Mazmur 3:4

3:4 To the Lord I cried out, ¹ 

and he answered me from his holy hill. ²  (Selah)

Mazmur 4:4

4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! ³ 

Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! ⁴  (Selah)

Mazmur 7:5

7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase ⁵  me ⁶  and catch me; ⁷ 

may he trample me to death ⁸ 

and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. ⁹  (Selah)

Mazmur 9:16

9:16 The Lord revealed himself;

he accomplished justice;

the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. ¹⁰  (Higgaion. ¹¹  Selah)

Mazmur 9:20

9:20 Terrify them, Lord! ¹² 

Let the nations know they are mere mortals! ¹³  (Selah)

Mazmur 20:3

20:3 May he take notice ¹⁴  of your offerings;

may he accept ¹⁵  your burnt sacrifice! (Selah)

Mazmur 32:4

32:4 For day and night you tormented me; ¹⁶ 

you tried to destroy me ¹⁷  in the intense heat ¹⁸  of summer. ¹⁹  (Selah)

Mazmur 32:7

32:7 You are my hiding place;

you protect me from distress.

You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. ²⁰  (Selah)

Mazmur 44:8

44:8 In God I boast all day long,

and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)

Mazmur 46:11

46:11 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! ²¹ 

The God of Jacob ²²  is our protector! ²³  (Selah)

Mazmur 47:4

47:4 He picked out for us a special land ²⁴ 

to be a source of pride for ²⁵  Jacob, ²⁶  whom he loves. ²⁷  (Selah)

Mazmur 49:13

49:13 This is the destiny of fools, ²⁸ 

and of those who approve of their philosophy. ²⁹  (Selah)

Mazmur 49:15

49:15 But ³⁰  God will rescue ³¹  my life ³²  from the power ³³  of Sheol;

certainly ³⁴  he will pull me to safety. ³⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 52:3

52:3 You love evil more than good,

lies more than speaking the truth. ³⁶  (Selah)

Mazmur 61:4

61:4 I will be a permanent guest in your home; ³⁷ 

I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. ³⁸  (Selah)

Mazmur 62:4

62:4 They ³⁹  spend all their time planning how to bring him ⁴⁰  down. ⁴¹ 

They love to use deceit; ⁴² 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ⁴³  (Selah)

Mazmur 66:7

66:7 He rules ⁴⁴  by his power forever;

he watches ⁴⁵  the nations.

Stubborn rebels should not exalt ⁴⁶  themselves. (Selah)

Mazmur 68:7

68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, ⁴⁷ 

when you march through the desert, ⁴⁸  (Selah)

Mazmur 68:19

68:19 The Lord deserves praise! ⁴⁹ 

Day after day ⁵⁰  he carries our burden,

the God who delivers us. (Selah)

Mazmur 76:3

76:3 There he shattered the arrows, ⁵¹ 

the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. ⁵²  (Selah)

Mazmur 76:9

76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,

and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

Mazmur 77:9

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

Mazmur 77:15

77:15 You delivered ⁵³  your people by your strength ⁵⁴  –

the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)

Mazmur 84:4

84:4 How blessed ⁵⁵  are those who live in your temple

and praise you continually! (Selah)

Mazmur 84:8

84:8 O Lord, sovereign God, ⁵⁶ 

hear my prayer!

Listen, O God of Jacob! (Selah)

Mazmur 88:7

88:7 Your anger bears down on me,

and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Selah)

Mazmur 88:10

88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?

Do the departed spirits ⁵⁷  rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)

Mazmur 89:48

89:48 No man can live on without experiencing death,

or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. ⁵⁸  (Selah)

[3:4]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form could be an imperfect, yielding the translation “I cry out,” but the verb form in the next line (a vav [ו] consecutive with the preterite) suggests this is a brief narrative of what has already happened. Consequently the verb form in v. 4a is better understood as a preterite, “I cried out.” (For another example of the preterite of this same verb form, see Ps 30:8.) Sometime after the crisis arose, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and received an assuring answer. Now he confidently awaits the fulfillment of the divine promise.

[3:4]  ² sn His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1-2). The psalmist recognizes that the Lord dwells in his sanctuary on Mount Zion.

[4:4]  ³ sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.

[4:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “say in your heart(s) on your bed(s) and wail/lament.” The verb דֹמּוּ (dommu) is understood as a form of דָמָם (“wail, lament”) in sorrow and repentance. Another option is to take the verb from II דָמָם (damam, “be quiet”); cf. NIV, NRSV “be silent.”

[7:5]  ⁵ tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC 168 §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.

[7:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[7:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.

[7:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”

[7:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy, “my honor”) to כְבֵדִי (khÿvediy, “my liver” as the seat of life), but the term כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy) is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.

[9:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).

[9:16]  ¹¹ tn This is probably a technical musical term.

[9:20]  ¹² tn Heb “place, Lord, terror with regard to them.” The Hebrew term מוֹרָה (morah, “terror”) is an alternative form of מוֹרָא (mora’; a reading that appears in some mss and finds support in several ancient textual witnesses).

[9:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).

[20:3]  ¹⁴ tn Or “remember.” For other examples of the verb זָכַר (zakhar) carrying the nuance “take notice of,” see Pss 8:4 and 9:12.

