Mazmur 10:5

10:5 He is secure at all times. ¹ 

He has no regard for your commands; ² 

he disdains all his enemies. ³ 

Mazmur 10:18

10:18 You defend ⁴  the fatherless and oppressed, ⁵ 

so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. ⁶ 

Mazmur 14:1

Psalm 14 ⁷ 

For the music director; by David.

14:1 Fools say to themselves, ⁸  “There is no God.” ⁹ 

They sin and commit evil deeds; ¹⁰ 

none of them does what is right. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 16:7

16:7 I will praise ¹²  the Lord who ¹³  guides ¹⁴  me;

yes, during the night I reflect and learn. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 18:7

18:7 The earth heaved and shook; ¹⁶ 

the roots of the mountains ¹⁷  trembled; ¹⁸ 

they heaved because he was angry.

Mazmur 18:12

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 18:19

18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with me. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 18:41

18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; ²¹ 

they cry out to the Lord, ²²  but he does not answer them.

Mazmur 19:6

19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, ²³ 

and goes from one end of the sky to the other; ²⁴ 

nothing can escape ²⁵  its heat.

Mazmur 30:6

30:6 In my self-confidence I said,

“I will never be upended.” ²⁶ 

Mazmur 31:10

31:10 For my life nears its end in pain;

my years draw to a close as I groan. ²⁷ 

My strength fails me because of ²⁸  my sin,

and my bones become brittle. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 38:13

38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak. ³⁰ 

Mazmur 39:8-9

39:8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!

Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!

39:9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth

because of what you have done. ³¹ 

Mazmur 41:9

41:9 Even my close friend ³²  whom I trusted,

he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. ³³ 

Mazmur 44:18

44:18 We have not been unfaithful, ³⁴ 

nor have we disobeyed your commands. ³⁵ 

Mazmur 46:9

46:9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; ³⁶ 

he shatters ³⁷  the bow and breaks ³⁸  the spear;

he burns ³⁹  the shields with fire. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 50:10

50:10 For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me,

as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 50:22

50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God! ⁴² 

Otherwise I will rip you to shreds ⁴³ 

and no one will be able to rescue you.

Mazmur 51:16

51:16 Certainly ⁴⁴  you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; ⁴⁵ 

you do not desire a burnt sacrifice. ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 52:6

52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,

and will mock the evildoer, saying: ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 55:10

55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, ⁴⁸ 

while wickedness and destruction ⁴⁹  are within it.

Mazmur 57:5

57:5 Rise up ⁵⁰  above the sky, O God!

May your splendor cover the whole earth! ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 60:7

60:7 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ⁵² 

Ephraim is my helmet, ⁵³ 

Judah my royal scepter. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 64:6

64:6 They devise ⁵⁵  unjust schemes;

they disguise ⁵⁶  a well-conceived plot. ⁵⁷ 

Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 68:8

68:8 the earth shakes,

yes, the heavens pour down rain

before God, the God of Sinai, ⁵⁹ 

before God, the God of Israel. ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 68:17

68:17 God has countless chariots;

they number in the thousands. ⁶¹ 

The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. ⁶² 

Mazmur 68:34

68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, ⁶³ 

his sovereignty over Israel,

and the power he reveals in the skies! ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 72:10

72:10 The kings of Tarshish ⁶⁵  and the coastlands will offer gifts;

the kings of Sheba ⁶⁶  and Seba ⁶⁷  will bring tribute.

Mazmur 72:12

72:12 For he will rescue the needy ⁶⁸  when they cry out for help,

and the oppressed ⁶⁹  who have no defender.

Mazmur 73:20

73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. ⁷⁰ 

O Lord, when you awake ⁷¹  you will despise them. ⁷² 

Mazmur 73:25

73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?

I desire no one but you on earth. ⁷³ 

Mazmur 74:8

74:8 They say to themselves, ⁷⁴ 

“We will oppress all of them.” ⁷⁵ 

They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. ⁷⁶ 

Mazmur 76:5

76:5 The bravehearted ⁷⁷  were plundered; ⁷⁸ 

they “fell asleep.” ⁷⁹ 

All the warriors were helpless. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 76:10

76:10 Certainly ⁸¹  your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise; ⁸² 

you reveal your anger in full measure. ⁸³ 

Mazmur 77:14

77:14 You are the God who does amazing things;

you have revealed your strength among the nations.

