the degree of joy he anticipates.
[51:8] 1121 sn May the bones you crushed rejoice. The psalmist compares his sinful condition to that of a person who has been physically battered and crushed. Within this metaphorical framework, his “bones” are the seat of his emotional strength.
[51:8] 1122 tn In this context of petitionary prayer, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, expressing the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:9] 1123 sn In this context Hide your face from my sins means “Do not hold me accountable for my sins.”
[51:9] 1124 tn See the note on the similar expression “wipe away my rebellious acts” in v. 1.
[51:10] 1125 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.
[51:10] 1126 tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”
[51:11] 1127 tn Heb “do not cast me away from before you.”
[51:11] 1128 sn Your Holy Spirit. The personal Spirit of God is mentioned frequently in the OT, but only here and in Isa 63:10-11 is he called “your/his Holy Spirit.”
[51:11] 1129 sn Do not take…away. The psalmist expresses his fear that, due to his sin, God will take away the Holy Spirit from him. NT believers enjoy the permanent gift of the Holy Spirit and need not make such a request nor fear such a consequence. However, in the OT God’s Spirit empowered certain individuals for special tasks and only temporarily resided in them. For example, when God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him, the divine Spirit left Saul and came upon David (1 Sam 16:13-14).
[51:12] 1130 tn Heb “and [with] a willing spirit sustain me.” The psalmist asks that God make him the kind of person who willingly obeys the divine commandments. The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:13] 1131 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.
[51:13] 1132 tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).
[51:13] 1133 tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.
[51:14] 1134 tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.
[51:14] 1135 tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).
[51:15] 1136 tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:15] 1137 tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”
[51:16] 1138 tn Or “For.” The translation assumes the particle is asseverative (i.e., emphasizing: “certainly”). (Some translations that consider the particle asseverative leave it untranslated.) If taken as causal or explanatory (“for”, cf. NRSV), the verse would explain why the psalmist is pleading for forgiveness, rather than merely offering a sacrifice.
[51:16] 1139 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative is used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “You do not want a sacrifice, should I offer [it]” (cf. NEB). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortative is part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.)
[51:16] 1140 sn You do not desire a burnt sacrifice. The terminology used in v. 16 does not refer to expiatory sacrifices, but to dedication and communion offerings. This is not a categorical denial of the sacrificial system in general or of the importance of such offerings. The psalmist is talking about his specific situation. Dedication and communion offerings have their proper place in worship (see v. 19), but God requires something more fundamental, a repentant and humble attitude (see v. 17), before these offerings can have real meaning.
[51:17] 1141 tn Heb “a broken spirit.”
[51:17] 1142 tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”
[51:18] 1144 tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”
[51:18] 1145 tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[51:18] 1146 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[51:19] 1147 tn Or “desire, take delight in.”
[51:19] 1148 tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.
[51:19] 1149 sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.
[52:1] 1150 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
[52:1] 1151 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
[52:1] 1152 tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”
[52:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
[52:1] 1153 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
[52:1] 1154 tn Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.
[52:2] 1155 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
[52:2] 1156 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
[52:3] 1157 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
[52:4] 1158 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע proposes a homonym here, meaning “confusion.” This would fit the immediate context nicely and provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to deceptive words.
[52:5] 1159 tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.
[52:5] 1160 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
[52:5] 1161 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
[52:5] 1162 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
[52:6] 1163 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
[52:7] 1164 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”
[52:7] 1165 tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).
[52:8] 1166 tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.
[52:8] 1167 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
[52:8] 1168 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
[52:9] 1169 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
[52:9] 1171 tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.
[52:9] 1173 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
[52:9] 1174 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
[53:1] 1175 sn Psalm 53. This psalm is very similar to Ps 14. The major difference comes in v. 5, which corresponds to, but differs quite a bit from, Ps 14:5-6, and in the use of the divine name. Ps 14 uses “the
[53:1] 1176 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מָחֲלַת (makhalat, “machalath”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term also appears in the heading of Ps 88.
[53:1] 1177 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
[53:1] 1178 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
[53:1] 1179 sn There is no God. This statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
[53:1] 1180 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they do evil [with] injustice.” Ps 14:1 has עֲלִילָה (’alilah, “a deed”) instead of עָוֶל (’aval, “injustice”). The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
[53:1] 1181 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[53:2] 1182 sn The picture of the
[53:2] 1183 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
[53:2] 1184 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
[53:2] 1185 tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
[53:3] 1186 tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
[53:3] 1187 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[53:3] 1188 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[53:4] 1189 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”
[53:4] 1190 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).
[53:5] 1191 tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror (“absolutely”).
[53:5] 1192 tn Heb “there is no fear.” Apparently this means the evildoers are so traumatized with panic (see v. 5b) that they now jump with fear at everything, even those things that would not normally cause fear. Ps 14:5 omits this line.
[53:5] 1193 tn Heb “scatters the bones.” The perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. Scattering the bones alludes to the aftermath of a battle. God annihilates his enemies, leaving their carcasses spread all over the battlefield. As the bodies are devoured by wild animals and decay, the bones of God’s dead enemies are exposed. See Ps 141:7.
[53:5] 1194 tn Heb “[those who] encamp [against] you.” The second person masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to God’s people viewed as a collective whole. Instead of “for God scatters the bones of those who encamp against you,” Ps 14:5 reads, “for God is with a godly generation.”
[53:5] 1195 tn Once again the perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. As in the previous line, God’s people are probably addressed. The second person singular verb form is apparently collective, suggesting that the people are viewed here as a unified whole. Ps 14:6 reads here “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame, even though God is his shelter,” the words being addressed to the wicked.
[53:6] 1196 tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
[53:6] 1197 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
[53:6] 1198 tn The verb form is jussive.
[53:6] 1199 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
[54:1] 1200 sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.
[54:1] 1201 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
[54:1] 1202 tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”
[54:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion the Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding in their territory (see 1 Sam 23:19-20).
[54:1] 1203 tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).
[54:1] 1204 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
[54:2] 1205 tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
[54:3] 1206 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[54:3] 1207 tn Heb “rise against me.”
[54:3] 1208 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
[54:4] 1209 tn Or “my helper.”
[54:4] 1210 tn Or “sustain my life.”
[54:5] 1211 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
[54:5] 1212 tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.
[54:5] 1213 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
[54:6] 1214 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise.
[54:7] 1215 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the
[54:7] 1216 tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.
[54:7] 1217 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
[55:1] 1218 sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.
[55:1] 1219 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
[55:1] 1220 tn Heb “hide yourself from.”
[55:2] 1221 tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.
[55:2] 1222 tn Heb “in my complaint.”
[55:2] 1223 tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (vÿ’ehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (vÿ’ehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).
[55:3] 1224 tn Heb “because of [the] voice of [the] enemy.”
[55:3] 1225 tn The singular forms “enemy” and “wicked” are collective or representative, as the plural verb forms in the second half of the verse indicate.
[55:3] 1226 tn Heb “from before the pressure of the wicked.” Some suggest the meaning “screech” (note the parallel “voice”; cf. NEB “shrill clamour”; NRSV “clamor”) for the rare noun עָקָה (’aqah, “pressure”).
[55:3] 1227 tn Heb “wickedness,” but here the term refers to the destructive effects of their wicked acts.
[55:3] 1228 tc The verb form in the MT appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוֹט (mot, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in the Kethib (consonantal text) of Ps 140:10, where the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read. Here in Ps 55:3 it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). It is odd for “rain down” to be used with an abstract object like “wickedness,” but in Job 20:23 God “rains down” anger (unless one emends the text there; see BHS).
[55:4] 1229 tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”
[55:4] 1230 tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”
[55:5] 1231 tn Heb “fear and trembling enter into me.”
[55:5] 1232 tn Heb “covers.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the preceding imperfect.
[55:6] 1233 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.
[55:8] 1234 tn Heb “[the] wind [that] sweeps away.” The verb סָעָה (sa’ah, “sweep away”) occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 120).
[55:9] 1235 tn Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallow” in the sense of “devour” or “destroy” (cf. KJV), but this may be a homonym meaning “confuse” (see BDB 118 s.v. בַּלַּע; HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע). “Their tongue” is the understood object of the verb (see the next line).
[55:9] 1236 tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”
[55:10] 1237 tn Heb “day and night they surround it, upon its walls.” Personified “violence and conflict” are the likely subjects. They are compared to watchmen on the city’s walls.
[55:10] 1238 sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.
[55:11] 1239 tn Or “injury, harm.”
[55:12] 1241 tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.
[55:13] 1242 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
[55:13] 1243 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
[55:13] 1244 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
[55:14] 1245 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
[55:15] 1246 tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ’alemo, “May devastation [be] upon them!”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth-Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ’alemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashi’), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nasha’, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (yeshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled and corrupt text. The preposition עַל (’al) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ’alemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.
[55:15] 1247 sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.
[55:17] 1248 tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.
[55:17] 1249 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.
[55:17] 1250 tn Heb “my voice.”
