Mazmur 70:1--73:28
KonteksFor the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. 2
70:1 O God, please be willing to rescue me! 3
O Lord, hurry and help me! 4
70:2 May those who are trying to take my life
be embarrassed and ashamed! 5
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 6
70:3 May those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
be driven back 7 and disgraced! 8
70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 9 your deliverance say continually, 10
70:5 I am oppressed and needy! 13
O God, hurry to me! 14
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O Lord, 15 do not delay!
71:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me! 17
Listen to me! 18 Deliver me! 19
71:3 Be my protector and refuge, 20
a stronghold where I can be safe! 21
For you are my high ridge 22 and my stronghold.
71:4 My God, rescue me from the power 23 of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor!
71:5 For you give me confidence, 24 O Lord;
O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young. 25
71:6 I have leaned on you since birth; 26
you pulled me 27 from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually. 28
71:7 Many are appalled when they see me, 29
but you are my secure shelter.
71:8 I praise you constantly
and speak of your splendor all day long. 30
71:9 Do not reject me in my old age! 31
When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
71:10 For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise. 32
71:11 They say, 33 “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me! 34
71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!
May those who want to harm me 35 be covered with scorn and disgrace!
71:14 As for me, I will wait continually,
and will continue to praise you. 36
71:15 I will tell about your justice,
and all day long proclaim your salvation, 37
though I cannot fathom its full extent. 38
71:16 I will come and tell about 39 the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.
I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.
71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring 40 your amazing deeds.
71:18 Even when I am old and gray, 41
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,
and those coming after me about your power. 42
71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; 43
you have done great things. 44
O God, who can compare to you? 45
71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, 46
revive me once again! 47
Bring me up once again 48 from the depths of the earth!
71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor! 49
Turn and comfort me! 50
71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,
praising 51 your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,
O Holy One of Israel! 52
71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, 53 I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me! 54
71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,
for those who want to harm me 55 will be embarrassed and ashamed. 56
For 58 Solomon.
72:1 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions! 59
Grant the king’s son 60 the ability to make fair decisions! 61
72:2 Then he will judge 62 your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones 63 equitably.
72:3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice. 64
72:4 He will defend 65 the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver 66 the children 67 of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
72:5 People will fear 68 you 69 as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation. 70
72:6 He 71 will descend like rain on the mown grass, 72
like showers that drench 73 the earth. 74
72:7 During his days the godly will flourish; 75
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky. 76
72:8 May he rule 77 from sea to sea, 78
and from the Euphrates River 79 to the ends of the earth!
72:9 Before him the coastlands 80 will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust. 81
72:10 The kings of Tarshish 82 and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba 83 and Seba 84 will bring tribute.
72:11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
72:12 For he will rescue the needy 85 when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed 86 who have no defender.
72:13 He will take pity 87 on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
72:14 From harm and violence he will defend them; 88
he will value their lives. 89
72:15 May he live! 90 May they offer him gold from Sheba! 91
May they continually pray for him!
May they pronounce blessings on him all day long! 92
72:16 May there be 93 an abundance 94 of grain in the earth;
on the tops 95 of the mountains may it 96 sway! 97
May its 98 fruit trees 99 flourish 100 like the forests of Lebanon! 101
May its crops 102 be as abundant 103 as the grass of the earth! 104
72:17 May his fame endure! 105
May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! 106
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! 107
May all nations consider him to be favored by God! 108
72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! 109
He alone accomplishes amazing things! 110
72:19 His glorious name deserves praise 111 forevermore!
May his majestic splendor 112 fill the whole earth!
We agree! We agree! 113
72:20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here. 114
Book 3
(Psalms 73-89)
A psalm by Asaph.
73:1 Certainly God is good to Israel, 116
and to those whose motives are pure! 117
73:2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my feet almost slid out from under me. 118
73:3 For I envied those who are proud,
as I observed 119 the prosperity 120 of the wicked.
