Mazmur 9:1--10:18
KonteksFor the music director; according to the alumoth-labben style; 2 a psalm of David.
9:1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds! 3
9:2 I will be happy and rejoice in you!
I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! 4
9:3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated 5 before you.
9:4 For you defended my just cause; 6
from your throne you pronounced a just decision. 7
9:5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry; 8
you destroyed the wicked; 9
you permanently wiped out all memory of them. 10
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
9:7 But the Lord 14 rules 15 forever;
he reigns in a just manner. 16
9:8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations. 17
9:9 Consequently 18 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 19
he provides safety in times of trouble. 20
9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, 21
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. 22
9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules 23 in Zion!
Tell the nations what he has done! 24
9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; 25
he did not overlook 26 their cry for help 27
“Have mercy on me, 29 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 30
O one who can snatch me away 31 from the gates of death!
9:14 Then I will 32 tell about all your praiseworthy acts; 33
in the gates of Daughter Zion 34 I will rejoice because of your deliverance.” 35
9:15 The nations fell 36 into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. 37
9:16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice;
the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. 38 (Higgaion. 39 Selah)
9:17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; 40
this is the destiny of 41 all the nations that ignore 42 God,
9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, 43
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. 44
Don’t let men be defiant! 46
May the nations be judged in your presence!
Let the nations know they are mere mortals! 48 (Selah)
10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble? 50
10:2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed; 51
the oppressed are trapped 52 by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up. 53
10:3 Yes, 54 the wicked man 55 boasts because he gets what he wants; 56
the one who robs others 57 curses 58 and 59 rejects the Lord. 60
10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” 61
10:5 He is secure at all times. 62
He has no regard for your commands; 63
he disdains all his enemies. 64
“I will never 66 be upended,
because I experience no calamity.” 67
10:7 His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; 68
his tongue injures and destroys. 69
10:8 He waits in ambush near the villages; 70
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. 71
10:9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket; 72
he lies in ambush, waiting to catch 73 the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed 74 by pulling in his net. 75
10:10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets. 76
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.” 78
O God, strike him down! 80
Do not forget the oppressed!
10:13 Why does the wicked man reject God? 81
He says to himself, 82 “You 83 will not hold me accountable.” 84
10:14 You have taken notice, 85
for 86 you always see 87 one who inflicts pain and suffering. 88
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you; 89
you deliver 90 the fatherless. 91
10:15 Break the arm 92 of the wicked and evil man!
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds, 93
which he thought you would not discover. 94
10:16 The Lord rules forever! 95
The nations are driven out of his land. 96
10:17 Lord, you have heard 97 the request 98 of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. 99
10:18 You defend 100 the fatherless and oppressed, 101
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. 102
Mazmur 22:1-31
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 104 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 105
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 106
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. 107
22:3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. 108
22:4 In you our ancestors 109 trusted;
they trusted in you 110 and you rescued them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 111
22:6 But I 112 am a worm, 113 not a man; 114
people insult me and despise me. 115
22:7 All who see me taunt 116 me;
they mock me 117 and shake their heads. 118
“Commit yourself 120 to the Lord!
Let the Lord 121 rescue him!
Let the Lord 122 deliver him, for he delights in him.” 123
22:9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out 124 from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; 125
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. 126
22:11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. 127
22:12 Many bulls 128 surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan 129 hem me in.
22:13 They 130 open their mouths to devour me 131
like a roaring lion that rips its prey. 132
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 133
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 134 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
22:15 The roof of my mouth 135 is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums. 136
You 137 set me in the dust of death. 138
22:16 Yes, 139 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 140
22:17 I can count 141 all my bones;
my enemies 142 are gloating over me in triumph. 143
22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice 144 for my garments.
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 145 Hurry and help me! 146
22:20 Deliver me 147 from the sword!
Save 148 my life 149 from the claws 150 of the wild dogs!
22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, 151
and from the horns of the wild oxen! 152
You have answered me! 153
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 154
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, 155 praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! 156
22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering 157 of the oppressed; 158
he did not ignore him; 159
when he cried out to him, he responded. 160
22:25 You are the reason I offer praise 161 in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. 162
22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! 163
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!
May you 164 live forever!
22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! 165
Let all the nations 166 worship you! 167
22:28 For the Lord is king 168
and rules over the nations.
