Mazmur 75:1--78:72
KonteksFor the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 2 a psalm of Asaph; a song.
75:1 We give thanks to you, O God! We give thanks!
You reveal your presence; 3
people tell about your amazing deeds.
“At the appointed times, 5
I judge 6 fairly.
75:3 When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, 7
I make its pillars secure.” 8 (Selah)
75:4 9 I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,”
and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory! 10
75:5 Do not be so certain you have won! 11
Do not speak with your head held so high! 12
75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,
or from the wilderness. 13
He brings one down and exalts another. 15
75:8 For the Lord holds in his hand a cup full
of foaming wine mixed with spices, 16
and pours it out. 17
Surely all the wicked of the earth
will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.” 18
75:9 As for me, I will continually tell what you have done; 19
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob!
“I will bring down all the power of the wicked;
the godly will be victorious.” 21
For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.
76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah; 23
in Israel his reputation 24 is great.
he dwells in Zion. 26
76:3 There he shattered the arrows, 27
the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. 28 (Selah)
76:4 You shine brightly and reveal your majesty,
as you descend from the hills where you killed your prey. 29
76:5 The bravehearted 30 were plundered; 31
they “fell asleep.” 32
All the warriors were helpless. 33
76:6 At the sound of your battle cry, 34 O God of Jacob,
both rider 35 and horse “fell asleep.” 36
76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!
Who can withstand your intense anger? 37
76:8 From heaven you announced what their punishment would be. 38
The earth 39 was afraid and silent
76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,
and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)
76:10 Certainly 40 your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise; 41
you reveal your anger in full measure. 42
76:11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them!
Let all those who surround him 43 bring tribute to the awesome one!
the kings of the earth regard him as awesome. 45
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.
77:1 I will cry out to God 47 and call for help!
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention 48 to me.
77:2 In my time of trouble I sought 49 the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night. 50
I 51 refused to be comforted.
77:3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.” 52 (Selah)
77:4 You held my eyelids open; 53
I was troubled and could not speak. 54
77:5 I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times. 55
77:6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening. 56
77:7 I asked, 57 “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise 58 failed forever?
77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?”
77:10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the sovereign One 59 might become inactive. 60
77:11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago! 61
77:12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds!”
77:13 62 O God, your deeds are extraordinary! 63
What god can compare to our great God? 64
77:14 You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
77:15 You delivered 65 your people by your strength 66 –
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
77:16 The waters 67 saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled. 68
Yes, the depths of the sea 69 shook with fear. 70
77:17 The clouds poured down rain; 71
the skies thundered. 72
Yes, your arrows 73 flashed about.
77:18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook. 74
77:19 You walked through the sea; 75
you passed through the surging waters, 76
but left no footprints. 77
77:20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
A well-written song 79 by Asaph.
78:1 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!
Listen to the words I speak! 80
78:2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;
I will make insightful observations about the past. 81
78:3 What we have heard and learned 82 –
that which our ancestors 83 have told us –
78:4 we will not hide from their 84 descendants.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, 85
about his strength and the amazing things he has done.
78:5 He established a rule 86 in Jacob;
he set up a law in Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to make his deeds known to their descendants, 87
78:6 so that the next generation, children yet to be born,
might know about them.
They will grow up and tell their descendants about them. 88
78:7 Then they will place their confidence in God.
They will not forget the works of God,
and they will obey 89 his commands.
78:8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,
who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation that was not committed
and faithful to God. 90
78:9 The Ephraimites 91 were armed with bows, 92
but they retreated in the day of battle. 93
78:10 They did not keep their covenant with God, 94
and they refused to obey 95 his law.
78:11 They forgot what he had done, 96
the amazing things he had shown them.
78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. 97
78:13 He divided the sea and led them across it;
he made the water stand in a heap.
78:14 He led them with a cloud by day,
and with the light of a fire all night long.
78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. 98
78:16 He caused streams to flow from the rock,
and made the water flow like rivers.
78:17 Yet they continued to sin against him,
and rebelled against the sovereign One 99 in the desert.
78:18 They willfully challenged God 100
by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.
78:19 They insulted God, saying, 101
“Is God really able to give us food 102 in the wilderness?
78:20 Yes, 103 he struck a rock and water flowed out,
streams gushed forth.
But can he also give us food?
Will he provide meat for his people?”
78:21 When 104 the Lord heard this, he was furious.
A fire broke out against Jacob,
and his anger flared up 105 against Israel,
78:22 because they did not have faith in God,
and did not trust his ability to deliver them. 106
78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,
and opened the doors in the sky.
