Mazmur 7:12
Konteks7:12 If a person 1 does not repent, God sharpens his sword 2
and prepares to shoot his bow. 3
Mazmur 37:1-40
KonteksBy David.
37:1 Do not fret 5 when wicked men seem to succeed! 6
Do not envy evildoers!
37:2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants. 7
37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! 8
37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, 9
and he will answer your prayers. 10
37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! 11
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. 12
37:6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause. 13
37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! 14
Wait confidently 15 for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, 16
a man who carries out wicked schemes!
37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! 17
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
37:9 Wicked men 18 will be wiped out, 19
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. 20
37:10 Evil men will soon disappear; 21
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone. 22
37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity. 23
37:12 Evil men plot against the godly 24
and viciously attack them. 25
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 26 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 27
37:14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down 28 the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly. 29
37:15 Their swords will pierce 30 their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
37:16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men, 31
37:17 for evil men will lose their power, 32
but the Lord sustains 33 the godly.
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 34
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 35
37:19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come; 36
when famine comes they will have enough to eat. 37
37:20 But 38 evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated 39 –
they will go up in smoke. 40
37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous. 41
37:22 Surely 42 those favored by the Lord 43 will possess the land,
but those rejected 44 by him will be wiped out. 45
37:23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable. 46
37:24 Even if 47 he trips, he will not fall headlong, 48
for the Lord holds 49 his hand.
37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 50 forced to search for food. 51
37:26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others, 52
and his children 53 are blessed.
37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! 54
Then you will enjoy lasting security. 55
37:28 For the Lord promotes 56 justice,
and never abandons 57 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 58
but the children 59 of evil men are wiped out. 60
37:29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 61
37:31 The law of their God controls their thinking; 62
their 63 feet do not slip.
37:32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them. 64
37:33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 65
37:34 Rely 66 on the Lord! Obey his commands! 67
Then he will permit you 68 to possess the land;
you will see the demise of evil men. 69
37:35 I have seen ruthless evil men 70
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 71
37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! 72
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! 73
For the one who promotes peace has a future. 74
37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; 75
evil men have no future. 76
37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; 77
he protects them in times of trouble. 78
37:40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, 79
for they seek his protection.
Mazmur 14:1-7
KonteksFor the music director; by David.
14:1 Fools say to themselves, 81 “There is no God.” 82
They sin and commit evil deeds; 83
none of them does what is right. 84
14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven 85 at the human race, 86
to see if there is anyone who is wise 87 and seeks God. 88
they are all morally corrupt. 90
None of them does what is right, 91
not even one!
14:4 All those who behave wickedly 92 do not understand – 93
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to the Lord.
14:5 They are absolutely terrified, 94
for God defends the godly. 95
14:6 You want to humiliate the oppressed, 96
even though 97 the Lord is their 98 shelter.
14:7 I wish the deliverance 99 of Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the well-being of his people, 100
may Jacob rejoice, 101
may Israel be happy! 102
[7:12] 1 tn Heb “If he”; the referent (a person who is a sinner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The subject of the first verb is understood as the sinner who fails to repent of his ways and becomes the target of God’s judgment (vv. 9, 14-16).
[7:12] 2 tn Heb “if he does not return, his sword he sharpens.” The referent (God) of the pronominal subject of the second verb (“sharpens”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:12] 3 tn Heb “his bow he treads and prepares it.” “Treading the bow” involved stepping on one end of it in order to string it and thus prepare it for battle.
[37:1] 4 sn Psalm 37. The psalmist urges his audience not to envy the wicked, but to trust in and obey the Lord, for he will destroy sinners and preserve the godly. When the smoke of judgment clears, the wicked will be gone, but the godly will remain and inherit God’s promised blessings. The psalm is an acrostic; every other verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[37:1] 5 tn The verb form is singular (see vv. 3-10 as well, where the second person verbs and pronouns are also singular). The psalmist’s exhortation has a wisdom flavor to it; it is personalized for each member of his audience.
[37:1] 6 tn Heb “over sinners.” The context indicates that the psalmist has in mind the apparent power and success of sinners. See v. 7b.
[37:2] 7 tn Heb “like green vegetation.”
[37:3] 8 tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (ra’ah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.
[37:4] 9 tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).
[37:4] 10 tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”
[37:5] 11 tn Heb “roll your way upon the
[37:5] 12 tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the
[37:6] 13 tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”
[37:7] 14 tn Heb “Be quiet before the
[37:7] 15 tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vÿhitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vÿtokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yÿhvah) and (2) the final lamed (ל) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).
[37:7] 16 tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”
[37:8] 17 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
[37:9] 18 tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.
[37:9] 19 tn Or “cut off, removed.”
[37:9] 20 tn Heb “and those who wait on the
[37:10] 21 tn Heb “and yet, a little, there will be no wicked [one].”
[37:10] 22 tn Heb “and you will carefully look upon his place, but he will not be [there].” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer is in view.
[37:11] 23 tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”
[37:12] 24 tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.
[37:12] 25 tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.
[37:13] 26 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
[37:13] 27 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
[37:14] 28 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
[37:14] 29 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
[37:15] 30 tn Heb “enter into.”