22:29 All of the thriving people 169 of the earth will join the celebration and worship; 170
all those who are descending into the grave 171 will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives. 172
22:30 A whole generation 173 will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. 174
22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; 175
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. 176
Mazmur 44:1-26
KonteksFor the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song. 178
44:1 O God, we have clearly heard; 179
our ancestors 180 have told us
what you did 181 in their days,
in ancient times. 182
44:2 You, by your power, 183 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; 184
you crushed 185 the people living there 186 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it. 187
44:3 For they did not conquer 188 the land by their swords,
and they did not prevail by their strength, 189
but rather by your power, 190 strength 191 and good favor, 192
for you were partial to 193 them.
44:4 You are my 194 king, O God!
Decree 195 Jacob’s 196 deliverance!
44:5 By your power 197 we will drive back 198 our enemies;
by your strength 199 we will trample down 200 our foes! 201
44:6 For I do not trust in my bow,
and I do not prevail by my sword.
44:7 For you deliver 202 us from our enemies;
you humiliate 203 those who hate us.
44:8 In God I boast all day long,
and we will continually give thanks to your name. (Selah)
44:9 But 204 you rejected and embarrassed us!
You did not go into battle with our armies. 205
44:10 You made us retreat 206 from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. 207
44:11 You handed us 208 over like sheep to be eaten;
you scattered us among the nations.
44:12 You sold 209 your people for a pittance; 210
you did not ask a high price for them. 211
44:13 You made us 212 an object of disdain to our neighbors;
those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. 213
44:14 You made us 214 an object of ridicule 215 among the nations;
foreigners treat us with contempt. 216
44:15 All day long I feel humiliated 217
and am overwhelmed with shame, 218
44:16 before the vindictive enemy
who ridicules and insults me. 219
44:17 All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you 220
or violated your covenant with us. 221
44:18 We have not been unfaithful, 222
nor have we disobeyed your commands. 223
44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; 224
you have covered us with darkness. 225
44:20 If we had rejected our God, 226
and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, 227
44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows 228 one’s thoughts? 229
44:22 Yet because of you 230 we are killed all day long;
we are treated like 231 sheep at the slaughtering block. 232
44:23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord?
Wake up! 233 Do not reject us forever!
44:24 Why do you look the other way, 234
and ignore 235 the way we are oppressed and mistreated? 236
44:25 For we lie in the dirt,
with our bellies pressed to the ground. 237
44:26 Rise up and help us!
Rescue us 238 because of your loyal love!
[9:1] 1 sn Psalm 9. The psalmist, probably speaking on behalf of Israel or Judah, praises God for delivering him from hostile nations. He celebrates God’s sovereignty and justice, and calls on others to join him in boasting of God’s greatness. Many Hebrew
[9:1] 2 tc The meaning of the Hebrew term עַלְמוּת (’almut) is uncertain. Some
[9:1] 3 tn The cohortative forms in vv. 1-2 express the psalmist’s resolve to praise God publicly.
[9:2] 4 tn Heb “[to] your name, O Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyo/) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[9:3] 5 tn Or “perish”; or “die.” The imperfect verbal forms in this line either emphasize what typically happens or describe vividly the aftermath of a recent battle in which the
[9:4] 6 tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”
[9:4] 7 tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).
[9:5] 8 tn The verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke” and in this context taken to refer to the
[9:5] 9 tn The singular form is collective (note “nations” and “their name”). In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically 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). In this context the hostile nations who threaten Israel/Judah are in view.
[9:5] 10 tn Heb “their name you wiped out forever and ever.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 5 probably refer to a recent victory (definite past or present perfect use), although they might express what is typical (characteristic use).
[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
[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”).
[9:7] 14 tn The construction vav (ו) + subject highlights the contrast between the exalted
[9:7] 15 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, see v. 4). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[9:7] 16 tn Heb “he establishes for justice his throne.”
[9:8] 17 tn Heb “the peoples.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 8 either describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).
[9:9] 18 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] 19 tn Heb “and the
[9:9] 20 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”).
[9:10] 21 tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the
[9:10] 22 tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”
[9:11] 23 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, and therefore ruling – see v. 4). Another option is to translate as “lives” or “dwells.”
[9:11] 24 tn Heb “declare among the nations his deeds.”
