Mazmur 72:1--74:23
KonteksFor 2 Solomon.
72:1 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions! 3
Grant the king’s son 4 the ability to make fair decisions! 5
72:2 Then he will judge 6 your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones 7 equitably.
72:3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice. 8
72:4 He will defend 9 the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver 10 the children 11 of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
72:5 People will fear 12 you 13 as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation. 14
72:6 He 15 will descend like rain on the mown grass, 16
like showers that drench 17 the earth. 18
72:7 During his days the godly will flourish; 19
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky. 20
72:8 May he rule 21 from sea to sea, 22
and from the Euphrates River 23 to the ends of the earth!
72:9 Before him the coastlands 24 will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust. 25
72:10 The kings of Tarshish 26 and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba 27 and Seba 28 will bring tribute.
72:11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
72:12 For he will rescue the needy 29 when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed 30 who have no defender.
72:13 He will take pity 31 on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
72:14 From harm and violence he will defend them; 32
he will value their lives. 33
72:15 May he live! 34 May they offer him gold from Sheba! 35
May they continually pray for him!
May they pronounce blessings on him all day long! 36
72:16 May there be 37 an abundance 38 of grain in the earth;
on the tops 39 of the mountains may it 40 sway! 41
May its 42 fruit trees 43 flourish 44 like the forests of Lebanon! 45
May its crops 46 be as abundant 47 as the grass of the earth! 48
May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! 50
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! 51
May all nations consider him to be favored by God! 52
72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! 53
He alone accomplishes amazing things! 54
72:19 His glorious name deserves praise 55 forevermore!
May his majestic splendor 56 fill the whole earth!
We agree! We agree! 57
72:20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here. 58
Book 3
(Psalms 73-89)
A psalm by Asaph.
73:1 Certainly God is good to Israel, 60
and to those whose motives are pure! 61
73:2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my feet almost slid out from under me. 62
73:3 For I envied those who are proud,
as I observed 63 the prosperity 64 of the wicked.
73:4 For they suffer no pain; 65
their bodies 66 are strong and well-fed. 67
73:5 They are immune to the trouble common to men;
they do not suffer as other men do. 68
73:6 Arrogance is their necklace, 69
and violence their clothing. 70
73:7 Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; 71
their thoughts are sinful. 72
73:8 They mock 73 and say evil things; 74
they proudly threaten violence. 75
73:9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,
and lay claim to the earth. 76
73:10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat,
and even suck up the water of the sea. 77
73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?
Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” 78
73:12 Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, 79
those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer. 80
73:13 I concluded, 81 “Surely in vain I have kept my motives 82 pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle. 83
73:14 I suffer all day long,
and am punished every morning.”
73:15 If I had publicized these thoughts, 84
I would have betrayed your loyal followers. 85
73:16 When I tried to make sense of this,
it was troubling to me. 86
73:17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple, 87
and understood the destiny of the wicked. 88
73:18 Surely 89 you put them in slippery places;
you bring them down 90 to ruin.
73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!
Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! 91
73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. 92
O Lord, when you awake 93 you will despise them. 94
73:21 Yes, 95 my spirit was bitter, 96
and my insides felt sharp pain. 97
73:22 I was ignorant 98 and lacked insight; 99
I was as senseless as an animal before you. 100
73:23 But I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
73:24 You guide 101 me by your wise advice,
and then you will lead me to a position of honor. 102
73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
I desire no one but you on earth. 103
73:26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak, 104
but God always 105 protects my heart and gives me stability. 106
73:27 Yes, 107 look! Those far from you 108 die;
you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you. 109
73:28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. 110
I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter,
as 111 I declare all the things you have done.
A well-written song 113 by Asaph.
74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? 114
Why does your anger burn 115 against the sheep of your pasture?
74:2 Remember your people 116 whom you acquired in ancient times,
whom you rescued 117 so they could be your very own nation, 118
as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!
