Mazmur 100:1--111:10
KonteksA thanksgiving psalm.
100:1 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
100:2 Worship 2 the Lord with joy!
Enter his presence with joyful singing!
100:3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we belong to him; 3
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give him thanks!
Praise his name!
100:5 For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures, 4
and he is faithful through all generations. 5
A psalm of David.
101:1 I will sing about loyalty and justice!
To you, O Lord, I will sing praises!
101:2 I will walk in 7 the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. 8
101:3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest. 9
I hate doing evil; 10
I will have no part of it. 11
101:4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person; 12
I will not permit 13 evil.
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. 14
101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land, 15
and allow them to live with me. 16
Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me. 17
101:7 Deceitful people will not live in my palace. 18
Liars will not be welcome in my presence. 19
101:8 Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,
and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 21
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 22
Listen to me! 23
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke, 24
and my bones are charred like a fireplace. 25
102:4 My heart is parched 26 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 27 to eat food. 28
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin. 29
102:6 I am like an owl 30 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 31 among the ruins. 32
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses. 34
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, 35
and mix my drink with my tears, 36
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, 37 you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 38
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, 39
and your reputation endures. 40
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 41
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 42 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 43 the dust of her ruins. 44
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 45
and all the kings of the earth will respect 46 his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, 47
and does not reject 48 their request. 49
102:18 The account of his intervention 50 will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; 51
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, 52
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die, 53
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 54 in Jerusalem, 55
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord. 56
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life; 57
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 58
You endure through all generations. 59
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure. 60
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. 61
your years do not come to an end.
102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants 63 will live securely in your presence.” 64
By David.
103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise 66 his holy name!
103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Do not forget all his kind deeds! 67
103:3 He is the one who forgives all your sins,
who heals all your diseases, 68
103:4 who delivers 69 your life from the Pit, 70
who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
103:5 who satisfies your life with good things, 71
so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. 72
103:6 The Lord does what is fair,
and executes justice for all the oppressed. 73
103:7 The Lord revealed his faithful acts 74 to Moses,
his deeds to the Israelites.
103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he is patient 75 and demonstrates great loyal love. 76
103:9 He does not always accuse,
and does not stay angry. 77
103:10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; 78
he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. 79
103:11 For as the skies are high above the earth,
so his loyal love towers 80 over his faithful followers. 81
103:12 As far as the eastern horizon 82 is from the west, 83
so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions 84 from us.
103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, 85
so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. 86
103:14 For he knows what we are made of; 87
he realizes 88 we are made of clay. 89
103:15 A person’s life is like grass. 90
Like a flower in the field it flourishes,
103:16 but when the hot wind 91 blows by, it disappears,
and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.
103:17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, 92
and is faithful to their descendants, 93
103:18 to those who keep his covenant,
who are careful to obey his commands. 94
103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven;
his kingdom extends over everything. 95
103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,
you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees
and obey his orders! 96
103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, 97
you servants of his who carry out his desires! 98
103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, 99
in all the regions 100 of his kingdom!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
104:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent. 102
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
104:2 He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds. 103
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels along on the wings of the wind. 104
104:4 He makes the winds his messengers,
and the flaming fire his attendant. 105
104:5 He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be upended.
104:6 The watery deep covered it 106 like a garment;
the waters reached 107 above the mountains. 108
104:7 Your shout made the waters retreat;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off –
104:8 as the mountains rose up,
and the valleys went down –
to the place you appointed for them. 109
104:9 You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,
so that they would not cover the earth again. 110
104:10 He turns springs into streams; 111
they flow between the mountains.
104:11 They provide water for all the animals in the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
104:12 The birds of the sky live beside them;
they chirp among the bushes. 112
104:13 He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace; 113
the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow. 114
104:14 He provides grass 115 for the cattle,
and crops for people to cultivate, 116
so they can produce food from the ground, 117
104:15 as well as wine that makes people feel so good, 118
and so they can have oil to make their faces shine, 119
as well as food that sustains people’s lives. 120
104:16 The trees of the Lord 121 receive all the rain they need, 122
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
104:17 where the birds make nests,
near the evergreens in which the herons live. 123
104:18 The wild goats live in the high mountains; 124
the rock badgers find safety in the cliffs.