[37:16] 31 tn Heb “Better [is] a little to the godly one than the wealth of many evil ones.” The following verses explain why this is true. Though a godly individual may seem to have only meager possessions, he always has what he needs and will eventually possess the land. The wicked may prosper for a brief time, but will eventually be destroyed by divine judgment and lose everything.
[37:17] 32 tn Heb “for the arms of the evil ones will be broken.”
[37:17] 33 tn The active participle here indicates this is characteristically true.
[37:18] 34 tn Heb “the
[37:18] 35 tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”
[37:19] 36 tn Heb “in a time of trouble.”
[37:19] 37 tn Heb “in days of famine they will be satisfied.”
[37:20] 38 tn Or “for,” but Hebrew כי in this case would have to extend all the way back to v. 17a. Another option is to understand the particle as asseverative, “surely” (see v. 22).
[37:20] 39 tc The meaning of the MT (כִּיקַר כָּרִים [kiqar karim], “like what is precious among the pastures/rams”) is uncertain. One possibility is to take the noun כָּרִים as “pastures” and interpret “what is precious” as referring to flowers that blossom but then quickly disappear (see v. 2 and BDB 430 s.v. יָקָר 3). If כָּרִים is taken as “rams,” then “what is precious” might refer to the choicest portions of rams. The present translation follows a reading in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpPs37), כיקוד כורם (“like the burning of an oven”). The next line, which pictures the
[37:20] 40 tn Heb “they perish in smoke, they perish.” In addition to repeating the verb for emphasis, the psalmist uses the perfect form of the verb to picture the enemies’ demise as if it had already taken place. In this way he draws attention to the certitude of their judgment.
[37:21] 41 tn Heb “an evil [man] borrows and does not repay; but a godly [man] is gracious and gives.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The three active participles and one imperfect (“repay”) draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the two types.
[37:22] 42 tn The particle כִּי is best understood as asseverative or emphatic here.
[37:22] 43 tn Heb “those blessed by him.” The pronoun “him” must refer to the Lord (see vv. 20, 23), so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:22] 45 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed” (see v. 9).
[37:23] 46 tn Heb “from the
[37:24] 47 tn Other translation options for כִּי in this context are “when” (so NASB) or “though” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[37:24] 48 tn Heb “be hurled down.”
[37:24] 49 tn The active participle indicates this is characteristically true. See v. 17.
[37:25] 50 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:25] 51 tn Heb “or his offspring searching for food.” The expression “search for food” also appears in Lam 1:11, where Jerusalem’s refugees are forced to search for food and to trade their valuable possessions for something to eat.
[37:26] 52 tn The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
[37:26] 53 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:27] 54 tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).
[37:27] 55 tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.
[37:28] 56 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[37:28] 57 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.
[37:28] 58 tn Or “protected forever.”
[37:28] 59 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:28] 60 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.
[37:30] 61 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
[37:31] 62 tn Heb “the law of his God [is] in his heart.” The “heart” is here the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
[37:31] 63 tn Heb “his.” The pronoun has been translated as plural to agree with the representative or typical “godly” in v. 30.
[37:32] 64 tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
[37:33] 65 tn Heb “the
[37:34] 67 tn Heb “keep his way.” The
[37:34] 68 tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.
[37:34] 69 tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”
[37:35] 70 tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.
[37:35] 71 tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mit’areh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (’arah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (’alah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (’ezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.
[37:36] 72 tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).
[37:37] 74 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).
[37:38] 75 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
[37:38] 76 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
[37:39] 77 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the
[37:39] 78 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
[37:40] 79 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.
[14:1] 80 sn Psalm 14. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.
[14:1] 81 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
[14:1] 82 sn “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
[14:1] 83 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
[14:1] 84 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[14:2] 85 sn The picture of the
[14:2] 86 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
[14:2] 87 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
[14:2] 88 sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
[14:3] 89 tn Heb “everyone turns aside.”
[14:3] 90 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[14:3] 91 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[14:4] 92 tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8.
[14:4] 93 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question (rendered in the translation as a positive affirmation) expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-7).
[14:5] 94 tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror.
[14:5] 95 tn Heb “for God is with a godly generation.” The Hebrew noun דּוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the general class of people who are characterized by godliness. See BDB 190 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.
[14:6] 96 tn Heb “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame.” Using a second person plural verb form, the psalmist addresses the wicked. Since the context indicates their attempt to harm the godly will be thwarted, the imperfect should be taken in a subjunctive (cf. NASB, NRSV) rather than an indicative manner (cf. NIV). Here it probably expresses their desire or intent (“want to humiliate”).
[14:6] 97 tn It is unlikely that כִּי (ki) has a causal force here. The translation assumes a concessive force; another option is to understand an asseverative use (“certainly, indeed”).
[14:6] 98 tn Heb “his.” The antecedent of the singular pronoun is the singular form עָנִי (’ani, “oppressed”) in the preceding line. The singular is collective or representative here (and thus translated as plural, “they”).
[14:7] 99 sn The deliverance of Israel. This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
[14:7] 100 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
[14:7] 101 tn The verb form is jussive.
[14:7] 102 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
