Mazmur 5:12

5:12 Certainly ¹  you reward ²  the godly, ³  Lord.

Like a shield you protect ⁴  them ⁵  in your good favor. ⁶ 

Mazmur 6:5

6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death, ⁷ 

In Sheol who gives you thanks? ⁸ 

Mazmur 7:4

7:4 or have wronged my ally, ⁹ 

or helped his lawless enemy, ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 9:6

9:6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; ¹¹ 

you destroyed their cities; ¹² 

all memory of the enemies has perished. ¹³ 

Mazmur 11:1

Psalm 11 ¹⁴ 

For the music director; by David.

11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. ¹⁵ 

How can you say to me, ¹⁶ 

“Flee to a mountain like a bird! ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 12:4

12:4 They say, ¹⁸  “We speak persuasively; ¹⁹ 

we know how to flatter and boast. ²⁰ 

Who is our master?” ²¹ 

Mazmur 19:12

19:12 Who can know all his errors? ²² 

Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. ²³ 

Mazmur 22:2

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. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 25:3

25:3 Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.

Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted ²⁵  and humiliated.

Mazmur 25:5-6

25:5 Guide me into your truth ²⁶  and teach me.

For you are the God who delivers me;

on you I rely all day long.

25:6 Remember ²⁷  your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,

for you have always acted in this manner. ²⁸ 

Mazmur 28:3

28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,

with those who behave wickedly, ²⁹ 

who talk so friendly to their neighbors, ³⁰ 

while they plan to harm them! ³¹ 

Mazmur 30:6

30:6 In my self-confidence I said,

“I will never be upended.” ³² 

Mazmur 31:14

31:14 But I trust in you, O Lord!

I declare, “You are my God!”

Mazmur 33:18

33:18 Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, ³³ 

those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness ³⁴ 

Mazmur 34:15-16

34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly

and hears their cry for help. ³⁵ 

34:16 But the Lord opposes evildoers

and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. ³⁶ 

Mazmur 36:1

Psalm 36 ³⁷ 

For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. ³⁸ 

36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. ³⁹ 

He does not fear God, ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 36:3-4

36:3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;

he does not care about doing what is wise and right. ⁴¹ 

36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;

he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; ⁴² 

he does not reject what is evil. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 37:37

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ⁴⁴ 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 38:13

38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak. ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 40:8

40:8 I want to do what pleases you, ⁴⁷  my God.

Your law dominates my thoughts.” ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 44:22

44:22 Yet because of you ⁴⁹  we are killed all day long;

we are treated like ⁵⁰  sheep at the slaughtering block. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 45:16

45:16 Your ⁵²  sons will carry ⁵³  on the dynasty of your ancestors; ⁵⁴ 

you will make them princes throughout the land.

Mazmur 46:5

46:5 God lives within it, ⁵⁵  it cannot be moved. ⁵⁶ 

God rescues it ⁵⁷  at the break of dawn. ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 49:8

49:8 (the ransom price for a human life ⁵⁹  is too high,

and people go to their final destiny), ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 49:11

49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,

their eternal dwelling place. ⁶¹ 

They name their lands after themselves, ⁶² 

Mazmur 50:3

50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; ⁶³ 

consuming fire goes ahead of him

and all around him a storm rages. ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 55:10

55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, ⁶⁵ 

while wickedness and destruction ⁶⁶  are within it.

Mazmur 55:21

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ⁶⁷ 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ⁶⁸ 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ⁶⁹ 

Mazmur 62:7

62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;

God is my strong protector and my shelter. ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 64:5-6

64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. ⁷¹ 

They plan how to hide ⁷²  snares,

and boast, ⁷³  “Who will see them?” ⁷⁴ 

64:6 They devise ⁷⁵  unjust schemes;

they disguise ⁷⁶  a well-conceived plot. ⁷⁷ 

Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 65:11

65:11 You crown the year with your good blessings, ⁷⁹ 

and you leave abundance in your wake. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 69:19

69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;

you can see all my enemies. ⁸¹ 

Mazmur 71:19

71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; ⁸² 

you have done great things. ⁸³ 

O God, who can compare to you? ⁸⁴ 

Mazmur 77:13

77:13 ⁸⁵ O God, your deeds are extraordinary! ⁸⁶ 

What god can compare to our great God? ⁸⁷ 

Mazmur 81:15

81:15 (May those who hate the Lord ⁸⁸  cower in fear ⁸⁹  before him!

May they be permanently humiliated!) ⁹⁰ 

Mazmur 83:4

83:4 They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation! ⁹¹ 

Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”

Mazmur 88:4

88:4 They treat me like ⁹²  those who descend into the grave. ⁹³ 

I am like a helpless man, ⁹⁴ 

Mazmur 88:10

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

Do the departed spirits ⁹⁵  rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)

Mazmur 89:7

89:7 a God who is honored ⁹⁶  in the great angelic assembly, ⁹⁷ 

and more awesome than ⁹⁸  all who surround him?