104:19 He made the moon to mark the months, 125
and the sun sets according to a regular schedule. 126
104:20 You make it dark and night comes, 127
during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.
104:21 The lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God. 128
104:22 When the sun rises, they withdraw
and sleep 129 in their dens.
104:23 Men then go out to do their work,
and labor away until evening. 130
104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! 131
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; 132
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, 133
which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, 134
living things both small and large.
104:26 The ships travel there,
and over here swims the whale 135 you made to play in it.
104:27 All of your creatures 136 wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis. 137
104:28 You give food to them and they receive it;
you open your hand and they are filled with food. 138
104:29 When you ignore them, they panic. 139
When you take away their life’s breath, they die
and return to dust.
104:30 When you send your life-giving breath, they are created,
and you replenish the surface of the ground.
104:31 May the splendor of the Lord endure! 140
May the Lord find pleasure in the living things he has made! 141
104:32 He looks down on the earth and it shakes;
he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.
104:33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I exist! 142
104:34 May my thoughts 143 be pleasing to him!
I will rejoice in the Lord.
104:35 May sinners disappear 144 from the earth,
and the wicked vanish!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
105:1 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
105:2 Sing to him!
Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
105:3 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence continually!
105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 146
105:6 O children 147 of Abraham, 148 God’s 149 servant,
you descendants 150 of Jacob, God’s 151 chosen ones!
105:7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 152
105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 153 to a thousand generations –
105:9 the promise 154 he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac!
105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 155
105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
105:12 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and resident aliens within it,
105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another. 156
105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
105:15 saying, 157 “Don’t touch my chosen 158 ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply. 159
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them 160 –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; 161
his neck was placed in an iron collar, 162
105:19 until the time when his prediction 163 came true.
The Lord’s word 164 proved him right. 165
105:20 The king authorized his release; 166
the ruler of nations set him free.
105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, 167
and made him manager of all his property,
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials 168
and to teach his advisers. 169
105:23 Israel moved to 170 Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time 171 in the land of Ham.
105:24 The Lord 172 made his people very fruitful,
and made them 173 more numerous than their 174 enemies.
105:25 He caused them 175 to hate his people,
and to mistreat 176 his servants.
105:26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, 177
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
they did not disobey his orders. 179
105:29 He turned their water into blood,
and killed their fish.
105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
105:31 He ordered flies to come; 180
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; 181
there was lightning in their land. 182
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come, 183
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 184
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 185
105:37 He brought his people 186 out enriched 187 with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them. 188
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, 189
and provided a fire to light up the night.
105:40 They asked for food, 190 and he sent quails;
he satisfied them with food from the sky. 191
105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
105:42 Yes, 192 he remembered the sacred promise 193
he made to Abraham his servant.
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 194
105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, 195
105:45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey 196 his laws.
Praise the Lord!
106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 198
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? 199
106:3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time!
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
106:5 so I may see the prosperity 200 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 201
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 202
106:6 We have sinned like 203 our ancestors; 204
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds,
they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea. 205
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation, 206
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at 207 the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
106:10 He delivered them from the power 208 of the one who hated them,
and rescued 209 them from the power 210 of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived. 211
106:12 They believed his promises; 212
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; 213
they did not wait for his instructions. 214
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving 215 for meat; 216
they challenged God 217 in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease. 218
106:16 In the camp they resented 219 Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. 220
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed 221 the group led by Abiram. 222
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked. 223
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God 224
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected 225 the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 226 acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened 227 to destroy them,
but 228 Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him 229
and turned back his destructive anger. 230
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 231
they did not believe his promise. 232
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 233
they did not obey 234 the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow 235
that he would make them die 236 in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants 237 die 238 among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands. 239
106:28 They worshiped 240 Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 241
106:29 They made the Lord angry 242 by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened, 243
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 244
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 245 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 246 his temper, 247
and he spoke rashly. 248
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 249
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 250
106:36 They worshiped 251 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 252
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 253
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed. 254
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 255
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 256
and despised the people who belong to him. 257
106:41 He handed them over to 258 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 259
106:43 Many times he delivered 260 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 261
and degraded themselves 262 by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 263 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 264
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 265 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 266
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 267
in the future and forevermore. 268
Let all the people say, “We agree! 269 Praise the Lord!” 270
Book 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 272
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 273
those whom he delivered 274 from the power 275 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 276
from east and west,
from north and south.