73:4 For they suffer no pain; 121
their bodies 122 are strong and well-fed. 123
73:5 They are immune to the trouble common to men;
they do not suffer as other men do. 124
73:6 Arrogance is their necklace, 125
and violence their clothing. 126
73:7 Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; 127
their thoughts are sinful. 128
73:8 They mock 129 and say evil things; 130
they proudly threaten violence. 131
73:9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,
and lay claim to the earth. 132
73:10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat,
and even suck up the water of the sea. 133
73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?
Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” 134
73:12 Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, 135
those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. 136
73:13 I concluded, 137 “Surely in vain I have kept my motives 138 pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle. 139
73:14 I suffer all day long,
and am punished every morning.”
73:15 If I had publicized these thoughts, 140
I would have betrayed your loyal followers. 141
73:16 When I tried to make sense of this,
it was troubling to me. 142
73:17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple, 143
and understood the destiny of the wicked. 144
73:18 Surely 145 you put them in slippery places;
you bring them down 146 to ruin.
73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!
Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! 147
73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. 148
O Lord, when you awake 149 you will despise them. 150
73:21 Yes, 151 my spirit was bitter, 152
and my insides felt sharp pain. 153
73:22 I was ignorant 154 and lacked insight; 155
I was as senseless as an animal before you. 156
73:23 But I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
73:24 You guide 157 me by your wise advice,
and then you will lead me to a position of honor. 158
73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
I desire no one but you on earth. 159
73:26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak, 160
but God always 161 protects my heart and gives me stability. 162
73:27 Yes, 163 look! Those far from you 164 die;
you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you. 165
73:28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. 166
I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter,
as 167 I declare all the things you have done.
[70:1] 1 sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.
[70:1] 2 tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
[70:1] 3 tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “
[70:1] 4 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[70:2] 5 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”
[70:2] 6 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[70:2] sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
[70:3] 7 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[70:3] 8 tn Heb “May they be turned back according to their shame, those who say, ‘Aha! Aha!’” Ps 40:15 has the verb “humiliated” instead of “turned back” and adds “to me” after “say.”
[70:4] 9 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.
[70:4] 10 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.
[70:4] 11 tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “
[70:4] 12 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[70:5] 13 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[70:5] 14 tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”
[70:5] 15 tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “
[71:1] 16 sn Psalm 71. The psalmist prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him. The first three verses are very similar to Ps 31:1-3a.
[71:2] 17 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”
[71:2] 18 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[71:2] 19 tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”
[71:3] 20 tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).
[71:3] 21 tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).
[71:3] 22 sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[71:5] 24 tn Heb “for you [are] my hope.”
[71:5] 25 tn Heb “O
[71:6] 26 tn Heb “from the womb.”
[71:6] 27 tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”).
[71:6] 28 tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”
[71:7] 29 tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”
[71:8] 30 tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”
[71:9] 31 tn Heb “do not cast me away at the time of old age.”
[71:10] 32 tn Heb “those who watch for my life consult together.”
[71:12] 34 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[71:13] 35 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
[71:14] 36 tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”
[71:15] 37 tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”
[71:15] 38 tn Heb “though I do not know [the] numbers,” that is, the tally of God’s just and saving acts. HALOT 768 s.v. סְפֹרוֹת understands the plural noun to mean “the art of writing.”
[71:16] 39 tn Heb “I will come with.”
[71:17] 40 tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”
[71:18] 41 tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”
[71:18] 42 tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.
[71:19] 43 tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.
[71:19] sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.
[71:19] 44 tn Heb “you who have done great things.”
[71:19] 45 tn Or “Who is like you?”
[71:20] 46 tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”
[71:20] 47 tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[71:20] 48 tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[71:21] 49 tn Heb “increase my greatness.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer or wish. The psalmist’s request for “greatness” (or “honor”) is not a boastful, self-serving prayer for prominence, but, rather, a request that God would vindicate by elevating him over those who are trying to humiliate him.
[71:21] 50 tn The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.)
[71:22] 51 tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[71:22] 52 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The
[71:23] 53 tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here.
[71:23] 54 tn Heb “and my life [or “soul”] which you will have redeemed.” The perfect verbal form functions here as a future perfect. The psalmist anticipates praising God, for God will have rescued him by that time.
