Mazmur 108:1--118:29
KonteksA song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, 2 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 3
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 4
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 5
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 6
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 7 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 8
108:6 Deliver by your power 9 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 10
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 11
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 12
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 13
Ephraim is my helmet, 14
Judah my royal scepter. 15
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 16
I will make Edom serve me. 17
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 18
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 19
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 20
he will trample down 21 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 23
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 24
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 25
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 26
but I continue to pray. 27
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 28
and hate for love.
109:6 29 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 30
May an accuser stand 31 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 32 guilty! 33
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
May another take his job! 35
109:9 May his children 36 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 37 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 38
109:11 May the creditor seize 39 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 40
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 41
May no one have compassion 42 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 43 be cut off! 44
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 45
109:14 May his ancestors’ 46 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 47
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 48
and cut off the memory of his children 49 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 50
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 51
109:17 He loved to curse 52 others, so those curses have come upon him. 53
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 54
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 55
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 56
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 57
or a belt 58 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 59
those who say evil things about 60 me! 61
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 62
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 63
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 64
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 65
I have turned into skin and bones. 66
109:25 I am disdained by them. 67
When they see me, they shake their heads. 68
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 69
109:27 Then they will realize 70 this is your work, 71
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 72
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 73
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 74 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 75
in the middle of a crowd 76 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 77 his life.
A psalm of David.
110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation 79 to my lord: 80
“Sit down at my right hand 81 until I make your enemies your footstool!” 82
110:2 The Lord 83 extends 84 your dominion 85 from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
110:3 Your people willingly follow you 86 when you go into battle. 87
On the holy hills 88 at sunrise 89 the dew of your youth 90 belongs to you. 91
110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath 92 and will not revoke it: 93
“You are an eternal priest 94 after the pattern of 95 Melchizedek.” 96
110:5 O sovereign Lord, 97 at your right hand
he strikes down 98 kings in the day he unleashes his anger. 99
110:6 He executes judgment 100 against 101 the nations;
he fills the valleys with corpses; 102
he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. 103
110:7 From the stream along the road he drinks;
then he lifts up his head. 104
111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.
111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,
eagerly awaited 106 by all who desire them.
111:3 His work is majestic and glorious, 107
and his faithfulness endures 108 forever.
111:4 He does 109 amazing things that will be remembered; 110
the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
111:5 He gives 111 food to his faithful followers; 112
he always remembers his covenant. 113
111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,
giving them a land that belonged to other nations. 114
111:7 His acts are characterized by 115 faithfulness and justice;
all his precepts are reliable. 116
111:8 They are forever firm,
and should be faithfully and properly carried out. 117
111:9 He delivered his people; 118
he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. 119
His name is holy and awesome.
111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; 120
all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. 121
He will receive praise forever. 122
112:1 Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the one 124 who obeys 125 the Lord,
who takes great delight in keeping his commands. 126
112:2 His descendants 127 will be powerful on the earth;
the godly 128 will be blessed.
112:3 His house contains wealth and riches;
his integrity endures. 129
112:4 In the darkness a light 130 shines for the godly,
for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. 131
112:5 It goes well for the one 132 who generously lends money,
and conducts his business honestly. 133
112:6 For he will never be upended;
others will always remember one who is just. 134
112:7 He does not fear bad news.
He 135 is confident; he trusts 136 in the Lord.
112:8 His resolve 137 is firm; he will not succumb to fear
before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
112:9 He generously gives 138 to the needy;
his integrity endures. 139
He will be vindicated and honored. 140
112:10 When the wicked 141 see this, they will worry;
they will grind their teeth in frustration 142 and melt away;
the desire of the wicked will perish. 143
113:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
113:2 May the Lord’s name be praised
now and forevermore!
the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.
113:4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations;
his splendor reaches beyond the sky. 146
113:5 Who can compare to the Lord our God,
who sits on a high throne? 147
113:6 He bends down to look 148
at the sky and the earth.
