Boks TemuanPsalms 40:1--45:17
KonteksFor the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 2 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 3
out of the slimy mud. 4
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing. 5
40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 6
praising our God. 7
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 8
40:4 How blessed 9 is the one 10 who trusts in the Lord 11
and does not seek help from 12 the proud or from liars! 13
40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 14
No one can thwart you! 15
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 16
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 17
You make that quite clear to me! 18
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. 19
40:8 I want to do what pleases you, 20 my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” 21
40:9 I have told the great assembly 22 about your justice. 23
Look! I spare no words! 24
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 25
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 26
40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold 27 your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 28
40:12 For innumerable dangers 29 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 30
40:13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! 31
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 32
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 33
40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated 34 and disgraced! 35
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 36 your deliverance say continually, 37
“May the Lord be praised!” 38
40:17 I am oppressed and needy! 39
May the Lord pay attention to me! 40
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 42 is the one who treats the poor properly! 43
When trouble comes, 44 the Lord delivers him. 45
41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! 46
May he be blessed 47 in the land!
Do not turn him over 48 to his enemies! 49
41:3 The Lord supports 50 him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness. 51
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
41:5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, 53
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 54
41:6 When someone comes to visit, 55 he pretends to be friendly; 56
he thinks of ways to defame me, 57
and when he leaves he slanders me. 58
41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; 59
they plan ways to harm me.
‘An awful disease 61 overwhelms him, 62
and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’ 63
41:9 Even my close friend 64 whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. 65
41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!” 66
41:11 By this 67 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does 68 not triumph 69 over me.
41:12 As for me, you uphold 70 me because of my integrity; 71
you allow 72 me permanent access to your presence. 73
41:13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise 74
in the future and forevermore! 75
We agree! We agree! 76
Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)
For the music director; a well-written song 78 by the Korahites.
42:1 As a deer 79 longs 80 for streams of water,
so I long 81 for you, O God!
for the living God.
I say, 83 “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” 84
42:3 I cannot eat, I weep day and night; 85
all day long they say to me, 86 “Where is your God?”
42:4 I will remember and weep! 87
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. 88
42:5 Why are you depressed, 89 O my soul? 90
Why are you upset? 91
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 92
so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan, 94
from Hermon, 95 from Mount Mizar. 96
42:7 One deep stream calls out to another 97 at the sound of your waterfalls; 98
all your billows and waves overwhelm me. 99
42:8 By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, 100
and by night he gives me a song, 101
a prayer 102 to the living God.
42:9 I will pray 103 to God, my high ridge: 104
“Why do you ignore 105 me?
Why must I walk around mourning 106
because my enemies oppress me?”
42:10 My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone, 107
as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 108
42:11 Why are you depressed, 109 O my soul? 110
Why are you upset? 111
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 112
43:1 Vindicate me, O God!
Fight for me 114 against an ungodly nation!
Deliver me 115 from deceitful and evil men! 116
43:2 For you are the God who shelters me. 117
Why do you reject me? 118
Why must I walk around 119 mourning 120
because my enemies oppress me?
43:3 Reveal 121 your light 122 and your faithfulness!
They will lead me, 123
they will escort 124 me back to your holy hill, 125
and to the place where you live. 126
43:4 Then I will go 127 to the altar of God,
to the God who gives me ecstatic joy, 128
so that I express my thanks to you, 129 O God, my God, with a harp.
43:5 Why are you depressed, 130 O my soul? 131
Why are you upset? 132
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 133
For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song. 135
44:1 O God, we have clearly heard; 136
our ancestors 137 have told us
what you did 138 in their days,
in ancient times. 139
44:2 You, by your power, 140 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; 141
you crushed 142 the people living there 143 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it. 144
44:3 For they did not conquer 145 the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength, 146
but rather by your power, 147 strength 148 and good favor, 149
for you were partial to 150 them.
44:4 You are my 151 king, O God!
Decree 152 Jacob’s 153 deliverance!
44:5 By your power 154 we will drive back 155 our enemies;
by your strength 156 we will trample down 157 our foes! 158
44:6 For I do not trust in my bow,
and I do not prevail by my sword.
44:7 For you deliver 159 us from our enemies;
you humiliate 160 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 161 you rejected and embarrassed us!
You did not go into battle with our armies. 162
44:10 You made us retreat 163 from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. 164
44:11 You handed us 165 over like sheep to be eaten;
you scattered us among the nations.