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion. 277
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:7 He led them on a level road, 278
that they might find a city in which to live.
107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 279
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 280
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 281
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 282
bound in painful iron chains, 283
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 284
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 285
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 286
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness, 287
and tore off their shackles.
107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 288
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 289
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 290
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 291
and they drew near the gates of death.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:20 He sent them an assuring word 292 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 293
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 294
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 295
107:23 296 Some traveled on 297 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 298
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm, 299
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 300
107:26 They 301 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 302 left them 303 because the danger was so great. 304
107:27 They swayed 305 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 306
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 307
and the waves 308 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 309 rejoiced because the waves 310 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 311 they desired.
107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 312
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 313
107:33 He turned 314 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 315
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 316 he turned 317 a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
107:36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
107:37 They cultivated 318 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 319
107:38 He blessed 320 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 321
107:39 As for their enemies, 322 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 323 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 324 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 325 the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner 326 shuts his mouth.
107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
A song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, 328 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 329
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 330
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 331
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 332
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 333 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 334
108:6 Deliver by your power 335 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 336
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 337
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 338
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 339
Ephraim is my helmet, 340
Judah my royal scepter. 341
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 342
I will make Edom serve me. 343
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 344
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 345
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 346
he will trample down 347 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 349
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 350
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 351
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 352
but I continue to pray. 353
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 354
and hate for love.
109:6 355 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 356
May an accuser stand 357 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 358 guilty! 359
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few! 360
May another take his job! 361
109:9 May his children 362 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 363 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 364
109:11 May the creditor seize 365 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 366
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 367
May no one have compassion 368 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 369 be cut off! 370
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 371
109:14 May his ancestors’ 372 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 373
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 374
and cut off the memory of his children 375 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 376
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 377
109:17 He loved to curse 378 others, so those curses have come upon him. 379
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 380
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 381
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 382
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 383
or a belt 384 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 385
those who say evil things about 386 me! 387
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 388
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 389
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 390
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 391
I have turned into skin and bones. 392
109:25 I am disdained by them. 393
When they see me, they shake their heads. 394
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 395
109:27 Then they will realize 396 this is your work, 397
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 398
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 399
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 400 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 401
in the middle of a crowd 402 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 403 his life.
A psalm of David.
110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation 405 to my lord: 406
“Sit down at my right hand 407 until I make your enemies your footstool!” 408
110:2 The Lord 409 extends 410 your dominion 411 from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
110:3 Your people willingly follow you 412 when you go into battle. 413
On the holy hills 414 at sunrise 415 the dew of your youth 416 belongs to you. 417
110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath 418 and will not revoke it: 419
“You are an eternal priest 420 after the pattern of 421 Melchizedek.” 422
110:5 O sovereign Lord, 423 at your right hand
he strikes down 424 kings in the day he unleashes his anger. 425
110:6 He executes judgment 426 against 427 the nations;
he fills the valleys with corpses; 428
he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. 429
110:7 From the stream along the road he drinks;
then he lifts up his head. 430
111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.
111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,
eagerly awaited 432 by all who desire them.
111:3 His work is majestic and glorious, 433
and his faithfulness endures 434 forever.
111:4 He does 435 amazing things that will be remembered; 436
the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
111:5 He gives 437 food to his faithful followers; 438
he always remembers his covenant. 439
111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,
giving them a land that belonged to other nations. 440
111:7 His acts are characterized by 441 faithfulness and justice;
all his precepts are reliable. 442
111:8 They are forever firm,
and should be faithfully and properly carried out. 443
111:9 He delivered his people; 444
he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. 445
His name is holy and awesome.
111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; 446
all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. 447
He will receive praise forever. 448
[100:1] 1 sn Psalm 100. The psalmist celebrates the fact that Israel has a special relationship to God and summons worshipers to praise the Lord for his faithfulness.