113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 149
113:8 that he might seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
113:9 He makes the barren woman of the family 150
a happy mother of children. 151
Praise the Lord!
114:1 When Israel left Egypt,
when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind, 153
114:2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his kingdom.
114:3 The sea looked and fled; 154
the Jordan River 155 turned back. 156
114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs. 157
114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?
Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?
114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,
like lambs, O hills?
114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –
before the God of Jacob,
114:8 who turned a rock into a pool of water,
a hard rock into springs of water! 158
115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!
But to your name bring honor, 160
for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. 161
115:2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
115:3 Our God is in heaven!
He does whatever he pleases! 162
115:4 Their 163 idols are made of silver and gold –
they are man-made. 164
115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
115:6 ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell,
115:7 hands, but cannot touch,
feet, but cannot walk.
They cannot even clear their throats. 165
115:8 Those who make them will end up 166 like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 167 and protector. 168
115:10 O family 169 of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 170 and protector. 171
115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord, 172 trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 173 and protector. 174
115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, 175 he will bless 176 –
he will bless the family 177 of Israel,
he will bless the family of Aaron.
115:13 He will bless his loyal followers, 178
both young and old. 179
115:14 May he increase your numbers,
yours and your children’s! 180
115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the creator 181 of heaven and earth!
115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, 182
but the earth he has given to mankind. 183
115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. 184
115:18 But we will praise the Lord
now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy, 186
As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. 188
116:3 The ropes of death tightened around me, 189
the snares 190 of Sheol confronted me.
I was confronted 191 with trouble and sorrow.
116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please Lord, rescue my life!”
116:5 The Lord is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
116:6 The Lord protects 192 the untrained; 193
I was in serious trouble 194 and he delivered me.
116:7 Rest once more, my soul, 195
for the Lord has vindicated you. 196
116:8 Yes, 197 Lord, 198 you rescued my life from death,
and kept my feet from stumbling.
116:9 I will serve 199 the Lord
in the land 200 of the living.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
“All men are liars.”
116:12 How can I repay the Lord
for all his acts of kindness to me?
116:13 I will celebrate my deliverance, 202
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people.
116:15 The Lord values
the lives of his faithful followers. 203
116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;
I am your lowest slave. 204
You saved me from death. 205
116:17 I will present a thank offering to you,
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the Lord’s temple,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Applaud him, all you foreigners! 207
117:2 For his loyal love towers 208 over us,
and the Lord’s faithfulness endures.
Praise the Lord!
118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 210
118:2 Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:3 Let the family 211 of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord 212 say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:5 In my distress 213 I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 214
118:6 The Lord is on my side, 215 I am not afraid!
What can people do to me? 216
118:7 The Lord is on my side 217 as my helper. 218
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
118:8 It is better to take shelter 219 in the Lord
than to trust in people.
118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
118:10 All the nations surrounded me. 220
Indeed, in the name of the Lord 221 I pushed them away. 222
118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:12 They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly 223 as a fire among thorns. 224
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:13 “You aggressively attacked me 225 and tried to knock me down, 226
but the Lord helped me.
118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; 227
he has become my deliverer.” 228
118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. 229
The Lord’s right hand conquers, 230
118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory, 231
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
118:17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. 232
118:18 The Lord severely 233 punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! 234
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
118:20 This is the Lord’s gate –
the godly enter through it.
118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,
and have become my deliverer.
118:22 The stone which the builders discarded 235
has become the cornerstone. 236
118:23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing! 237
118:24 This is the day the Lord has brought about. 238
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
118:25 Please Lord, deliver!
Please Lord, grant us success! 239
118:26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord 240 be blessed!
We will pronounce blessings on you 241 in the Lord’s temple. 242
118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us. 243
Tie the offering 244 with ropes
to the horns of the altar! 245
118:28 You are my 246 God and I will give you thanks!
You are my God and I will praise you!
118:29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 247
[108:1] 1 sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).