[55:18] 1251 tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).
[55:18] 1252 tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”
[55:18] 1254 tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (’immad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.
[55:19] 1255 tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay’annem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (’anah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).
[55:19] 1256 tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”
[55:20] 1257 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
[55:20] 1258 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
[55:20] 1259 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
[55:20] 1260 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
[55:21] 1261 tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.
[55:21] 1262 tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”
[55:21] 1263 tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”
[55:22] 1264 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
[55:22] 1265 tn The pronoun is singular; the psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually.
[55:22] 1266 tn Heb “he will never allow swaying for the righteous.”
[55:23] 1267 tn The pronominal suffix refers to the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 19).
[55:23] 1268 tn Heb “well of the pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 103:4).
[55:23] 1269 tn Heb “men of bloodshed and deceit.”
[55:23] 1270 tn Heb “will not divide in half their days.”
[56:1] 1271 sn Psalm 56. Despite the threats of his enemies, the psalmist is confident the Lord will keep his promise to protect and deliver him.
[56:1] 1272 tn The literal meaning of this phrase is “silent dove, distant ones.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a type of musical instrument.
[56:1] 1273 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 57-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[56:1] 1274 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm when the Philistines seized him and took him to King Achish of Gath (see 1 Sam 21:11-15).
[56:1] 1275 tn According to BDB 983 s.v. II שָׁאַף, the verb is derived from שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to trample, crush”) rather than the homonymic verb “pant after.”
[56:1] 1276 tn Heb “a fighter.” The singular is collective for his enemies (see vv. 5-6). The Qal of לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) also occurs in Ps 35:1.
[56:1] 1277 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the continuing nature of the enemies’ attacks.
[56:2] 1278 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
[56:2] 1280 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The
[56:3] 1281 tn Heb “[in] a day.”
[56:4] 1282 tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:4] 1283 tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.
[56:4] 1284 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:5] 1285 tn Heb “my affairs they disturb.” For other instances of דָּבָר (davar) meaning “affairs, business,” see BDB 183 s.v.. The Piel of עָצַב (’atsav, “to hurt”) occurs only here and in Isa 63:10, where it is used of “grieving” (or “offending”) the Lord’s holy Spirit. Here in Ps 56:5, the verb seems to carry the nuance “disturb, upset,” in the sense of “cause trouble.”
[56:5] 1286 tn Heb “against me [are] all their thoughts for harm.”
[56:6] 1287 tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.
[56:6] 1289 tn Heb “my heels.”
[56:6] 1290 tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”
[56:6] 1291 tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”
[56:7] 1292 tc Heb “because of wickedness, deliverance to them.” As it stands, the MT makes no sense. The negative particle אַיִן (’ayin, “there is not,” which is due to dittography of the immediately preceding אָוֶן, ’aven, “wickedness”), should probably be added before “deliverance” (see BHS, note a). The presence of an imperative in the next line (note “bring down”) suggests that this line should be translated as a prayer as well, “may there not be deliverance to them.”
[56:7] 1293 tn Heb “in anger.” The pronoun “your” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:7] 1294 tn Or perhaps “people” in a general sense.
[56:8] 1295 tn Heb “my wandering you count, you.” The Hebrew term נֹד (nod, “wandering,” derived from the verbal root נוֹד, nod, “to wander”; cf. NASB) here refers to the psalmist’s “changeable circumstances of life” and may be translated “misery.” The verb סָפַר (safar, “count”) probably carries the nuance “assess” here. Cf. NIV “my lament”; NRSV “my tossings.”
[56:8] 1296 tn Traditionally “your bottle.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20). If such a container is metaphorically in view here, then the psalmist seems to be asking God to store up his tears as a reminder of his suffering.
[56:8] 1297 tn The word “recorded” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The rhetorical question assumes a positive response (see the first line of the verse).
[56:9] 1298 tn Heb “then my enemies will turn back in the day I cry out.” The Hebrew particle אָז (’az, “then”) is probably used here to draw attention to the following statement.
[56:9] 1299 tn Heb “this I know, that God is for me.”
[56:10] 1300 tn Heb “in God I praise a word.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult. The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except that the third person pronominal suffix is omitted here, where the text has simply “a word” instead of “his word.” (1) One could translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” refers to a song of praise. (2) If one assumes that God’s word is in view, as in v. 4, then one option is to translate, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” In this case the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and “[his] word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. (3) The present translation reflects another option: In this case “I praise [his] word” is a parenthetical statement, with “[his] word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in v. 11, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:10] 1301 tn The phrase “in the
[56:11] 1302 tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”
[56:11] 1303 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:12] 1304 tn Heb “upon me, O God, [are] your vows.”
[56:12] 1305 tn Heb “I will repay thank-offerings to you.”
[56:13] 1306 tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the
[56:13] 1307 tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.
[56:13] 1308 tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.
[56:13] 1309 tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.
[57:1] 1310 sn Psalm 57. The psalmist asks for God’s protection and expresses his confidence that his ferocious enemies will be destroyed by their own schemes.
[57:1] 1311 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 58-59, 75.
[57:1] 1312 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56, 58-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[57:1] 1313 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when he fled from Saul and hid in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3.
[57:1] 1314 tn Heb “my life has taken shelter.” The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[57:1] 1315 sn In the shadow of your wings. The metaphor likens God to a protective mother bird (see also Pss 17:8; 36:7).
[57:2] 1316 tn Heb “to God Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[57:2] 1317 tn Or “avenges in favor of.”
[57:3] 1318 tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).
[57:3] 1319 tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”
[57:4] 1320 tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).
[57:4] 1321 tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).
[57:4] 1322 tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”
[57:5] 1323 tn Or “be exalted.”
[57:5] 1324 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[57:6] 1325 tn Heb “for my feet.”
[57:6] 1326 tn Heb “my life bends low.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[57:6] 1327 tn Heb “before me.”
[57:6] 1328 tn The perfect form is used rhetorically here to express the psalmist’s certitude. The demise of the enemies is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished.
[57:7] 1329 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[57:8] 1330 tn Heb “glory,” but that makes little sense in the context. Some view כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
[57:8] 1331 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[57:9] 1332 tn Or “the peoples.”
[57:10] 1333 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[57:11] 1334 tn Or “be exalted.”
[57:11] 1335 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[58:1] 1336 sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.
[58:1] 1337 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.
[58:1] 1338 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[58:1] 1339 tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.
[58:1] 1340 tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)
[58:2] 1341 tn The particle אַף (’af, “no”) is used here as a strong adversative emphasizing the following statement, which contrasts reality with the rulers’ claim alluded to in the rhetorical questions (see Ps 44:9).
[58:2] 1342 tn Heb “in the heart unjust deeds you do.” The phrase “in the heart” (i.e., “mind”) seems to refer to their plans and motives. The Hebrew noun עַוְלָה (’avlah, “injustice”) is collocated with פָּעַל (pa’al, “do”) here and in Job 36:23 and Ps 119:3. Some emend the plural form עוֹלֹת (’olot, “unjust deeds”; see Ps 64:6) to the singular עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”; see Job 34:32), taking the final tav (ת) as dittographic (note that the following verbal form begins with tav). Some then understand עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”) as a genitive modifying “heart” and translate, “with a heart of injustice you act.”
[58:2] 1343 tn Heb “in the earth the violence of your hands you weigh out.” The imagery is from the economic realm. The addressees measure out violence, rather than justice, and distribute it like a commodity. This may be ironic, since justice was sometimes viewed as a measuring scale (see Job 31:6).
[58:3] 1344 tn Heb “from the womb.”
[58:3] 1345 tn Heb “speakers of a lie go astray from the womb.”
[58:4] 1346 tn Heb “[there is] venom to them according to the likeness of venom of a snake.”
[58:4] 1347 tn Or perhaps “cobra” (cf. NASB, NIV). Other suggested species of snakes are “asp” (NEB) and “adder” (NRSV).
[58:4] 1348 tn Heb “[that] stops up its ear.” The apparent Hiphil jussive verbal form should be understood as a Qal imperfect with “i” theme vowel (see GKC 168 §63.n).
[58:5] 1349 tn Heb “does not listen to the voice of.”
[58:7] 1350 tn Following the imperatival forms in v. 6, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive expressing the psalmist’s wish. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect (indicative) and translate, “they will scatter” (see v. 9). The verb מָאַס (ma’as; which is a homonym of the more common מָאַס, “to refuse, reject”) appears only here and in Job 7:5, where it is used of a festering wound from which fluid runs or flows.
[58:7] 1351 tn Heb “like water, they go about for themselves.” The translation assumes that the phrase “they go about for themselves” is an implied relative clause modifying “water.” Another option is to take the clause as independent and parallel to what precedes. In this case the enemies would be the subject and the verb could be taken as jussive, “let them wander about.”