Mazmur 89:13

89:13 Your arm is powerful,

your hand strong,

your right hand ⁹⁹  victorious. ¹⁰⁰ 

Mazmur 89:48

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

or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. ¹⁰¹  (Selah)

Mazmur 95:4

95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, ¹⁰² 

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 102:14

102:14 Indeed, ¹⁰³  your servants take delight in her stones,

and feel compassion for ¹⁰⁴  the dust of her ruins. ¹⁰⁵ 

Mazmur 102:28

102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,

and their descendants ¹⁰⁶  will live securely in your presence.” ¹⁰⁷ 

Mazmur 104:14-15

104:14 He provides grass ¹⁰⁸  for the cattle,

and crops for people to cultivate, ¹⁰⁹ 

so they can produce food from the ground, ¹¹⁰ 

104:15 as well as wine that makes people feel so good, ¹¹¹ 

and so they can have oil to make their faces shine, ¹¹² 

as well as food that sustains people’s lives. ¹¹³ 

Mazmur 109:17

109:17 He loved to curse ¹¹⁴  others, so those curses have come upon him. ¹¹⁵ 

He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. ¹¹⁶ 

Mazmur 139:15

139:15 my bones were not hidden from you,

when ¹¹⁷  I was made in secret

and sewed together in the depths of the earth. ¹¹⁸ 

Mazmur 150:2

150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts!

Praise him for his surpassing greatness!

[5:12]  ¹ tn Or “For.”

[5:12]  ² tn Or “bless.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line highlight how God characteristically rewards and protects the godly.

[5:12]  ³ tn Or “innocent.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense.

[5:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “surround.” In 1 Sam 23:26 the verb describes how Saul and his men hemmed David in as they chased him.

[5:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “him.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense and is thus translated “them.”

[5:12]  ⁶ tn Or “with favor” (cf. NRSV). There is no preposition before the noun in the Hebrew text, nor is there a pronoun attached. “Favor” here stands by metonymy for God’s defensive actions on behalf of the one whom he finds acceptable.

[6:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.

[6:5]  ⁸ tn The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

[6:5]  sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!

[7:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “if I have repaid the one at peace with me evil.” The form שׁוֹלְמִי (sholÿmi, “the one at peace with me”) probably refers to a close friend or ally, i.e., one with whom the psalmist has made a formal agreement. See BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלוֹם 4.a.

[7:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “or rescued my enemy in vain.” The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive (the verb form is pseudo-cohortative; see IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3) carries on the hypothetical nuance of the perfect in the preceding line. Some regard the statement as a parenthetical assertion that the psalmist is kind to his enemies. Others define חָלַץ (khalats) as “despoil” (cf. NASB, NRSV “plundered”; NIV “robbed”), an otherwise unattested nuance for this verb. Still others emend the verb to לָחַץ (lakhats, “oppress”). Most construe the adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “emptily, vainly”) with “my enemy,” i.e., the one who is my enemy in vain.” The present translation (1) assumes an emendation of צוֹרְרִי (tsorÿriy, “my enemy”) to צוֹרְרוֹ (tsorÿro, “his [i.e., the psalmist’s ally’s] enemy”) following J. Tigay, “Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties,” JBL 89 (1970): 178-86, (2) understands the final mem (ם) on רֵיקָם as enclitic, and (3) takes רִיק (riq) as an adjective modifying “his enemy.” (For other examples of a suffixed noun followed by an attributive adjective without the article, see Pss 18:17 (“my strong enemy”), 99:3 (“your great and awesome name”) and 143:10 (“your good spirit”). The adjective רִיק occurs with the sense “lawless” in Judg 9:4; 11:3; 2 Chr 13:7. In this case the psalmist affirms that he has not wronged his ally, nor has he given aid to his ally’s enemies. Ancient Near Eastern treaties typically included such clauses, with one or both parties agreeing not to lend aid to the treaty partner’s enemies.

[9:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the enemy – they have come to an end [in] ruins permanently.” The singular form אוֹיֵב (’oyev, “enemy”) is collective. It is placed at the beginning of the verse to heighten the contrast with יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the Lord”) in v. 7.

[9:6]  ¹² tn Heb “you uprooted cities.”

[9:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “it has perished, their remembrance, they.” The independent pronoun at the end of the line is in apposition to the preceding pronominal suffix and lends emphasis (see IBHS 299 §16.3.4). The referent of the masculine pronoun is the nations/enemies (cf. v. 5), not the cities (the Hebrew noun עָרִים [’arim, “cities”] is grammatically feminine). This has been specified in the present translation for clarity; many modern translations retain the pronoun “them,” resulting in ambiguity (cf. NRSV “their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished”).

