Mazmur 3:7

3:7 Rise up, ¹  Lord!

Deliver me, my God!

Yes, ²  you will strike ³  all my enemies on the jaw;

you will break the teeth ⁴  of the wicked. ⁵ 

Mazmur 4:4

4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! ⁶ 

Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! ⁷  (Selah)

Mazmur 9:9

9:9 Consequently ⁸  the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; ⁹ 

he provides safety in times of trouble. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 9:16

9:16 The Lord revealed himself;

he accomplished justice;

the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. ¹¹  (Higgaion. ¹²  Selah)

Mazmur 18:3

18:3 I called ¹³  to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, ¹⁴ 

and I was delivered from my enemies.

Mazmur 18:12

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 20:2

20:2 May he send you help from his temple; ¹⁶ 

from Zion may he give you support!

Mazmur 32:11

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

Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 34:4

34:4 I sought the Lord’s help ¹⁸  and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

Mazmur 34:15

34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly

and hears their cry for help. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 34:17

34:17 The godly ²⁰  cry out and the Lord hears;

he saves them from all their troubles. ²¹ 

Mazmur 42:2

42:2 I thirst ²²  for God,

for the living God.

I say, ²³  “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” ²⁴ 

Mazmur 46:10

46:10 He says, ²⁵  “Stop your striving and recognize ²⁶  that I am God!

I will be exalted ²⁷  over ²⁸  the nations! I will be exalted over ²⁹  the earth!”

Mazmur 48:1

Psalm 48 ³⁰ 

A song, a psalm by the Korahites.

48:1 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise

in the city of our God, ³¹  his holy hill.

Mazmur 50:3

50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; ³² 

consuming fire goes ahead of him

and all around him a storm rages. ³³ 

Mazmur 56:4

56:4 In God – I boast in his promise ³⁴  –

in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ³⁵  do to me? ³⁶ 

Mazmur 68:15

68:15 The mountain of Bashan ³⁷  is a towering mountain; ³⁸ 

the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. ³⁹ 

Mazmur 68:17

68:17 God has countless chariots;

they number in the thousands. ⁴⁰ 

The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 68:19

68:19 The Lord deserves praise! ⁴² 

Day after day ⁴³  he carries our burden,

the God who delivers us. (Selah)

Mazmur 68:24

68:24 They ⁴⁴  see your processions, O God –

the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 77:9

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

Mazmur 78:21

78:21 When ⁴⁶  the Lord heard this, he was furious.

A fire broke out against Jacob,

and his anger flared up ⁴⁷  against Israel,

Mazmur 78:49

78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them, ⁴⁸ 

He sent fury, rage, and trouble

as messengers who bring disaster. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 78:52

78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;

he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

Mazmur 78:71

78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, ⁵⁰ 

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 85:9

85:9 Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance; ⁵² 

then his splendor will again appear in our land. ⁵³ 

Mazmur 89:7

89:7 a God who is honored ⁵⁴  in the great angelic assembly, ⁵⁵ 

and more awesome than ⁵⁶  all who surround him?

Mazmur 92:2

92:2 It is fitting ⁵⁷  to proclaim your loyal love in the morning,

and your faithfulness during the night,

Mazmur 92:15

92:15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector,

is just and never unfair. ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 94:14

94:14 Certainly ⁵⁹  the Lord does not forsake his people;

he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him. ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 95:4

95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, ⁶¹ 

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Mazmur 96:12

96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!

Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy

Mazmur 97:7

97:7 All who worship idols are ashamed,

those who boast about worthless idols.

All the gods bow down before him. ⁶² 

Mazmur 97:12

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

Give thanks to his holy name. ⁶³ 

Mazmur 102:24

102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! ⁶⁴ 

You endure through all generations. ⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 105:14

105:14 He let no one oppress them;

he disciplined kings for their sake,

Mazmur 105:25

105:25 He caused them ⁶⁶  to hate his people,

and to mistreat ⁶⁷  his servants.

Mazmur 107:40

107:40 He would pour ⁶⁸  contempt upon princes,

and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.

Mazmur 111:5

111:5 He gives ⁶⁹  food to his faithful followers; ⁷⁰ 

he always remembers his covenant. ⁷¹ 

Mazmur 112:1

Psalm 112 ⁷² 

112:1 Praise the Lord!