[58:7] 1352 tc The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The text reads literally, “he treads his arrows (following the Qere; Kethib has “his arrow”), like they are cut off/dry up.” It is not clear if the verbal root is מָלַל (malal, “circumcise”; BDB 576 s.v. IV מָלַל) or the homonymic מָלַל (“wither”; HALOT 593-94 s.v. I מלל). Since the verb מָלַל (“to wither”) is used of vegetation, it is possible that the noun חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass,” which is visually similar to חִצָּיו, khitsayv, “his arrows”) originally appeared in the text. The translation above assumes that the text originally was כְּמוֹ חָצִיר יִתְמֹלָלוּ(kÿmo khatsir yitmolalu, “like grass let them wither”). If original, it could have been accidentally corrupted to חִצָּיר כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ (“his arrow(s) like they dry up”) with דָּרַךְ (darakh, “to tread”) being added later in an effort to make sense of “his arrow(s).”
[58:8] 1353 tn There is no “to be” verb in the Hebrew text at this point, but a jussive tone can be assumed based on vv. 6-7.
[58:8] 1354 tn Heb “like a melting snail [that] moves along.” A. Cohen (Psalms [SoBB], 184) explains that the text here alludes “to the popular belief that the slimy trail which the snail leaves in its track is the dissolution of its substance.”
[58:8] 1355 tn The words “let them be like” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The jussive mood is implied from the preceding context, and “like” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[58:8] 1356 tn This rare word also appears in Job 3:16 and Eccles 6:3.
[58:9] 1357 tn Heb “before your pots perceive thorns.”
[58:9] 1358 tn Apparently God (v. 6) is the subject of the verb here.
[58:9] 1359 tn Heb “like living, like burning anger he will sweep it away.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The translation assumes that within the cooking metaphor (see the previous line) חַי (khay, “living”) refers here to raw meat (as in 1 Sam 2:15, where it modifies בָּשָׂר, basar, “flesh”) and that חָרוּן (kharun; which always refers to God’s “burning anger” elsewhere) here refers to food that is cooked. The pronominal suffix on the verb “sweep away” apparently refers back to the “thorns” of the preceding line. The image depicts swift and sudden judgment. Before the fire has been adequately kindled and all the meat cooked, the winds of judgment will sweep away everything in their path.
[58:10] 1360 tn The singular is representative here, as is the singular from “wicked” in the next line.
[58:11] 1361 tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.
[58:11] 1362 tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.
[58:11] 1363 tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”
[58:11] 1364 tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.
[59:1] 1365 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
[59:1] 1366 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.
[59:1] 1367 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[59:1] 1368 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
[59:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.
[59:1] 1369 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
[59:1] 1370 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
[59:2] 1371 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
[59:2] 1372 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
[59:3] 1374 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.
[59:3] 1375 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
[59:4] 1376 tn Heb “without sin.”
[59:4] 1377 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
[59:4] 1378 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
[59:5] 1379 tn Heb “
[59:5] 1380 tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).
[59:6] 1381 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:6] 1382 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:7] 1383 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
[59:7] 1384 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
[59:8] 1385 sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.
[59:8] 1386 tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).
[59:9] 1387 tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (’eshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (’ezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.
[59:9] 1388 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:10] 1389 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
[59:10] 1390 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
[59:10] 1391 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
[59:11] 1392 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”
[59:11] sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.
[59:11] 1393 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”
[59:12] 1394 tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”
[59:14] 1395 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:14] 1396 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:15] 1397 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
[59:16] 1398 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:16] 1399 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”
[59:17] 1400 tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”
[59:17] 1401 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:17] 1402 tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”
[60:1] 1403 sn Psalm 60. The psalmist grieves over Israel’s humiliation, but in response to God’s assuring word, he asks for divine help in battle and expresses his confidence in victory.
[60:1] 1404 tn The Hebrew expression means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title.
[60:1] 1405 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-59, is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[60:1] 1406 tn Heb “to teach.”
[60:1] 1407 tn In Josh 8:21 and Judg 20:48 the two verbs “turn back” and “strike down” are also juxtaposed. There they refer to a military counter-attack.
[60:1] 1408 tn Heb “12,000 of Edom.” Perhaps one should read אֲרַם (’aram, “Aram”) here rather than אֱדוֹם (’edom, “Edom”).
[60:1] 1409 sn The heading apparently refers to the military campaign recorded in 2 Sam 10 and 1 Chr 19.
[60:1] 1410 sn You have rejected us. See Pss 43:2; 44:9, 23.
[60:1] 1411 tn Heb “you broke out upon us, you were angry.”
[60:1] 1412 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
[60:2] 1413 tn The verb פָּצַם (patsam, “split open”) occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “crack,” and an Aramaic cognate is used in Tg. Jer 22:14 with the meaning “break open, frame.” See BDB 822 s.v. and Jastrow 1205 s.v. פְּצַם.
[60:2] sn You made the earth quake; you split it open. The psalmist uses the imagery of an earthquake to describe the nation’s defeat.
[60:2] 1414 sn It is ready to fall. The earth is compared to a wall that has been broken by the force of the earthquake (note the preceding line) and is ready to collapse.
[60:3] 1415 tn Heb “you have caused your people to see [what is] hard.”
[60:3] 1416 tn Heb “wine of staggering,” that is, intoxicating wine that makes one stagger in drunkenness. Intoxicating wine is here an image of divine judgment that makes its victims stagger like drunkards. See Isa 51:17-23.
[60:4] 1417 tn Heb “those who fear you.”
[60:4] 1418 tn There is a ray of hope in that God has allowed his loyal followers to rally under a battle flag. The translation assumes the verb is from the root נוּס (nus, “flee”) used here in the Hitpolel in the sense of “find safety for oneself” (HALOT 681 s.v. נוס) or “take flight for oneself” (BDB 630-31 s.v. נוּס). Another option is to take the verb as a denominative from נֵס (nes, “flag”) and translate “that it may be displayed” (BDB 651 s.v. II נסס) or “that they may assemble under the banner” (HALOT 704 s.v. II נסס). Here קֹשֶׁט (qoshet) is taken as an Aramaized form of קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”; BDB 905-6 s.v. קֶשֶׁת), though some understand the homonymic קֹשְׁטְ (qosht, “truth”) here (see Prov 22:21; cf. NASB). If one follows the latter interpretation, the line may be translated, “so that they might assemble under the banner for the sake of truth.”
[60:5] 1419 tn Heb “right hand.”
[60:5] 1420 tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”
[60:5] 1421 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text, “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[60:6] 1422 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[60:6] 1423 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan, the Valley of Succoth for the region east of the Jordan.
[60:7] 1424 sn Gilead was located east of the Jordan. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[60:7] 1425 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[60:7] sn Ephraim, named after one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
[60:7] 1426 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[60:8] 1427 sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[60:8] 1428 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[60:8] 1429 tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.
[60:9] 1430 sn In v. 9 the psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 8, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation (v. 10, see also v. 1).
[60:11] 1431 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[60:12] 1432 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 108:13; 118:15-16).
[60:12] 1433 sn Trample down. On this expression see Ps 44:5.
[61:1] 1434 sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.
[61:2] 1435 tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).
[61:2] 1436 tn Heb “while my heart faints.”
[61:2] 1437 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
[61:2] 1438 tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”
[61:3] 1440 tn Or “have been.”
[61:3] 1441 tn Heb “a strong tower from the face of an enemy.”
[61:4] 1442 tn Heb “I will live as a resident alien in your tent permanently.” The cohortative is understood here as indicating resolve. Another option is to take it as expressing a request, “please let me live” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[61:4] 1443 sn I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[61:5] 1444 tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).
[61:6] 1445 tn Heb “days upon days of the king add, his years like generation and generation.”
[61:6] sn It is not certain if the (royal) psalmist is referring to himself in the third person in this verse, or if an exile is praying on behalf of the king.
[61:7] 1446 tn Heb “sit [enthroned].” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive here, expressing the psalmist’s prayer.
[61:7] 1447 tn Heb “loyal love and faithfulness appoint, let them protect him.”
[61:8] 1449 tn Or perhaps, “and thereby fulfill.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.
[62:1] 1450 sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.
[62:1] 1451 tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”
[62:1] 1452 tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”
[62:2] 1453 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[62:2] 1454 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[62:2] 1455 tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”
[62:3] 1456 tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”
[62:3] 1457 tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.
[62:3] 1458 tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).
[62:4] 1459 tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.
[62:4] 1460 tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.
[62:4] 1461 tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”
[62:4] 1462 tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”
[62:4] 1463 sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.
[62:5] 1464 tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.
[62:5] 1465 tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”
[62:6] 1466 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[62:6] 1467 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[62:6] 1468 sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.
[62:7] 1469 tn Heb “upon God [is] my deliverance and my glory, the high rocky summit of my strength, my shelter [is] in God.”
[62:8] 1470 tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).
[62:9] 1471 tn Heb “only a breath [are] the sons of mankind, a lie [are] the sons of man.” The phrases “sons of mankind” and “sons of man” also appear together in Ps 49:2. Because of the parallel line there, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, a number of interpreters and translators treat these expressions as polar opposites, בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes. But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand the phrases as synonymous expressions.
