Mazmur 18:30
Konteks18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 1
the Lord’s promise 2 is reliable; 3
he is a shield to all who take shelter 4 in him.
Mazmur 19:7
Konteks19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 5
The rules set down by the Lord 6 are reliable 7
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 8
Mazmur 138:8
KonteksO Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made! 10
[18:30] 1 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[18:30] 2 sn The
[18:30] 3 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:30] 4 sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.
[19:7] 5 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
[19:7] 6 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
[19:7] 7 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[19:7] 8 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
[138:8] 9 tn Heb “avenges on my behalf.” For the meaning “to avenge” for the verb גָּמַר (gamar), see HALOT 197-98 s.v. גמר.
[138:8] 10 tn Heb “the works of your hands.” Many medieval Hebrew