[108:1] 2 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.
[108:1] 3 tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“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 (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. 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.”
[108:2] 4 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.
[108:3] 5 tn Or “the peoples.”
[108:4] 6 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[108:5] 8 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.)
[108:6] 9 tn Heb “right hand.”
[108:6] 10 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.”
[108:7] 11 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[108:7] 12 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
[108:8] 13 tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[108:8] 14 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[108:8] sn Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan River. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
[108:8] 15 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[108:9] 16 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[108:9] 17 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.” 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.
[108:10] 18 sn 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. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
[108:12] 19 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[108:13] 20 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 118:16-16).
[108:13] 21 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
[109:1] 22 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 23 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 24 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 25 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 26 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 27 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 28 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 29 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 30 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 31 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 32 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 33 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 34 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
[109:8] 35 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 38 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 39 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 40 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 41 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 42 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 43 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 44 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 45 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 46 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 47 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:14] sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
[109:15] 48 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 49 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 50 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 51 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 52 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 53 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 54 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 55 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 56 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 57 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 58 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 59 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 61 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 62 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 63 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
[109:23] 64 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 65 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 66 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 67 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 68 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 69 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 70 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 71 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 72 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 73 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 74 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 75 tn Heb “I will thank the
[110:1] 78 sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.
[110:1] 79 tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.
[110:1] 80 sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).
[110:1] 81 tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.
[110:1] sn The Lord’s invitation to the Davidic king to sit down at his right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.
[110:1] 82 sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).
[110:2] 83 tn Since the
[110:2] 84 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.
[110:2] 85 tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.
[110:3] 86 tn Heb “your people, free will offerings.” Perhaps the people, in their willingness to volunteer, are compared metaphorically to freewill offerings. Following the LXX, some revocalize the text and read “with you is nobility.”
[110:3] 87 tn Heb “in the day of your power.”
[110:3] 88 tc Heb “in splendor of holiness.” The plural construct form הַדְרֵי (hadrey, from הָדַר, hadar, “splendor”) occurs only here; it may indicate degree or perhaps refer by metonymy to garments (see Pss 29:2 and 96:9, where the phrase הַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ [hadrat qodesh] refers to “holy attire”). If one retains the reading of the MT, this phrase should probably be taken with the preceding line. However, because of the subsequent references to “dawn” and to “dew,” it is better to emend the text to הַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ (harrey qodesh, “mountains of holiness”), a reading found in many medieval Hebrew
[110:3] 89 tn Heb “from the womb of dawn.” The Hebrew noun רֶחֶם (rekhem, “womb”) is probably used here metonymically for “birth.” The form מִשְׁחָר (mishkhar) occurs only here and should be emended to שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”) with the mem (מ) being understood as dittographic (note the final mem [ם] on the preceding word). The phrase “womb [i.e., “birth”] of dawn” refers to sunrise.
[110:3] 90 sn The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. The dew may symbolize the king’s youthful vitality or, more likely (note the parallelism), may refer to his army of strong, youthful warriors.
[110:3] 91 tn Heb “to you [is].”
[110:4] 92 tn Or “swears, vows.”
[110:4] 93 tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
[110:4] 94 sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).
[110:4] 95 tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.
[110:4] 96 sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”
[110:5] 97 tn As pointed in the Hebrew text, this title refers to God (many medieval Hebrew
[110:5] 98 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 5-6 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing. Another option is to take them as rhetorical. In this case the psalmist describes anticipated events as if they had already taken place.
[110:5] 99 tn Heb “in the day of his anger.”
[110:6] 100 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 6-7 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though they could be taken as future.
[110:6] 102 tn Heb “he fills [with] corpses,” but one expects a double accusative here. The translation assumes an emendation to גְוִיּוֹת גֵאָיוֹת(בִּ) מִלֵּא or מִלֵּא גֵאָיוֹת גְּוִיוֹת (for a similar construction see Ezek 32:5). In the former case גֵאָיוֹת(ge’ayot) has accidentally dropped from the text due to homoioteleuton; in the latter case it has dropped out due to homoioarcton.