[62:9] 1472 tn The noun הֶבֶל (hevel), translated “a breath” earlier in the verse, appears again here.
[62:10] 1473 tn Heb “do not trust in oppression.” Here “oppression” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by oppressive measures, as the final line of the verse indicates.
[62:10] 1474 tn Heb “and in robbery do not place vain hope.” Here “robbery” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by theft, as the next line of the verse indicates.
[62:10] 1475 tn Heb “[as for] wealth, when it bears fruit, do not set [your] heart [on it].”
[62:11] 1476 tn Heb “one God spoke, two which I heard.” This is a numerical saying utilizing the “x” followed by “x + 1” pattern to facilitate poetic parallelism. (See W. M. W. Roth, Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament [VTSup], 55-56.) As is typical in such sayings, a list corresponding to the second number (in this case “two”) follows. Another option is to translate, “God has spoken once, twice [he has spoken] that which I have heard.” The terms אַחַת (’akhat, “one; once”) and שְׁתַּיִם (shÿtayim, “two; twice”) are also juxtaposed in 2 Kgs 6:10 (where they refer to an action that was done more than “once or twice”) and in Job 33:14 (where they refer to God speaking “one way” and then in “another manner”).
[62:11] 1477 tn Heb “that strength [belongs] to God.”
[62:12] 1478 tn Heb “and to you, O Master, [is] loyal love.”
[62:12] 1479 tn Heb “for you pay back to a man according to his deed.” Another option is to understand vv. 11b and 12a as the first principle and v. 12b as the second. In this case one might translate, “God has declared one principle, two principles I have heard, namely, that God is strong, and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love, and that you repay men for what they do.”
[62:12] sn You repay men for what they do. The psalmist views God’s justice as a demonstration of both his power (see v. 11c) and his loyal love (see v. 12a). When God judges evildoers, he demonstrates loyal love to his people.
[63:1] 1480 sn Psalm 63. The psalmist expresses his intense desire to be in God’s presence and confidently affirms that God will judge his enemies.
[63:1] 1481 sn According to the psalm superscription David wrote the psalm while in the “wilderness of Judah.” Perhaps this refers to the period described in 1 Sam 23-24 or to the incident mentioned in 2 Sam 15:23.
[63:1] 1482 tn Or “I will seek you.”
[63:1] 1484 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” This may picture the land as “faint” or “weary,” or it may allude to the effect this dry desert has on those who are forced to live in it.
[63:2] 1485 tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).
[63:2] 1486 tn The perfect verbal form is understood here as referring to a past experience which the psalmist desires to be repeated. Another option is to take the perfect as indicating the psalmist’s certitude that he will again stand in God’s presence in the sanctuary. In this case one can translate, “I will see you.”
[63:2] 1487 tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.
[63:3] 1488 tn This line is understood as giving the basis for the praise promised in the following line. Another option is to take the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) as asseverative/emphasizing, “Indeed, your loyal love is better” (cf. NEB, which leaves the particle untranslated).
[63:3] 1489 tn The word “experiencing” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist does not speak here of divine loyal love in some abstract sense, but of loyal love revealed and experienced.
[63:4] 1490 tn Or perhaps “then.”
[63:4] 1491 sn I will lift up my hands. Lifting up one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19) or respect (Ps 119:48).
[63:5] 1492 tn Heb “like fat and fatness.”
[63:5] 1494 tn Heb “and [with] lips of joy my mouth praises.”
[63:6] 1495 tn The Hebrew term אִם (’im) is used here in the sense of “when; whenever,” as in Ps 78:34.
[63:7] 1496 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[63:7] 1497 tn Heb “in the shadow of your wings.”
[63:8] 1498 tn Or “I.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[63:8] 1499 tn Heb “clings after.” The expression means “to pursue with determination” (see Judg 20:45; 1 Sam 14:22; 1 Chr 10:2; Jer 42:16).
[63:9] 1500 tn Heb “but they for destruction seek my life.” The pronoun “they” must refer here to the psalmist’s enemies, referred to at this point for the first time in the psalm.
[63:9] 1501 sn The depths of the earth refers here to the underworld dwelling place of the dead (see Ezek 26:20; 31:14, 16, 18; 32:18, 24). See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 167.
[63:10] 1502 tn Heb “they will deliver him over to the sword.” The third masculine plural subject must be indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f) and the singular pronominal suffix either representative or distributive (emphasizing that each one will be so treated). Active verbs with indefinite subjects may be translated as passives with the object (in the Hebrew text) as subject (in the translation).
[63:10] 1503 tn Heb “they will be [the] portion of jackals”; traditionally, “of foxes.”
[63:11] 1504 sn The psalmist probably refers to himself in the third person here.
[63:11] 1505 tn Heb “who swears [an oath] by him.”
[63:11] 1506 tn The Niphal of this verb occurs only here and in Gen 8:2, where it is used of God “stopping” or “damming up” the great deep as he brought the flood to an end.
[64:1] 1507 sn Psalm 64. The psalmist asks God to protect him from his dangerous enemies and then confidently affirms that God will destroy his enemies and demonstrate his justice in the sight of all observers.
[64:1] 1508 tn Heb “my voice.”
[64:1] 1509 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s request.
[64:1] 1510 tn Heb “from the terror of [the] enemy.” “Terror” is used here metonymically for the enemy’s attacks that produce fear because they threaten the psalmist’s life.
[64:2] 1511 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
[64:3] 1512 tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[64:3] 1513 tn Heb “a bitter word.”
[64:4] 1514 tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.
[64:4] 1515 tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[64:5] 1516 tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”
[64:5] 1517 tn Heb “they report about hiding.”
[64:5] 1518 tn Heb “they say.”
[64:5] 1519 tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).
[64:6] 1520 tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”
[64:6] 1521 tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[64:6] 1522 tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.
[64:6] 1523 tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.
[64:7] 1524 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive is normally used in narrative contexts to describe completed past actions. It is possible that the conclusion to the psalm (vv. 7-10) was added to the lament after God’s judgment of the wicked in response to the psalmist’s lament (vv. 1-6). The translation assumes that these verses are anticipatory and express the psalmist’s confidence that God would eventually judge the wicked. The psalmist uses a narrative style as a rhetorical device to emphasize his certitude. See GKC 329-30 §111.w.
[64:7] 1525 tn The perfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s certitude about the coming demise of the wicked.
[64:7] 1526 tn The translation follows the traditional accentuation of the MT. Another option is to translate, “But God will shoot them down with an arrow, suddenly they will be wounded” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[64:8] 1527 tc The MT reads literally, “and they caused him to stumble, upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (’al) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ’aley lÿshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the MT arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. It is likely that the MT is corrupt, but a satisfying emendation has not yet been proposed.
[64:8] 1528 tn The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see HALOT 678 s.v. נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.
[64:9] 1529 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[64:9] 1530 tn Heb “the work of God,” referring to the judgment described in v. 7.
[64:10] 1531 tn Heb “upright in heart.”
[64:10] 1532 tn That is, about the
[65:1] 1533 sn Psalm 65. The psalmist praises God because he forgives sin and blesses his people with an abundant harvest.
[65:1] 1534 tn Heb “for you, silence, praise.” Many prefer to emend the noun דֻּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”) to a participle דּוֹמִיָּה (domiyyah), from the root דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”), understood here in the sense of “wait.”
[65:2] 1535 tn Heb “O one who hears prayer.”
[65:2] 1536 tn Heb “to you all flesh comes.”
[65:3] 1537 tn Heb “the records of sins are too strong for me.”
[65:3] 1538 tn Or “make atonement for.”
[65:4] 1539 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[65:4] 1540 tn Heb “[whom] you bring near [so that] he might live [in] your courts.”
[65:5] 1542 tn Heb “[with] awesome acts in deliverance you answer us, O God of our salvation.”
[65:5] 1543 tn Heb “a source of confidence [for] all the ends of the earth.”
[65:5] sn All the ends of the earth trust in you. This idealistic portrayal of universal worship is typical hymnic hyperbole, though it does anticipate eschatological reality.
[65:5] 1544 tc Heb “and [the] distant sea.” The plural adjective is problematic after the singular form “sea.” One could emend יָם (yam, “sea”) to יָמִים (yamim, “seas”), or emend the plural form רְחֹקִים (rÿkhoqim, “far”) to the singular רָחֹק (rakhoq). In this case the final mem (ם) could be treated as dittographic; note the mem on the beginning of the first word in v. 6.
[65:6] 1545 tn Heb “[the] one who establishes [the] mountains by his power.”
[65:6] 1546 tn Heb “one [who] is girded with strength”; or “one [who] girds himself with strength.”
[65:7] 1547 tn Heb “the roar of the seas.”
[65:7] 1548 sn The raging seas…the commotion made by the nations. The raging seas symbolize the turbulent nations of the earth (see Ps 46:2-3, 6; Isa 17:12).
