Mazmur 90:1--99:9
KonteksBook 4
(Psalms 90-106)
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90:1 O Lord, you have been our protector 2 through all generations!
90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence, 3
or you brought the world into being, 4
you were the eternal God. 5
90:3 You make mankind return 6 to the dust, 7
and say, “Return, O people!”
90:4 Yes, 8 in your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday that quickly passes,
or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. 9
90:5 You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.” 10
In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up;
90:6 in the morning it glistens 11 and sprouts up;
at evening time it withers 12 and dries up.
90:7 Yes, 13 we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.
90:8 You are aware of our sins; 14
you even know about our hidden sins. 15
90:9 Yes, 16 throughout all our days we experience your raging fury; 17
the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 18
90:10 The days of our lives add up to seventy years, 19
or eighty, if one is especially strong. 20
But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. 21
Yes, 22 they pass quickly 23 and we fly away. 24
90:11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? 25
Your raging fury causes people to fear you. 26
90:12 So teach us to consider our mortality, 27
so that we might live wisely. 28
90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!
How long must this suffering last? 29
Have pity on your servants! 30
90:14 Satisfy us in the morning 31 with your loyal love!
Then we will shout for joy and be happy 32 all our days!
90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,
in proportion to the years we have experienced 33 trouble!
90:16 May your servants see your work! 34
May their sons see your majesty! 35
90:17 May our sovereign God extend his favor to us! 36
Make our endeavors successful!
Yes, make them successful! 37
91:1 As for you, the one who lives 39 in the shelter of the sovereign One, 40
and resides in the protective shadow 41 of the mighty king 42 –
91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,
my God in whom I trust –
91:3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter 43
and from the destructive plague.
91:4 He will shelter you 44 with his wings; 45
you will find safety under his wings.
His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. 46
91:5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, 47
the arrow that flies by day,
91:6 the plague that comes in the darkness,
or the disease that comes at noon. 48
91:7 Though a thousand may fall beside you,
and a multitude on your right side,
it 49 will not reach you.
91:8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes –
you will see the wicked paid back. 50
91:9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord,
my shelter, the sovereign One. 51
91:10 No harm will overtake 52 you;
no illness 53 will come near your home. 54
91:11 For he will order his angels 55
to protect you in all you do. 56
91:12 They will lift you up in their hands,
so you will not slip and fall on a stone. 57
91:13 You will subdue 58 a lion and a snake; 59
you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.
“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him 61 because he is loyal to me. 62
91:15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him honor.
91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, 63
and will let him see my salvation.
A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.
92:1 It is fitting 65 to thank the Lord,
and to sing praises to your name, O sovereign One! 66
92:2 It is fitting 67 to proclaim your loyal love in the morning,
and your faithfulness during the night,
92:3 to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument and a lyre,
to the accompaniment of the meditative tone of the harp.
92:4 For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work.
I will sing for joy because of what you have done. 68
92:5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your plans are very intricate! 69
92:6 The spiritually insensitive do not recognize this;
the fool does not understand this. 70
92:7 When the wicked sprout up like grass,
and all the evildoers glisten, 71
it is so that they may be annihilated. 72
92:8 But you, O Lord, reign 73 forever!
92:9 Indeed, 74 look at your enemies, O Lord!
Indeed, 75 look at how your enemies perish!
All the evildoers are scattered!
92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox. 76
I am covered 77 with fresh oil.
92:11 I gloat in triumph over those who tried to ambush me; 78
I hear the defeated cries of the evil foes who attacked me. 79
92:12 The godly 80 grow like a palm tree;
they grow high like a cedar in Lebanon. 81
92:13 Planted in the Lord’s house,
they grow in the courts of our God.
92:14 They bear fruit even when they are old;
they are filled with vitality and have many leaves. 82
92:15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector,
is just and never unfair. 83
93:1 The Lord reigns!
He is robed in majesty,
the Lord is robed,
he wears strength around his waist. 85
Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.
93:2 Your throne has been secure from ancient times;
you have always been king. 86
93:3 The waves 87 roar, O Lord,
the waves roar,
the waves roar and crash. 88
93:4 Above the sound of the surging water, 89
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty. 90
93:5 The rules you set down 91 are completely reliable. 92
Holiness 93 aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever. 94
94:1 O Lord, the God who avenges!