[9:12] 25 tn Heb “for the one who seeks shed blood remembered them.” The idiomatic expression “to seek shed blood” seems to carry the idea “to seek payment/restitution for one’s shed blood.” The plural form דָּמִים (damim, “shed blood”) occurs only here as the object of דָּרַשׁ (darash); the singular form דָּם (dam, “blood”) appears with the verb in Gen 9:5; 42:22; Ezek 33:6. “Them,” the pronominal object of the verb “remembered,” refers to the oppressed, mentioned specifically in the next line, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:12] 26 tn Heb “did not forget.”
[9:12] 27 tn Heb “the cry for help of the oppressed.” In this context the “oppressed” are the psalmist and those he represents, whom the hostile nations have threatened.
[9:13] 28 tn The words “when they prayed,” though not represented in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarification. The petition in vv. 13-14 is best understood as the cry for help which the oppressed offered to God when the nations threatened. The
[9:13] 29 tn Or “show me favor.”
[9:13] 30 tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”
[9:13] 31 tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”
[9:14] 32 tn Or “so that I might.”
[9:14] 33 tn Heb “all your praise.” “Praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt it.
[9:14] 34 sn Daughter Zion is an idiomatic title for Jerusalem. It appears frequently in the prophets, but only here in the psalms.
[9:14] 35 tn Heb “in your deliverance.”
[9:15] 37 sn The hostility of the nations against God’s people is their downfall, for it prompts God to intervene and destroy them. See also Ps 7:15-16.
[9:16] 38 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] 39 tn This is probably a technical musical term.
[9:17] 40 tn Heb “the wicked turn back to Sheol.” The imperfect verbal form either emphasizes what typically happens or describes vividly the aftermath of the
[9:17] 41 tn The words “this is the destiny of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The verb “are turned back” is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[9:17] 42 tn Heb “forget.” “Forgetting God” refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see also Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 44:20). The nations’ refusal to acknowledge God’s sovereignty accounts for their brazen attempt to attack and destroy his people.
[9:18] 44 tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.
[9:19] 45 sn Rise up,
[9:20] 47 tn Heb “place,
[9:20] 48 tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).
[10:1] 49 sn Psalm 10. Many Hebrew
[10:1] 50 tn Heb “you hide for times in trouble.” The interrogative “why” is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The Hiphil verbal form “hide” has no expressed object. Some supply “your eyes” by ellipsis (see BDB 761 s.v. I עָלַם Hiph and HALOT 835 s.v. I עלם hif) or emend the form to a Niphal (“you hide yourself,” see BHS, note c; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
[10:2] 51 tn Heb “because of the pride of [the] wicked he burns [i.e. hotly pursues] [the] oppressed.” The singular forms רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) and עָנִי (’aniy, “oppressed”) are collective and representative, as indicated in the next line, which uses plural verb forms to describe the actions of both.
[10:2] 52 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 describe either what typically happens (from the psalmist’s perspective) or what the psalmist was experiencing at the time he offered this prayer.
[10:2] 53 tn Heb “they are trapped in the schemes which they have thought up.” The referents of the two pronominal suffixes on the verbs have been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent of the first suffix (“they”) is taken as the oppressed, while the referent of the second (“they”) is taken to be the wicked (cf. NIV, which renders “wicked” in the previous line as a collective singular). Others take the referent of both occurrences of “they” in the line to be the wicked (cf. NRSV, “let them be caught in the schemes they have devised”).
[10:3] 54 tn The translation assumes כִּי (ki) is asseverative: “indeed, certainly.” Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 3 as giving the reason why the wicked so arrogantly seek to destroy the helpless (so NASB, NRSV).
[10:3] 55 tn The representative or typical evildoer is described in vv. 3-11, 13, 15. Since the singular form predominates in these verses, it has been retained in the translation.
[10:3] 56 tn Heb “the wicked [one] boasts on account of the desire of his appetite.” The translation assumes that the preposition עַל (’al) introduces the reason why the wicked boasts (cf. this use of עַל with הָלַל (halal) in Ps 119:164 and Ezra 3:11). In this case, the “desire of his appetite” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired.
[10:3] 57 tn The translation assumes the active participle is substantival, referring to the wicked man mentioned in the preceding line. The substantival participle is then understood as the subject of the following verbs. For other examples of the participle of בָּצַע (batsar) used of those who desire and/or acquire wealth through dishonest and/or violent means, see Prov 1:19; 15:27; Jer 6:13; 8:10; Hab 2:9.