[71:24] 55 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
[71:24] 56 tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.
[72:1] 57 sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.
[72:1] 58 tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.
[72:1] 59 tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”
[72:1] 60 sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.
[72:1] 61 tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”
[72:2] 62 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:2] 63 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
[72:3] 64 tn Heb “[the] mountains will bear peace to the people, and [the] hills with justice.” The personified mountains and hills probably represent messengers who will sweep over the land announcing the king’s just decrees and policies. See Isa 52:7 and C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:133.
[72:4] 65 tn Heb “judge [for].”
[72:4] 66 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:5] 68 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[72:5] 69 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
[72:5] 70 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a generation, generations.” The rare expression דּוֹר דּוֹרִים (dor dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps 102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
[72:6] 71 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
[72:6] 72 tn The rare term zg refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.
[72:6] 73 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS in textual note b on this verse suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirzÿfu). The translation assumes the latter.
[72:6] 74 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.
[72:7] 75 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
[72:7] 76 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”
[72:8] 77 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
[72:8] 78 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.
[72:8] 79 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
[72:9] 80 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
[72:9] 81 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
[72:10] 82 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
[72:10] 83 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
[72:10] 84 sn Seba was located in Africa.
[72:12] 85 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
[72:12] 86 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
[72:13] 87 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defectively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
[72:14] 88 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[72:14] 89 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”
[72:15] 90 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. Because the form has the prefixed vav (ו), some subordinate it to what precedes as a purpose/result clause. In this case the representative poor individual might be the subject of this and the following verb, “so that he may live and give to him gold of Sheba.” But the idea of the poor offering gold is incongruous. It is better to take the jussive as a prayer with the king as subject of the verb. (Perhaps the initial vav is dittographic; note the vav at the end of the last form in v. 14.) The statement is probably an abbreviated version of the formula יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ (yÿkhiy hammelekh, “may the king live”; see 1 Sam 10:24; 2 Sam 16:16; 1 Kgs 1:25, 34, 39; 2 Kgs 11:12).
[72:15] 91 tn Heb “and he will give to him some gold of Sheba.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one give”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are the tribute bearers in view here.
[72:15] 92 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one pray…and may one bless”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are in view here.
[72:16] 93 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. The translation assumes the subject is impersonal (rather than the king).
[72:16] 94 tn The Hebrew noun פִסַּה (pissah; which appears here in the construct form) occurs only here in the OT. Perhaps the noun is related to the verbal root פָּשָׂה (pasah, “to spread,” see BDB 832 s.v.; the root appears as פָּסָה [pasah] in postbiblical Hebrew), which is used in postbiblical Hebrew of the rising sun’s rays spreading over the horizon and a tree’s branches spreading out (see Jastrow 1194 s.v. פסי, פָּסָה, פָּשָׂה). In Ps 72:16 a “spreading of grain” would refer to grain fields extending out over the land. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:139) emend the form to סְפִיחַ (sÿfiakh, “second growth”).
[72:16] 95 tn Heb “top” (singular).
[72:16] 96 tn That is, the grain.
[72:16] 97 tn According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the translator’s note at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse.
[72:16] 98 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is unclear. It is unlikely that the antecedent is אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) because this noun is normally grammatically feminine. Perhaps רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “top [of the mountains]”) is the antecedent. Another option is to understand the pronoun as referring to the king, who would then be viewed as an instrument of divine agricultural blessing (see v. 6).
[72:16] 100 tc According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the note on the word “earth” at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse. The present translation takes it with the preceding words, “like Lebanon its fruit” and emends the verb form from וְיָצִיצוּ (vÿyatsitsu; Qal imperfect third masculine plural with prefixed vav, [ו]) to יָצִיץ (yatsits; Qal imperfect third masculine singular). The initial vav is eliminated as dittographic (note the vav on the ending of the preceding form פִּרְיוֹ, piryo, “its/his fruit”) and the vav at the end of the form is placed on the following emended form (see the note on the word “crops”), yielding וַעֲמִיר (va’amir, “and [its] crops”).