Mazmur 83:4

83:4 They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation! ⁸⁴ 

Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”

Mazmur 84:2

84:2 I desperately want to be ⁸⁵ 

in the courts of the Lord’s temple. ⁸⁶ 

My heart and my entire being ⁸⁷  shout for joy

to the living God.

Mazmur 89:5

89:5 O Lord, the heavens ⁸⁸  praise your amazing deeds,

as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. ⁸⁹ 

Mazmur 89:7

89:7 a God who is honored ⁹⁰  in the great angelic assembly, ⁹¹ 

and more awesome than ⁹²  all who surround him?

Mazmur 89:12

89:12 You created the north and the south.

Tabor and Hermon ⁹³  rejoice in your name.

Mazmur 89:27

89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, ⁹⁴ 

the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

Mazmur 89:39

89:39 You have repudiated ⁹⁵  your covenant with your servant; ⁹⁶ 

you have thrown his crown to the ground. ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 90:8

90:8 You are aware of our sins; ⁹⁸ 

you even know about our hidden sins. ⁹⁹ 

Mazmur 90:16

90:16 May your servants see your work! ¹⁰⁰ 

May their sons see your majesty! ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 91:13

91:13 You will subdue ¹⁰²  a lion and a snake; ¹⁰³ 

you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.

Mazmur 95:4

95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, ¹⁰⁴ 

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Mazmur 99:4

99:4 The king is strong;

he loves justice. ¹⁰⁵ 

You ensure that legal decisions will be made fairly; ¹⁰⁶ 

you promote justice and equity in Jacob.

Mazmur 101:5

101:5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.

I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude. ¹⁰⁷ 

Mazmur 102:21

102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,

and praise him ¹⁰⁸  in Jerusalem, ¹⁰⁹ 

Mazmur 104:13

104:13 He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace; ¹¹⁰ 

the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow. ¹¹¹ 

Mazmur 104:24

104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! ¹¹² 

You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; ¹¹³ 

the earth is full of the living things you have made.

Mazmur 105:8

105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,

the promise he made ¹¹⁴  to a thousand generations –

Mazmur 105:37

105:37 He brought his people ¹¹⁵  out enriched ¹¹⁶  with silver and gold;

none of his tribes stumbled.

Mazmur 107:38

107:38 He blessed ¹¹⁷  them so that they became very numerous.

He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. ¹¹⁸ 

Mazmur 107:40

107:40 He would pour ¹¹⁹  contempt upon princes,

and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.

Mazmur 109:17

109:17 He loved to curse ¹²⁰  others, so those curses have come upon him. ¹²¹ 

He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. ¹²² 

Mazmur 110:6

110:6 He executes judgment ¹²³  against ¹²⁴  the nations;

he fills the valleys with corpses; ¹²⁵ 

he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. ¹²⁶ 

Mazmur 111:4-5

111:4 He does ¹²⁷  amazing things that will be remembered; ¹²⁸ 

the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

111:5 He gives ¹²⁹  food to his faithful followers; ¹³⁰ 

he always remembers his covenant. ¹³¹ 

Mazmur 112:9-10

112:9 He generously gives ¹³²  to the needy;

his integrity endures. ¹³³ 

He will be vindicated and honored. ¹³⁴ 

112:10 When the wicked ¹³⁵  see this, they will worry;

they will grind their teeth in frustration ¹³⁶  and melt away;

the desire of the wicked will perish. ¹³⁷ 

Mazmur 115:7

115:7 hands, but cannot touch,

feet, but cannot walk.

They cannot even clear their throats. ¹³⁸ 

Mazmur 116:8

116:8 Yes, ¹³⁹  Lord, ¹⁴⁰  you rescued my life from death,

and kept my feet from stumbling.

Mazmur 116:16

116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;

I am your lowest slave. ¹⁴¹ 

You saved me from death. ¹⁴² 

Mazmur 119:90

119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. ¹⁴³ 

You established the earth and it stood firm.

Mazmur 119:116

119:116 Sustain me as you promised, ¹⁴⁴  so that I will live. ¹⁴⁵ 

Do not disappoint me! ¹⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 119:128

119:128 For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts. ¹⁴⁷ 

I hate all deceitful actions. ¹⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 124:7

124:7 We escaped with our lives, ¹⁴⁹  like a bird from a hunter’s snare.