O God who avenges, reveal your splendor! 96
94:2 Rise up, O judge of the earth!
Pay back the proud!
94:3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate? 97
94:4 They spew out threats 98 and speak defiantly;
all the evildoers boast. 99
94:5 O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you. 100
94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,
and they murder the fatherless. 101
94:7 Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.” 102
94:8 Take notice of this, 103 you ignorant people! 104
You fools, when will you ever understand?
94:9 Does the one who makes the human ear not hear?
Does the one who forms the human eye not see? 105
94:10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?
He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!
94:11 The Lord knows that
peoples’ thoughts are morally bankrupt. 106
94:12 How blessed is the one 107 whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
94:13 in order to protect him from times of trouble, 108
until the wicked are destroyed. 109
94:14 Certainly 110 the Lord does not forsake his people;
he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him. 111
94:15 For justice will prevail, 112
and all the morally upright 113 will be vindicated. 114
94:16 Who will rise up to defend me 115 against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers? 116
94:17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have laid down in the silence of death. 117
94:18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
94:19 When worries threaten to overwhelm me, 118
your soothing touch makes me happy. 119
94:20 Cruel rulers 120 are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws. 121
94:21 They conspire against 122 the blameless, 123
and condemn to death the innocent. 124
94:22 But the Lord will protect me, 125
and my God will shelter me. 126
94:23 He will pay them back for their sin. 127
He will destroy them because of 128 their evil;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
95:1 Come! Let’s sing for joy to the Lord!
Let’s shout out praises to our protector who delivers us! 130
95:2 Let’s enter his presence 131 with thanksgiving!
Let’s shout out to him in celebration! 132
95:3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great king who is superior to 133 all gods.
95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, 134
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
95:6 Come! Let’s bow down and worship! 135
Let’s kneel before the Lord, our creator!
95:7 For he is our God;
we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep he owns. 136
Today, if only you would obey him! 137
95:8 He says, 138 “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, 139
like they were that day at Massah 140 in the wilderness, 141
95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, 142
and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.
95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted 143 with that generation,
and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; 144
they do not obey my commands.’ 145
95:11 So I made a vow in my anger,
‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’” 146
96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! 148
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
96:2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!
Announce every day how he delivers! 149
96:3 Tell the nations about his splendor!
Tell 150 all the nations about his amazing deeds!
96:4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods. 151
96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, 152
but the Lord made the sky.
96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; 153
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. 154
96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! 155
Bring an offering and enter his courts!
96:9 Worship the Lord in holy attire! 156
Tremble before him, all the earth!
96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
96:11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the sea and everything in it shout!
96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy
96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly, 157
and the nations in accordance with his justice. 158
97:1 The Lord reigns!
Let the earth be happy!
Let the many coastlands rejoice!
97:2 Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne. 160
97:3 Fire goes before him;
on every side 161 it burns up his enemies.
97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
97:6 The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
97:7 All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him. 162
97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns 163 of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
97:9 For you, O Lord, are the sovereign king 164 over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects 165 the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power 166 of the wicked.
97:11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy. 167
97:12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord!
Give thanks to his holy name. 168
A psalm.
98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, 170
for he performs 171 amazing deeds!
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance. 172
98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; 173
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
98:3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. 174
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us. 175
98:4 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
Break out in a joyful shout and sing!
98:5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music!
98:6 With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn,
shout out praises before the king, the Lord!
98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it!
98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
98:9 before the Lord!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly, 176
and the nations in a just manner.
99:1 The Lord reigns!
The nations tremble. 178
He sits enthroned above the winged angels; 179
the earth shakes. 180
99:2 The Lord is elevated 181 in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!
He 182 is holy!
99:4 The king is strong;
he loves justice. 183
You ensure that legal decisions will be made fairly; 184
you promote justice and equity in Jacob.
99:5 Praise 185 the Lord our God!
Worship 186 before his footstool!
He is holy!
99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel was one of those who prayed to him. 187
They 188 prayed to the Lord and he answered them.