[72:16] 101 tn Heb “like Lebanon.”
[72:16] 102 tc The MT has “from the city.” The translation assumes an emendation to עֲמִיר (’amir, “crops”).
[72:16] 103 tn The translation assumes that the verb צוץ (“flourish”) goes with the preceding line. The words “be as abundant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[72:16] 104 tc The traditional accentuation and vocalization of the MT differ from the text assumed by the present translation. The MT reads as follows: “May there be an abundance of grain in the earth, / and on the tops of the mountains! / May its [or “his”?] fruit [trees?] rustle like [the trees of] Lebanon! / May they flourish from the city, like the grass of the earth!” If one follows the MT, then it would appear that the “fruit” of the third line is a metaphorical reference to the king’s people, who flow out from the cities to populate the land (see line 4). Elsewhere in the OT people are sometimes compared to grass that sprouts up from the land (see v. 7, as well as Isa 27:6; Pss 92:7; 103:15). The translation understands a different poetic structural arrangement and, assuming the emendations mentioned in earlier notes, interprets each line of the verse to be a prayer for agricultural abundance.
[72:17] 105 tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.
[72:17] 106 tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.
[72:17] 107 tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the
[72:17] 108 tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).
[72:18] 109 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.
[72:18] 110 tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”
[72:19] 111 tn Heb “[be] blessed.”
[72:19] 113 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response of agreement to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
[72:20] 114 tn Heb “the prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded.” As noted earlier, v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter. In the present arrangement of the Book of Psalms, not all psalms prior to this are attributed to David (see Pss 1-2, 10, 33, 42-50, 66-67, 71-72) and several psalms attributed to David appear after this (see Pss 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 138-145).
[73:1] 115 sn Psalm 73. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist offers a personal testimony of his struggle with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. As he observed evil men prosper, he wondered if a godly lifestyle really pays off. In the midst of his discouragement, he reflected upon spiritual truths and realities. He was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. God will eventually vindicate his people.
[73:1] 116 tn Since the psalm appears to focus on an individual’s concerns, not the situation of Israel, this introduction may be a later addition designed to apply the psalm’s message to the entire community. To provide a better parallel with the next line, some emend the Hebrew phrase לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים (lÿyisra’el ’elohim, “to Israel, God”) to אֱלֹהִים [or אֵל] לָיָּשָׁר (’elohim [or ’el] lÿyyashar, “God [is good] to the upright one”).
[73:1] 117 tn Heb “to the pure of heart.”
[73:2] 118 tn The Hebrew verb normally means “to pour out,” but here it must have the nuance “to slide.”
[73:2] sn My feet almost slid out from under me. The language is metaphorical. As the following context makes clear, the psalmist almost “slipped” in a spiritual sense. As he began to question God’s justice, the psalmist came close to abandoning his faith.
[73:3] 119 tn The imperfect verbal form here depicts the action as continuing in a past time frame.
[73:3] 120 tn Heb “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).
[73:4] 121 tn In Isa 58:6, the only other occurrence of this word in the OT, the term refers to “bonds” or “ropes.” In Ps 73:4 it is used metaphorically of pain and suffering that restricts one’s enjoyment of life.
[73:4] 123 tc Or “fat.” The MT of v. 4 reads as follows: “for there are no pains at their death, and fat [is] their body.” Since a reference to the death of the wicked seems incongruous in the immediate context (note v. 5) and premature in the argument of the psalm (see vv. 18-20, 27), some prefer to emend the text by redividing it. The term לְמוֹתָם (lÿmotam,“at their death”) is changed to לָמוֹ תָּם (lamo tam, “[there are no pains] to them, strong [and fat are their bodies]”). The term תָּם (tam, “complete; sound”) is used of physical beauty in Song 5:2; 6:9. This emendation is the basis for the present translation. However, in defense of the MT (the traditional Hebrew text), one may point to an Aramaic inscription from Nerab which views a painful death as a curse and a nonpainful death in one’s old age as a sign of divine favor. See ANET 661.