[11:1]  ¹⁴ sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.

[11:1]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

[11:1]  ¹⁶ tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[11:1]  ¹⁷ tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.

[12:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “which say.” The plural verb after the relative pronoun indicates a plural antecedent for the pronoun, probably “lips” in v. 3.

[12:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to accomplish their purposes. The preposition -לְ (l) prefixed to “our tongue” may be dittographic.

[12:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “our lips [are] with us.” This odd expression probably means, “our lips are in our power,” in the sense that they say what they want, whether it be flattery or boasting. For other cases where אֵת (’et, “with”) has the sense “in the power of,” see Ps 38:10 and other texts listed by BDB 86 s.v. 3.a.

[12:4]  ²¹ sn The rhetorical question expresses the arrogant attitude of these people. As far as they are concerned, they are answerable to no one for how they speak.

[19:12]  ²² tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.

[19:12]  ²³ tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.

[22:2]  ²⁴ tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”

[25:3]  ²⁵ tn Heb “those who deal in treachery in vain.” The adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “in vain”) probably refers to the failure (or futility) of their efforts. Another option is to understand it as meaning “without cause” (cf. NIV “without excuse”; NRSV “wantonly treacherous”).

[25:5]  ²⁶ sn The Lord’s commandments are referred to as truth here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will.

[25:6]  ²⁷ tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.

[25:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”

[28:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”

[28:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”

[28:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”

[30:6]  ³² sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).

[33:18]  ³³ tn Heb “look, the eye of the Lord [is] toward the ones who fear him.” The expression “the eye…[is] toward” here indicates recognition and the bestowing of favor. See Ps 34:15. The one who fears the Lord respects his sovereignty and obeys his commandments. See Ps 128:1; Prov 14:2.

[33:18]  ³⁴ tn Heb “for the ones who wait for his faithfulness.”

[34:15]  ³⁵ tn Heb “the eyes of the Lord [are] toward the godly, and his ears [are] toward their cry for help.”

[34:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the face of the Lord [is] against the doers of evil to cut off from the earth memory of them.”

[36:1]  ³⁷ sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.

[36:1]  ³⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.

[36:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Hebrew text of Origen’s Hexapla, and the Syriac.

[36:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.

[36:3]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “he ceases to exhibit wisdom to do good.” The Hiphil forms are exhibitive, indicating the outward expression of an inner attitude.

[36:4]  ⁴² tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.

[36:4]  ⁴³ tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.

[37:37]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).

[38:13]  ⁴⁶ sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).

[40:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “your will.”

[40:8]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.

[44:22]  ⁴⁹ tn The statement “because of you” (1) may simply indicate that God is the cause of the Israelites’ defeat (see vv. 9-14, where the nation’s situation is attributed directly to God’s activity, and cf. NEB, NRSV), or (2) it may suggest they suffer because of their allegiance to God (see Ps 69:7 and Jer 15:15). In this case one should translate, “for your sake” (cf. NASB, NIV). The citation of this verse in Rom 8:36 follows the LXX (Ps 43:23 LXX), where the Greek term ἕνεκεν (Jeneken; LXX ἕνεκα) may likewise mean “because of” or “for the sake of” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἕνεκα 1).

[44:22]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “regarded as.”

[44:22]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.

[45:16]  ⁵² tn The pronoun is second masculine singular, indicating the king is being addressed from this point to the end of the psalm.

[45:16]  ⁵³ tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive and the statement interpreted as a prayer, “May your sons carry on the dynasty of your ancestors!” The next line could then be taken as a relative clause, “[your sons] whom you will make princes throughout the land.”

[45:16]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “in place of your fathers will be your sons.”

[46:5]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.

[46:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.

[46:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.

[46:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).

[46:5]  sn At the break of dawn. The “morning” is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Ps 30:5; Isa 17:14). There may be an allusion here to Exod 14:27 (where the Lord destroyed the Egyptians at the “break of dawn”) or, more likely, to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege, when the people discovered the dead bodies of the Assyrian army in the morning (Isa 37:36).

[49:8]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.

[49:8]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.