[10:3] 58 tn The verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) normally means “to bless,” but in a few cases it exhibits the polarized meaning “to curse” (1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Job 1:5-11; 2:5-9). (Some regard this use of בָּרַךְ as a mere euphemism.) The verb refers to the act of pronouncing or calling down a formal curse upon the object of one’s anger.
[10:3] 59 tn The conjunction “and” is supplied in the translation; it does not appear in the Hebrew text.
[10:3] 60 tn Another option is to translate, “he blesses one who robs others, [but] he curses the
[10:4] 61 tn Heb “the wicked [one], according to the height of his nose, he does not seek, there is no God, all his thoughts.” The phrase “height of his nose” probably refers to an arrogant or snooty attitude; it likely pictures one with his nose turned upward toward the sky in pride. One could take the “wicked” as the subject of the negated verb “seek,” in which case the point is that the wicked do not “seek” God. The translation assumes that this statement, along with “there is no God,” is what the wicked man thinks to himself. In this case God is the subject of the verb “seek,” and the point is that God will not hold the wicked man accountable for his actions. Verse 13 strongly favors this interpretation. The statement “there is no God” is not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see v. 11).
[10:5] 62 tn Heb “they are firm, his ways, at every time.” The verb חַיִל (khayil, “be firm, be strong”) occurs only here and in Job 20:21, where it has the sense “endure.”
[10:5] 63 tc Heb “[on a] height, your judgments from before him.” If the MT is retained, then the idea may be that God’s “judgments” are high above (i.e., not recognized) by the wicked man. However, the syntax is awkward. The translation assumes an emendation of מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) to סָרוּ (saru, “[your judgments] are turned aside”), the final mem (ם) being dittographic (note the initial mem on the immediately following word [מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, mishÿfatekha, “your judgments”). “Judgments” probably refers here to God’s laws or commands, rather than his judicial decisions or acts of judgment.
[10:5] 64 tn Heb “all his enemies, he snorts against them.” This may picture the wicked man defiantly challenging his enemies because he is confident of success. Another option is to take יָפִיחַ (yafiakh) from the root יָפַח (yafakh, “to testify”) and translate “he testifies against all his enemies,” implying that he gets the upper hand over them in legal battles. The noun יָפֵחַ (yafeakh, “witness”) is attested in biblical Hebrew (see Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3). The verb, however, is not clearly attested.
[10:6] 65 tn Heb “he says in his heart/mind.”
[10:6] 66 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.” The traditional accentuation of the MT understands these words with the following line.
[10:6] 67 tn Heb “who, not in calamity.” If אֲשֶׁר (’asher) is taken as a relative pronoun here, then one could translate, “[I] who [am] not in calamity.” Some emend אֲשֶׁר to אֹשֶׁר (’osher, “happiness”; see HALOT 99 s.v. אֹשֶׁר); one might then translate, “[I live in] happiness, not in calamity.” The present translation assumes that אֲשֶׁר functions here as a causal conjunction, “because, for.” For this use of אֲשֶׁר, see BDB 83 s.v. אֲשֶׁר 8.c (where the present text is not cited).
[10:7] 68 tn Heb “[with] a curse his mouth is full, and lies and injury.”
[10:7] 69 tn Heb “under his tongue are destruction and wickedness.” The words translated “destruction and wickedness” are also paired in Ps 90:10. They also appear in proximity in Pss 7:14 and 55:10.
[10:8] 70 tn Heb “he sits in the ambush of the villages.”
[10:8] 71 tn Heb “his eyes for an unfortunate person lie hidden.” The language may picture a lion (see v. 9) peering out from its hiding place in anticipation that an unsuspecting victim will soon come strolling along.
[10:9] 73 tn The verb, which also appears in the next line, occurs only here and in Judg 21:21.
[10:9] 74 tn The singular form is collective (see v. 10) or refers to the typical or representative oppressed individual.
[10:9] 75 tn Or “when he [i.e., the wicked man] pulls in his net.”
[10:9] sn The background of the imagery is hunting, where the hunter uses a net to entrap an unsuspecting bird or wild animal.
