Mazmur 18:4
Konteks18:4 The waves 1 of death engulfed me,
the currents 2 of chaos 3 overwhelmed me. 4
Mazmur 22:11
Konteks22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 5
Mazmur 24:2
Konteks24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,
and established 6 it upon the ocean currents. 7
Mazmur 33:6
Konteks33:6 By the Lord’s decree 8 the heavens were made;
by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. 9
Mazmur 38:4-5
Konteks38:4 For my sins overwhelm me; 10
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
38:5 My wounds 11 are infected and starting to smell, 12
because of my foolish sins. 13
Mazmur 44:20
Konteks44:20 If we had rejected our God, 14
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, 15
Mazmur 46:6
Konteks46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. 16
God 17 gives a shout, 18 the earth dissolves. 19
Mazmur 47:5
Konteks47:5 God has ascended his throne 20 amid loud shouts; 21
the Lord has ascended his throne amid the blaring of ram’s horns. 22
Mazmur 55:20
Konteks55:20 He 23 attacks 24 his friends; 25
he breaks his solemn promises to them. 26
Mazmur 69:8
Konteks69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 27
Mazmur 73:13
Konteks73:13 I concluded, 28 “Surely in vain I have kept my motives 29 pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle. 30
Mazmur 79:3
Konteks79:3 They have made their blood flow like water
all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. 31
Mazmur 80:9
Konteks80:9 You cleared the ground for it; 32
it took root, 33
and filled the land.
Mazmur 80:13
Konteks80:13 The wild boars of the forest ruin it; 34
the insects 35 of the field feed on it.
Mazmur 83:12
Konteks83:12 who said, 36 “Let’s take over 37 the pastures of God!”
Mazmur 84:9
Konteks84:9 O God, take notice of our shield! 38
Show concern for your chosen king! 39
Mazmur 88:18
Konteks88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance; 40
those who know me leave me alone in the darkness. 41
Mazmur 89:47
Konteks89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! 42
Why do you make all people so mortal? 43
Mazmur 95:5
Konteks95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
Mazmur 104:26
Konteks104:26 The ships travel there,
and over here swims the whale 44 you made to play in it.
Mazmur 118:10-11
Konteks118:10 All the nations surrounded me. 45
Indeed, in the name of the Lord 46 I pushed them away. 47
118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
Mazmur 118:24
Konteks118:24 This is the day the Lord has brought about. 48
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
Mazmur 119:11
Konteks119:11 In my heart I store up 49 your words, 50
so I might not sin against you.
Mazmur 119:83
Konteks119:83 For 51 I am like a wineskin 52 dried up in smoke. 53
I do not forget your statutes.
Mazmur 119:93-94
Konteks119:93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have revived me.
119:94 I belong to you. Deliver me!
For I seek your precepts.
Mazmur 119:161
Konteksשׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions. 54
Mazmur 120:1
KonteksA song of ascents. 56
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
Mazmur 140:7
Konteks140:7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, 57
you shield 58 my head in the day of battle.
[18:4] 1 tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.
[18:4] 2 tn The Hebrew noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[18:4] 3 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (vÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness.” It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[18:4] 4 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (see “engulfed”) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[22:11] 5 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[24:2] 6 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.
[24:2] 7 sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.
[33:6] 9 tn Heb “and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” The words “were created” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons; they are understood by ellipsis (note “were made” in the preceding line). The description is consistent with Gen 1:16, which indicates that God spoke the heavenly luminaries into existence.
[38:4] 10 tn Heb “pass over my head.”
[38:5] 11 sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows.
[38:5] 12 tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).
[38:5] 13 tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”
[44:20] 14 tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the
[44:20] 15 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).
[46:6] 16 tn Heb “nations roar, kingdoms shake.” The Hebrew verb הָמָה (hamah, “roar, be in uproar”) is used in v. 3 of the waves crashing, while the verb מוֹט (mot, “overthrown”) is used in v. 2 of mountains tumbling into the sea (see also v. 5, where the psalm affirms that Jerusalem “cannot be moved”). The repetition of the verbs suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:6] 17 tn Heb “He.” God is the obvious referent here (see v. 5), and has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[46:6] 18 tn Heb “offers his voice.” In theophanic texts the phrase refers to God’s thunderous shout which functions as a battle cry (see Pss 18:13; 68:33).
[46:6] 19 tn Or “melts.” See Amos 9:5. The image depicts the nation’s helplessness before Jerusalem’s defender, who annihilates their armies (see vv. 8-9). The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the characteristic nature of the action described.
[47:5] 20 sn God ascended his throne. In the context of vv. 3-4, which refer to the conquest of the land under Joshua, v. 5 is best understood as referring to an historical event. When the Lord conquered the land and placed his people in it, he assumed a position of kingship, as predicted by Moses (see Exod 15:17-18, as well as Ps 114:1-2). That event is here described metaphorically in terms of a typical coronation ceremony for an earthly king (see 2 Sam 15:10; 2 Kgs 9:13). Verses 1-2, 8-9 focus on God’s continuing kingship, which extends over all nations.
[47:5] 21 tn Heb “God ascended amid a shout.” The words “his throne” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The
[47:5] 22 tn Heb “the
[55:20] 23 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
[55:20] 24 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
[55:20] 25 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
[55:20] 26 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
[69:8] 27 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[73:13] 28 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] 29 tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
[73:13] 30 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.
[79:3] 31 tn Heb “they have poured out their blood like water, all around Jerusalem, and there is no one burying.”
[80:9] 32 tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”
[80:9] 33 tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”
[80:13] 34 tn The Hebrew verb כִּרְסֵם (kirsem, “to eat away; to ruin”) occurs only here in the OT.
[80:13] 35 tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word translated “insects,” which occurs only here and in Ps 50:11, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic, and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.
[83:12] 36 tn The translation assumes that “Zebah and Zalmunna” are the antecedents of the relative pronoun (“who [said]”). Another option is to take “their nobles…all their rulers” as the antecedent and to translate, “those who say.”
[83:12] 37 tn Heb “let’s take possession for ourselves.”
[84:9] 38 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.
[84:9] 39 tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).
[88:18] 40 tn Heb “you cause to be far from me friend and neighbor.”
[88:18] 41 tn Heb “those known by me, darkness.”
[89:47] 42 tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).
[89:47] 43 tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).
[104:26] 44 tn Heb “[and] this Leviathan, [which] you formed to play in it.” Elsewhere Leviathan is a multiheaded sea monster that symbolizes forces hostile to God (see Ps 74:14; Isa 27:1), but here it appears to be an actual marine creature created by God, probably some type of whale.
[118:10] 45 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
[118:10] 46 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the
[118:10] 47 tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.
[118:24] 48 tn Heb “this is the day the
[119:11] 50 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew
[119:83] 51 tn Or “even though.”
[119:83] 52 tn The Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20).
[119:83] 53 tn Heb “in the smoke.”
[119:161] 54 tn Heb “and because of your instructions my heart trembles.” The psalmist’s healthy “fear” of the consequences of violating God’s instructions motivates him to obey them. See v. 120.
[120:1] 55 sn Psalm 120. The genre and structure of this psalm are uncertain. It begins like a thanksgiving psalm, with a brief notice that God has heard the psalmist’s prayer for help and has intervened. But v. 2 is a petition for help, followed by a taunt directed toward enemies (vv. 3-4) and a lament (vv. 5-7). Perhaps vv. 2-7 recall the psalmist’s prayer when he cried out to the Lord.
[120:1] 56 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