44:12 You sold 166 your people for a pittance; 167
you did not ask a high price for them. 168
44:13 You made us 169 an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. 170
44:14 You made us 171 an object of ridicule 172 among the nations;
foreigners treat us with contempt. 173
44:15 All day long I feel humiliated 174
and am overwhelmed with shame, 175
44:16 before the vindictive enemy
who ridicules and insults me. 176
44:17 All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you 177
or violated your covenant with us. 178
44:18 We have not been unfaithful, 179
nor have we disobeyed your commands. 180
44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; 181
you have covered us with darkness. 182
44:20 If we had rejected our God, 183
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, 184
44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows 185 one’s thoughts? 186
44:22 Yet because of you 187 we are killed all day long;
we are treated like 188 sheep at the slaughtering block. 189
44:23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Wake up! 190 Do not reject us forever!
44:24 Why do you look the other way, 191
and ignore 192 the way we are oppressed and mistreated? 193
44:25 For we lie in the dirt,
with our bellies pressed to the ground. 194
44:26 Rise up and help us!
Rescue us 195 because of your loyal love!
For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 197 by the Korahites, a well-written poem, 198 a love song.
45:1 My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. 199
I say, “I have composed this special song 200 for the king;
my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.” 201
45:2 You are the most handsome of all men! 202
You speak in an impressive and fitting manner! 203
For this reason 204 God grants you continual blessings. 205
45:3 Strap your sword to your thigh, O warrior! 206
Appear in your majestic splendor! 207
45:4 Appear in your majesty and be victorious! 208
Ride forth for the sake of what is right, 209
on behalf of justice! 210
Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts! 211
45:5 Your arrows are sharp
and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
Nations fall at your feet. 212
45:6 Your throne, 213 O God, is permanent. 214
The scepter 215 of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
45:7 You love 216 justice and hate evil. 217
For this reason God, your God 218 has anointed you 219
with the oil of joy, 220 elevating you above your companions. 221
45:8 All your garments are perfumed with 222 myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From the luxurious palaces 223 comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. 224
45:9 Princesses 225 are among your honored guests, 226
your bride 227 stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. 228
Observe and pay attention! 230
Forget your homeland 231 and your family! 232
45:11 Then 233 the king will be attracted by 234 your beauty.
After all, he is your master! Submit 235 to him! 236
45:12 Rich people from Tyre 237
will seek your favor by bringing a gift. 238
45:13 The princess 239 looks absolutely magnificent, 240
decked out in pearls and clothed in a brocade trimmed with gold. 241
45:14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king.
Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her,
are led before you. 242
45:15 They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession
and enter the royal palace. 243
45:16 Your 244 sons will carry 245 on the dynasty of your ancestors; 246
you will make them princes throughout the land.
45:17 I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, 247
then the nations will praise you 248 forever.
[40:1] 1 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] 2 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] 3 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] 4 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] 5 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
[40:3] 5 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
[40:3] 6 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
[40:3] 7 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the
[40:4] 7 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] 8 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
[40:4] 9 tn Heb “who has made the
[40:4] 10 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
[40:4] 11 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
[40:5] 9 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 10 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] 11 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] 11 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] 12 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] 13 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] 16 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] 17 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
[40:9] 18 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
[40:9] 19 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
[40:10] 19 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
[40:10] 20 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
[40:11] 21 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] 22 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] 23 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] 24 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] 25 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[40:14] 27 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
[40:14] 28 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.
[40:15] 29 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[40:15] 30 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
[40:16] 31 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
[40:16] 32 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] 33 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[40:17] 33 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[40:17] 34 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] 35 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] 36 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] 37 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] 38 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
[41:1] 39 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] 37 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] 38 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] 39 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] 40 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
[41:3] 39 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] 40 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] 41 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
[41:5] 43 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
[41:5] 44 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
[41:6] 46 tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
[41:6] 47 tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
[41:6] 48 tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
[41:7] 47 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] 49 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] 50 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] 51 tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
[41:8] 52 tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
[41:9] 51 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
[41:9] 52 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.
[41:10] 53 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
[41:11] 55 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] 56 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
[41:12] 57 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
[41:12] 58 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
[41:12] 59 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] 60 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
[41:13] 59 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[41:13] 60 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
[41:13] 61 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] 61 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] 62 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] 63 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] 64 tn Or “pants [with thirst].”
[42:1] 65 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] 63 tn Or “my soul thirsts.”
[42:2] 64 tn The words “I say” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
[42:2] 65 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] 65 tn Heb “My tears have become my food day and night.”
[42:3] 66 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] 67 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] 68 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] 69 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[42:5] 70 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[42:5] 71 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] 72 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] 71 tn Heb “my God, upon me my soul bows down.” As noted earlier, “my God” belongs with the end of v. 6.