99:7 He spoke to them from a pillar of cloud; 189
they obeyed his regulations and the ordinance he gave them.
99:8 O Lord our God, you answered them.
They found you to be a forgiving God,
but also one who punished their sinful deeds. 190
99:9 Praise 191 the Lord our God!
Worship on his holy hill,
for the Lord our God is holy!
[90:1] 1 sn Psalm 90. In this communal lament the worship leader affirms that the eternal God and creator of the world has always been Israel’s protector. But God also causes men, who are as transient as grass, to die, and in his fierce anger he decimates his covenant community, whose brief lives are filled with suffering and end in weakness. The community asks for wisdom, the restoration of God’s favor, a fresh revelation of his power, and his blessing upon their labors.
[90:1] 2 tn Or “place of safety.” See Ps 71:3.
[90:2] 4 tn Heb “and you gave birth to the earth and world.” The Polel verbal form in the Hebrew text pictures God giving birth to the world. The LXX and some other ancient textual witnesses assume a polal (passive) verbal form here. In this case the earth becomes the subject of the verb and the verb is understood as third feminine singular rather than second masculine singular.
[90:2] 5 tn Heb “and from everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.” Instead of אֵל (’el, “God”) the LXX reads אַל (’al, “not”) and joins the negative particle to the following verse, making the verb תָּשֵׁב (tashev) a jussive. In this case v. 3a reads as a prayer, “do not turn man back to a low place.” However, taking תָּשֵׁב as a jussive is problematic in light of the following following wayyiqtol form וַתֹּאמֶר (vato’mer, “and you said/say”).
[90:3] 6 tn In this context the shortened prefix form does not function as a preterite, but indicates what is typical of the world.
[90:3] 7 tn The Hebrew term דַּכָּא (daka’) carries the basic sense of “crushed.” Elsewhere it refers to those who are “crushed” in spirit or contrite of heart (see Ps 34:18; Isa 57:15). If one understands this nuance here, then v. 3 is observing that God leads mankind to repentance (the term שׁוּב, shuv, “return,” which appears twice in this verse, is sometimes used of repentance.) However, the following context laments mankind’s mortality and the brevity of life, so it is doubtful if v. 3 should be understood so positively. It is more likely that דַּכָּא here refers to “crushed matter,” that is, the dust that fills the grave (see HALOT 221 s.v. s.v. I דַּכָּא; BDB 194 s.v. דַּכָּא). In this case one may hear an echo of Gen 3:19.
[90:4] 9 sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”
[90:5] 10 tn Heb “you bring them to an end [with] sleep.” The Hebrew verb זָרַם (zaram) has traditionally been taken to mean “flood” or “overwhelm” (note the Polel form of a root זרם in Ps 77:17, where the verb is used of the clouds pouring down rain). However, the verb form here is Qal, not Polel, and is better understood as a homonym meaning “to make an end [of life].” The term שֵׁנָה (shenah, “sleep”) can be taken as an adverbial accusative; it is a euphemism here for death (see Ps 76:5-6).
[90:6] 11 tn Or “flourishes.” The verb is used of a crown shining in Ps 132:18. Perhaps here in Ps 90:6 it refers to the glistening of the grass in the morning dew.
[90:6] 12 tn The Polel form of this verb occurs only here. Perhaps the form should be emended to a Qal (which necessitates eliminating the final lamed [ל] as dittographic). See Ps 37:2.
[90:8] 14 tn Heb “you set our sins in front of you.”
[90:8] 15 tn Heb “what we have hidden to the light of your face.” God’s face is compared to a light or lamp that exposes the darkness around it.
[90:9] 17 tn Heb “all our days pass by in your anger.”
[90:9] 18 tn Heb “we finish our years like a sigh.” In Ezek 2:10 the word הֶגֶה (hegeh) elsewhere refers to a grumbling or moaning sound. Here a brief sigh or moan is probably in view. If so, the simile pictures one’s lifetime as transient. Another option is that the simile alludes to the weakness that characteristically overtakes a person at the end of one’s lifetime. In this case the phrase could be translated, “we end our lives with a painful moan.”