74:3 Hurry and look 119 at the permanent ruins,
and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple! 120
74:4 Your enemies roar 121 in the middle of your sanctuary; 122
they set up their battle flags. 123
74:5 They invade like lumberjacks
swinging their axes in a thick forest. 124
74:6 And now 125 they are tearing down 126 all its engravings 127
with axes 128 and crowbars. 129
74:7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground. 130
74:8 They say to themselves, 131
“We will oppress all of them.” 132
They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. 133
74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence; 134
there are no longer any prophets 135
and we have no one to tell us how long this will last. 136
74:10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
74:11 Why do you remain inactive?
Intervene and destroy him! 137
74:12 But God has been my 138 king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth. 139
74:13 You destroyed 140 the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster 141 in the water.
74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; 142
you fed 143 him to the people who live along the coast. 144
74:15 You broke open the spring and the stream; 145
you dried up perpetually flowing rivers. 146
74:16 You established the cycle of day and night; 147
you put the moon 148 and sun in place. 149
74:17 You set up all the boundaries 150 of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter. 151
74:18 Remember how 152 the enemy hurls insults, O Lord, 153
and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name!
74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove 154 over to a wild animal!
Do not continue to disregard 155 the lives of your oppressed people!
74:20 Remember your covenant promises, 156
for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules. 157
74:21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame!
Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! 158
74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! 159
Remember how fools insult you all day long! 160
74:23 Do not disregard 161 what your enemies say, 162
or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you. 163
[72:1] 1 sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.
[72:1] 2 tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.
[72:1] 3 tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”
[72:1] 4 sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.
[72:1] 5 tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”
[72:2] 6 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:2] 7 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
[72:3] 8 tn Heb “[the] mountains will bear peace to the people, and [the] hills with justice.” The personified mountains and hills probably represent messengers who will sweep over the land announcing the king’s just decrees and policies. See Isa 52:7 and C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:133.
[72:4] 9 tn Heb “judge [for].”
[72:4] 10 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
[72:5] 12 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[72:5] 13 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
[72:5] 14 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a generation, generations.” The rare expression דּוֹר דּוֹרִים (dor dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps 102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
[72:6] 15 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
[72:6] 16 tn The rare term zg refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.
[72:6] 17 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS in textual note b on this verse suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirzÿfu). The translation assumes the latter.
[72:6] 18 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.
[72:7] 19 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
[72:7] 20 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”
[72:8] 21 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
[72:8] 22 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.
[72:8] 23 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
[72:9] 24 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
[72:9] 25 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
[72:10] 26 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
[72:10] 27 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
[72:10] 28 sn Seba was located in Africa.
[72:12] 29 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
[72:12] 30 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
[72:13] 31 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defectively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
[72:14] 32 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[72:14] 33 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”
[72:15] 34 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. Because the form has the prefixed vav (ו), some subordinate it to what precedes as a purpose/result clause. In this case the representative poor individual might be the subject of this and the following verb, “so that he may live and give to him gold of Sheba.” But the idea of the poor offering gold is incongruous. It is better to take the jussive as a prayer with the king as subject of the verb. (Perhaps the initial vav is dittographic; note the vav at the end of the last form in v. 14.) The statement is probably an abbreviated version of the formula יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ (yÿkhiy hammelekh, “may the king live”; see 1 Sam 10:24; 2 Sam 16:16; 1 Kgs 1:25, 34, 39; 2 Kgs 11:12).
[72:15] 35 tn Heb “and he will give to him some gold of Sheba.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one give”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are the tribute bearers in view here.
[72:15] 36 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one pray…and may one bless”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are in view here.
[72:16] 37 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. The translation assumes the subject is impersonal (rather than the king).