[49:11]  ⁶¹ tc Heb “their inward part [is] their houses [are] permanent, their dwelling places for a generation and a generation.” If one follows the MT, then קֶרֶב (qerev, “inward part”) must refer to the seat of these people’s thoughts (for other examples of this use of the term, see BDB 899 s.v., though BDB prefers an emendation in this passage). In this case all three lines of v. 11 expose these people’s arrogant assumption that they will last forever, which then stands in sharp contrast to reality as summarized in v. 12. In this case one might translate the first two lines, “they think that their houses are permanent and that their dwelling places will last forever” (cf. NASB). Following the lead of several ancient versions, the present translation assumes an emendation of קִרְבָּם (qirbam, “their inward part”) to קְבָרִים (qÿvarim, “graves”). This assumes that the letters bet (ב) and resh (ר) were accidentally transposed in the MT. In this case the first two lines support the point made in v. 10, while the third line of v. 11 stands in contrast to v. 12. The phrase בֵּית עוֹלָם (bet ’olam, “permanent house”) is used of a tomb in Eccl 12:5 (as well as in Phoenician tomb inscriptions, see DNWSI 1:160 for a list of texts) and מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling place”) refers to a tomb in Isa 22:16. Cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV.

[49:11]  ⁶² sn Naming their lands after themselves is a claim of possession.

[50:3]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”

[55:10]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.

[55:21]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”

[55:21]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”

[62:7]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “upon God [is] my deliverance and my glory, the high rocky summit of my strength, my shelter [is] in God.”

[64:5]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”

[64:5]  ⁷² tn Heb “they report about hiding.”

[64:5]  ⁷³ tn Heb “they say.”

[64:5]  ⁷⁴ tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).

[64:6]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”

[64:6]  ⁷⁶ tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading טָמְנוּ (tomnu, “they hide”), a Qal perfect third common plural form from the verbal root טָמַן (taman).

[64:6]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.

[64:6]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.

[65:11]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “your good,” which refers here to agricultural blessings.

[65:11]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “and your paths drip with abundance.”

[69:19]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”

[71:19]  ⁸² tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.

[71:19]  sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.

[71:19]  ⁸³ tn Heb “you who have done great things.”

[71:19]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “Who is like you?”

[77:13]  ⁸⁵ sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).

[77:13]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.

[77:13]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”

[81:15]  ⁸⁸ tn “Those who hate the Lord” are also mentioned in 2 Chr 19:2 and Ps 139:21.

[81:15]  ⁸⁹ tn See Deut 33:29; Ps 66:3 for other uses of the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) in the sense “cower in fear.” In Ps 18:44 the verb seems to carry the nuance “to be weak; to be powerless” (see also Ps 109:24). The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, parallel to the jussive form in the next line.

[81:15]  ⁹⁰ tc Heb “and may their time be forever.” The Hebrew term עִתָּם (’ittam, “their time”) must refer here to the “time” of the demise and humiliation of those who hate the Lord. Some propose an emendation to בַּעֲתָתָם (ba’atatam) or בִּעֻתָם (bi’utam; “their terror”; i.e., “may their terror last forever”), but the omission of bet (ב) in the present Hebrew text is difficult to explain, making the proposed emendation unlikely.

[81:15]  tn The verb form at the beginning of the line is jussive, indicating that this is a prayer. The translation assumes that v. 15 is a parenthetical “curse” offered by the psalmist. Having heard the reference to Israel’s enemies (v. 14), the psalmist inserts this prayer, reminding the Lord that they are God’s enemies as well.

[83:4]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “we will cause them to disappear from [being] a nation.”

[88:4]  ⁹² tn Heb “I am considered with.”

[88:4]  ⁹³ tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.

[88:4]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “I am like a man [for whom] there is no help.”

[88:10]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).

[89:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “feared.”

[89:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

[89:7]  ⁹⁸ tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

[89:13]  ⁹⁹ sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.

[89:13]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).

[89:48]  ¹⁰¹ 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!”

[95:4]  ¹⁰² tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.

[102:14]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “for.”

[102:14]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.

[102:14]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.

[102:28]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[102:28]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “before you will be established.”

[104:14]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “causes the grass to sprout up.”

[104:14]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “for the service of man” (see Gen 2:5).

[104:14]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “to cause food to come out from the earth.”

[104:15]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and wine [that] makes the heart of man happy.”

[104:15]  ¹¹² tn Heb “to make [the] face shine from oil.” The Hebrew verb צָהַל (tsahal, “to shine”) occurs only here in the OT. It appears to be an alternate form of צָהַר (tsahar), a derivative from צָהָרִים (tsaharim, “noon”).

[104:15]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and food [that] sustains the heart of man.”

[109:17]  ¹¹⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”

[139:15]  ¹¹⁷ tc The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) should probably be emended to כֲּאַשֶׁר (ka’asher, “when”). The kaf (כ) may have been lost by haplography (note the kaf at the end of the preceding form).

[139:15]  ¹¹⁸ sn The phrase depths of the earth may be metaphorical (euphemistic) or it may reflect a prescientific belief about the origins of the embryo deep beneath the earth’s surface (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 96-97). Job 1:21 also closely associates the mother’s womb with the earth.