Mazmur 75:5

75:5 Do not be so certain you have won! ¹ 

Do not speak with your head held so high! ² 

Mazmur 75:10

75:10 God says, ³ 

“I will bring down all the power of the wicked;

the godly will be victorious.” ⁴ 

Mazmur 89:24

89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, ⁵ 

and by my name he will win victories. ⁶ 

Mazmur 132:17

132:17 There I will make David strong; ⁷ 

I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue. ⁸ 

[75:5]  ¹ tn Heb “do not lift up on high your horn.”

[75:5]  ² tn Heb “[do not] speak with unrestrained neck.” The negative particle is understood in this line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[75:5]  sn The image behind the language of vv. 4-5 is that of a powerful wild ox that confidently raises its head before its enemies.

[75:10]  ³ tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in v. 10.

[75:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, the horns of the godly will be lifted up.” The imagery of the wild ox’s horn is once more utilized (see vv. 4-5).

[89:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”

[89:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” 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; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[132:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “there I will cause a horn to sprout for David.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Pss 18:2; 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that used its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36.

[132:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “I have arranged a lamp for my anointed one.” Here the “lamp” is a metaphor for the Davidic dynasty (see 1 Kgs 11:36).