[72:16] 38 tn The Hebrew noun פִסַּה (pissah; which appears here in the construct form) occurs only here in the OT. Perhaps the noun is related to the verbal root פָּשָׂה (pasah, “to spread,” see BDB 832 s.v.; the root appears as פָּסָה [pasah] in postbiblical Hebrew), which is used in postbiblical Hebrew of the rising sun’s rays spreading over the horizon and a tree’s branches spreading out (see Jastrow 1194 s.v. פסי, פָּסָה, פָּשָׂה). In Ps 72:16 a “spreading of grain” would refer to grain fields extending out over the land. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:139) emend the form to סְפִיחַ (sÿfiakh, “second growth”).
[72:16] 39 tn Heb “top” (singular).
[72:16] 40 tn That is, the grain.
[72:16] 41 tn According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the translator’s note at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse.
[72:16] 42 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is unclear. It is unlikely that the antecedent is אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) because this noun is normally grammatically feminine. Perhaps רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “top [of the mountains]”) is the antecedent. Another option is to understand the pronoun as referring to the king, who would then be viewed as an instrument of divine agricultural blessing (see v. 6).
[72:16] 44 tc According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the note on the word “earth” at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse. The present translation takes it with the preceding words, “like Lebanon its fruit” and emends the verb form from וְיָצִיצוּ (vÿyatsitsu; Qal imperfect third masculine plural with prefixed vav, [ו]) to יָצִיץ (yatsits; Qal imperfect third masculine singular). The initial vav is eliminated as dittographic (note the vav on the ending of the preceding form פִּרְיוֹ, piryo, “its/his fruit”) and the vav at the end of the form is placed on the following emended form (see the note on the word “crops”), yielding וַעֲמִיר (va’amir, “and [its] crops”).
[72:16] 45 tn Heb “like Lebanon.”
[72:16] 46 tc The MT has “from the city.” The translation assumes an emendation to עֲמִיר (’amir, “crops”).
[72:16] 47 tn The translation assumes that the verb צוץ (“flourish”) goes with the preceding line. The words “be as abundant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[72:16] 48 tc The traditional accentuation and vocalization of the MT differ from the text assumed by the present translation. The MT reads as follows: “May there be an abundance of grain in the earth, / and on the tops of the mountains! / May its [or “his”?] fruit [trees?] rustle like [the trees of] Lebanon! / May they flourish from the city, like the grass of the earth!” If one follows the MT, then it would appear that the “fruit” of the third line is a metaphorical reference to the king’s people, who flow out from the cities to populate the land (see line 4). Elsewhere in the OT people are sometimes compared to grass that sprouts up from the land (see v. 7, as well as Isa 27:6; Pss 92:7; 103:15). The translation understands a different poetic structural arrangement and, assuming the emendations mentioned in earlier notes, interprets each line of the verse to be a prayer for agricultural abundance.
[72:17] 49 tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.
[72:17] 50 tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.
[72:17] 51 tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the
[72:17] 52 tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).
[72:18] 53 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.
[72:18] 54 tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”
[72:19] 55 tn Heb “[be] blessed.”
[72:19] 57 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response of agreement to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
[72:20] 58 tn Heb “the prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded.” As noted earlier, v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter. In the present arrangement of the Book of Psalms, not all psalms prior to this are attributed to David (see Pss 1-2, 10, 33, 42-50, 66-67, 71-72) and several psalms attributed to David appear after this (see Pss 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 138-145).
[73:1] 59 sn Psalm 73. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist offers a personal testimony of his struggle with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. As he observed evil men prosper, he wondered if a godly lifestyle really pays off. In the midst of his discouragement, he reflected upon spiritual truths and realities. He was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. God will eventually vindicate his people.
[73:1] 60 tn Since the psalm appears to focus on an individual’s concerns, not the situation of Israel, this introduction may be a later addition designed to apply the psalm’s message to the entire community. To provide a better parallel with the next line, some emend the Hebrew phrase לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים (lÿyisra’el ’elohim, “to Israel, God”) to אֱלֹהִים [or אֵל] לָיָּשָׁר (’elohim [or ’el] lÿyyashar, “God [is good] to the upright one”).