[10:10] 76 tn Heb “he crushes, he is bowed down, and he falls into his strong [ones], [the] unfortunate [ones].” This verse presents several lexical and syntactical difficulties. The first word (יִדְכֶּה, yidekeh) is an otherwise unattested Qal form of the verb דָּכָה (dakhah, “crush”). (The Qere [marginal] form is imperfect; the consonantal text [Kethib] has the perfect with a prefixed conjunction vav [ו].) If the wicked man’s victim is the subject, which seems to be the case (note the two verbs which follow), then the form should be emended to a Niphal (יִדָּכֶה, yiddakheh). The phrase בַּעֲצוּמָיו (ba’atsumayv, “into his strong [ones]”), poses interpretive problems. The preposition -בְּ (bet) follows the verb נָפַל (nafal, “fall”), so it may very well carry the nuance “into” here, with “his strong [ones]” then referring to something into which the oppressed individual falls. Since a net is mentioned in the preceding verse as the instrument used to entrap the victim, it is possible that “strong [ones]” here refers metonymically to the wicked man’s nets or traps. Ps 35:8 refers to a man falling into a net (רֶשֶׁת, reshet), as does Ps 141:10 (where the plural of מִכְמָר [mikhmar, “net”] is used). A hunter’s net (רֶשֶׁת), is associated with snares (פַּח [pakh], מֹקְשִׁים, [moqÿshim]) and ropes (חֲבָלִים, khavalim) in Ps 140:5. The final word in the verse (חֶלְכָּאִים (khelka’im, “unfortunate [ones]”) may be an alternate form of חֵלְכָח (khelkhakh, “unfortunate [one]”; see vv. 8, 14). The Qere (marginal reading) divides the form into two words, חֵיל כָּאִים (khel ka’im, “army/host of disheartened [ones]”). The three verb forms in v. 10 are singular because the representative “oppressed” individual is the grammatical subject (see the singular עָנִי [’aniy] in v. 9).
[10:11] 77 tn Heb “he says in his heart.” See v. 6.
[10:11] 78 tn Heb “God forgets, he hides his face, he never sees.”
[10:12] 79 sn Rise up, O
[10:12] 80 tn Heb “lift up your hand.” Usually the expression “lifting the hand” refers to praying (Pss 28:2; 134:2) or making an oath (Ps 106:26), but here it probably refers to “striking a blow” (see 2 Sam 18:28; 20:21). Note v. 15, where the psalmist asks the
[10:13] 81 tn The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s outrage that the wicked would have the audacity to disdain God.
[10:13] 82 tn Heb “he says in his heart” (see vv. 6, 11). Another option is to understand an ellipsis of the interrogative particle here (cf. the preceding line), “Why does he say in his heart?”
[10:13] 83 tn Here the wicked man addresses God directly.
[10:13] 84 tn Heb “you will not seek.” The verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as generalizing about what is typical and translate, “you do not hold [people] accountable.”
[10:14] 85 tn Heb “you see.” One could translate the perfect as generalizing, “you do take notice.”
[10:14] 86 tn If the preceding perfect is taken as generalizing, then one might understand כִּי (ki) as asseverative: “indeed, certainly.”
[10:14] 87 tn Here the imperfect emphasizes God’s typical behavior.
[10:14] 88 tn Heb “destruction and suffering,” which here refers metonymically to the wicked, who dish out pain and suffering to their victims.
[10:14] 89 tn Heb “to give into your hand, upon you, he abandons, [the] unfortunate [one].” The syntax is awkward and the meaning unclear. It is uncertain who or what is being given into God’s hand. Elsewhere the idiom “give into the hand” means to deliver into one’s possession. If “to give” goes with what precedes (as the accentuation of the Hebrew text suggests), then this may refer to the wicked man being delivered over to God for judgment. The present translation assumes that “to give” goes with what follows (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). The verb יַעֲזֹב (ya’azov) here has the nuance “entrust” (see Gen 39:6; Job 39:11); the direct object (“[his] cause”) is implied.
[10:14] 91 tn Heb “[for] one who is fatherless, you are a deliverer.” The noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9).
[10:14] sn The fatherless. Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 68:5; 82:3; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
[10:15] 92 sn The arm symbolizes the strength of the wicked, which they use to oppress and exploit the weak.
[10:15] 93 tn Heb “you seek his wickedness.” As in v. 13, the verb דָרַשׁ (darash, “seek”) is used here in the sense of “seek an accounting.” One could understand the imperfect as describing a fact, “you hold him accountable,” or as anticipating divine judgment, “you will hold him accountable.” However, since the verb is in apparent parallelism with the preceding imperative (“break”), it is better to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s desire or request.