[90:10] 19 tn Heb “the days of our years, in them [are] seventy years.”
[90:10] 20 tn Heb “or if [there is] strength, eighty years.”
[90:10] 21 tn Heb “and their pride [is] destruction and wickedness.” The Hebrew noun רֹהַב (rohav) occurs only here. BDB 923 s.v. assigns the meaning “pride,” deriving the noun from the verbal root רהב (“to act stormily [boisterously, arrogantly]”). Here the “pride” of one’s days (see v. 9) probably refers to one’s most productive years in the prime of life. The words translated “destruction and wickedness” are also paired in Ps 10:7. They also appear in proximity in Pss 7:14 and 55:10. The oppressive and abusive actions of evil men are probably in view (see Job 4:8; 5:6; 15:35; Isa 10:1; 59:4).
[90:10] 23 tn Heb “it passes quickly.” The subject of the verb is probably “their pride” (see the preceding line). The verb גּוּז (guz) means “to pass” here; it occurs only here and in Num 11:31.
[90:10] 24 sn We fly away. The psalmist compares life to a bird that quickly flies off (see Job 20:8).
[90:11] 25 tn Heb “Who knows the strength of your anger?”
[90:11] 26 tn Heb “and like your fear [is] your raging fury.” Perhaps one should emend וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ (ukhyir’otekh, “and like your fear”) to יִרְאָתְךְ (yir’otkh, “your fear”), understanding a virtual dittography (אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ, ’apekha ukhyir’otekh) to have occurred. In this case the psalmist asserts “your fear [is] your raging fury,” that is, your raging fury is what causes others to fear you. The suffix on “fear” is understood as objective.
[90:12] 27 tn Heb “to number our days,” that is, to be aware of how few they really are.
[90:12] 28 tn Heb “and we will bring a heart of wisdom.” After the imperative of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates purpose/result. The Hebrew term “heart” here refers to the center of one’s thoughts, volition, and moral character.
[90:13] 29 tn Heb “Return, O
[90:13] 30 tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.
[90:14] 31 sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).
[90:14] 32 tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.
[90:15] 33 tn Heb “have seen.”
[90:16] 34 tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).
[90:16] 35 tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[90:17] 36 tn Heb “and may the delight of the Master, our God, be on us.” The Hebrew term נֹעַם (no’am, “delight”) is used in Ps 27:4 of the
[90:17] 37 tn Heb “and the work of our hands establish over us, and the work of our hands, establish it.”
[91:1] 38 sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.
[91:1] 39 tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”
[91:1] 40 tn Traditionally “the Most High.”
[91:1] 41 sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).
[91:1] 42 sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.
[91:3] 43 tn The word refers specifically to a fowler (or hunter of birds).
[91:4] 44 tn Heb “put a cover over you” (see Ps 5:11).
[91:4] 45 tc The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural should be read. The final yod (י) of the suffix, which indicates the plural, has dropped off by haplography (note the yod [י] at the beginning of the next word).
[91:4] 46 tn Traditionally the Hebrew term סֹחֵרָה (sokherah), which occurs only here in the OT, has been understood to refer to a buckler or small shield (see BDB 695 s.v.). But HALOT 750 s.v., on the basis of evidence from the cognate languages, proposes the meaning “wall.”
[91:5] 47 tn This probably alludes to a sneak attack by enemies in the darkness of night (see Song 3:8).
[91:6] 48 sn As in Deut 32:23-24, vv. 5-6 closely associate military attack and deadly disease. Perhaps the latter alludes to one of the effects of siege warfare on the population of an entrapped city, which was especially vulnerable to the outbreak of epidemics.
[91:7] 49 tn Apparently the deadly disease mentioned in v. 6b is the understood subject here.
[91:8] 50 tn Heb “retribution on the wicked.”
[91:9] 51 tn Heb “for you, the
[91:10] 53 tn For this sense of the Hebrew term נגע see Ps 38:11.
[91:10] 54 tn Heb “your tent.”
[91:11] 55 tn Heb “for his angels he will command concerning you.”
[91:11] 56 tn Heb “in all your ways.”
[91:12] 57 tn Heb “so your foot will not strike a stone.”
