Mazmur 1:4

1:4 Not so with the wicked!

Instead ¹  they are like wind-driven chaff. ² 

Mazmur 33:17

33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; ³ 

despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

Mazmur 35:5

35:5 May they be ⁴  like wind-driven chaff,

as the Lord’s angel ⁵  attacks them! ⁶ 

Mazmur 37:23

37:23 The Lord grants success to the one

whose behavior he finds commendable. ⁷ 

Mazmur 73:11

73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?

Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” ⁸ 

Mazmur 73:19

73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!

Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! ⁹ 

Mazmur 73:21

73:21 Yes, ¹⁰  my spirit was bitter, ¹¹ 

and my insides felt sharp pain. ¹² 

Mazmur 94:7

94:7 Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;

the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.” ¹³ 

Mazmur 107:34

107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, ¹⁴ 

because of the sin of its inhabitants.

Mazmur 109:8

109:8 May his days be few! ¹⁵ 

May another take his job! ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 109:14

109:14 May his ancestors’ ¹⁷  sins be remembered by the Lord!

May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 113:1

Psalm 113 ¹⁹ 

113:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise, you servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

Mazmur 118:2-3

118:2 Let Israel say,

“Yes, his loyal love endures!”

118:3 Let the family ²⁰  of Aaron say,

“Yes, his loyal love endures!”

Mazmur 119:20

119:20 I desperately long to know ²¹ 

your regulations at all times.

Mazmur 119:28

119:28 I collapse ²²  from grief.

Sustain me by your word! ²³ 

Mazmur 119:56

119:56 This ²⁴  has been my practice,

for I observe your precepts.

Mazmur 119:162

119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,

like one who finds much plunder. ²⁵ 

Mazmur 135:1

Psalm 135 ²⁶ 

135:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord!

Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,

[1:4]  ¹ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead,” cf. v. 2) introduces a contrast between the prosperity of the godly depicted in v. 3 and the destiny of the wicked described in v. 4.

[1:4]  ² tn Heb “[they are] like the chaff which [the] wind blows about.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.

[1:4]  sn Wind-driven chaff. In contrast to the well-rooted and productive tree described in v. 3, the wicked are like a dried up plant that has no root system and is blown away by the wind. The simile describes the destiny of the wicked (see vv. 5-6).

[33:17]  ³ tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”

[35:5]  ⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.

[35:5]  ⁵ sn See the mention of the Lord’s angel in Ps 34:7.

[35:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “as the Lord’s angel pushes [them].”

[37:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the Lord the steps of a man are established, and in his way he delights.” The second line qualifies the first. The man whose behavior is commendable in God’s sight is the one whose ways are established by God. Another option is that the second line refers to the godly man delighting in God’s “way,” namely the lifestyle which he prescribes for men. In this case one might translate, “The Lord grants success to the one who desires to obey his commands.”

[73:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).

[73:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”

[73:21]  ¹⁰ tn Or perhaps “when.”

[73:21]  ¹¹ tn The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing attitude in a past time frame.

[73:21]  ¹² tn Heb “and [in] my kidneys I was pierced.” The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing condition in a past time frame.

[94:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “does not understand.”

[107:34]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a salty land.”

[109:8]  ¹⁵ tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.

[109:8]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.

[109:14]  ¹⁷ tn Or “fathers’ sins.”

[109:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “not be wiped out.”

[109:14]  sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)

[113:1]  ¹⁹ sn Psalm 113. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign king of the world who reaches down to help the needy.

[118:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “house.”

[119:20]  ²¹ tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”

[119:28]  ²² tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.

[119:28]  ²³ tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”

[119:56]  ²⁴ tn Heb “this has been to me.” The demonstrative “this” (1) refers back to the practices mentioned in vv. 54-55, or (2) looks forward to the statement in the second line, in which case the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line should be translated “that.”

[119:162]  ²⁵ tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.

[135:1]  ²⁶ sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.