[100:3] 3 tn The present translation (like most modern translations) follows the Qere (marginal reading), which reads literally, “and to him [are] we.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and not we.” The suffixed preposition לו (“to him”) was confused aurally with the negative particle לא because the two sound identical.
[100:5] 5 tn Heb “and to a generation and a generation [is] his faithfulness.”
[101:1] 6 sn Psalm 101. The psalmist, who appears to be a king, promises to promote justice in his land and vows to rid his royal court of evildoers.
[101:2] 7 tn Heb “take notice of.”
[101:2] 8 tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”
[101:3] 9 tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”
[101:3] 10 tn Heb “the doing of swerving [deeds] I hate.” The Hebrew term סֵטִים (setim) is probably an alternate spelling of שֵׂטִים (setim), which appears in many medieval Hebrew
[101:3] 11 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doing of evil deeds] does not cling to me.”
[101:4] 12 tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).
[101:4] 13 tn Heb “know.” The king will not willingly allow perverse individuals to remain in his royal court.
[101:5] 14 tn Heb “[one who has] pride of eyes and wideness [i.e., arrogance] of heart, him I will not endure.”
[101:6] 15 tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”
[101:6] 16 tn The Hebrew text simply reads, “in order to live with me.”
[101:6] 17 tn Heb “one who walks in the way of integrity, he will minister to me.”
[101:7] 18 tn Heb “he will not live in the midst of my house, one who does deceit.”
[101:7] 19 tn Heb “one who speaks lies will not be established before my eyes.”
[102:1] 20 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
[102:1] 21 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
[102:2] 22 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
[102:2] 23 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[102:3] 24 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
[102:3] 25 tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
[102:4] 26 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
[102:4] 28 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
[102:5] 29 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
[102:6] 30 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
[102:6] 31 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
[102:6] 32 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
[102:7] 33 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the
[102:8] 34 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
[102:9] 35 sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
[102:11] 38 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
[102:12] 39 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[102:12] 40 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
[102:13] 41 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
[102:14] 43 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
[102:14] 44 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
[102:15] 45 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
[102:15] 46 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[102:17] 47 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
[102:17] 49 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
[102:18] 50 tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[102:19] 51 tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
[102:19] 52 tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.
[102:20] 53 tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
[102:21] 54 tn Heb “his praise.”
[102:21] 55 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[102:22] 56 tn “and the kingdoms to serve the
[102:23] 57 tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
[102:24] 58 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
[102:24] 59 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
[102:26] 61 tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
[102:27] 62 tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the
[102:28] 63 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[102:28] 64 tn Heb “before you will be established.”
[103:1] 65 sn Psalm 103. The psalmist praises God for his mercy and willingness to forgive his people.
[103:1] 66 tn The verb “praise” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[103:2] 67 tn Or “his benefits” (see 2 Chr 32:25, where the noun is also used of kind deeds performed by the
[103:3] 68 tn This relatively rare noun refers to deadly diseases (see Deut 29:22; Jer 14:18; 16:4; 2 Chr 21:19).
[103:4] 70 tn The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 55:24.
[103:5] 71 tc Heb “who satisfies with the good of your ornaments.” The text as it stands makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes an emendation of עֶדְיֵךְ (’ed’ekh, “your ornaments”) to עֹדֵכִי (’odekhiy, “your duration; your continuance”) that is, “your life” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 18).
[103:5] 72 sn The expression your youth is renewed like an eagle’s may allude to the phenomenon of molting, whereby the eagle grows new feathers.
[103:6] 73 tn Heb “the
[103:7] 74 tn Heb “made known his ways.” God’s “ways” in this context are his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 18:30; 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 138:5; 145:17).
[103:8] 75 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Ps 86:15).
[103:8] 76 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Ps 86:15).
[103:9] 77 tn The Hebrew verb נָטַר (natar) is usually taken to mean “to keep; to guard,” with “anger” being understood by ellipsis. The idiom “to guard anger” is then understood to mean “to remain angry” (see Lev 19:18; Jer 3:5, 12; Nah 1:2). However, it is possible that this is a homonymic root meaning “to be angry” (see HALOT 695 s.v. נטר).