[65:8] 1549 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the ends fear because of your signs.” God’s “signs” are the “awesome acts” (see v. 5) he performs in the earth.
[65:8] 1550 tn Heb “the goings out of the morning and the evening you cause to shout for joy.” The phrase “goings out of the morning and evening” refers to the sunrise and sunset, that is, the east and the west.
[65:9] 1551 tn The verb form is a Polel from שׁוּק (shuq, “be abundant”), a verb which appears only here and in Joel 2:24 and 3:13, where it is used in the Hiphil stem and means “overflow.”
[65:9] 1552 tn Heb “you greatly enrich it.”
[65:9] 1553 tn Heb “[with] a channel of God full of water.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very deep stream (“a stream fit for God,” as it were).
[65:9] 1554 tn The pronoun apparently refers to the people of the earth, mentioned in v. 8.
[65:9] 1555 tn Heb “for thus [referring to the provision of rain described in the first half of the verse] you prepare it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix attached to the verb “prepare” refers back to the “earth,” which is a feminine noun with regard to grammatical form.
[65:10] 1556 tn Heb “saturating” [the form is an infinitive absolute].
[65:10] 1557 tn Heb “flatten, cause to sink.”
[65:10] 1558 tn Heb “trenches,” or “furrows.”
[65:10] 1559 tn Heb “soften it,” that is, the earth.
[65:10] 1560 tn Heb “its vegetation you bless.” Divine “blessing” often involves endowing an object with special power or capacity.
[65:11] 1561 tn Heb “your good,” which refers here to agricultural blessings.
[65:11] 1562 tn Heb “and your paths drip with abundance.”
[65:12] 1564 tn That is, with rich vegetation that brings joy to those who see it.
[66:1] 1565 sn Psalm 66. The psalmist praises God because he has delivered his people from a crisis.
[66:2] 1566 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[66:2] 1567 tn Heb “make honorable his praise.”
[66:3] 1568 tn See Deut 33:29; Ps 81:15 for other uses of the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) in the sense “cower in fear.” In Ps 18:44 the verb seems to carry the nuance “be weak, powerless” (see also Ps 109:24).
[66:4] 1569 tn Or “bows down to.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are taken (1) as imperfects expressing what is typical. Another option (2) is to interpret them as anticipatory (“all the earth will worship you”) or (3) take them as jussives, expressing a prayer or wish (“may all the earth worship you”).
[66:5] 1571 tn Or “acts” (see Ps 46:8).
[66:5] 1572 tn Heb “awesome [is] an act toward the sons of man.” It is unclear how the prepositional phrase relates to what precedes. If collocated with “act,” it may mean “on behalf of” or “toward.” If taken with “awesome” (see 1 Chr 16:25; Pss 89:7; 96:4; Zeph 2:11), one might translate “his awesome acts are beyond human comprehension” or “his awesome acts are superior to anything men can do.”
[66:6] 1573 sn He turned the sea into dry land. The psalmist alludes to Israel’s crossing the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).
[66:6] 1574 tn Because of the reference to “the river,” some understand this as an allusion to Israel’s crossing the Jordan River. However, the Hebrew term נָהָר (nahad) does not always refer to a “river” in the technical sense; it can be used of sea currents (see Jonah 2:4). So this line may also refer to the Red Sea crossing (cf. NEB).
[66:6] 1575 tn The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” (BDB 1027 s.v.).
[66:7] 1576 tn Heb “[the] one who rules.”
[66:7] 1577 tn Heb “his eyes watch.” “Eyes” are an anthropomorphism, attributed to God here to emphasize his awareness of all that happens on earth.
[66:7] 1578 tn The verb form is jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al). The Kethib (consonantal text) has a Hiphil form of the verb, apparently to be understood in an exhibitive sense (“demonstrate stubborn rebellion”; see BDB 927 s.v. רוּם Hiph), while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Qal form, to be understood in an intransitive sense. The preposition -לְ (lamed) with pronominal suffix should be understood in a reflexive sense (“for themselves”) and indicates that the action is performed with the interest of the subject in mind.
[66:8] 1579 tn Heb “bless,” in the sense of declaring “God to be the source of…special power” (see HALOT 160 s.v. II ברך pi).
[66:8] 1580 tn Heb “cause the voice of his praise to be heard.”
[66:9] 1581 tn Heb “the one who places our soul in life.”
[66:11] 1583 tn Heb “you brought us into a net.” This rare word for “net” also occurs in Ezek 12:13; 13:21; 17:20.
[66:11] 1584 tn Heb “you placed suffering on our hips.” The noun מוּעָקָה (mu’aqah, “suffering”) occurs only here in the OT.
[66:12] 1585 tc The MT reads רְוָיָה (“saturation”) but this should be emended to רְוָחָה (rÿvakhah, “wide open place”; i.e., “relief”), a reading supported by several ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Jerome, Targum).
[66:13] 1586 sn Here the psalmist switches to the singular; he speaks as the representative of the nation.
[66:16] 1587 tn Heb “all of the fearers of God.”
[66:17] 1588 tn Heb “to him [with] my mouth I called.”
[66:17] 1589 tn Heb “and he was extolled under my tongue.” The form רוֹמַם (romam) appears to be a polal (passive) participle from רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), but many prefer to read רוֹמָם, “high praise [was under my tongue]” (cf. NEB). See BDB 928 s.v. רוֹמָם.
[66:18] 1590 tn Heb “sin if I had seen in my heart.”
[66:20] 1591 tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”
[66:20] 1592 tn Or “who.” In a blessing formula after בָּרוּךְ (barukh, “blessed be”) the form אֲשֶׁר (’asher), whether taken as a relative pronoun or causal particle, introduces the basis for the blessing/praise.
[66:20] 1593 tn Heb “did not turn aside my prayer and his loyal love with me.”
[67:1] 1594 sn Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world.
[67:1] 1595 tn Or “have mercy on us.”
[67:1] 1596 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (ya’er) in the next line.
[67:1] 1597 tn Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.”
[67:2] 1598 tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.
[67:3] 1599 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in vv. 3-4a are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
[67:4] 1601 tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).
[67:5] 1602 tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 5 are understood as jussives in this call to praise.
[67:7] 1603 tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.
[67:7] 1604 tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”
[68:1] 1605 sn Psalm 68. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.
[68:1] 1606 tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.
[68:1] 1607 tn Heb “those who hate him.”
[68:1] 1608 sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action,
[68:2] 1609 tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”
[68:3] 1610 tn By placing the subject first the psalmist highlights the contrast between God’s ecstatic people and his defeated enemies (vv. 1-2).
[68:3] 1611 tn Heb “and they are happy with joy” (cf. NEB). Some translate the prefixed verbal forms of v. 3 as jussives, “Let the godly be happy, let them rejoice before God, and let them be happy with joy!” (Cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV; note the call to praise in v. 4.)
[68:4] 1612 tn Traditionally the Hebrew term עֲרָבוֹת (’aravot) is taken as “steppe-lands” (often rendered “deserts”), but here the form is probably a homonym meaning “clouds.” Verse 33, which depicts God as the one who “rides on the sky” strongly favors this (see as well Deut 33:26), as does the reference in v. 9 to God as the source of rain. The term עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “cloud”) is cognate with Akkadian urpatu/erpetu and with Ugaritic ’rpt. The phrase rkb ’rpt (“one who rides on the clouds”) appears in Ugaritic mythological texts as an epithet of the storm god Baal. The nonphonemic interchange of the bilabial consonants b and p is attested elsewhere in roots common to Hebrew and Ugaritic, though the phenomenon is relatively rare.
[68:4] 1613 tc Heb “in the
[68:5] 1614 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by the fatherless and widows.
[68:5] 1615 tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.
[68:6] 1616 tn Heb “God causes the solitary ones to dwell in a house.” The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 1617 tn Heb “he brings out prisoners into prosperity.” Another option is to translate, “he brings out prisoners with singing” (cf. NIV). The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 1618 tn Or “in a parched [land].”
[68:6] sn God delivers the downtrodden and oppressed, but sinful rebels who oppose his reign are treated appropriately.
[68:7] 1619 tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).
[68:7] 1620 sn When you march through the desert. Some interpreters think that v. 7 alludes to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and its subsequent travels in the desert. Another option is that v. 7, like v. 8, echoes Judg 5:4, which describes how the God of Sinai marched across the desert regions to do battle with Sisera and his Canaanite army.
[68:8] 1621 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
[68:8] 1622 sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)
[68:9] 1623 tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).
[68:9] 1624 tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.
[68:9] 1625 tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:9] 1626 tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:10] 1627 tn The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear; it appears to read, “your animals, they live in it,” but this makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some suggest that חָיָּה (khayah) is a rare homonym here, meaning “community” (BDB 312 s.v.) or “dwelling place” (HALOT 310 s.v. III *הַיָּה). In this case one may take “your community/dwelling place” as appositional to the third feminine singular pronominal suffix at the end of v. 9, the antecedent of which is “your inheritance.” The phrase יָשְׁבוּ־בָהּ (yashvu-vah, “they live in it”) may then be understood as an asyndetic relative clause modifying “your community/dwelling place.” A literal translation of vv. 9b-10a would be, “when it [your inheritance] is tired, you sustain it, your community/dwelling place in [which] they live.”