[110:6] 103 tn Heb “he strikes [the verb is מָחַץ (makhats), translated “strikes down” in v. 5] head[s] over a great land.” The Hebrew term רַבָּה (rabbah, “great”) is here used of distance or spatial measurement (see 1 Sam 26:13).
[110:7] 104 tn Here the expression “lifts up the head” refers to the renewed physical strength and emotional vigor (see Ps 3:3) provided by the refreshing water. For another example of a victorious warrior being energized by water in the aftermath of battle, see Judg 15:18-19 (see also 1 Sam 30:11-12, where the setting is different, however).
[111:1] 105 sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[111:2] 106 tn Heb “sought out.”
[111:3] 107 tn For other uses of the Hebrew phrase וְהָדָר-הוֹד (hod-vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 21:5; 96:6; 104:1.
[111:4] 109 tn Or “did,” if this refers primarily to the events of the exodus and conquest period (see vv. 6, 9).
[111:4] 110 tn Heb “a memorial he had made for his amazing deeds.”
[111:5] 111 tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.
[111:5] 112 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[111:5] 113 tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).
[111:6] 114 tn Heb “the strength of his deeds he proclaimed to his people, to give to them an inheritance of nations.”
[111:7] 115 tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”
[111:7] 116 tn That is, fair and for man’s good.
[111:8] 117 tn Heb “done in faithfulness and uprightness.” The passive participle probably has the force of a gerund. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 89.
[111:9] 118 tn Heb “redemption he sent for his people.”
[111:9] 119 tn Heb “he commanded forever his covenant.”
[111:10] 120 tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the
[111:10] 121 tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.
[111:10] 122 tn Heb “his praise stands forever.”
[112:1] 123 sn Psalm 112. This wisdom psalm lists some of the benefits of living a godly life. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[112:1] 124 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The individual is representative of a larger group, called the “godly” in vv. 3-4. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in the following verses.
[112:1] 126 tn Heb “in his commands he delights very much.” The words “in keeping” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Taking delight in the law is metonymic here for obeying God’s moral will. See Ps 1:2.
[112:2] 127 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[112:2] 128 tn Heb “His seed will be mighty on the earth, the generation of the godly.” The Hebrew term דוֹר (dor, “generation”) could be taken as parallel to “offspring” and translated “posterity,” but the singular more likely refers to the godly as a class. See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.
[112:3] 129 tn Heb “stands forever.”
[112:4] 130 tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.
[112:4] 131 tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.
[112:5] 133 tn Heb “he sustains his matters with justice.”
[112:6] 134 tn Heb “for an eternal memorial a just [one] will be.”
[112:7] 135 tn Heb “his heart,” viewed here as the seat of the volition and emotions (see Ps 108:1).
[112:7] 136 tn The passive participle בָּטֻחַ [בָּטוּחַ] (batuakh [batuakh]) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action. See Isa 26:3.
[112:8] 137 tn Heb “his heart,” viewed here as the seat of the volition.
[112:9] 138 tn Heb “he scatters, he gives.”
[112:9] 139 tn Heb “stands forever.”
[112:9] 140 tn Heb “his horn will be lifted up in honor.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
[112:10] 141 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular; the representative wicked individual is in view as typifying the group (note the use of the plural form in v. 10).
[112:10] 142 tn Heb “his teeth he will gnash.” In Pss 35:16 and 37:12 this action is associated with a vicious attack.
[112:10] 143 tn This could mean that the desires of the wicked will go unfulfilled. Another possibility is that “desire” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired. In this case the point is that the wicked will lose what they desired so badly and acquired by evil means (see Ps 10:3).
[113:1] 144 sn Psalm 113. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign king of the world who reaches down to help the needy.
