Mazmur 22:1-30
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 2 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 3
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 4
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 5
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 6
22:4 In you our ancestors 7 trusted;
they trusted in you 8 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 9
22:6 But I 10 am a worm, 11 not a man; 12
people insult me and despise me. 13
22:7 All who see me taunt 14 me;
they mock me 15 and shake their heads. 16
“Commit yourself 18 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 19 rescue him!
Let the Lord 20 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 21
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 22 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 23
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 24
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 25
22:12 Many bulls 26 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 27 hem me in.
22:13 They 28 open their mouths to devour me 29
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 30
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 31
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 32 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 33 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 34
You 35 set me in the dust of death. 36
22:16 Yes, 37 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 38
22:17 I can count 39 all my bones;
my enemies 40 are gloating over me in triumph. 41
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 42 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 43 Hurry and help me! 44
22:20 Deliver me 45 from the sword!
Save 46 my life 47 from the claws 48 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 49
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 50
You have answered me! 51
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 52
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 53 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 54
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 55 of the oppressed; 56
he did not ignore him; 57
when he cried out to him, he responded. 58
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 59 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 60
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 61
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 62 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 63
Let all the nations 64 worship you! 65
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 67 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 68
all those who are descending into the grave 69 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 70
22:30 A whole generation 71 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 72
Mazmur 55:1-22
KonteksFor the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 74 by David.
55:1 Listen, O God, to my prayer!
Do not ignore 75 my appeal for mercy!
55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!
I am so upset 76 and distressed, 77 I am beside myself, 78
55:3 because of what the enemy says, 79
and because of how the wicked 80 pressure me, 81
for they hurl trouble 82 down upon me 83
and angrily attack me.
55:4 My heart beats violently 84 within me;
the horrors of death overcome me. 85
55:5 Fear and panic overpower me; 86
terror overwhelms 87 me.
55:6 I say, 88 “I wish I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and settle in a safe place!
55:7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
55:8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind 89 and the gale.”
Frustrate their plans! 91
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, 92
while wickedness and destruction 93 are within it.
55:11 Disaster is within it;
violence 94 and deceit do not depart from its public square.
55:12 Indeed, 95 it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, 96
or else I could hide from him.
55:13 But it is you, 97 a man like me, 98
my close friend in whom I confided. 99
55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; 100
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
55:15 May death destroy them! 101
May they go down alive into Sheol! 102
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
55:16 As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
55:17 During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan, 103
55:18 He will rescue 106 me and protect me from those who attack me, 107
even though 108 they greatly outnumber me. 109
55:19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them. 110 (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God. 111
55:20 He 112 attacks 113 his friends; 114
he breaks his solemn promises to them. 115
55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, 116
but he harbors animosity in his heart. 117
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords. 118
55:22 Throw your burden 119 upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you. 120
He will never allow the godly to be upended. 121
Mazmur 59:1-16
KonteksFor the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 123 a prayer 124 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 125
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 126 from those who attack me! 127
59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! 128
Rescue me from violent men! 129
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 130
powerful men stalk 131 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 132
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 133 they are anxious to attack. 134
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 135
59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, 136 the God of Israel,
rouse yourself and punish 137 all the nations!
Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)
59:6 They return in the evening;
they growl 138 like a dog
and prowl around outside 139 the city.
59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 140
for they say, 141
“Who hears?”
59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; 142
you taunt 143 all the nations.
59:9 You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! 144
For God is my refuge. 145
59:10 The God who loves me will help me; 146
God will enable me to triumph over 147 my enemies. 148
59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,
because then my people might forget the lesson. 149
Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,
O Lord who shields us! 150
59:12 They speak sinful words. 151
So let them be trapped by their own pride
and by the curses and lies they speak!
59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!
Let them know that God rules
in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)
59:14 They return in the evening;
they growl 152 like a dog
and prowl around outside 153 the city.
59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full. 154
59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge 155
and my place of shelter when I face trouble. 156
Mazmur 69:1-35
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 158 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 159
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 160
I am in 161 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 162
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 163
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 164 outnumber me. 165
They make me repay what I did not steal! 166
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 167
my guilt is not hidden from you. 168
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 169
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 170 humiliation for your sake 171
and am thoroughly disgraced. 172
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 173
69:9 Certainly 174 zeal for 175 your house 176 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 177
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 178
which causes others to insult me. 179
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 180
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 181
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 182
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 183
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 184 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 185 devour me! 186
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 187
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 188 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 189
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 190
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 191
69:20 Their insults are painful 192 and make me lose heart; 193
I look 194 for sympathy, but receive none, 195
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 196 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 197
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 198
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 199
Make them shake violently! 200
69:24 Pour out your judgment 201 on them!