78:24 He rained down manna for them to eat;
he gave them the grain of heaven. 107
78:25 Man ate the food of the mighty ones. 108
He sent them more than enough to eat. 109
78:26 He brought the east wind through the sky,
and by his strength led forth the south wind.
78:27 He rained down meat on them like dust,
birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores. 110
78:28 He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,
all around their homes.
78:29 They ate until they were stuffed; 111
he gave them what they desired.
78:30 They were not yet filled up, 112
their food was still in their mouths,
78:31 when the anger of God flared up against them.
He killed some of the strongest of them;
he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.
78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,
and did not trust him to do amazing things. 113
78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied 114
and filled with terror. 115
78:34 When he struck them down, 116 they sought his favor; 117
they turned back and longed for God.
78:35 They remembered that God was their protector, 118
and that the sovereign God was their deliverer. 119
78:36 But they deceived him with their words, 120
and lied to him. 121
78:37 They were not really committed to him, 122
and they were unfaithful to his covenant.
78:38 Yet he is compassionate.
He forgives sin and does not destroy.
He often holds back his anger,
and does not stir up his fury. 123
78:39 He remembered 124 that they were made of flesh,
and were like a wind that blows past and does not return. 125
78:40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness,
and insulted him 126 in the desert!
78:41 They again challenged God, 127
and offended 128 the Holy One of Israel. 129
78:42 They did not remember what he had done, 130
how he delivered them from the enemy, 131
78:43 when he performed his awesome deeds 132 in Egypt,
and his acts of judgment 133 in the region of Zoan.
78:44 He turned their rivers into blood,
and they could not drink from their streams.
78:45 He sent swarms of biting insects against them, 134
as well as frogs that overran their land. 135
78:46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
the fruit of their labor to the locust.
78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.
78:48 He rained hail down on their cattle, 136
and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock. 137
78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them, 138
He sent fury, rage, and trouble
as messengers who bring disaster. 139
78:50 He sent his anger in full force; 140
he did not spare them from death;
he handed their lives over to destruction. 141
78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power 142 in the tents of Ham.
78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;
he led them through the wilderness like a flock.
78:53 He guided them safely along,
while the sea covered their enemies.
78:54 He brought them to the border of his holy land,
to this mountainous land 143 which his right hand 144 acquired.
78:55 He drove the nations out from before them;
he assigned them their tribal allotments 145
and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down. 146
78:56 Yet they challenged and defied 147 the sovereign God, 148
and did not obey 149 his commands. 150
78:57 They were unfaithful 151 and acted as treacherously as 152 their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. 153
78:58 They made him angry with their pagan shrines, 154
and made him jealous with their idols.
78:59 God heard and was angry;
he completely rejected Israel.
78:60 He abandoned 155 the sanctuary at Shiloh,
the tent where he lived among men.
78:61 He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured; 156
he gave the symbol of his splendor 157 into the hand of the enemy. 158
78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword,
and was angry with his chosen nation. 159
78:63 Fire consumed their 160 young men,
and their 161 virgins remained unmarried. 162
78:64 Their 163 priests fell by the sword,
but their 164 widows did not weep. 165
78:65 But then the Lord awoke from his sleep; 166
he was like a warrior in a drunken rage. 167
78:66 He drove his enemies back;
he made them a permanent target for insults. 168
78:67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loves.
78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; 169
as secure as the earth, which he established permanently. 170
78:70 He chose David, his servant,
and took him from the sheepfolds.
78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, 171
and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,
and of Israel, his chosen nation. 172
78:72 David 173 cared for them with pure motives; 174
he led them with skill. 175
[75:1] 1 sn Psalm 75. The psalmist celebrates God’s just rule, which guarantees that the godly will be vindicated and the wicked destroyed.
[75:1] 2 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-59.
[75:1] 3 tn Heb “and near [is] your name.”
[75:2] 4 tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in vv. 2-3.
[75:2] 5 tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”
[75:2] 6 tn Heb “I, [in] fairness, I judge.” The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically executes fair judgment as he governs the world. One could take this as referring to an anticipated (future) judgment, “I will judge.”
[75:3] 8 tn The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically prevents the world from being overrun by chaos. One could take this as referring to an anticipated event, “I will make its pillars secure.”
[75:4] 9 tn The identity of the speaker in vv. 4-6 is unclear. The present translation assumes that the psalmist, who also speaks in vv. 7-9 (where God/the
[75:4] 10 tn Heb “do not lift up a horn.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Here the idiom seems to refer to an arrogant attitude that assumes victory has been achieved.