[113:3] 145 tn Heb “from the rising of the sun to its setting.” The extent is not temporal (“from sunrise to sunset”) but spatial (“from the place where the sun rises [the east] to the place where it sets [the west].” In the phenomenological language of OT cosmology, the sun was described as rising in the east and setting in the west.
[113:4] 146 tn Heb “above the sky [is] his splendor.”
[113:5] 147 tn Heb “the one who makes high to sit.”
[113:6] 148 tn Heb “the one who makes low to see.”
[113:7] 149 sn The language of v. 7 is almost identical to that of 1 Sam 2:8.
[113:9] 150 tn Heb “of the house.”
[114:1] 152 sn Psalm 114. The psalmist recalls the events of the exodus and conquest and celebrates God’s kingship over his covenant people.
[114:1] 153 tn Heb “the house of Jacob from a nation speaking a foreign language.” The Hebrew verb לָעַז (la’at, “to speak a foreign language”) occurs only here in the OT.
[114:3] 154 sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).
[114:3] 155 tn Heb “the Jordan” (also in v. 5). The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[114:3] 156 sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh 3:13, 16).
[114:4] 157 sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).
[114:8] 158 sn In v. 8 the psalmist recalls the event(s) recorded in Exod 17:6 and/or Num 20:11 (see also Deut 8:15 and Ps 78:15-16, 20).
[115:1] 159 sn Psalm 115. The psalmist affirms that Israel’s God is superior to pagan idols and urges Israel to place their confidence in him.
[115:1] 160 tn Or “give glory.”
[115:1] 161 sn The psalmist asks the
[115:3] 162 sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).
[115:4] 163 tn The referent of the pronominal suffix is “the nations” (v. 2).
[115:4] 164 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
[115:7] 165 tn Heb “they cannot mutter in their throats.” Verse 5a refers to speaking, v. 7c to inarticulate sounds made in the throat (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:140-41).
[115:8] 166 tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”
[115:8] sn Because the idols are lifeless, they cannot help their worshipers in times of crisis. Consequently the worshipers end up as dead as the gods in which they trust.
[115:9] 167 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[115:9] 168 tn Heb “and their shield.”
[115:10] 170 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[115:10] 171 tn Heb “and their shield.”
[115:11] 172 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[115:11] 173 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[115:11] 174 tn Heb “and their shield.”
[115:12] 175 tn Or “remembers us.”
[115:12] 176 tn Another option is to translate the prefixed form of the verb “bless” in vv. 12-13 as a jussive, “may he bless” (see v. 14).
[115:13] 178 tn Heb “the fearers of the
[115:13] 179 tn Heb “the small along with the great.” The translation assumes that “small” and “great” here refer to age (see 2 Chr 15:13). Another option is to translate “both the insignificant and the prominent” (see Job 3:19; cf. NEB “high and low alike”).
[115:14] 180 tn Heb “may he add to you, to you and your sons.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[115:16] 182 tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the
[115:16] 183 tn Heb “to the sons of man.”
[115:17] 184 tn Heb “silence,” a metonymy here for death (see Ps 94:17).
[116:1] 185 sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.
[116:1] 186 tn Heb “I love because the
[116:2] 187 tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”
[116:2] 188 tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”
[116:3] 189 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[116:3] 190 tn The Hebrew noun מצר (“straits; distress”) occurs only here, Ps 118:5 and Lam 1:3. If retained, it refers to Sheol as a place where one is confined or severely restricted (cf. BDB 865 s.v. מֵצַר, “the straits of Sheol”; NIV “the anguish of the grave”; NRSV “the pangs of Sheol”). However, HALOT 624 s.v. מֵצַר suggests an emendation to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”), a rare noun attested in Job 19:6 and Eccl 7:26. This proposal, which is reflected in the translation, produces better parallelism with “ropes” in the preceding line.
[116:3] 191 tn The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls the crisis from which the Lord delivered him.
[116:6] 192 tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the
[116:6] 193 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Ps 19:7.