[42:6] 72 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] 73 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] 74 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] 73 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] 74 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] 75 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] 75 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] 76 tn Heb “his song [is] with me.”
[42:8] 77 tc A few medieval Hebrew
[42:9] 77 tn The cohortative form indicates the psalmist’s resolve.
[42:9] 78 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] 80 sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar idea.
[42:10] 79 tc Heb “with a shattering in my bones my enemies taunt me.” A few medieval Hebrew
[42:10] 80 sn “Where is your God?” The enemies ask this same question in v. 3.
[42:11] 81 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[42:11] 82 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[42:11] 83 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
[42:11] 84 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] 83 sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew
[43:1] 84 tn Or “argue my case.”
[43:1] 85 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] 86 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] 85 tn Heb “God of my place of refuge,” that is, “God who is my place of refuge.” See Ps 31:4.
[43:2] 86 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] 87 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] 88 sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar statement.
[43:3] 88 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] 89 tn Or “may they lead me.” The prefixed verbal forms here and in the next line may be taken as jussives.
[43:3] 91 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] 92 tn Or “to your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the
[43:4] 89 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] 90 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] 91 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates purpose (“so that”) or intention.
[43:5] 91 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
[43:5] 92 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
[43:5] 93 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
[43:5] 94 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] 93 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] 94 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] 95 tn Heb “with our ears we have heard.”
[44:1] 96 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.
[44:1] 97 tn Heb “the work you worked.”
[44:1] 98 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] 95 tn Heb “you, your hand.”
[44:2] 96 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] 97 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] 99 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] 97 tn Or “take possession of.”
[44:3] 98 tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
[44:3] 99 tn Heb “your right hand.” The
[44:3] 101 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] 102 tn Or “favorable toward.”
[44:4] 99 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] 100 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] 101 tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
[44:5] 102 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] 103 tn Heb “in your name.” The
[44:5] 104 sn The image of the powerful wild ox continues; see the note on the phrase “drive back” in the preceding line.
[44:5] 105 tn Heb “those who rise up [against] us.”
[44:7] 103 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] 104 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] 105 tn The particle אַף (’af, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.
[44:9] 106 tn Heb “you did not go out with our armies.” The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:10] 107 tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”
[44:10] 108 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] 109 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 111 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 112 tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”
[44:12] 113 tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”
[44:13] 113 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:13] 114 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”
[44:14] 115 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:14] 116 tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”
[44:14] 117 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] 117 tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”
[44:15] 118 tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”
[44:16] 119 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] 121 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] 122 tn Heb “and we did not deal falsely with your covenant.”
[44:18] 123 tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.
[44:18] 124 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] 125 tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”
[44:19] 126 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] 127 tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the
[44:20] 128 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] 129 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
[44:21] 130 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] 131 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] 132 tn Or “regarded as.”
[44:22] 133 tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.
[44:23] 133 sn Wake up! See Ps 35:23.
[44:24] 135 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] 137 tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”
[44:25] 137 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] 139 tn Or “redeem us.” See Pss 25:22; 26:11; 69:18; 119:134.
[45:1] 141 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] 142 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] 143 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] 144 tn Heb “[with] a good word.” The “good word” probably refers here to the song that follows.
[45:1] 145 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] 146 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] 143 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] 144 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] 145 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] 146 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] 145 tn Or “mighty one.”
[45:3] 146 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] 147 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] 148 tn Or “for the sake of truth.”
[45:4] 149 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] 150 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] 149 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] 151 sn The king’s throne here symbolizes his rule.
[45:6] 152 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[45:6] 153 sn The king’s scepter symbolizes his royal authority.
[45:7] 153 sn To love justice means to actively promote it.
[45:7] 154 sn To hate evil means to actively oppose it.
[45:7] 155 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] 156 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] 157 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] 158 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.
[45:8] 155 tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[45:8] 156 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] 157 tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”
[45:9] 157 tn Heb “daughters of kings.”
[45:9] 158 tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.
[45:9] 159 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] 160 tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”
[45:10] 159 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] 160 tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.
[45:10] 161 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] 162 tn Heb “and the house of your father.”
[45:11] 161 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] 164 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] 163 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[45:12] 164 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] 165 tn Heb “[the] daughter of a king.”
[45:13] 166 tn Heb “[is] completely glorious.”
[45:13] 167 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] 167 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] 169 tn Heb “they are led with joy and happiness, they enter the house of the king.”
[45:16] 171 tn The pronoun is second masculine singular, indicating the king is being addressed from this point to the end of the psalm.
[45:16] 172 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] 173 tn Heb “in place of your fathers will be your sons.”
[45:17] 173 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] 174 sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.