[91:13] 58 tn Heb “walk upon.”
[91:13] 59 tn Or perhaps “cobra” (see Ps 58:4).
[91:14] 60 tn The words “the
[91:14] 61 tn Or “make him secure” (Heb “set him on high”).
[91:14] 62 tn Heb “because he knows my name” (see Ps 9:10).
[91:16] 63 tn Heb “length of days.”
[92:1] 64 sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.
[92:1] 66 tn Traditionally “O Most High.”
[92:2] 67 tn The words “it is fitting” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Verses 1-3 are actually one long sentence in the Hebrew text, but this has been divided up into two shorter sentences in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
[92:4] 68 tn Heb “the works of your hands.”
[92:5] 69 tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15.
[92:6] 70 tn Heb “the brutish man does not know, and the fool does not understand this.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 49:10; 73:22; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
[92:7] 72 tn Heb “in order that they might be destroyed permanently.”
[92:7] sn God allows the wicked to prosper temporarily so that he might reveal his justice. When the wicked are annihilated, God demonstrates that wickedness does not pay off.
[92:8] 73 tn Heb “[are elevated] on high.”
[92:10] 76 sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).
[92:10] 77 tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”
[92:11] 78 tn Heb “my eye gazes upon those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. The form שׁוּרָי (shuray) should be emended to שׁוֹרְרָי (shorÿray).
[92:11] 79 tn Heb “those who rise up against me, evil [foes], my ears hear.”
[92:12] 80 tn The singular is used in a representative sense, with the typical godly person being in view.
[92:12] 81 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size.
[92:14] 82 tn Heb “they are juicy and fresh.”
[92:15] 83 tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the
[93:1] 84 sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the
[93:1] 85 sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.
[93:2] 86 tn Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.
[93:3] 87 tn The Hebrew noun translated “waves” often refers to rivers or streams, but here it appears to refer to the surging waves of the sea (see v. 4, Ps 24:2).
[93:3] 88 tn Heb “the waves lift up, O
[93:4] 89 tn Heb “mighty waters.”
[93:4] sn The surging waters here symbolizes the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy the order he has established in the world (see Pss 18:17; 29:3; 32:6; 77:20; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). But the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over these raging waters.
[93:4] 90 tn Heb “mighty on high [is] the
[93:5] 91 tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.
[93:5] 92 sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[93:5] 93 sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).
[93:5] 94 tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O
[94:1] 95 sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
[94:1] 96 tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).
[94:4] 98 tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”
[94:4] 99 tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (’amar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).
[94:5] 100 tn Or “your inheritance.”
[94:6] 101 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
[94:7] 102 tn Heb “does not understand.”
[94:8] 103 tn Heb “understand.” The verb used in v. 7 is repeated here for rhetorical effect. The people referred to here claim God is ignorant of their actions, but the psalmist corrects their faulty viewpoint.
[94:8] 104 tn Heb “[you] brutish among the people.”
[94:9] 105 tn Heb “The one who plants an ear, does he not hear? The one who forms an eye, does he not see?”
[94:11] 106 tn Heb “the
[94:12] 107 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.
[94:13] 108 tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”
[94:13] 109 tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”
[94:14] 111 tn Or “his inheritance.”
[94:15] 112 tn Heb “for judgment will return to justice.”
[94:15] 113 tn Heb “all the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the
[94:15] 114 tn Heb “and after it [are] the pure of heart.”
[94:16] 116 sn Who will stand up for me…? The questions anticipate the answer, “No one except God” (see v. 17).
[94:17] 117 tn Heb “If the
[94:19] 118 tn Heb “when my worries are many within me.”
[94:19] 119 tn Heb “your comforts cause my soul to delight.”
[94:20] 120 tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.
[94:20] 121 tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.
[94:21] 123 tn Heb “the life of the blameless.”
[94:21] 124 tn Heb “and the blood of the innocent they declare guilty.”
[94:22] 125 tn Heb “and the
[94:22] 126 tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”
[94:23] 127 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
[95:1] 129 sn Psalm 95. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God as the creator of the world and the nation’s protector, but he also reminds the people not to rebel against God.
[95:1] 130 tn Heb “to the rocky summit of our deliverance.”