[73:1] 61 tn Heb “to the pure of heart.”
[73:2] 62 tn The Hebrew verb normally means “to pour out,” but here it must have the nuance “to slide.”
[73:2] sn My feet almost slid out from under me. The language is metaphorical. As the following context makes clear, the psalmist almost “slipped” in a spiritual sense. As he began to question God’s justice, the psalmist came close to abandoning his faith.
[73:3] 63 tn The imperfect verbal form here depicts the action as continuing in a past time frame.
[73:3] 64 tn Heb “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).
[73:4] 65 tn In Isa 58:6, the only other occurrence of this word in the OT, the term refers to “bonds” or “ropes.” In Ps 73:4 it is used metaphorically of pain and suffering that restricts one’s enjoyment of life.
[73:4] 67 tc Or “fat.” The MT of v. 4 reads as follows: “for there are no pains at their death, and fat [is] their body.” Since a reference to the death of the wicked seems incongruous in the immediate context (note v. 5) and premature in the argument of the psalm (see vv. 18-20, 27), some prefer to emend the text by redividing it. The term לְמוֹתָם (lÿmotam,“at their death”) is changed to לָמוֹ תָּם (lamo tam, “[there are no pains] to them, strong [and fat are their bodies]”). The term תָּם (tam, “complete; sound”) is used of physical beauty in Song 5:2; 6:9. This emendation is the basis for the present translation. However, in defense of the MT (the traditional Hebrew text), one may point to an Aramaic inscription from Nerab which views a painful death as a curse and a nonpainful death in one’s old age as a sign of divine favor. See ANET 661.
[73:5] 68 tn Heb “in the trouble of man they are not, and with mankind they are not afflicted.”
[73:6] 69 sn Arrogance is their necklace. The metaphor suggests that their arrogance is something the wicked “wear” proudly. It draws attention to them, just as a beautiful necklace does to its owner.
[73:6] 70 tn Heb “a garment of violence covers them.” The metaphor suggests that violence is habitual for the wicked. They “wear” it like clothing; when one looks at them, violence is what one sees.
[73:7] 71 tc The MT reads “it goes out from fatness their eye,” which might be paraphrased, “their eye protrudes [or “bulges”] because of fatness.” This in turn might refer to their greed; their eyes “bug out” when they see rich food or produce (the noun חֵלֶב [khelev, “fatness”] sometimes refers to such food or produce). However, when used with the verb יָצָא (yatsa’, “go out”) the preposition מִן (“from”) more naturally indicates source. For this reason it is preferable to emend עֵינֵמוֹ (’enemo, “their eye”) to עֲוֹנָמוֹ, (’avonamo, “their sin”) and read, “and their sin proceeds forth from fatness,” that is, their prosperity gives rise to their sinful attitudes. If one follows this textual reading, another interpretive option is to take חֵלֶב (“fatness”) in the sense of “unreceptive, insensitive” (see its use in Ps 17:10). In this case, the sin of the wicked proceeds forth from their spiritual insensitivity.
[73:7] 72 tn Heb “the thoughts of [their] heart [i.e., mind] cross over” (i.e., violate God’s moral boundary, see Ps 17:3).
[73:8] 73 tn The verb מוּק (muq, “mock”) occurs only here in the OT.
[73:8] 74 tn Heb “and speak with evil.”
[73:8] 75 tn Heb “oppression from an elevated place they speak.” The traditional accentuation of the MT places “oppression” with the preceding line. In this case, one might translate, “they mock and speak with evil [of] oppression, from an elevated place [i.e., “proudly”] they speak.” By placing “oppression” with what follows, one achieves better poetic balance in the parallelism.
[73:9] 76 tn Heb “they set in heaven their mouth, and their tongue walks through the earth.” The meaning of the text is uncertain. Perhaps the idea is that they lay claim to heaven (i.e., speak as if they were ruling in heaven) and move through the earth declaring their superiority and exerting their influence. Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) the first line as adversative and translate, “they set their mouth against heaven,” that is, they defy God.