The snare broke, and we escaped.

Mazmur 125:1

Psalm 125 ¹⁵⁰ 

A song of ascents. ¹⁵¹ 

125:1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion;

it cannot be upended and will endure forever.

Mazmur 135:6

135:6 He does whatever he pleases

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and all the ocean depths.

Mazmur 139:8

139:8 If I were to ascend ¹⁵²  to heaven, you would be there.

If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. ¹⁵³ 

Mazmur 143:2

143:2 Do not sit in judgment on ¹⁵⁴  your servant,

for no one alive is innocent before you. ¹⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 144:11

144:11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners, ¹⁵⁶ 

who speak lies,

and make false promises. ¹⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 145:13

145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, ¹⁵⁸ 

and your dominion endures through all generations.

Mazmur 145:18-19

145:18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him,

all who cry out to him sincerely. ¹⁵⁹ 

145:19 He satisfies the desire ¹⁶⁰  of his loyal followers; ¹⁶¹ 

he hears their cry for help and delivers them.

Mazmur 148:13

148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty extends over the earth and sky.

[10:5]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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.

[10:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”

[10:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.

[10:18]  ⁶ 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.

[14:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 14. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.

[14:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.

[14:1]  ⁹ sn “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).

[14:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.

[14:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “there is none that does good.”

[16:7]  ¹² tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”

[16:7]  ¹³ tn Or “because.”

[16:7]  ¹⁴ tn Or “counsels, advises.”

[16:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “yes, [during] nights my kidneys instruct [or “correct”] me.” The “kidneys” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s moral character (see Ps 26:2). In the quiet darkness the Lord speaks to his inner being, as it were, and enables him to grow in moral understanding.

[18:7]  ¹⁶ sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.

[18:7]  ¹⁷ tn 2 Sam 22:8 has “heavens” which forms a merism with “earth” in the preceding line. The “foundations of the heavens” would be the mountains. However, the reading “foundations of the mountains” has a parallel in Deut 32:22.

[18:7]  ¹⁸ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive in the verse.

[18:12]  ¹⁹ tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.

[18:19]  ²⁰ tn Or “delighted in me.”

[18:41]  ²¹ tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”

[18:41]  ²² tn Heb “to the Lord.” The words “they cry out” are supplied in the translation because they are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

[18:41]  sn They cry out. This reference to the psalmist’s enemies crying out for help to the Lord suggests that the psalmist refers here to enemies within the covenant community, rather than foreigners. However, the militaristic context suggests foreign enemies are in view. Ancient Near Eastern literature indicates that defeated enemies would sometimes cry out for mercy to the god(s) of their conqueror. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 271.

[19:6]  ²³ tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”

[19:6]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”

[19:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “is hidden from.”

[30:6]  ²⁶ sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).

[31:10]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and my years in groaning.”

[31:10]  ²⁸ tn Heb “stumbles in.”

[31:10]  ²⁹ tn Heb “grow weak.”

[38:13]  ³⁰ sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).

[39:9]  ³¹ tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).

[41:9]  ³² tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).

[41:9]  ³³ tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.

[41:9]  sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.

[44:18]  ³⁴ tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.

[44:18]  ³⁵ 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.

[46:9]  ³⁶ tn Heb “[the] one who causes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” The participle continues the description begun in v. 8b and indicates that this is the Lord’s characteristic activity. Ironically, he brings peace to the earth by devastating the warlike, hostile nations (vv. 8, 9b).

[46:9]  ³⁷ tn The verb שָׁבַר (shavar, “break”) appears in the Piel here (see Ps 29:5). In the OT it occurs thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3). The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.

[46:9]  ³⁸ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries along the generalizing emphasis of the preceding imperfect.

[46:9]  ³⁹ tn The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.

[46:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “wagons he burns with fire.” Some read “chariots” here (cf. NASB), but the Hebrew word refers to wagons or carts, not chariots, elsewhere in the OT. In this context, where military weapons are mentioned, it is better to revocalize the form as עֲגִלוֹת (’agilot, “round shields”), a word which occurs only here in the OT, but is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic.

[50:10]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “[the] animals on a thousand hills.” The words “that graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The term בְּהֵמוֹה (bÿhemot, “animal”) refers here to cattle (see Ps 104:14).

