Mazmur 32:11--33:3

32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!

Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! ¹ 

Psalm 33 ² 

33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!

It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

33:2 Give thanks to the Lord with the harp!

Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument!

33:3 Sing to him a new song! ³ 

Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him! ⁴ 

Mazmur 97:12

97:12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord!

Give thanks to his holy name. ⁵ 

Mazmur 103:20-22

103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,

you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees

and obey his orders! ⁶ 

103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, ⁷ 

you servants of his who carry out his desires! ⁸ 

103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, ⁹ 

in all the regions ¹⁰  of his kingdom!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Mazmur 132:9

132:9 May your priests be clothed with integrity! ¹¹ 

May your loyal followers shout for joy!

Mazmur 135:19-21

135:19 O family ¹²  of Israel, praise the Lord!

O family of Aaron, praise the Lord!

135:20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord!

You loyal followers ¹³  of the Lord, praise the Lord!

135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion ¹⁴  –

he who dwells in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ 

Praise the Lord!

Mazmur 148:14--149:1

148:14 He has made his people victorious, ¹⁶ 

and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –

the Israelites, the people who are close to him. ¹⁷ 

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 149 ¹⁸ 

149:1 Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Praise him in the assembly of the godly! ¹⁹ 

[32:11]  ¹ tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[33:1]  ² sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.

[33:3]  ³ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.

[33:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”

[97:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 30:4. The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.

[103:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”

[103:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “all his hosts.”

[103:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”

[103:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “all his works,” which includes mankind.

[103:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “places.”

[132:9]  ¹¹ tn Or “righteousness.”

[135:19]  ¹² tn Heb “house” (here and in the next two lines).

[135:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “fearers.”

[135:21]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “praised be the Lord from Zion.”

[135:21]  ¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[148:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” 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 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the Lord gives his people military victory.

[148:14]  ¹⁷ tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.

[149:1]  ¹⁸ sn Psalm 149. The psalmist calls upon God’s people to praise him because he is just and avenges them.

[149:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “his praise in the assembly of the godly ones.”