[73:5] 124 tn Heb “in the trouble of man they are not, and with mankind they are not afflicted.”
[73:6] 125 sn Arrogance is their necklace. The metaphor suggests that their arrogance is something the wicked “wear” proudly. It draws attention to them, just as a beautiful necklace does to its owner.
[73:6] 126 tn Heb “a garment of violence covers them.” The metaphor suggests that violence is habitual for the wicked. They “wear” it like clothing; when one looks at them, violence is what one sees.
[73:7] 127 tc The MT reads “it goes out from fatness their eye,” which might be paraphrased, “their eye protrudes [or “bulges”] because of fatness.” This in turn might refer to their greed; their eyes “bug out” when they see rich food or produce (the noun חֵלֶב [khelev, “fatness”] sometimes refers to such food or produce). However, when used with the verb יָצָא (yatsa’, “go out”) the preposition מִן (“from”) more naturally indicates source. For this reason it is preferable to emend עֵינֵמוֹ (’enemo, “their eye”) to עֲוֹנָמוֹ, (’avonamo, “their sin”) and read, “and their sin proceeds forth from fatness,” that is, their prosperity gives rise to their sinful attitudes. If one follows this textual reading, another interpretive option is to take חֵלֶב (“fatness”) in the sense of “unreceptive, insensitive” (see its use in Ps 17:10). In this case, the sin of the wicked proceeds forth from their spiritual insensitivity.
[73:7] 128 tn Heb “the thoughts of [their] heart [i.e., mind] cross over” (i.e., violate God’s moral boundary, see Ps 17:3).
[73:8] 129 tn The verb מוּק (muq, “mock”) occurs only here in the OT.
[73:8] 130 tn Heb “and speak with evil.”
[73:8] 131 tn Heb “oppression from an elevated place they speak.” The traditional accentuation of the MT places “oppression” with the preceding line. In this case, one might translate, “they mock and speak with evil [of] oppression, from an elevated place [i.e., “proudly”] they speak.” By placing “oppression” with what follows, one achieves better poetic balance in the parallelism.
[73:9] 132 tn Heb “they set in heaven their mouth, and their tongue walks through the earth.” The meaning of the text is uncertain. Perhaps the idea is that they lay claim to heaven (i.e., speak as if they were ruling in heaven) and move through the earth declaring their superiority and exerting their influence. Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) the first line as adversative and translate, “they set their mouth against heaven,” that is, they defy God.
[73:10] 133 tc Heb “therefore his people return [so Qere (marginal reading); Kethib (consonantal text) has “he brings back”] to here, and waters of abundance are sucked up by them.” The traditional Hebrew text (MT) defies explanation. The present translation reflects M. Dahood’s proposed emendations (Psalms [AB], 2:190) and reads the Hebrew text as follows: לָכֵן יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם וּמֵי מָלֵא יָמֹצּוּ לָמוֹ (“therefore they are filled with food, and waters of abundance they suck up for themselves”). The reading יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם (yisvÿ’um lekhem, “they are filled with food”) assumes (1) an emendation of יָשׁיּב עַמּוֹ (yashyyv, “he will bring back his people”) to יִשְׂבְעוּם (yisvÿ’um, “they will be filled”; a Qal imperfect third masculine plural form from שָׂבַע [sava’] with enclitic mem [ם]), and (2) an emendation of הֲלֹם (halom, “to here”) to לֶחֶם (“food”). The expression “be filled/fill with food” appears elsewhere at least ten times (see Ps 132:15, for example). In the second line the Niphal form יִמָּצוּ (yimmatsu, derived from מָצָה, matsah, “drain”) is emended to a Qal form יָמֹצּוּ (yamotsu), derived from מָצַץ (matsats, “to suck”). In Isa 66:11 the verbs שָׂבַע (sava’; proposed in Ps 73:10a) and מָצַץ (proposed in Ps 73:10b) are parallel. The point of the emended text is this: Because they are seemingly sovereign (v. 9), they become greedy and grab up everything they need and more.
[73:11] 134 tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).
[73:12] 135 tn Heb “Look, these [are] the wicked.”