How blessed is the one ⁷³  who obeys ⁷⁴  the Lord,

who takes great delight in keeping his commands. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 122:4

122:4 The tribes go up ⁷⁶  there, ⁷⁷ 

the tribes of the Lord,

where it is required that Israel

give thanks to the name of the Lord. ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 138:6

138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,

and recognizes the proud from far away.

Mazmur 145:19

145:19 He satisfies the desire ⁷⁹  of his loyal followers; ⁸⁰ 

he hears their cry for help and delivers them.

Mazmur 149:4

149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;

he exalts the oppressed by delivering them. ⁸¹ 

Mazmur 149:9

149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies ⁸²  have been sentenced. ⁸³ 

All his loyal followers will be vindicated. ⁸⁴ 

Praise the Lord!

[3:7]  ¹ tn In v. 2 the psalmist describes his enemies as those who “confront” him (קָמִים [qamim], literally, “rise up against him”). Now, using the same verbal root (קוּם, qum) he asks the Lord to rise up (קוּמָה, qumah) in his defense.

[3:7]  ² tn Elsewhere in the psalms the particle כִּי (ki), when collocated with a perfect verbal form and subordinated to a preceding imperative directed to God, almost always has an explanatory or causal force (“for, because”) and introduces a motivating argument for why God should respond positively to the request (see Pss 5:10; 6:2; 12:1; 16:1; 41:4; 55:9; 56:1; 57:1; 60:2; 69:1; 74:20; 119:94; 123:3; 142:6; 143:8). (On three occasions the כִּי is recitative after a verb of perception [“see/know that,” see Pss 4:3; 25:19; 119:159]). If כִּי is taken as explanatory here, then the psalmist is arguing that God should deliver him now because that is what God characteristically does. However, such a motivating argument is not used in the passages cited above. The motivating argument usually focuses on the nature of the psalmist’s dilemma or the fact that he trusts in the Lord. For this reason it is unlikely that כִּי has its normal force here. Most scholars understand the particle כִּי as having an asseverative (emphasizing) function here (“indeed, yes”; NEB leaves the particle untranslated).

[3:7]  ³ tn If the particle כִּי (ki) is taken as explanatory, then the perfect verbal forms in v. 7b would describe God’s characteristic behavior. However, as pointed out in the preceding note on the word “yes,” the particle probably has an asseverative force here. If so, the perfects may be taken as indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s assault on his enemies as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm, as expressed before (vv. 3-6) and after this (v. 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“Strike all my enemies on the jaw, break the teeth of the wicked”). 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.

[3:7]  ⁴ sn The expression break the teeth may envision violent hand-to hand combat, though it is possible that the enemies are pictured here as a dangerous animal (see Job 29:17).

[3:7]  ⁵ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[4:4]  ⁶ sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.

[4:4]  ⁷ 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.”

[9:9]  ⁸ tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.

[9:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the Lord is an elevated place for the oppressed.” The singular form דָּךְ (dakh, “oppressed”) is collective here.

[9:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).

[9:16]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn This is probably a technical musical term.

[18:3]  ¹³ tn In this song of thanksgiving, where the psalmist recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect.

[18:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the Lord.” Some take מְהֻלָּל (mÿhullal, “worthy of praise”) with what precedes and translate, “the praiseworthy one,” or “praiseworthy.” However, the various epithets in vv. 1-2 have the first person pronominal suffix, unlike מְהֻלָּל. If one follows the traditional verse division and takes מְהֻלָּל with what follows, it is best understood as substantival and as appositional to יְהוָה (yÿhvah): “[to the] praiseworthy one I cried out, [to the] Lord.”

[18:12]  ¹⁵ tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.

[20:2]  ¹⁶ tc Heb “from [the] temple.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix (ן, nun) has probably been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word begins with a prefixed vav (ו). See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 184.

[32:11]  ¹⁷ 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).

[34:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I sought the Lord.”

[34:15]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the eyes of the Lord [are] toward the godly, and his ears [are] toward their cry for help.”

[34:17]  ²⁰ tn Heb “they” (i.e., the godly mentioned in v. 15).

[34:17]  ²¹ tn The three perfect verbal forms are taken in a generalizing sense in v. 17 and translated with the present tense (note the generalizing mood of vv. 18-22).

[42:2]  ²² tn Or “my soul thirsts.”