[75:5] 11 tn Heb “do not lift up on high your horn.”
[75:5] 12 tn Heb “[do not] speak with unrestrained neck.” The negative particle is understood in this line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[75:5] sn The image behind the language of vv. 4-5 is that of a powerful wild ox that confidently raises its head before its enemies.
[75:6] 13 tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.
[75:7] 15 tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.
[75:8] 16 tn Heb “for a cup [is] in the hand of the
[75:8] 17 tn Heb “and he pours out from this.”
[75:8] 18 tn Heb “surely its dregs they slurp up and drink, all the wicked of the earth.”
[75:8] sn The psalmist pictures God as forcing the wicked to gulp down an intoxicating drink that will leave them stunned and vulnerable. Divine judgment is also depicted this way in Ps 60:3; Isa 51:17-23; and Hab 2:16.
[75:9] 19 tn Heb “I will declare forever.” The object needs to be supplied; God’s just judgment is in view.
[75:10] 20 tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in v. 10.
[75:10] 21 tn Heb “and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, the horns of the godly will be lifted up.” The imagery of the wild ox’s horn is once more utilized (see vv. 4-5).
[76:1] 22 sn Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.
[76:1] 23 tn Or “God is known in Judah.”
[76:1] 24 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[76:2] 25 sn Salem is a shorter name for Jerusalem (see Gen 14:18).
[76:2] 26 tn Heb “and his place of refuge is in Salem, and his lair in Zion.” God may be likened here to a lion (see v. 4).
[76:3] 27 tn Heb “flames of the bow,” i.e., arrows.
[76:3] 28 tn Heb “shield and sword and battle.” “Battle” probably here stands by metonymy for the weapons of war in general.
[76:3] sn This verse may allude to the miraculous defeat of the Assyrians in 701
[76:4] 29 tn Heb “radiant [are] you, majestic from the hills of prey.” God is depicted as a victorious king and as a lion that has killed its victims.
[76:5] 30 tn Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).
[76:5] 31 tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).
[76:5] 32 tn Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”
[76:5] 33 tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”
[76:6] 34 tn Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 18:15; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[76:6] 35 tn Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.
[76:6] 36 tn Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.
[76:7] 37 tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (me’az, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (me’oz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).
[76:8] 38 tn Heb “a [legal] decision,” or “sentence.”
[76:8] 39 tn “The earth” stands here by metonymy for its inhabitants.
[76:10] 41 tn Heb “the anger of men will praise you.” This could mean that men’s anger (subjective genitive), when punished by God, will bring him praise, but this interpretation does not harmonize well with the next line. The translation assumes that God’s anger is in view here (see v. 7) and that “men” is an objective genitive. God’s angry judgment against men brings him praise because it reveals his power and majesty (see vv. 1-4).
[76:10] 42 tn Heb “the rest of anger you put on.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear. Perhaps the idea is that God, as he prepares for battle, girds himself with every last ounce of his anger, as if it were a weapon.
[76:11] 43 tn The phrase “all those who surround him” may refer to the surrounding nations (v. 12 may favor this), but in Ps 89:7 the phrase refers to God’s heavenly assembly.
[76:12] 44 tn Heb “he reduces the spirit of princes.” According to HALOT 148 s.v. II בצר, the Hebrew verb בָּצַר (batsar) is here a hapax legomenon meaning “reduce, humble.” The statement is generalizing, with the imperfect tense highlighting God’s typical behavior.
[76:12] 45 tn Heb “[he is] awesome to the kings of the earth.”
[77:1] 46 sn Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.
[77:1] 47 tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.
[77:1] 48 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3-4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13-20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2-12).
[77:2] 49 tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
[77:2] 50 tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.
[77:2] 51 tn Or “my soul.” 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).
[77:3] 52 tn Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
[77:4] 53 tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
[77:4] 54 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
[77:5] 55 tn Heb “the years of antiquity.”
[77:6] 56 tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.
[77:7] 57 tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[77:8] 58 tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
[77:10] 59 tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
[77:10] 60 tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khallotiy) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khalotiy), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shÿnot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.
[77:11] 61 tn Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.”
[77:11] sn The psalmist refuses to allow skepticism to win out. God has revealed himself to his people in tangible, incontrovertible ways in the past and the psalmist vows to remember the historical record as a source of hope for the future.
[77:13] 62 sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).
[77:13] 63 tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.
[77:13] 64 tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”
[77:15] 66 tn Heb “with [your] arm.”
[77:16] 67 tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.