[68:11] 1628 tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.
[68:11] 1629 tn Heb “the ones spreading the good news [are] a large army.” The participle translated “the ones spreading the good news” is a feminine plural form. Apparently the good news here is the announcement that enemy kings have been defeated (see v. 12).
[68:12] 1630 tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.
[68:12] 1631 tn The Hebrew form appears to be the construct of נוּה (nuh, “pasture”) but the phrase “pasture of the house” makes no sense here. The translation assumes that the form is an alternative or corruption of נצוה (“beautiful woman”). A reference to a woman would be appropriate in light of v. 11b.
[68:13] 1633 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.
[68:13] 1634 tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”
[68:13] sn The point of the imagery of v. 13 is not certain, though the reference to silver and gold appears to be positive. Both would be part of the loot carried away from battle (see v. 12b).
[68:14] 1635 tn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (“Shaddai”). Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life, blesses and kills, and judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses (protects) and takes away life and/or happiness.
[68:14] 1636 tn The Hebrew text adds “in it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix may refer back to God’s community/dwelling place (v. 10).
[68:14] 1637 tn The verb form appears to be a Hiphil jussive from שָׁלַג (shalag), which is usually understood as a denominative verb from שֶׁלֶג (sheleg, “snow”) with an indefinite subject. The form could be taken as a preterite, in which case one might translate, “when the sovereign judge scattered kings, it snowed on Zalmon” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The point of the image is unclear. Perhaps “snow” suggests fertility and blessing (see v. 9 and Isa 55:10), or the image of a snow-capped mountain suggests grandeur.
[68:14] sn Zalmon was apparently a mountain in the region, perhaps the one mentioned in Judg 9:46 as being in the vicinity of Shechem.
[68:15] 1638 sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.
[68:15] 1639 tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”
[68:15] 1640 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term, which appears only here in the OT, is uncertain. HALOT 174 s.v. גַּבְנוֹן suggests “many-peaked,” while BDB 148 s.v. גַּבְנִן suggests “rounded summit.”
[68:16] 1641 tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).
[68:16] 1642 tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.
[68:16] 1643 tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.
[68:16] 1644 tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.
[68:16] 1645 tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[68:17] 1646 tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”
[68:17] 1647 tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).
[68:18] 1648 tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.
[68:18] 1649 tn Heb “you have taken captives captive.”
[68:18] 1652 tn Heb “so that the
[68:19] 1653 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”
[68:19] 1654 tn It is possible to take this phrase with what precedes (“The Lord deserves praise day after day”) rather than with what follows.
[68:20] 1655 tn Heb “and to the
[68:21] 1656 tn Heb “the hairy forehead of the one who walks about in his guilt.” The singular is representative.
[68:22] 1657 tn That is, the enemies mentioned in v. 21. Even if they retreat to distant regions, God will retrieve them and make them taste his judgment.
[68:23] 1658 tc Some (e.g. NRSV) prefer to emend מָחַץ (makhats, “smash; stomp”; see v. 21) to רָחַץ (rakhats, “bathe”; see Ps 58:10).
[68:23] 1659 tn Heb “[and] the tongue of your dogs from [the] enemies [may eat] its portion.”
[68:24] 1660 tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.
[68:24] 1661 tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[68:25] 1662 tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”
[68:25] 1663 sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).
[68:26] 1664 tn Heb “from the fountain of Israel,” which makes little, if any, sense here. The translation assumes an emendation to בְּמִקְרָאֵי (bÿmiqra’ey, “in the assemblies of [Israel]”).
[68:27] 1665 sn Little Benjamin, their ruler. This may allude to the fact that Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin.
[68:27] 1666 tc The MT reads רִגְמָתָם (rigmatam), which many derive from רָגַם (ragam, “to kill by stoning”) and translates, “[in] their heaps,” that is, in large numbers.
[68:28] 1667 tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).
[68:29] 1668 tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”
[68:29] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[68:30] 1669 tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts such as Ps 68 this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[68:30] 1670 sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.
[68:30] 1671 tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”
[68:30] 1672 tn Heb “humbling himself.” The verb form is a Hitpael participle from the root רָפַס (rafas, “to trample”). The Hitpael of this verb appears only here and in Prov 6:3, where it seems to mean, “humble oneself,” a nuance that fits nicely in this context. The apparent subject is “wild beast” or “assembly,” though both of these nouns are grammatically feminine, while the participle is a masculine form. Perhaps one should emend the participial form to a masculine plural (מִתְרַפִּם, mitrapim) and understand “bulls” or “calves” as the subject.
[68:30] 1673 tc Heb “with pieces [?] of silver.” The meaning of the Hebrew term רַצֵּי (ratsey) is unclear. It is probably best to emend the text to בֶּצֶר וְכָסֶף (betser vÿkhasef, “[with] gold and silver”).
[68:30] 1674 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[68:30] 1675 tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).
[68:31] 1676 tn This noun, which occurs only here in the OT, apparently means “red cloth” or “bronze articles” (see HALOT 362 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NEB “tribute”). Traditionally the word has been taken to refer to “nobles” (see BDB 365 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NIV “envoys”). Another option would be to emend the text to הַשְׁמַנִּים (hashmannim, “the robust ones,” i.e., leaders).
[68:31] 1678 tn Heb “causes its hands to run,” which must mean “quickly stretches out its hands” (to present tribute).
[68:33] 1679 tc Heb “to the one who rides through the skies of skies of ancient times.” If the MT is retained, one might translate, “to the one who rides through the ancient skies.” (שְׁמֵי [shÿmey, “skies of”] may be accidentally repeated.) The present translation assumes an emendation to בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִקֶּדֶם (bashamayim miqqedem, “[to the one who rides] through the sky from ancient times”), that is, God has been revealing his power through the storm since ancient times.
[68:33] 1680 tn Heb “he gives his voice a strong voice.” In this context God’s “voice” is the thunder that accompanies the rain (see vv. 8-9, as well as Deut 33:26).
[68:34] 1681 tn Heb “give strength to God.”
[68:34] 1682 sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.
[68:35] 1683 tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).
[68:35] 1684 tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”
[68:35] 1685 tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”
[69:1] 1686 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 1687 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 1688 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 1689 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 1690 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 1691 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 1692 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 1693 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 1694 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 1695 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:4] sn They make me repay what I did not steal. The psalmist’s enemies falsely accuse him and hold him accountable for alleged crimes he did not even commit.
[69:5] 1696 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 1697 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 1698 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 1699 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 1700 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 1701 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 1702 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 1703 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 1704 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 1705 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 1706 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:9] sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.
[69:10] 1707 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 1708 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 1709 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 1710 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 1711 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 1712 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 1713 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 1714 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 1715 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 1716 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 1717 tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[69:18] 1719 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 1720 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 1721 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 1722 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 1724 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 1725 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 1726 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 1727 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 1728 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 1729 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 1730 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 1731 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971), 17-81.
[69:25] 1732 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:25] sn In Acts 1:20 Peter applies the language of this verse to Judas’ experience. By changing the pronouns from plural to singular, he is able to apply the ancient curse, pronounced against the psalmist’s enemies, to Judas in particular.
[69:26] 1733 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 1734 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 1735 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:26] sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
[69:27] 1736 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 1737 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 1738 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] sn The phrase the scroll of the living occurs only here in the OT. It pictures a scroll or census list containing the names of the citizens of a community. When an individual died, that person’s name was removed from the list. So this curse is a very vivid way of asking that the enemies die.
[69:28] 1739 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:28] sn Do not let their names be listed with the godly. This curse pictures a scroll in which God records the names of his loyal followers. The psalmist makes the point that his enemies have no right to be included in this list of the godly.
[69:29] 1740 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 1741 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 1742 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 1743 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 1744 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 1745 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 1746 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 1747 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 1748 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 1749 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[53:1] 1750 tn The perfect has a hypothetical force in this rhetorical question. For another example, see Gen 21:7.
[53:1] 1751 sn The speaker shifts here from God to an unidentified group (note the first person plural pronouns throughout vv. 1-6). The content of the speech suggests that the prophet speaks here as representative of the sinful nation Israel. The group acknowledges its sin and recognizes that the servant suffered on their behalf.
[53:1] 1752 tn The first half of v. 1 is traditionally translated, “Who has believed our report?” or “Who has believed our message?” as if the group speaking is lamenting that no one will believe what they have to say. But that doesn’t seem to be the point in this context. Here the group speaking does not cast itself in the role of a preacher or evangelist. No, they are repentant sinners, who finally see the light. The phrase “our report” can mean (1) the report which we deliver, or (2) the report which was delivered to us. The latter fits better here, where the report is most naturally taken as the announcement that has just been made in 52:13-15.