[103:10] 78 tn Heb “not according to our sins does he do to us.”
[103:10] 79 tn Heb “and not according to our misdeeds does he repay us.”
[103:11] 80 tn For this sense of the verb גָבַר (gavar), see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.
[103:11] 81 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[103:12] 84 tn The Hebrew term פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, rebellious act”) is here used metonymically for the guilt such actions produce.
[103:13] 85 tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.
[103:13] 86 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[103:14] 87 tn Heb “our form.”
[103:14] 88 tn Heb “remembers.”
[103:14] 89 tn Heb “we [are] clay.”
[103:15] 90 tn Heb “[as for] mankind, like grass [are] his days.” The Hebrew noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here generically of human beings. What is said is true of all mankind.
[103:16] 91 tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[103:17] 92 tn Heb “but the loyal love of the
[103:17] 93 tn Heb “and his righteousness to sons of sons.”
[103:18] 94 tn Heb “to those who remember his precepts to do them.”
[103:19] 95 tn Heb “his kingdom rules over all.”
[103:20] 96 tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”
[103:21] 97 tn Heb “all his hosts.”
[103:21] 98 tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”
[103:22] 99 tn Heb “all his works,” which includes mankind.
[104:1] 101 sn Psalm 104. The psalmist praises God as the ruler of the world who sustains all life.
[104:1] 102 tn Heb “very great.”
[104:3] 103 tn Heb “one who lays the beams on water [in] his upper rooms.” The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 44-45.
[104:3] 104 sn Verse 3 may depict the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option is that the wind is personified as a cherub. See Ps 18:10 and the discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.
[104:4] 105 tc Heb “and his attendants a flaming fire.” The lack of agreement between the singular “fire” and plural “attendants” has prompted various emendations. Some read “fire and flame.” The present translation assumes an emendation to “his attendant” (יו in the Hebrew text being virtually dittographic).
[104:4] sn In Ugaritic mythology Yam’s messengers appear as flaming fire before the assembly of the gods. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 42.
[104:6] 106 tc Heb “you covered it.” The masculine suffix is problematic if the grammatically feminine noun “earth” is the antecedent. For this reason some emend the form to a feminine verb with feminine suffix, כִּסַּתָּה (kisattah, “[the watery deep] covered it [i.e., the earth]”), a reading assumed by the present translation.
[104:6] 108 sn Verse 6 refers to the condition described in Gen 1:2 (note the use of the Hebrew term תְּהוֹם [tÿhom, “watery deep”] in both texts).
[104:8] 109 tn Heb “from your shout they fled, from the sound of your thunder they hurried off.”
[104:8] sn Verses 7-8 poetically depict Gen 1:9-10.
[104:9] 110 tn Heb “a boundary you set up, they will not cross, they will not return to cover the earth.”
[104:10] 111 tn Heb “[the] one who sends springs into streams.” Another option is to translate, “he sends streams [i.e., streams that originate from springs] into the valleys” (cf. NIV).
[104:12] 112 tn Heb “among the thick foliage they give a sound.”
[104:13] 113 tn Heb “from his upper rooms.”
[104:13] 114 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).
[104:14] 115 tn Heb “causes the grass to sprout up.”
[104:14] 116 tn Heb “for the service of man” (see Gen 2:5).
[104:14] 117 tn Heb “to cause food to come out from the earth.”
[104:15] 118 tn Heb “and wine [that] makes the heart of man happy.”
[104:15] 119 tn Heb “to make [the] face shine from oil.” The Hebrew verb צָהַל (tsahal, “to shine”) occurs only here in the OT. It appears to be an alternate form of צָהַר (tsahar), a derivative from צָהָרִים (tsaharim, “noon”).
[104:15] 120 tn Heb “and food [that] sustains the heart of man.”
[104:16] 121 sn The trees of the
[104:16] 122 tn Heb “are satisfied,” which means here that they receive abundant rain (see v. 13).
[104:17] 123 tn Heb “[the] heron [in the] evergreens [is] its home.”
[104:17] sn The cedars and evergreens of the Lebanon forest are frequently associated (see, for example, 2 Chr 2:8; Isa 14:8; 37:24; Ezek 31:8).