[10:15] 94 tn Heb “you will not find.” It is uncertain how this statement relates to what precedes. Some take בַל (bal), which is used as a negative particle in vv. 4, 6, 11, 18, as asseverative here, “Indeed find (i.e., judge his wickedness).” The translation assumes that the final words are an asyndetic relative clause which refers back to what the wicked man boasted in God’s face (“you will not find [i.e., my wickedness]”). See v. 13.
[10:16] 95 tn Heb “the
[10:16] 96 tn Or “the nations perish from his land.” The perfect verb form may express what is typical or it may express rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude that God’s deliverance is “as good as done.”
[10:16] sn The nations may be the underlying reality behind the psalmist’s references to the “wicked” in the earlier verses. This reference to the nations may have motivated the combining of Ps 10 with Ps 9 (see Ps 9:5, 15, 19).
[10:17] 97 sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.
[10:17] 99 tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”
[10:18] 100 tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”
[10:18] 101 tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.
[10:18] 102 tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.
[22:1] 103 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 104 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 105 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 106 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[22:2] 107 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
[22:3] 108 tn Heb “[O] one who sits [on] the praises of Israel.” The verb “receiving” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The metaphorical language pictures the
[22:4] 110 tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[22:5] 111 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
[22:6] 112 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.
[22:6] 113 tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).
[22:6] 114 tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.
[22:6] 115 tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”
[22:7] 116 tn Or “scoff at, deride, mock.”
[22:7] 117 tn Heb “they separate with a lip.” Apparently this refers to their verbal taunting.
[22:7] 118 sn Shake their heads. Apparently this refers to a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 109:25; Lam 2:15.
[22:8] 119 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.
[22:8] 120 tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the
[22:8] 121 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 122 tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the
[22:8] 123 tn That is, “for he [the
[22:8] sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.
[22:9] 124 tn Or “the one who pulled me.” The verb is derived from either גָחָה (gakhah; see HALOT 187 s.v. גחה) or גִּיחַ (giyakh; see BDB 161 s.v. גִּיחַ) and seems to carry the nuance “burst forth” or “pull out.”
[22:10] 125 tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”
[22:10] 126 tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”
[22:10] sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).
[22:11] 127 tn Heb “and there is no helper.”
[22:12] 128 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
[22:12] 129 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
[22:13] 130 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
[22:13] 131 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
[22:13] 132 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
[22:14] 133 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
[22:14] 134 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
[22:15] 135 tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.
[22:15] 136 tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”
[22:15] 137 sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).
[22:15] 138 sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.
[22:16] 140 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:17] 141 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
[22:17] 142 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:17] 143 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
[22:18] 144 tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.
[22:19] 145 tn Heb “O my strength.”
[22:19] 146 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
[22:20] 148 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
[22:20] 149 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
[22:20] 150 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
[22:21] 151 sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).
[22:21] 152 tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).
[22:21] 153 tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (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. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.
[22:22] 154 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
[22:23] 155 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[22:23] 156 tn Heb “fear him.”
[22:24] 157 tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”
[22:24] 158 sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.
[22:24] 159 tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).
[22:25] 161 tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”
[22:25] 162 tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the
[22:26] 163 sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.
[22:26] 164 tn Heb “may your heart[s].”
[22:27] 165 tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the
[22:27] 166 tn Heb “families of the nations.”
[22:27] 167 tn Heb “before you.”
[22:28] 168 tn Heb “for to the
[22:29] 169 tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the
[22:29] 170 tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the
[22:29] 171 tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.
[22:29] 172 tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”
[22:30] 173 tn Heb “offspring.”
[22:30] 174 tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[22:31] 175 tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.
[22:31] 176 tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[44:1] 177 sn Psalm 44. The speakers in this psalm (the worshiping community within the nation Israel) were disappointed with God. The psalm begins on a positive note, praising God for leading Israel to past military victories. Verses 1-8 appear to be a song of confidence and petition which the people recited prior to battle. But suddenly the mood changes as the nation laments a recent defeat. The stark contrast between the present and the past only heightens the nation’s confusion. Israel trusted in God for victory, but the Lord rejected them and allowed them to be humiliated in battle. If Israel had been unfaithful to God, their defeat would make sense, but the nation was loyal to the Lord. Comparing the Lord to a careless shepherd, the nation urges God to wake up and to extend his compassion to his suffering people.