[77:16] 68 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
[77:16] 69 tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[77:16] 70 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
[77:17] 72 tn Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”
[77:17] 73 tn The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the
[77:18] 74 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
[77:18] sn Verses 16-18 depict the
[77:19] 75 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
[77:19] 76 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
[77:19] 77 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”
[78:1] 78 sn Psalm 78. The author of this lengthy didactic psalm rehearses Israel’s history. He praises God for his power, goodness and patience, but also reminds his audience that sin angers God and prompts his judgment. In the conclusion to the psalm the author elevates Jerusalem as God’s chosen city and David as his chosen king.
[78:1] 79 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 74.
[78:1] 80 tn Heb “Turn your ear to the words of my mouth.”
[78:2] 81 tn Heb “I will open with a wise saying my mouth, I will utter insightful sayings from long ago.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה+מָשָׁל (mashal + khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6), and an insightful song that reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent death (Ps 49:4).
[78:3] 83 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 5, 8, 12, 57).
[78:4] 84 tn The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).
[78:4] 85 tn Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the
[78:5] 86 tn The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to God’s command that the older generation teach their children about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history (see Exod 10:2; Deut 4:9; 6:20-25).
[78:5] 87 tn Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the
[78:6] 88 tn Heb “in order that they might know, a following generation, sons [who] will be born, they will arise and will tell to their sons.”
[78:8] 90 tn Heb “a generation that did not make firm its heart and whose spirit was not faithful with God.” The expression “make firm the heart” means “to be committed, devoted” (see 1 Sam 7:3).
[78:9] 91 tn Heb “the sons of Ephraim.” Ephraim probably stands here by synecdoche (part for whole) for the northern kingdom of Israel.
[78:9] 92 tn Heb “ones armed, shooters of bow.” It is possible that the term נוֹשְׁקֵי (noshÿqey, “ones armed [with]”) is an interpretive gloss for the rare רוֹמֵי (romey, “shooters of”; on the latter see BDB 941 s.v. I רָמָה). The phrase נוֹשְׁקֵי קֶשֶׁת (noshÿqey qeshet, “ones armed with a bow”) appears in 1 Chr 12:2; 2 Chr 17:17.
[78:9] 93 sn They retreated. This could refer to the northern tribes’ failure to conquer completely their allotted territory (see Judg 1), or it could refer generally to the typical consequence (military defeat) of their sin (see vv. 10-11).
[78:10] 94 tn Heb “the covenant of God.”
[78:11] 96 tn Heb “his deeds.”
[78:12] 97 sn The region of Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta, where the enslaved Israelites lived (see Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek 30:14).
[78:15] 98 tn Heb “and caused them to drink, like the depths, abundantly.”
[78:17] 99 tn Heb “rebelling [against] the Most High.”
[78:18] 100 tn Heb “and they tested God in their heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the center of their volition.
[78:19] 101 tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”
[78:19] 102 tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”
[78:21] 104 tn Heb “therefore.”
[78:21] 105 tn Heb “and also anger went up.”
[78:22] 106 tn Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”
[78:24] 107 sn Manna was apparently shaped like a seed (Exod 16:31), perhaps explaining why it is here compared to grain.
[78:25] 108 sn Because of the reference to “heaven” in the preceding verse, it is likely that mighty ones refers here to the angels of heaven. The LXX translates “angels” here, as do a number of modern translations (NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[78:25] 109 tn Heb “provision he sent to them to satisfaction.”
[78:27] 110 tn Heb “and like the sand of the seas winged birds.”
[78:29] 111 tn Heb “and they ate and were very satisfied.”
[78:30] 112 tn Heb “they were not separated from their desire.”
[78:32] 113 tn Heb “and did not believe in his amazing deeds.”
[78:33] 114 tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”
[78:33] 115 tn Heb “and their years in terror.”
[78:34] 116 tn Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.
[78:34] 117 tn Heb “they sought him.”
[78:35] 118 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[78:35] 119 tn Heb “and [that] God Most High [was] their redeemer.”
[78:36] 120 tn Heb “with their mouth.”
[78:36] 121 tn Heb “and with their tongue they lied to him.”
[78:37] 122 tn Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”
[78:38] 123 tn One could translate v. 38 in the past tense (“he was compassionate…forgave sin and did not destroy…held back his anger, and did not stir up his fury”), but the imperfect verbal forms are probably best understood as generalizing. Verse 38 steps back briefly from the narrational summary of Israel’s history and lays the theological basis for v. 39, which focuses on God’s mercy toward sinful Israel.
[78:39] 124 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive signals a return to the narrative.
[78:39] 125 tn Heb “and he remembered that they [were] flesh, a wind [that] goes and does not return.”