[104:18] 124 tn Heb “the high mountains [are] for the goats.”
[104:19] 125 tn Heb “he made [the] moon for appointed times.” The phrase “appointed times” probably refers to the months of the Hebrew lunar calendar.
[104:19] 126 tn Heb more metaphorically, “knows its setting.”
[104:20] 127 tn Heb “you make darkness, so that it might be night.”
[104:21] 128 sn The lions’ roaring is viewed as a request for food from God.
[104:22] 129 tn Heb “lie down.”
[104:23] 130 tn Heb “man goes out to his work, and to his labor until evening.”
[104:24] 131 tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O
[104:24] 132 tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”
[104:25] 133 tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”
[104:25] 134 tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”
[104:26] 135 tn Heb “[and] this Leviathan, [which] you formed to play in it.” Elsewhere Leviathan is a multiheaded sea monster that symbolizes forces hostile to God (see Ps 74:14; Isa 27:1), but here it appears to be an actual marine creature created by God, probably some type of whale.
[104:27] 136 tn Heb “All of them.” The pronoun “them” refers not just to the sea creatures mentioned in vv. 25-26, but to all living things (see v. 24). This has been specified in the translation as “all of your creatures” for clarity.
[104:27] 137 tn Heb “to give their food in its time.”
[104:28] 138 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] good.”
[104:29] 139 tn Heb “you hide your face, they are terrified.”
[104:31] 140 tn Heb “be forever.”
[104:31] 141 tn Or “rejoice in his works.”
[104:33] 142 tn Heb “in my duration.”
[104:34] 143 tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.
[104:35] 144 tn Or “be destroyed.”
[105:1] 145 sn Psalm 105. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God because he delivered his people from Egypt in fulfillment of his covenantal promises to Abraham. A parallel version of vv. 1-15 appears in 1 Chr 16:8-22.
[105:5] 146 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
[105:6] 147 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[105:6] 148 tc Some
[105:6] 149 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:6] 151 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:7] 152 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
[105:8] 153 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.
[105:10] 155 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
[105:13] 156 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
[105:15] 157 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:15] 158 tn Heb “anointed.”
[105:16] 159 tn Heb “and every staff of food he broke.” The psalmist refers to the famine that occurred in Joseph’s time (see v. 17 and Gen 41:53-57).
[105:17] 160 tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).
[105:18] 161 tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”
[105:18] 162 tn Heb “his neck came [into] iron.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with the suffix could mean simply “he” or “his life.” But the nuance “neck” makes good sense here (note the reference to his “feet” in the preceding line). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 38.
[105:19] 163 tn Heb “word,” probably referring to Joseph’s prediction about the fate of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (see Gen 41:9-14).
[105:19] 164 tn This line may refer to Joseph’s prediction of the famine in response to Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph emphasized to Pharaoh that the interpretation of the dream came from God (see Gen 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39).
[105:19] 165 tn Heb “refined him.”
[105:20] 166 tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”
[105:21] 167 tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”
[105:22] 168 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
[105:22] 169 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
[105:23] 170 tn Heb “entered.”
[105:23] 171 tn Heb “lived as a resident alien.”
[105:24] 172 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[105:24] 173 tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”
[105:24] 174 tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”
[105:25] 175 tn Heb “their heart.”
[105:25] 176 tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.
[105:27] 177 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
[105:28] 178 tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”
[105:28] sn He made it dark. The psalmist begins with the ninth plague (see Exod 10:21-29).
[105:28] 179 tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.
[105:31] 180 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
[105:32] 181 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
[105:32] 182 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
[105:34] 183 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
[105:35] 184 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
[105:36] 185 tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).
[105:36] sn Verses 28-36 recall the plagues in a different order than the one presented in Exodus: v. 28 (plague 9), v. 29 (plague 1), v. 30 (plague 2), v. 31a (plague 4), v. 31b (plague 3), vv. 32-33 (plague 7), vv. 34-35 (plague 8), v. 36 (plague 10). No reference is made in Ps 105 to plagues 5 and 6.