[53:1] 1753 tn Heb “to whom” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[53:1] 1754 tn Heb “the arm of the Lord.” The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor of military power; it pictures the Lord as a warrior who bares his arm, takes up his weapon, and crushes his enemies (cf. 51:9-10; 63:5-6). But Israel had not seen the Lord’s military power at work in the servant.
[53:2] 1755 tn Heb “before him.” Some suggest an emendation to “before us.” If the third singular suffix of the Hebrew text is retained, it probably refers to the Lord (see v. 1b). For a defense of this reading, see R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 173-74.
[53:2] 1756 sn The metaphor in this verse suggests insignificance.
[53:2] 1757 tn Heb “that we might see him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:2] 1758 tn Heb “that we should desire him.” The vav conjunctive prefixed to the imperfect introduces a result clause here. See GKC 504-5 §166.a.
[53:3] 1759 tn Heb “lacking of men.” If the genitive is taken as specifying (“lacking with respect to men”), then the idea is that he lacked company because he was rejected by people. Another option is to take the genitive as indicating genus or larger class (i.e., “one lacking among men”). In this case one could translate, “he was a transient” (cf. the use of חָדֵל [khadel] in Ps 39:5 HT [39:4 ET]).
[53:3] 1760 tn Heb “like a hiding of the face from him,” i.e., “like one before whom the face is hidden” (see BDB 712 s.v. מַסְתֵּר).
[53:3] 1761 sn The servant is likened to a seriously ill person who is shunned by others because of his horrible disease.
[53:4] 1762 sn Illness and pain stand by metonymy (or perhaps as metaphors) for sin and its effects, as vv. 11-12 make clear.
[53:4] 1763 tn The words “for something he had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group now realizes he suffered because of his identification with them, not simply because he was a special target of divine anger.
[53:5] 1764 tn The preposition מִן (min) has a causal sense (translated “because of”) here and in the following clause.
[53:5] 1765 tn Heb “the punishment of our peace [was] on him.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is here a genitive of result, i.e., “punishment that resulted in our peace.”
[53:5] 1766 sn Continuing to utilize the imagery of physical illness, the group acknowledges that the servant’s willingness to carry their illnesses (v. 4) resulted in their being healed. Healing is a metaphor for forgiveness here.
[53:6] 1767 tn Elsewhere the Hiphil of פָגַע (paga’) means “to intercede verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25) or “to intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16), but neither nuance fits here. Apparently here the Hiphil is the causative of the normal Qal meaning, “encounter, meet, touch.” The Qal sometimes refers to a hostile encounter or attack; when used in this way the object is normally introduced by the preposition -בְּ (bet, see Josh 2:16; Judg 8:21; 15:12, etc.). Here the causative Hiphil has a double object – the Lord makes “sin” attack “him” (note that the object attacked is introduced by the preposition -בְּ. In their sin the group was like sheep who had wandered from God’s path. They were vulnerable to attack; the guilt of their sin was ready to attack and destroy them. But then the servant stepped in and took the full force of the attack.
[53:7] 1768 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
[53:7] 1769 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
[53:8] 1770 tn The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that מִן (min) here has an instrumental sense (“by, through”) and understands עֹצֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט (’otser umimmishpat, “coercion and legal decision”) as a hendiadys meaning “coercive legal decision,” thus “an unjust trial.” Other interpretive options include: (1) “without [for this sense of מִן, see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process,” i.e., “unfairly and with no one to defend him,” (2) “from [in the sense of “after,” see BDB 581 s.v. 4.b] arrest and judgment.”
[53:8] 1771 tn Heb “and his generation, who considers?” (NASB similar). Some understand “his generation” as a reference to descendants. In this case the question would suggest that he will have none. However, אֶת (’et) may be taken here as specifying a new subject (see BDB 85 s.v. I אֵת 3). If “his generation” refers to the servant’s contemporary generation, one may then translate, “As for his contemporary generation, who took note?” The point would be that few were concerned about the harsh treatment he received.
[53:8] 1772 sn The “land of the living” is an idiom for the sphere where people live, in contrast to the underworld realm of the dead. See, for example, Ezek 32:23-27.
[53:8] 1773 tn The Hebrew text reads “my people,” a reading followed by most English versions, but this is problematic in a context where the first person plural predominates, and where God does not appear to speak again until v. 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa עמו (“his people”). In this case, the group speaking in these verses is identified as the servant’s people (compare פְּשָׁעֵנוּ [pÿsha’enu, “our rebellious deeds”] in v. 5 with פֶּשַׁע עַמִּי [pesha’ ’ammi, “the rebellion of his people”] in v. 8).
[53:9] 1774 tn Heb “one assigned his grave with criminals.” The subject of the singular is impersonal; English typically uses “they” in such constructions.
[53:9] 1775 tn This line reads literally, “and with the rich in his death.” בְּמֹתָיו (bÿmotayv) combines a preposition, a plural form of the noun מוֹת (mot), and a third masculine singular suffix. The plural of the noun is problematic and the יו may be the result of virtual dittography. The form should probably be emended to בָּמָתוֹ (bamato, singular noun). The relationship between this line and the preceding one is uncertain. The parallelism appears to be synonymous (note “his grave” and “in his death”), but “criminals” and “the rich” hardly make a compatible pair in this context, for they would not be buried in the same kind of tomb. Some emend עָשִׁיר (’ashir, “rich”) to עָשֵׂי רָע (’ase ra’, “doers of evil”) but the absence of the ayin (ע) is not readily explained in this graphic environment. Others suggest an emendation to שְׂעִירִים (sÿ’irim, “he-goats, demons”), but the meaning in this case is not entirely transparent and the proposal assumes that the form suffered from both transposition and the inexplicable loss of a final mem. Still others relate עָשִׁיר (’ashir) to an alleged Arabic cognate meaning “mob.” See HALOT 896 s.v. עָשִׁיר. Perhaps the parallelism is antithetical, rather than synonymous. In this case, the point is made that the servant’s burial in a rich man’s tomb, in contrast to a criminal’s burial, was appropriate, for he had done nothing wrong.
[53:9] 1776 tn If the second line is antithetical, then עַל (’al) is probably causal here, explaining why the servant was buried in a rich man’s tomb, rather than that of criminal. If the first two lines are synonymous, then עַל is probably concessive: “even though….”
[53:10] 1777 tn The meaning of this line is uncertain. It reads literally, “if you/she makes, a reparation offering, his life.” The verb תָּשִׂים (tasim) could be second masculine singular,in which case it would have to be addressed to the servant or to God. However, the servant is only addressed once in this servant song (see 52:14a), and God either speaks or is spoken about in this servant song; he is never addressed. Furthermore, the idea of God himself making a reparation offering is odd. If the verb is taken as third feminine singular, then the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) at the end of the line is the likely subject. In this case one can take the suffixed form of the noun as equivalent to a pronoun and translate, “if he [literally, “his life”] makes a reparation offering.”
[53:10] sn What constitutes the servant’s reparation offering? Some might think his suffering, but the preceding context views this as past, while the verb here is imperfect in form. The offering appears to be something the servant does after his suffering has been completed. Perhaps the background of the language can be found in the Levitical code, where a healed leper would offer a reparation offering as part of the ritual to achieve ceremonial cleanliness (see Lev 14). The servant was pictured earlier in the song as being severely ill. This illness (a metaphor for the effects of the people’s sin) separated him from God. However, here we discover the separation is not final; once reparation is made, so to speak, he will again experience the Lord’s favor.
[53:10] 1778 sn The idiomatic and stereotypical language emphasizes the servant’s restoration to divine favor. Having numerous descendants and living a long life are standard signs of divine blessing. See Job 42:13-16.
[53:11] 1779 tn Heb “he will be satisfied by his knowledge,” i.e., “when he knows.” The preposition is understood as temporal and the suffix as a subjective genitive. Some take בְּדַעְתּוֹ (bÿda’to, “by his knowledge”) with what follows and translate “by knowledge of him,” understanding the preposition as instrumental and the suffix as objective.
[53:11] 1780 sn The song ends as it began (cf. 52:13-15), with the Lord announcing the servant’s vindication and exaltation.
[53:11] 1781 tn Heb “he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” צַדִּיק (tsadiq) may refer to the servant, but more likely it is dittographic (note the preceding verb יַצְדִּיק, yatsdiq). The precise meaning of the verb (the Hiphil of צָדַק, tsadaq) is debated. Elsewhere the Hiphil is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exod 23:7; Deut 25:1; 1 Kgs 8:32 = 2 Chr 6:23; Prov 17:15; Isa 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Sam 15:4; Ps 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isa 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Dan 12:3). The preceding context and the next line suggest a legal sense here. Because of his willingness to carry the people’s sins, the servant is able to “acquit” them.