May your raging anger 202 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 203
69:26 For they harass 204 the one whom you discipline; 205
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 206
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 207
Do not vindicate them! 208
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 209
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 210
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 211
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 212
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 213
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 214 may you be encouraged! 215
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 216
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 217 will again live in them and possess Zion. 218
Mazmur 109:1-31
KonteksFor the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 220
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 221
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 222
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 223
but I continue to pray. 224
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 225
and hate for love.
109:6 226 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 227
May an accuser stand 228 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 229 guilty! 230
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few! 231
May another take his job! 232
109:9 May his children 233 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 234 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 235
109:11 May the creditor seize 236 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 237
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 238
May no one have compassion 239 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 240 be cut off! 241
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 242
109:14 May his ancestors’ 243 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 244
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 245
and cut off the memory of his children 246 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 247
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 248
109:17 He loved to curse 249 others, so those curses have come upon him. 250
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 251
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 252
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 253
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 254
or a belt 255 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 256
those who say evil things about 257 me! 258
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 259
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 260
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 261
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 262
I have turned into skin and bones. 263
109:25 I am disdained by them. 264
When they see me, they shake their heads. 265
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 266
109:27 Then they will realize 267 this is your work, 268
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 269
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 270
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 271 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 272
in the middle of a crowd 273 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 274 his life.
[22:1] 1 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 2 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 3 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 4 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 5 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 6 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 8 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 9 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 10 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 11 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 12 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 13 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 14 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 15 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 16 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 17 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 18 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 19 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 20 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 21 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:8] sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
[22:9] 22 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 23 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 24 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:10] sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
[22:11] 25 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 26 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 27 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 28 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 29 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 30 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 31 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 32 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 33 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 34 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 35 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 36 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 38 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 39 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 40 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 41 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 42 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 43 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 44 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 46 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 47 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 48 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 49 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 50 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 51 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 52 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 53 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:24] 55 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 56 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 57 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 59 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 60 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 61 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 62 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 63 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 64 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 65 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 66 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 67 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 68 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 69 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 70 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 71 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 72 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[55:1] 73 sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.
[55:1] 74 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 52.
[55:1] 75 tn Heb “hide yourself from.”
[55:2] 76 tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.
[55:2] 77 tn Heb “in my complaint.”
[55:2] 78 tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (vÿ’ehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (vÿ’ehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).
[55:3] 79 tn Heb “because of [the] voice of [the] enemy.”
[55:3] 80 tn The singular forms “enemy” and “wicked” are collective or representative, as the plural verb forms in the second half of the verse indicate.
[55:3] 81 tn Heb “from before the pressure of the wicked.” Some suggest the meaning “screech” (note the parallel “voice”; cf. NEB “shrill clamour”; NRSV “clamor”) for the rare noun עָקָה (’aqah, “pressure”).
[55:3] 82 tn Heb “wickedness,” but here the term refers to the destructive effects of their wicked acts.
[55:3] 83 tc The verb form in the MT appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוֹט (mot, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in the Kethib (consonantal text) of Ps 140:10, where the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read. Here in Ps 55:3 it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). It is odd for “rain down” to be used with an abstract object like “wickedness,” but in Job 20:23 God “rains down” anger (unless one emends the text there; see BHS).
[55:4] 84 tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”
[55:4] 85 tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”
[55:5] 86 tn Heb “fear and trembling enter into me.”
[55:5] 87 tn Heb “covers.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the preceding imperfect.
[55:6] 88 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.
[55:8] 89 tn Heb “[the] wind [that] sweeps away.” The verb סָעָה (sa’ah, “sweep away”) occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 120).
[55:9] 90 tn Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallow” in the sense of “devour” or “destroy” (cf. KJV), but this may be a homonym meaning “confuse” (see BDB 118 s.v. בַּלַּע; HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע). “Their tongue” is the understood object of the verb (see the next line).
[55:9] 91 tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”
[55:10] 92 tn Heb “day and night they surround it, upon its walls.” Personified “violence and conflict” are the likely subjects. They are compared to watchmen on the city’s walls.