[73:10] 77 tc Heb “therefore his people return [so Qere (marginal reading); Kethib (consonantal text) has “he brings back”] to here, and waters of abundance are sucked up by them.” The traditional Hebrew text (MT) defies explanation. The present translation reflects M. Dahood’s proposed emendations (Psalms [AB], 2:190) and reads the Hebrew text as follows: לָכֵן יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם וּמֵי מָלֵא יָמֹצּוּ לָמוֹ (“therefore they are filled with food, and waters of abundance they suck up for themselves”). The reading יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם (yisvÿ’um lekhem, “they are filled with food”) assumes (1) an emendation of יָשׁיּב עַמּוֹ (yashyyv, “he will bring back his people”) to יִשְׂבְעוּם (yisvÿ’um, “they will be filled”; a Qal imperfect third masculine plural form from שָׂבַע [sava’] with enclitic mem [ם]), and (2) an emendation of הֲלֹם (halom, “to here”) to לֶחֶם (“food”). The expression “be filled/fill with food” appears elsewhere at least ten times (see Ps 132:15, for example). In the second line the Niphal form יִמָּצוּ (yimmatsu, derived from מָצָה, matsah, “drain”) is emended to a Qal form יָמֹצּוּ (yamotsu), derived from מָצַץ (matsats, “to suck”). In Isa 66:11 the verbs שָׂבַע (sava’; proposed in Ps 73:10a) and מָצַץ (proposed in Ps 73:10b) are parallel. The point of the emended text is this: Because they are seemingly sovereign (v. 9), they become greedy and grab up everything they need and more.
[73:11] 78 tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).
[73:12] 79 tn Heb “Look, these [are] the wicked.”
[73:12] 80 tn Heb “the ones who are always at ease [who] increase wealth.”
[73:13] 81 tn The words “I concluded” are supplied in the translation. It is apparent that vv. 13-14 reflect the psalmist’s thoughts at an earlier time (see vv. 2-3), prior to the spiritual awakening he describes in vv. 17-28.
[73:13] 82 tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
[73:13] 83 tn Heb “and washed my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The reference to “hands” suggests actions.
[73:15] 84 tn Heb “If I had said, ‘I will speak out like this.’”
[73:15] 85 tn Heb “look, the generation of your sons I would have betrayed.” The phrase “generation of your [i.e., God’s] sons” occurs only here in the OT. Some equate the phrase with “generation of the godly” (Ps 14:5), “generation of the ones seeking him” (Ps 24:6), and “generation of the upright” (Ps 112:2). In Deut 14:1 the Israelites are referred to as God’s “sons.” Perhaps the psalmist refers here to those who are “Israelites” in the true sense because of their loyalty to God (note the juxtaposition of “Israel” with “the pure in heart” in v. 1).
[73:16] 86 tn Heb “and [when] I pondered to understand this, troubling it [was] in my eyes.”
[73:17] 87 tn The plural of the term מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash) probably refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 68:35; Jer 51:51).
[73:17] 88 tn Heb “I discerned their end.” At the temple the psalmist perhaps received an oracle of deliverance announcing his vindication and the demise of the wicked (see Ps 12) or heard songs of confidence (for example, Ps 11), wisdom psalms (for example, Pss 1, 37), and hymns (for example, Ps 112) that describe the eventual downfall of the proud and wealthy.
[73:18] 89 tn The use of the Hebrew term אַךְ (’akh, “surely”) here literarily counteracts its use in v. 13. The repetition draws attention to the contrast between the two statements, the first of which expresses the psalmist’s earlier despair and the second his newly discovered confidence.
[73:18] 90 tn Heb “cause them to fall.”
[73:19] 91 tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”
[73:20] 92 tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.
[73:20] 93 sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.