[20:3]  ¹⁵ tc Heb “consider as fat.” The verbal form should probably be emended to יְדַשְּׁנֶהָ (yÿdashÿneha), the final he (ה) being understood as a third feminine singular pronominal suffix referring back to the feminine noun “burnt sacrifice.”

[32:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”

[32:4]  ¹⁷ tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (lÿshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (lÿshuddiy, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.

[32:4]  sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.

[32:4]  ¹⁸ tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”

[32:4]  ¹⁹ sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.

[32:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “[with] shouts of joy of deliverance you surround me.”

[46:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts is with us.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Ps 24:10). The military imagery is further developed in vv. 8-9.

[46:11]  ²² tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:11]  ²³ tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).

[47:4]  ²⁴ tn Heb “he chose for us our inheritance.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite (see “subdued” in v. 3).

[47:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the pride of.” The phrase is appositional to “our inheritance,” indicating that the land is here described as a source of pride to God’s people.

[47:4]  ²⁶ tn That is, Israel.

[47:4]  ²⁷ sn Jacob whom he loves. The Lord’s covenantal devotion to his people is in view.

[49:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “this [is] their way, [there is] folly [belonging] to them.” The Hebrew term translated “this” could refer (1) back to the preceding verse[s] or (2) ahead to the subsequent statements. The translation assumes the latter, since v. 12 appears to be a refrain that concludes the psalm’s first major section and marks a structural boundary. (A similar refrain [see v. 20] concludes the second half of the psalm.) The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) often refers to one’s lifestyle, but, if it relates to what follows, then here it likely refers metonymically to one’s destiny (the natural outcome of one’s lifestyle [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “fate”]). (See the discussion in K. Koch, TDOT 3:285.) If one prefers the more common nuance (“lifestyle”), then the term would look back to the self-confident attitude described in the earlier verses.

[49:13]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and after them, in their mouth they take delight.” The meaning of the MT is not entirely clear. “After them” is understood here as substantival, “those who come after them” or “those who follow them.” “Their mouth” is taken as a metonymy for the arrogant attitude verbalized by the rich. In the expression “take delight in,” the preposition -ב (bet) introduces the object/cause of one’s delight (see Pss 147:10; 149:4). So the idea here is that those who come after/follow the rich find the philosophy of life they verbalize and promote to be attractive and desirable.

[49:15]  ³⁰ tn Or “certainly.”

[49:15]  ³¹ tn Or “redeem.”

[49:15]  ³² tn Or “me.” 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).

[49:15]  ³³ tn Heb “hand.”

[49:15]  ³⁴ tn Or “for.”

[49:15]  ³⁵ tn Heb “he will take me.” To improve the poetic balance of the verse, some move the words “from the power of Sheol” to the following line. The verse would then read: “But God will rescue my life; / from the power of Sheol he will certainly deliver me” (cf. NEB).

[49:15]  sn According to some, the psalmist here anticipates the resurrection (or at least an afterlife in God’s presence). But it is more likely that the psalmist here expresses his hope that God will rescue him from premature death at the hands of the rich oppressors denounced in the psalm. The psalmist is well aware that all (the wise and foolish) die (see vv. 7-12), but he is confident God will lead him safely through the present “times of trouble” (v. 5) and sweep the wicked away to their final destiny. The theme is a common one in the so-called wisdom psalms (see Pss 1, 34, 37, 112). For a fuller discussion of the psalmists’ view of the afterlife, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 284-88.

[52:3]  ³⁶ tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”

[61:4]  ³⁷ tn Heb “I will live as a resident alien in your tent permanently.” The cohortative is understood here as indicating resolve. Another option is to take it as expressing a request, “please let me live” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[61:4]  ³⁸ sn I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.

[62:4]  ³⁹ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁴⁰ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ⁴² tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ⁴³ sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.

[66:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “[the] one who rules.”

[66:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “his eyes watch.” “Eyes” are an anthropomorphism, attributed to God here to emphasize his awareness of all that happens on earth.

[66:7]  ⁴⁶ tn The verb form is jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al). The Kethib (consonantal text) has a Hiphil form of the verb, apparently to be understood in an exhibitive sense (“demonstrate stubborn rebellion”; see BDB 927 s.v. רוּם Hiph), while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Qal form, to be understood in an intransitive sense. The preposition -לְ (lamed) with pronominal suffix should be understood in a reflexive sense (“for themselves”) and indicates that the action is performed with the interest of the subject in mind.

[68:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).

[68:7]  ⁴⁸ sn When you march through the desert. Some interpreters think that v. 7 alludes to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and its subsequent travels in the desert. Another option is that v. 7, like v. 8, echoes Judg 5:4, which describes how the God of Sinai marched across the desert regions to do battle with Sisera and his Canaanite army.

[68:19]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”

[68:19]  ⁵⁰ tn It is possible to take this phrase with what precedes (“The Lord deserves praise day after day”) rather than with what follows.

[76:3]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “flames of the bow,” i.e., arrows.

[76:3]  ⁵² 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 b.c. (see Isa 36-37).

[77:15]  ⁵³ tn Or “redeemed.”

[77:15]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “with [your] arm.”

[84:4]  ⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 12 and Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[84:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9) but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת in Pss 59:5 and 80:4, 19 as well.

[88:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).

[89:48]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “Who [is] the man [who] can live and not see death, [who] can deliver his life from the hand of Sheol?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”