[50:22]  ⁴² tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.

[50:22]  ⁴³ sn Elsewhere in the psalms this verb is used (within a metaphorical framework) of a lion tearing its prey (see Pss 7:2; 17:12; 22:13).

[51:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “For.” The translation assumes the particle is asseverative (i.e., emphasizing: “certainly”). (Some translations that consider the particle asseverative leave it untranslated.) If taken as causal or explanatory (“for”, cf. NRSV), the verse would explain why the psalmist is pleading for forgiveness, rather than merely offering a sacrifice.

[51:16]  ⁴⁵ tn The translation assumes that the cohortative is used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “You do not want a sacrifice, should I offer [it]” (cf. NEB). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortative is part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.)

[51:16]  ⁴⁶ sn You do not desire a burnt sacrifice. The terminology used in v. 16 does not refer to expiatory sacrifices, but to dedication and communion offerings. This is not a categorical denial of the sacrificial system in general or of the importance of such offerings. The psalmist is talking about his specific situation. Dedication and communion offerings have their proper place in worship (see v. 19), but God requires something more fundamental, a repentant and humble attitude (see v. 17), before these offerings can have real meaning.

[52:6]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”

[55:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “day and night they surround it, upon its walls.” Personified “violence and conflict” are the likely subjects. They are compared to watchmen on the city’s walls.

[55:10]  ⁴⁹ sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.

[57:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “be exalted.”

[57:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)

[60:7]  ⁵² sn Gilead was located east of the Jordan. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.

[60:7]  ⁵³ tn Heb “the protection of my head.”

[60:7]  sn Ephraim, named after one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.

[60:7]  ⁵⁴ sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.

[64:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”

[64:6]  ⁵⁶ tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading טָמְנוּ (tomnu, “they hide”), a Qal perfect third common plural form from the verbal root טָמַן (taman).

[64:6]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.

[64:6]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.

[68:8]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.

[68:8]  ⁶⁰ sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)

[68:17]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”

[68:17]  ⁶² tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).

[68:34]  ⁶³ tn Heb “give strength to God.”

[68:34]  ⁶⁴ sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.

[72:10]  ⁶⁵ sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.

[72:10]  ⁶⁶ sn Sheba was located in Arabia.

[72:10]  ⁶⁷ sn Seba was located in Africa.

[72:12]  ⁶⁸ tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.

[72:12]  ⁶⁹ tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.

[73:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.

[73:20]  ⁷¹ sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.

[73:20]  ⁷² tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.

[73:25]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.

[74:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “in their heart.”

[74:8]  ⁷⁵ tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).

[74:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”

[76:5]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).

[76:5]  ⁷⁸ tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).

[76:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”

[76:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”

[76:10]  ⁸¹ tn Or “for.”

[76:10]  ⁸² tn Heb “the anger of men will praise you.” This could mean that men’s anger (subjective genitive), when punished by God, will bring him praise, but this interpretation does not harmonize well with the next line. The translation assumes that God’s anger is in view here (see v. 7) and that “men” is an objective genitive. God’s angry judgment against men brings him praise because it reveals his power and majesty (see vv. 1-4).

[76:10]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the rest of anger you put on.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear. Perhaps the idea is that God, as he prepares for battle, girds himself with every last ounce of his anger, as if it were a weapon.

[83:4]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “we will cause them to disappear from [being] a nation.”

[84:2]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”

[84:2]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “the courts of the Lord” (see Ps 65:4).

[84:2]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.

[89:5]  ⁸⁸ tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.

[89:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).

[89:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “feared.”

[89:7]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

[89:7]  ⁹² tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

[89:12]  ⁹³ sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.

[89:27]  ⁹⁴ sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.

[89:39]  ⁹⁵ tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.

[89:39]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”

[89:39]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “you dishonor [or “desecrate”] on the ground his crown.”

[90:8]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “you set our sins in front of you.”

[90:8]  ⁹⁹ 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.

[90:16]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[91:13]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “walk upon.”

[91:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Or perhaps “cobra” (see Ps 58:4).

[95:4]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.

[99:4]  ¹⁰⁵ 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 Lord (see v. 1, and Ps 98:6). The noun עֹז (’oz, “strength”) should probably be revocalized as the adjective עַז (’az, “strong”).