[95:2] 131 tn Heb “meet his face.”
[95:2] 132 tn Heb “with songs of joy.”
[95:4] 134 tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.
[95:6] 135 tn Heb “kneel down.”
[95:7] 136 tn Heb “of his hand.”
[95:7] 137 tn Heb “if only you would listen to his voice.” The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (cf. Ps 81:8). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
[95:8] 138 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).
[95:8] 139 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
[95:8] 140 sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).
[95:8] 141 tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”
[95:9] 142 tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”
[95:10] 143 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.
[95:10] 144 tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”
[95:10] 145 tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the
[95:11] 146 tn Heb “my resting place.” The promised land of Canaan is here viewed metaphorically as a place of rest for God’s people, who are compared to sheep (see v. 7).
[96:1] 147 sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.
[96:1] 148 sn A new song is appropriate because the
[96:2] 149 tn Heb “announce from day to day his deliverance.”
[96:3] 150 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[96:4] 151 tn Or perhaps “and feared by all gods.” See Ps 89:7.
[96:5] 152 tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.
[96:6] 153 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
[96:6] 154 tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”
[96:8] 155 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”
[96:9] 156 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
[96:13] 157 tn The verbal forms in v. 13 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions, in which case they could be translated “will judge the world.”
[96:13] 158 tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”
[97:1] 159 sn Psalm 97. The psalmist depicts the Lord as the sovereign, just king of the world who comes in power to vindicate his people.
[97:2] 160 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
[97:3] 161 tn Heb “all around.”
[97:7] 162 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verbal form in the first line is an imperfect (“are ashamed”) and that the ambiguous form in the third line is a perfect (“bow down”) because the psalmist appears to be describing the effect of the
[97:8] 163 tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
[97:9] 164 tn Traditionally “Most High.”
[97:10] 165 tn The participle may be verbal, though it might also be understood as substantival and appositional to “the
[97:11] 167 tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.
[97:12] 168 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
[98:1] 169 sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.
[98:1] 170 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.
[98:1] 171 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.
[98:1] 172 tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.
[98:2] 173 tn Heb “makes known his deliverance.”
[98:3] 174 tn Heb “he remembers his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.”
[98:3] 175 tn Heb “the deliverance of our God,” with “God” being a subjective genitive (= God delivers).
[98:9] 176 tn The verbal forms in v. 9 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).
[99:1] 177 sn Psalm 99. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s just rule and recalls how he revealed himself to Israel’s leaders.
[99:1] 178 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 1 are understood here as indicating the nations’ characteristic response to the reality of the
[99:1] 179 sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.
[99:1] 180 tn The Hebrew verb נוּט (nut) occurs only here in the OT, but the meaning can be determined on the basis of the parallelism with רָגַז (ragaz, “tremble”) and evidence from the cognate languages (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 121).
[99:3] 182 tn The pronoun refers to the
[99:4] 183 tn Heb “and strength, a king, justice he loves.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation assumes that two affirmations are made about the king, the
[99:4] 184 tn Heb “you establish fairness.”
[99:6] 187 tn Heb “among those who called on his name.”
[99:6] 188 tn Heb “those who.” The participle is in apposition to the phrase “those who called on his name” in the preceding line.
[99:7] 189 sn A pillar of cloud. The psalmist refers to the reality described in Exod 33:9-10; Num 12:5; and Deut 31:15.
[99:8] 190 tn Heb “a God of lifting up [i.e., forgiveness] you were to them, and an avenger concerning their deeds.” The present translation reflects the traditional interpretation, which understands the last line as qualifying the preceding one. God forgave Moses and Aaron, but he also disciplined them when they sinned (cf. NIV, NRSV). Another option is to take “their deeds” as referring to harmful deeds directed against Moses and Aaron. In this case the verse may be translated, “and one who avenged attacks against them.” Still another option is to emend the participial form נֹקֵם (noqem, “an avenger”) to נֹקָם (noqam), a rare Qal participial form of נָקַה (naqah, “purify”) with a suffixed pronoun. In this case one could translate, “and one who purified them from their [sinful] deeds” (cf. NEB “and held them innocent”).