[73:20] 94 tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.
[73:21] 95 tn Or perhaps “when.”
[73:21] 96 tn The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing attitude in a past time frame.
[73:21] 97 tn Heb “and [in] my kidneys I was pierced.” The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing condition in a past time frame.
[73:22] 98 tn Or “brutish, stupid.”
[73:22] 99 tn Heb “and I was not knowing.”
[73:22] 100 tn Heb “an animal I was with you.”
[73:24] 101 tn The imperfect verbal form here suggests this is the psalmist’s ongoing experience.
[73:24] 102 tn Heb “and afterward [to] glory you will take me.” Some interpreters view this as the psalmist’s confidence in an afterlife in God’s presence and understand כָּבוֹד (cavod) as a metonymic reference to God’s presence in heaven. But this seems unlikely in the present context. The psalmist anticipates a time of vindication, when the wicked are destroyed and he is honored by God for his godly life style. The verb לָקַח (laqakh, “take”) here carries the nuance “lead, guide, conduct,” as in Num 23:14, 27-28; Josh 24:3 and Prov 24:11.
[73:25] 103 tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.
[73:26] 104 tn The Hebrew verb כָלָה (khalah, “to fail; to grow weak”) does not refer here to physical death per se, but to the physical weakness that sometimes precedes death (see Job 33:21; Pss 71:9; 143:7; Prov 5:11).
[73:26] 106 tn Heb “is the rocky summit of my heart and my portion.” The psalmist compares the
[73:27] 108 sn The following line defines the phrase far from you in a spiritual sense. Those “far” from God are those who are unfaithful and disloyal to him.
[73:27] 109 tn Heb “everyone who commits adultery from you.”
[73:28] 110 tn Heb “but as for me, the nearness of God for me [is] good.”
[73:28] 111 tn The infinitive construct with -לְ (lÿ) is understood here as indicating an attendant circumstance. Another option is to take it as indicating purpose (“so that I might declare”) or result (“with the result that I declare”).
[74:1] 112 sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586
[74:1] 113 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.
[74:1] 114 sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.
[74:1] 115 tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.
[74:2] 116 tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.
[74:2] 117 tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).
[74:2] 118 tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).
[74:3] 119 tn Heb “lift up your steps to,” which may mean “run, hurry.”
[74:3] 120 tn Heb “everything [the] enemy has damaged in the holy place.”
[74:4] 121 tn This verb is often used of a lion’s roar, so the psalmist may be comparing the enemy to a raging, devouring lion.
[74:4] 122 tn Heb “your meeting place.”
[74:4] 123 tn Heb “they set up their banners [as] banners.” The Hebrew noun אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) here refers to the enemy army’s battle flags and banners (see Num 2:12).
[74:5] 124 tn Heb “it is known like one bringing upwards, in a thicket of wood, axes.” The Babylonian invaders destroyed the woodwork in the temple.
[74:6] 125 tn This is the reading of the Qere (marginal reading). The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and a time.”
[74:6] 126 tn The imperfect verbal form vividly describes the act as underway.
[74:6] 127 tn Heb “its engravings together.”
[74:6] 128 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49-50).
[74:6] 129 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. An Akkadian cognate refers to a “pickaxe” (cf. NEB “hatchet and pick”; NIV “axes and hatchets”; NRSV “hatchets and hammers”).
[74:7] 130 tn Heb “to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name.”
[74:8] 131 tn Heb “in their heart.”
[74:8] 132 tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).
[74:8] 133 tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”
[74:9] 134 tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).
[74:9] 135 tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”
[74:9] 136 tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”
[74:11] 137 tn Heb “Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? From the midst of your chest, destroy!” The psalmist pictures God as having placed his right hand (symbolic of activity and strength) inside his robe against his chest. He prays that God would pull his hand out from under his robe and use it to destroy the enemy.
[74:12] 138 tn The psalmist speaks as Israel’s representative here.