[44:1] 178 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.
[44:1] 179 tn Heb “with our ears we have heard.”
[44:1] 180 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.
[44:1] 181 tn Heb “the work you worked.”
[44:1] 182 tn Heb “in the days of old.” This refers specifically to the days of Joshua, during Israel’s conquest of the land, as vv. 2-3 indicate.
[44:2] 183 tn Heb “you, your hand.”
[44:2] 184 tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.
[44:2] 185 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).
[44:2] 187 tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.
[44:3] 188 tn Or “take possession of.”
[44:3] 189 tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.
[44:3] 190 tn Heb “your right hand.” The
[44:3] 192 tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
[44:3] 193 tn Or “favorable toward.”
[44:4] 194 sn The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1-3, 5, 7-8) in vv. 1-8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.
[44:4] 195 tc The LXX assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [mÿtsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the MT, which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the MT is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (’elohay mÿtsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”).
[44:4] tn Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.
[44:4] 196 tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
[44:5] 198 tn Heb “gore” (like an ox). If this portion of the psalm contains the song of confidence/petition the Israelites recited prior to battle, then the imperfects here and in the next line may express their expectation of victory. Another option is that the imperfects function in an emphatic generalizing manner. In this case one might translate, “you [always] drive back…you [always] trample down.”
[44:5] sn The Hebrew verb translated “drive back” is literally “gore”; the imagery is that of a powerful wild ox that “gores” its enemies and tramples them underfoot.
[44:5] 199 tn Heb “in your name.” The
[44:5] 200 sn The image of the powerful wild ox continues; see the note on the phrase “drive back” in the preceding line.
[44:5] 201 tn Heb “those who rise up [against] us.”
[44:7] 202 tn Or “have delivered,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
[44:7] 203 tn Or “have humiliated,” if past successes are in view. Another option is to take the perfect as rhetorical, emphasizing that victory is certain (note the use of the imperfect in vv. 5-6).
[44:9] 204 tn The particle אַף (’af, “but”) is used here as a strong adversative contrasting the following statement with what precedes.
[44:9] 205 tn Heb “you did not go out with our armies.” The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:10] 206 tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”
[44:10] 207 tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).
[44:11] 208 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 209 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:12] 210 tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”
[44:12] 211 tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”
[44:13] 212 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:13] 213 tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”
[44:14] 214 tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).
[44:14] 215 tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”
[44:14] 216 tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).
[44:15] 217 tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”
[44:15] 218 tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”
[44:16] 219 tn Heb “from the voice of one who ridicules and insults, from the face of an enemy and an avenger.” See Ps 8:2.
[44:17] 220 tn Heb “we have not forgotten you.” To “forget” God refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see v. 20, as well as Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 9:17).Thus the translation “we have not rejected you” has been used.
[44:17] 221 tn Heb “and we did not deal falsely with your covenant.”
[44:18] 222 tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.
[44:18] 223 tn Heb “and our steps did [not] turn aside from your path.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line). God’s “path” refers to his commands, i.e., the moral pathway he has prescribed for the psalmist. See Pss 17:5; 25:4.
[44:19] 224 tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”
[44:19] 225 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל+מָוֶת [mavet + tsel]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness” (cf. NIV, NRSV). An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 44:19 darkness symbolizes defeat and humiliation.
[44:20] 226 tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the
[44:20] 227 tn Heb “and spread out your hands to another god.” Spreading out the hands was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). In its most fundamental sense זר (“another; foreign; strange”) refers to something that is outside one’s circle, often making association with it inappropriate. A “strange” god is an alien deity, an “outside god” (see L. A. Snijders, TDOT 4:54-55).
[44:21] 228 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
[44:21] 229 tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.
[44:22] 230 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] 231 tn Or “regarded as.”
[44:22] 232 tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.
[44:23] 233 sn Wake up! See Ps 35:23.
[44:24] 234 tn Heb “Why do you hide your face?” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[44:24] 236 tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”
[44:25] 237 tn Heb “for our being/life sinks down to the dirt, our belly clings to the earth.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[44:26] 238 tn Or “redeem us.” See Pss 25:22; 26:11; 69:18; 119:134.