[55:10] 93 sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.
[55:11] 94 tn Or “injury, harm.”
[55:12] 96 tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.
[55:13] 97 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
[55:13] 98 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
[55:13] 99 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
[55:14] 100 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
[55:15] 101 tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ’alemo, “May devastation [be] upon them!”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth-Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ’alemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashi’), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nasha’, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (yeshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled and corrupt text. The preposition עַל (’al) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ’alemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.
[55:15] 102 sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.
[55:17] 103 tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.
[55:17] 104 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.
[55:17] 105 tn Heb “my voice.”
[55:18] 106 tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).
[55:18] 107 tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”
[55:18] 109 tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (’immad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.
[55:19] 110 tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay’annem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (’anah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).
[55:19] 111 tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”
[55:20] 112 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
[55:20] 113 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
[55:20] 114 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] 115 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
[55:21] 116 tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhma’ot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhem’ah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (kholqu, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.
[55:21] 117 tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”
[55:21] 118 tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”
[55:22] 119 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
[55:22] 120 tn The pronoun is singular; the psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually.
[55:22] 121 tn Heb “he will never allow swaying for the righteous.”
[59:1] 122 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
[59:1] 123 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 57-58, 75.
[59:1] 124 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[59:1] 125 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
[59:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.
[59:1] 126 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
[59:1] 127 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
[59:2] 128 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
[59:2] 129 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
[59:3] 131 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.
[59:3] 132 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
[59:4] 133 tn Heb “without sin.”
[59:4] 134 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
[59:4] 135 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
[59:5] 136 tn Heb “
[59:5] 137 tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).
[59:6] 138 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:6] 139 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:7] 140 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
[59:7] 141 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
[59:8] 142 sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.
[59:8] 143 tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).
[59:9] 144 tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (’eshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (’ezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.
[59:9] 145 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:10] 146 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
[59:10] 147 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
[59:10] 148 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
[59:11] 149 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”
[59:11] sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.
[59:11] 150 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”
[59:12] 151 tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”
[59:14] 152 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:14] 153 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:15] 154 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
[59:16] 155 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:16] 156 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”
[69:1] 157 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 158 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 159 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 160 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 161 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 162 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 163 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 164 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 165 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 166 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:4] sn They make me repay what I did not steal. The psalmist’s enemies falsely accuse him and hold him accountable for alleged crimes he did not even commit.
[69:5] 167 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 168 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 169 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 170 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 171 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 172 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 173 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 174 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 175 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 176 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 177 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:9] sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.
[69:10] 178 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 179 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 180 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 181 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 182 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 183 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 184 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 185 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 186 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 187 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 188 tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[69:18] 190 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 191 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 192 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 193 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 195 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 196 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 197 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 198 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 199 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 200 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 201 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 202 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your 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.
[69:25] 203 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:25] sn In Acts 1:20 Peter applies the language of this verse to Judas’ experience. By changing the pronouns from plural to singular, he is able to apply the ancient curse, pronounced against the psalmist’s enemies, to Judas in particular.
[69:26] 204 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 205 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 206 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:26] sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
[69:27] 207 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 208 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 209 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] sn The phrase the scroll of the living occurs only here in the OT. It pictures a scroll or census list containing the names of the citizens of a community. When an individual died, that person’s name was removed from the list. So this curse is a very vivid way of asking that the enemies die.
[69:28] 210 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:28] sn Do not let their names be listed with the godly. This curse pictures a scroll in which God records the names of his loyal followers. The psalmist makes the point that his enemies have no right to be included in this list of the godly.
[69:29] 211 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 212 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 213 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 214 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 215 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 216 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 217 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 218 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[109:1] 219 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 220 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 221 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 222 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 223 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 224 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 225 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 226 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 227 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 228 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 229 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 230 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 231 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
[109:8] 232 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 235 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 236 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 237 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 238 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 239 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 240 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 241 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 242 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 243 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 244 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:14] sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
[109:15] 245 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 246 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 247 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 248 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 249 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 250 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 251 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 252 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 253 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 254 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 255 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 256 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 258 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 259 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 260 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
[109:23] 261 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 262 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 263 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 264 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 265 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 266 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 267 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 268 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 269 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 270 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 271 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 272 tn Heb “I will thank the