[78:40] 126 tn Or “caused him pain.”
[78:41] 127 tn Heb “and they returned and tested God.” The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate that an earlier action was repeated.
[78:41] 128 tn Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT.
[78:41] 129 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the
[78:42] 130 tn Heb “his hand,” symbolizing his saving activity and strength, as the next line makes clear.
[78:42] 131 tn Heb “[the] day [in] which he ransomed them from [the] enemy.”
[78:43] 132 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
[78:43] 133 tn Or “portents, omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are referred to here (see vv. 44-51).
[78:45] 134 tn Heb “and he sent an insect swarm against them and it devoured them.”
[78:45] 135 tn Heb “and a swarm of frogs and it destroyed them.”
[78:48] 136 tn Heb “and he turned over to the hail their cattle.”
[78:48] 137 tn Heb “and their livestock to the flames.” “Flames” here refer to the lightning bolts that accompanied the storm.
[78:49] 138 tn Heb “he sent against them the rage of his anger.” The phrase “rage of his anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[78:49] 139 tn Heb “fury and indignation and trouble, a sending of messengers of disaster.”
[78:50] 140 tn Heb “he leveled a path for his anger.” There were no obstacles to impede its progress; it moved swiftly and destructively.
[78:50] 141 tn Or perhaps “[the] plague.”
[78:51] 142 tn Heb “the beginning of strength.” If retained, the plural form אוֹנִים (’onim, “strength”) probably indicates degree (“great strength”), but many ancient witnesses read “their strength,” which presupposes an emendation to אֹנָם (’onam; singular form of the noun with third masculine plural pronominal suffix).
[78:54] 143 tn Heb “this mountain.” The whole land of Canaan seems to be referred to here. In Exod 15:17 the promised land is called the “mountain of your [i.e., God’s] inheritance.”
[78:54] 144 tn The “right hand” here symbolizes God’s military strength (see v. 55).
[78:55] 145 tn Heb “he caused to fall [to] them with a measuring line an inheritance.”
[78:55] 146 tn Heb “and caused the tribes of Israel to settle down in their tents.”
[78:56] 147 tn Or “tested and rebelled against.”
[78:56] 148 tn Heb “God, the Most High.”
[78:56] 150 tn Heb “his testimonies” (see Ps 25:10).
[78:57] 151 tn Heb “they turned back.”
[78:57] 152 tn Or “acted treacherously like.”
[78:57] 153 tn Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”
[78:58] 154 tn Traditionally, “high places.”
[78:61] 156 tn Heb “and he gave to captivity his strength.” The expression “his strength” refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant, which was housed in the tabernacle at Shiloh.
[78:61] 157 tn Heb “and his splendor into the hand of an enemy.” The expression “his splendor” also refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant.
[78:61] 158 sn Verses 60-61 refer to the Philistines’ capture of the ark in the days of Eli (1 Sam 4:1-11).
[78:62] 159 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[78:63] 160 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:63] 161 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:63] 162 tn Heb “were not praised,” that is, in wedding songs. The young men died in masses, leaving no husbands for the young women.
[78:64] 163 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:64] 164 tn Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
[78:64] 165 sn Because of the invading army and the ensuing panic, the priests’ widows had no time to carry out the normal mourning rites.
[78:65] 166 tn Heb “and the master awoke like one sleeping.” The
[78:65] 167 tn Heb “like a warrior overcome with wine.” The Hebrew verb רוּן (run, “overcome”) occurs only here in the OT. The phrase “overcome with wine” could picture a drunken warrior controlled by his emotions and passions (as in the present translation), or it could refer to a warrior who awakes from a drunken stupor.
[78:66] 168 tn Heb “a permanent reproach he made them.”
[78:69] 169 tc Heb “and he built like the exalting [ones] his sanctuary.” The phrase כְּמוֹ־רָמִים (kÿmo-ramim, “like the exalting [ones]”) is a poetic form of the comparative preposition followed by a participial form of the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”). The text should be emended to כִּמְרֹמִים (kimromim, “like the [heavenly] heights”). See Ps 148:1, where “heights” refers to the heavens above.
[78:69] 170 tn Heb “like the earth, [which] he established permanently.” The feminine singular suffix on the Hebrew verb יָסַד (yasad, “to establish”) refers to the grammatically feminine noun “earth.”
[78:71] 171 tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”
[78:71] 172 tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”
[78:72] 173 tn Heb “He”; the referent (David, God’s chosen king, mentioned in v. 70) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[78:72] 174 tn Heb “and he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.”
[78:72] 175 tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”