[42:2]  ²³ tn The words “I say” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[42:2]  ²⁴ tn Heb “When will I go and appear [to] the face of God?” Some emend the Niphal verbal form אֵרָאֶה (’era’eh, “I will appear”) to a Qal אֶרְאֶה (’er’eh, “I will see”; see Gen 33:10), but the Niphal can be retained if one understands ellipsis of אֶת (’et) before “face” (see Exod 34:24; Deut 31:11).

[46:10]  ²⁵ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[46:10]  ²⁶ tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.

[46:10]  ²⁷ tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).

[46:10]  ²⁸ tn Or “among.”

[46:10]  ²⁹ tn Or “in.”

[48:1]  ³⁰ sn Psalm 48. This so-called “Song of Zion” celebrates the greatness and glory of the Lord’s dwelling place, Jerusalem. His presence in the city elevates it above all others and assures its security.

[48:1]  ³¹ sn The city of our God is Jerusalem, which is also referred to here as “his holy hill,” that is, Zion (see v. 2, as well as Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 87:1; Dan 9:16).

[50:3]  ³² tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”

[50:3]  ³³ tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”

[56:4]  ³⁴ tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.

[56:4]  ³⁵ tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.

[56:4]  ³⁶ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.

[68:15]  ³⁷ sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.

[68:15]  ³⁸ tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”

[68:15]  ³⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term, which appears only here in the OT, is uncertain. HALOT 174 s.v. גַּבְנוֹן suggests “many-peaked,” while BDB 148 s.v. גַּבְנִן suggests “rounded summit.”

[68:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”

[68:17]  ⁴¹ tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).

[68:19]  ⁴² tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”

[68:19]  ⁴³ tn It is possible to take this phrase with what precedes (“The Lord deserves praise day after day”) rather than with what follows.

[68:24]  ⁴⁴ tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.

[68:24]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[78:21]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “therefore.”

[78:21]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and also anger went up.”

[78:49]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “he sent against them the rage of his anger.” The phrase “rage of his 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.

[78:49]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “fury and indignation and trouble, a sending of messengers of disaster.”

[78:71]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”

[78:71]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”

[85:9]  ⁵² tn Heb “certainly his deliverance [is] near to those who fear him.”

[85:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “to dwell, glory, in our land.” “Glory” is the subject of the infinitive. The infinitive with -לְ (lÿ), “to dwell,” probably indicates result here (“then”). When God delivers his people and renews his relationship with them, he will once more reveal his royal splendor in the land.

[89:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “feared.”

[89:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

[89:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

[92:2]  ⁵⁷ tn The words “it is fitting” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Verses 1-3 are actually one long sentence in the Hebrew text, but this has been divided up into two shorter sentences in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.

[92:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the Lord, my rocky summit, and there is no injustice in him.”

[94:14]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “for.”

[94:14]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “his inheritance.”

[95:4]  ⁶¹ tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.

[97:7]  ⁶² tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verbal form in the first line is an imperfect (“are ashamed”) and that the ambiguous form in the third line is a perfect (“bow down”) because the psalmist appears to be describing the effect of the Lord’s mighty theophany on those who witness it (see vv. 5, 8). Another option is to take the prefixed form in the first line as a jussive (“let all who worship idols be ashamed”) and the ambiguous form in the third line as an imperative (“All you gods, bow down before him!”; cf. NIV).

[97:12]  ⁶³ 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.

[102:24]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”

[102:24]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”

[105:25]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “their heart.”

[105:25]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.

[107:40]  ⁶⁸ tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.

[111:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.

[111:5]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[111:5]  ⁷¹ tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).

[112:1]  ⁷² sn Psalm 112. This wisdom psalm lists some of the benefits of living a godly life. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[112:1]  ⁷³ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The individual is representative of a larger group, called the “godly” in vv. 3-4. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in the following verses.

[112:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “fears.”

[112:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “in his commands he delights very much.” The words “in keeping” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Taking delight in the law is metonymic here for obeying God’s moral will. See Ps 1:2.

[122:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “went up.”

[122:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “which is where the tribes go up.”

[122:4]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “[it is] a statute for Israel to give thanks to the name of the Lord.”

[145:19]  ⁷⁹ tn In this context “desire” refers to the followers’ desire to be delivered from wicked enemies.

[145:19]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “the desire of those who fear him, he does.”

[149:4]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”

[149:9]  ⁸² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the enemies of the people of God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[149:9]  ⁸³ tn Heb “to do against them judgment [that] is written.”

[149:9]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “it is honor for all his godly ones.” The judgment of the oppressive kings will bring vindication and honor to God’s people (see vv. 4-5).