[99:4]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “you establish fairness.”

[101:5]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “[one who has] pride of eyes and wideness [i.e., arrogance] of heart, him I will not endure.”

[102:21]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “his praise.”

[102:21]  ¹⁰⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[104:13]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “from his upper rooms.”

[104:13]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “from the fruit of your works the earth is full.” The translation assumes that “fruit” is literal here. If “fruit” is understood more abstractly as “product; result,” then one could translate, “the earth flourishes as a result of your deeds” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB).

[104:24]  ¹¹² tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O Lord.” In this case the Lord’s “works” are the creatures he has made, as the preceding and following contexts make clear.

[104:24]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”

[105:8]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.

[105:37]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Lord’s people) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[105:37]  ¹¹⁶ tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[107:38]  ¹¹⁷ tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).

[107:38]  ¹¹⁸ tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).

[107:40]  ¹¹⁹ tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.

[109:17]  ¹²⁰ sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.

[109:17]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.

[109:17]  ¹²² tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”

[110:6]  ¹²³ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 6-7 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though they could be taken as future.

[110:6]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “among.”

[110:6]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “he fills [with] corpses,” but one expects a double accusative here. The translation assumes an emendation to גְוִיּוֹת גֵאָיוֹת(בִּ) מִלֵּא or מִלֵּא גֵאָיוֹת גְּוִיוֹת (for a similar construction see Ezek 32:5). In the former case גֵאָיוֹת(ge’ayot) has accidentally dropped from the text due to homoioteleuton; in the latter case it has dropped out due to homoioarcton.

[110:6]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “he strikes [the verb is מָחַץ (makhats), translated “strikes down” in v. 5] head[s] over a great land.” The Hebrew term רַבָּה (rabbah, “great”) is here used of distance or spatial measurement (see 1 Sam 26:13).

[111:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “did,” if this refers primarily to the events of the exodus and conquest period (see vv. 6, 9).

[111:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “a memorial he had made for his amazing deeds.”

[111:5]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.

[111:5]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[111:5]  ¹³¹ tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).

[112:9]  ¹³² tn Heb “he scatters, he gives.”

[112:9]  ¹³³ tn Heb “stands forever.”

[112:9]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “his horn will be lifted up in honor.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[112:10]  ¹³⁵ tn The Hebrew text uses the singular; the representative wicked individual is in view as typifying the group (note the use of the plural form in v. 10).

[112:10]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “his teeth he will gnash.” In Pss 35:16 and 37:12 this action is associated with a vicious attack.

[112:10]  ¹³⁷ tn This could mean that the desires of the wicked will go unfulfilled. Another possibility is that “desire” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired. In this case the point is that the wicked will lose what they desired so badly and acquired by evil means (see Ps 10:3).

[115:7]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “they cannot mutter in their throats.” Verse 5a refers to speaking, v. 7c to inarticulate sounds made in the throat (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:140-41).

[116:8]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “for.”

[116:8]  ¹⁴⁰ tn “Lord” is supplied here in the translation for clarification.

[116:16]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the Lord has such a secondary wife or concubine! It is used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant.

[116:16]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).

[119:90]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”

[119:116]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[119:116]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:116]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “do not make me ashamed of my hope.” After the Hebrew verb בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “to be ashamed”) the preposition מִן (min, “from”) often introduces the reason for shame.

[119:128]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “for this reason all the precepts of everything I regard as right.” The phrase “precepts of everything” is odd. It is preferable to take the kaf (כ) on כֹּל (kol, “everything) with the preceding form as a pronominal suffix, “your precepts,” and the lamed (ל) with the following verb as an emphatic particle. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 138.

[119:128]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “every false path.”

[124:7]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “our life escaped.”

[125:1]  ¹⁵⁰ sn Psalm 125. The psalmist affirms his confidence in the Lord’s protection and justice.

[125:1]  ¹⁵¹ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[139:8]  ¹⁵² tn The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see DNWSI 2:788-90).

[139:8]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “look, you.”

[143:2]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”

[143:2]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”

[144:11]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”

[144:11]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.

[145:13]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “a kingdom of all ages.”

[145:18]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “in truth.”

[145:19]  ¹⁶⁰ tn In this context “desire” refers to the followers’ desire to be delivered from wicked enemies.

[145:19]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “the desire of those who fear him, he does.”