[53:11] sn Some (e.g., H. M. Orlinsky, “The So-called ‘Suffering Servant’ in Isaiah 53,22,” VTSup 14 [1967]: 3-133) object to this legal interpretation of the language, arguing that it would be unjust for the righteous to suffer for the wicked and for the wicked to be declared innocent. However, such a surprising development is consistent with the ironic nature of this song. It does seem unfair for the innocent to die for the guilty. But what is God to do when all have sinned and wandered off like stray sheep (cf. v. 6)? Covenant law demands punishment, but punishment in this case would mean annihilation of what God has created. God’s justice, as demanded by the law, must be satisfied. To satisfy his justice, he does something seemingly unjust. He punishes his sinless servant, the only one who has not strayed off! In the progress of biblical revelation, we discover that the sinless servant is really God in the flesh, who offers himself because he is committed to the world he has created. If his justice can only be satisfied if he himself endures the punishment, then so be it. What appears to be an act of injustice is really love satisfying the demands of justice!
[53:11] 1782 tn The circumstantial clause (note the vav [ו] + object + subject + verb pattern) is understood as causal here. The prefixed verb form is either a preterite or an imperfect used in a customary manner.
[53:12] 1783 tn Scholars have debated the precise meaning of the term רַבִּים (rabbim) that occurs five times in this passage (Isa 52:14, 15; 53:11, 12 [2x]). Its two broad categories of translation are “much”/“many” and “great” (HALOT 1171-72 s.v. I רַב). Unlike other Hebrew terms for might or strength, this term is linked with numbers or abundance. In all sixteen uses outside of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (articular and plural) it signifies an inclusive meaning: “the majority” or “the multitude” (J. Jeremias, TDNT 6:536-37). This term occurs in parallelism with עֲצוּמִים (’atsumim), which normally signifies “numerous” or “large” or “powerful” (through large numbers). Like רַבִּים (rabbim), it refers to greatness in numbers (cf. Deut 4:38; 7:1; 9:1; 11:34). It emphasizes the multitudes with whom the Servant will share the spoil of his victory. As J. Olley wrote: “Yahweh has won the victory and vindicates his Servant, giving to him many subservient people, together with their spoils. These numerous peoples in turn receive blessing, sharing in the “peace” resulting from Yahweh’s victory and the Servant’s suffering” (John W. Olley, “‘The Many’: How Is Isa 53,12a to Be Understood,” Bib 68 [1987]: 330-56).
[53:12] 1784 sn The servant is compared here to a warrior who will be richly rewarded for his effort and success in battle.
[53:12] 1785 tn Heb “because he laid bare his life”; traditionally, ASV “because he (+ hath KJV) poured out his soul (life NIV) unto death.”
[53:12] 1786 tn The Hiphil of פָּגַע (paga’) can mean “cause to attack” (v. 6), “urge, plead verbally” (Jer 15:11; 36:25), or “intervene militarily” (Isa 59:16). Perhaps the third nuance fits best here, for military imagery is employed in the first two lines of the verse.
[9:24] 1787 tn Heb “sevens.” Elsewhere the term is used of a literal week (a period of seven days), cf. Gen 29:27-28; Exod 34:22; Lev 12:5; Num 28:26; Deut 16:9-10; 2 Chr 8:13; Jer 5:24; Dan 10:2-3. Gabriel unfolds the future as if it were a calendar of successive weeks. Most understand the reference here as periods of seventy “sevens” of years, or a total of 490 years.
[9:24] 1788 tc Or “to finish.” The present translation reads the Qere (from the root תָּמַם, tamam) with many witnesses. The Kethib has “to seal up” (from the root הָתַם, hatam), a confusion with a reference later in the verse to sealing up the vision.
[9:24] 1789 tc The present translation reads the Qere (singular), rather than the Kethib (plural).
[9:24] 1790 tn The Hebrew phrase לְכַלֵּא (lÿkhalle’) is apparently an alternative (metaplastic) spelling of the root כָּלָה (kalah, “to complete, finish”), rather than a form of כָּלָא (kala’, “to shut up, restrain”), as has sometimes been supposed.
[9:24] 1791 tn Or “everlasting.”
[9:24] 1792 sn The act of sealing in the OT is a sign of authentication. Cf. 1 Kgs 21:8; Jer 32:10, 11, 44.
[9:24] 1793 tn Heb “vision and prophecy.” The expression is a hendiadys.
[9:24] 1794 tn Or “the most holy place” (NASB, NLT); or “a most holy one”; or “the most holy one,” though the expression is used of places or objects elsewhere, not people.
[9:25] 1795 tn Or “decree” (NASB, NIV); or “word” (NAB, NRSV).
[9:25] 1796 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:25] 1797 tn The word “arrives” is added in the translation for clarification.
[9:25] 1798 tn Heb “sevens” (also later in this line and in v. 26).
[9:25] sn The accents in the MT indicate disjunction at this point, which would make it difficult, if not impossible, to identify the “anointed one/prince” of this verse as messianic. The reference in v. 26 to the sixty-two weeks as a unit favors the MT accentuation, not the traditional translation. If one follows the MT accentuation, one may translate “From the going forth of the message to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks. During a period of sixty-two weeks it will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.” The present translation follows a traditional reading of the passage that deviates from the MT accentuation.
[9:25] 1799 tn Heb “it will return and be built.” The expression is a verbal hendiadys.
[9:26] 1800 sn The expression have nothing is difficult. Presumably it refers to an absence of support or assistance for the anointed one at the time of his “cutting off.” The KJV rendering “but not for himself,” apparently suggesting a vicarious death, cannot be defended.
[9:26] 1801 tc Some witnesses (e.g., the Syriac) understand a passive verb and the preposition עִם (’im, “with) rather than the noun עַם (’am, “people”), thus reading “the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed with the coming prince.”
[9:26] 1802 tn The words “will come speedily” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
[9:26] 1803 sn Flood here is a metaphor for sudden destruction.
[12:10] 1804 tn Or “dynasty”; Heb “house.”
[12:10] 1805 tc Because of the difficulty of the concept of the mortal piercing of God, the subject of this clause, and the shift of pronoun from “me” to “him” in the next, many
[12:10] tn Or “on me.”
[12:10] 1806 tn The Hebrew term בְּכוֹר (bÿkhor, “firstborn”), translated usually in the LXX by πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos), has unmistakable messianic overtones as the use of the Greek term in the NT to describe Jesus makes clear (cf. Col 1:15, 18). Thus, the idea of God being pierced sets the stage for the fatal wounding of Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God (cf. John 19:37; Rev 1:7). Note that some English translations supply “son” from the context (e.g., NIV, TEV, NLT).
[13:7] 1807 sn Despite the NT use of this text to speak of the scattering of the disciples following Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), the immediate context of Zechariah suggests that unfaithful shepherds (kings) will be punished by the
[18:31] 1808 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[18:31] 1809 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:31] 1810 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[18:31] 1811 tn Or “fulfilled.” Jesus goes to Jerusalem by divine plan as the scripture records (Luke 2:39; 12:50; 22:37; Acts 13:29). See Luke 9:22, 44.
[18:32] 1812 sn The passive voice verb be handed over does not indicate by whom, but other passages note the Jewish leadership and betrayal (9:22, 44).
[18:32] 1813 sn See Luke 22:63; 23:11, 36.
[18:32] 1814 tn Or “and insulted.” L&N 33.390 and 88.130 note ὑβρίζω (Jubrizw) can mean either “insult” or “mistreat with insolence.”
[18:32] 1815 sn And spat on. Later Luke does not note this detail in the passion narrative in chaps. 22-23, but see Mark 14:65; 15:19; Matt 26:67; 27:30 where Jesus’ prediction is fulfilled.
[18:33] 1816 tn Traditionally, “scourge” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1. states, “Of the beating (Lat. verberatio) given those condemned to death…J 19:1; cf. Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33.” Here the term has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.
[18:33] 1817 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[24:26] 1818 tn This Greek particle (οὐχί, ouci) expects a positive reply.
[24:26] 1819 sn The statement Wasn’t it necessary is a reference to the design of God’s plan (see Luke 24:7). Suffering must precede glory (see Luke 17:25).
[24:26] 1820 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[24:26] sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
[24:46] 1821 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[24:46] 1822 tn Three Greek infinitives are the key to this summary: (1) to suffer, (2) to rise, and (3) to be preached. The Christ (Messiah) would be slain, would be raised, and a message about repentance would go out into all the world as a result. All of this was recorded in the scripture. The remark shows the continuity between Jesus’ ministry, the scripture, and what disciples would be doing as they declared the Lord risen.
[24:1] 1823 sn The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath.
[24:1] 1824 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the women mentioned in 23:55) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:1] 1825 tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. See also the note on “aromatic spices” in 23:56.
[1:3] 1826 tn The adverb πάντοτε (pantote) is understood to modify the indicative εὐχαριστοῦμεν (eucaristoumen) because it precedes περὶ ὑμῶν (peri Jumwn) which probably modifies the indicative and not the participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi). But see 1:9 where the same expression occurs and περὶ ὑμῶν modifies the participle “praying” (προσευχόμενοι).