[116:6] 194 tn Heb “I was low.”
[116:7] 195 tn Heb “return, my soul, to your place of rest.”
[116:7] 196 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense (cf. Ps 13:5).
[116:8] 198 tn “
[116:9] 199 tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.
[116:9] 200 tn Heb “lands, regions.”
[116:11] 201 tn Heb “I said in my haste.”
[116:13] 202 tn Heb “a cup of deliverance I will lift up.” Perhaps this alludes to a drink offering the psalmist will present as he thanks the
[116:15] 203 tn Heb “precious in the eyes of the
[116:16] 204 tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the
[116:16] 205 tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).
[117:1] 206 sn Psalm 117. The psalmist tells the nations to praise the Lord for his loyal love and faithfulness.
[117:1] 207 tn Or “peoples” (see Ps 108:3).
[117:2] 208 tn For this sense of the Hebrew verb גָּבַר (gavar), see Ps 103:11 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.
[118:1] 209 sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.
[118:1] 210 tn Or “is forever.”
[118:4] 212 tn Heb “fearers of the
[118:5] 213 tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מצר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”).
[118:5] 214 tn Heb “the
[118:6] 216 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.
[118:7] 218 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.
[118:8] 219 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[118:10] 220 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
[118:10] 221 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the
[118:10] 222 tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.
[118:12] 223 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
[118:12] 224 tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.
[118:13] 225 tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”
[118:13] 226 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
[118:14] 227 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the
[118:14] 228 tn Or “salvation.”
[118:15] 229 tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”
[118:15] 230 tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).
[118:17] 232 tn Heb “the works of the
[118:18] 233 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.
[118:19] 234 tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the
[118:22] 235 tn Or “rejected.”
[118:22] 236 tn Heb “the head of the corner.”
[118:22] sn The metaphor of the stone…the builders discarded describes the way in which God’s deliverance reversed the psalmist’s circumstances. When he was in distress, he was like a stone which was discarded by builders as useless, but now that he has been vindicated by God, all can see that he is of special importance to God, like the cornerstone of the building.
[118:23] 237 tn Heb “it is amazing in our eyes.” The use of the plural pronoun here and in vv. 24-27 suggests that the psalmist may be speaking for the entire nation. However, it is more likely that vv. 22-27 are the people’s response to the psalmist’s thanksgiving song (see especially v. 26). They rejoice with him because his deliverance on the battlefield (see vv. 10-12) had national repercussions.
[118:24] 238 tn Heb “this is the day the
[118:25] 239 sn A petition for deliverance and success seems odd in a psalm thanking God for deliverance, but it is not unique (see Ps 9:19-20). The people ask God to continue to intervene for them as he has for the psalmist.
[118:26] 240 sn The people refer here to the psalmist, who enters the
[118:26] 241 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural, but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the following form) or enclitic, in which case the suffix may be taken as second masculine singular, referring to the psalmist.
[118:26] 242 tn Heb “from the house of the
[118:27] 243 tn Heb “and he has given us light.” This may be an elliptical expression, with “his face” being implied as the object (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19). In this case, “his face has given us light” = “he has smiled on us,” or “he has shown us his favor.” Another option (the one reflected in the translation) is that “light” here symbolizes divine blessing in the form of deliverance. “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Some prefer to repoint the form וְיָאֵר (vÿya’er; vav [ו] conjunctive + jussive) and translate the statement as a prayer, “may he give us light.”
[118:27] 244 tn The Hebrew noun חַג (khag) normally means “festival,” but here it apparently refers metonymically to an offering made at the festival. BDB 291 s.v. חַג 2 interprets the word in this way here, citing as comparable the use of later Hebrew חֲגִיגָה, which can refer to both a festival and a festival offering (see Jastrow 424 s.v. חֲגִיגָה).
[118:27] 245 tn The second half of v. 27 has been translated and interpreted in a variety of ways. For a survey of major views, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 122.
[118:28] 246 sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).