[74:12] 139 tn Heb “in the midst of the earth.”
[74:13] 140 tn The derivation and meaning of the Polel verb form פּוֹרַרְתָּ (porarta) are uncertain. The form may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “break, shatter,” though the biblical Hebrew cognate of this verb always appears in the Hiphil or Hophal stem. BDB 830 s.v. II פָּרַר suggests a homonym here, meaning “to split; to divide.” A Hitpolel form of a root פָּרַר (parar) appears in Isa 24:19 with the meaning “to shake violently.”
[74:13] 141 tn The Hebrew text has the plural form, “sea monsters” (cf. NRSV “dragons”), but it is likely that an original enclitic mem has been misunderstood as a plural ending. The imagery of the mythological sea monster is utilized here. See the note on “Leviathan” in v. 14.
[74:14] 142 sn You crushed the heads of Leviathan. The imagery of vv. 13-14 originates in West Semitic mythology. The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon [Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַּנִין (tanin), translated “sea monster” in v. 13] vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling [Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן (’aqallaton), translated “squirming” in Isa 27:1] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (note the use of the plural “heads” here and in v. 13). (See CTA 3.iii.38-39 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 50.) (2) “For all that you smote Leviathan the slippery [Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ (bariakh), translated “fast moving” in Isa 27:1] serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5.i.1-3 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and, in turn, the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. In the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (see Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the waters of chaos is related to his kingship (see Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Isa 27:1 applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea. Here in Ps 74:13-14 the primary referent is unclear. The psalmist may be describing God’s creation of the world (note vv. 16-17 and see Ps 89:9-12), when he brought order out of a watery mass, or the exodus (see Isa 51:9-10), when he created Israel by destroying the Egyptians in the waters of the sea.
[74:14] 143 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite in this narrational context.
[74:14] 144 sn You fed him to the people. This pictures the fragments of Leviathan’s dead corpse washing up on shore and being devoured by those who find them. If the exodus is in view, then it may allude to the bodies of the dead Egyptians which washed up on the shore of the Red Sea (see Exod 14:30).
[74:15] 145 sn You broke open the spring and the stream. Perhaps this alludes to the way in which God provided water for the Israelites as they traveled in the wilderness following the exodus (see Ps 78:15-16, 20; 105:41).
[74:15] 146 sn Perpetually flowing rivers are rivers that contain water year round, unlike the seasonal streams that flow only during the rainy season. Perhaps the psalmist here alludes to the drying up of the Jordan River when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan under Joshua (see Josh 3-4).
[74:16] 147 tn Heb “To you [is] day, also to you [is] night.”
[74:16] 148 tn Heb “[the] light.” Following the reference to “day and night” and in combination with “sun,” it is likely that the Hebrew term מָאוֹר (ma’or, “light”) refers here to the moon.
[74:16] 149 tn Heb “you established [the] light and [the] sun.”
[74:17] 150 tn This would appear to refer to geographical boundaries, such as mountains, rivers, and seacoasts. However, since the day-night cycle has just been mentioned (v. 16) and the next line speaks of the seasons, it is possible that “boundaries” here refers to the divisions of the seasons. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:156.
[74:17] 151 tn Heb “summer and winter, you, you formed them.”
[74:18] 152 tn Heb “remember this.”
[74:18] 153 tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the
[74:19] 154 sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.
[74:19] 155 tn Heb “do not forget forever.”
[74:20] 156 tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix. The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word (כִּי) begins with kaf (כ).
[74:20] 157 tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).
[74:21] 158 sn Let the oppressed and poor praise your name! The statement is metonymic. The point is this: May the oppressed be delivered from their enemies! Then they will have ample reason to praise God’s name.
[74:22] 159 tn Or “defend your cause.”
[74:22] 160 tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”
[74:23] 162 tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”
[74:23] 163 tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”
pada popup untuk memperkecil ukuran huruf, ikon 
pada popup untuk memperbesar ukuran huruf. [