[73:12] 136 tn Heb “the ones who are always at ease [who] increase wealth.”
[73:13] 137 tn The words “I concluded” are supplied in the translation. It is apparent that vv. 13-14 reflect the psalmist’s thoughts at an earlier time (see vv. 2-3), prior to the spiritual awakening he describes in vv. 17-28.
[73:13] 138 tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
[73:13] 139 tn Heb “and washed my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The reference to “hands” suggests actions.
[73:15] 140 tn Heb “If I had said, ‘I will speak out like this.’”
[73:15] 141 tn Heb “look, the generation of your sons I would have betrayed.” The phrase “generation of your [i.e., God’s] sons” occurs only here in the OT. Some equate the phrase with “generation of the godly” (Ps 14:5), “generation of the ones seeking him” (Ps 24:6), and “generation of the upright” (Ps 112:2). In Deut 14:1 the Israelites are referred to as God’s “sons.” Perhaps the psalmist refers here to those who are “Israelites” in the true sense because of their loyalty to God (note the juxtaposition of “Israel” with “the pure in heart” in v. 1).
[73:16] 142 tn Heb “and [when] I pondered to understand this, troubling it [was] in my eyes.”
[73:17] 143 tn The plural of the term מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash) probably refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 68:35; Jer 51:51).
[73:17] 144 tn Heb “I discerned their end.” At the temple the psalmist perhaps received an oracle of deliverance announcing his vindication and the demise of the wicked (see Ps 12) or heard songs of confidence (for example, Ps 11), wisdom psalms (for example, Pss 1, 37), and hymns (for example, Ps 112) that describe the eventual downfall of the proud and wealthy.
[73:18] 145 tn The use of the Hebrew term אַךְ (’akh, “surely”) here literarily counteracts its use in v. 13. The repetition draws attention to the contrast between the two statements, the first of which expresses the psalmist’s earlier despair and the second his newly discovered confidence.
[73:18] 146 tn Heb “cause them to fall.”
[73:19] 147 tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”
[73:20] 148 tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.
[73:20] 149 sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.
[73:20] 150 tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.
[73:21] 151 tn Or perhaps “when.”
[73:21] 152 tn The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing attitude in a past time frame.
[73:21] 153 tn Heb “and [in] my kidneys I was pierced.” The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing condition in a past time frame.
[73:22] 154 tn Or “brutish, stupid.”
[73:22] 155 tn Heb “and I was not knowing.”
[73:22] 156 tn Heb “an animal I was with you.”
[73:24] 157 tn The imperfect verbal form here suggests this is the psalmist’s ongoing experience.
[73:24] 158 tn Heb “and afterward [to] glory you will take me.” Some interpreters view this as the psalmist’s confidence in an afterlife in God’s presence and understand כָּבוֹד (cavod) as a metonymic reference to God’s presence in heaven. But this seems unlikely in the present context. The psalmist anticipates a time of vindication, when the wicked are destroyed and he is honored by God for his godly life style. The verb לָקַח (laqakh, “take”) here carries the nuance “lead, guide, conduct,” as in Num 23:14, 27-28; Josh 24:3 and Prov 24:11.
[73:25] 159 tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.
[73:26] 160 tn The Hebrew verb כָלָה (khalah, “to fail; to grow weak”) does not refer here to physical death per se, but to the physical weakness that sometimes precedes death (see Job 33:21; Pss 71:9; 143:7; Prov 5:11).
[73:26] 162 tn Heb “is the rocky summit of my heart and my portion.” The psalmist compares the
[73:27] 164 sn The following line defines the phrase far from you in a spiritual sense. Those “far” from God are those who are unfaithful and disloyal to him.
[73:27] 165 tn Heb “everyone who commits adultery from you.”
[73:28] 166 tn Heb “but as for me, the nearness of God for me [is] good.”
[73:28] 167 tn The infinitive construct with -לְ (lÿ) is understood here as indicating an attendant circumstance. Another option is to take it as indicating purpose (“so that I might declare”) or result (“with the result that I declare”).