[105:37] 186 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the
[105:37] 187 tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:38] 188 tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”
[105:40] 190 tn Heb “he [i.e., his people] asked.” The singular form should probably be emended to a plural שָׁאֲלוּ (sha’alu, “they asked”), the vav (ו) having fallen off by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the following form).
[105:40] 191 tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).
[105:42] 193 tn Heb “his holy word.”
[105:43] 194 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
[105:44] 195 tn Heb “and the [product of the] work of peoples they possessed.”
[106:1] 197 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
[106:1] 198 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[106:2] 199 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
[106:5] 201 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
[106:5] 202 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
[106:6] 204 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
[106:7] 205 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
[106:7] sn They rebelled. The psalmist recalls the people’s complaint recorded in Exod 14:12.
[106:8] 206 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[106:10] 209 tn Or “redeemed.”
[106:11] 211 tn Heb “remained.”
[106:12] 212 tn Heb “his words.”
[106:13] 213 tn Heb “his works.”
[106:13] 214 tn Heb “his counsel.”
[106:14] 215 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
[106:14] 216 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
[106:14] 217 tn Heb “they tested God.”
[106:15] 218 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”
[106:15] sn Disease. See Num 11:33-34, where this plague is described.
[106:16] 220 tn Heb “the holy one of the
[106:17] 222 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
[106:18] 223 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
[106:20] 224 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the
[106:22] 226 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
[106:23] 227 tn Heb “and he said.”
[106:23] 228 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
[106:23] 229 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
[106:23] 230 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”
[106:23] sn Verses 19-23 describe the events of Exod 32:1-35.
[106:24] 231 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
[106:24] 232 tn Heb “his word.”
[106:25] 233 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
[106:25] 234 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
[106:26] 235 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
[106:26] 236 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
[106:27] 237 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[106:27] 238 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
[106:27] 239 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[106:28] 240 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”
[106:28] sn They worshiped Baal of Peor. See Num 25:3, 5. Baal of Peor was a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal located at Peor.
[106:28] 241 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
[106:29] 242 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew
[106:30] 243 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
[106:31] 244 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant.
[106:31] sn Brought him a reward. See Num 25:12-13.
[106:32] 245 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 246 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
[106:33] 247 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 248 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[106:33] sn Verses 32-33 allude to the events of Num 20:1-13.
[106:34] 249 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 250 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 252 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 253 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
[106:38] 254 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 255 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 256 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 257 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 258 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 259 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 260 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
[106:43] 261 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
[106:43] 262 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 263 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 265 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 266 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 267 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 268 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 269 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 270 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
[107:1] 271 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 272 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 273 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 276 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 277 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 278 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 279 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 280 tn Heb “[the] longing throat.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), which frequently refers to one’s very being or soul, here probably refers to one’s parched “throat” (note the parallelism with נֶפֱשׁ רְעֵבָה, nefesh rÿ’evah, “hungry throat”).
[107:9] 281 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 282 tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” 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 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).
[107:10] 283 tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.
[107:11] 284 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 285 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 286 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 287 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 288 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 289 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 290 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 291 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 292 tn Heb “he sent his word.” This probably refers to an oracle of assurance which announced his intention to intervene (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 59).
[107:20] 293 tn Heb “he rescued from their traps.” The Hebrew word שְׁחִית (shekhit, “trap”) occurs only here and in Lam 4:20, where it refers to a trap or pit in which one is captured. Because of the rarity of the term and the absence of an object with the verb “rescued,” some prefer to emend the text of Ps 107:20, reading מִשַׁחַת חַיָּתָם (mishakhat khayyatam, “[he rescued] their lives from the pit”). Note also NIV “from the grave,” which interprets the “pit” as Sheol or the grave.
[107:21] 294 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 295 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 296 sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.
[107:23] 297 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 298 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 299 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 300 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 301 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 302 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 304 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 305 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 306 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
[107:29] 307 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 308 tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23.
[107:30] 309 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 310 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 311 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 312 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 313 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 314 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[107:34] 315 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 316 tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion.
[107:35] 317 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33.
[107:37] 318 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 319 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 320 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] 321 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).
[107:39] 322 tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people.
[107:39] 323 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 324 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.
[107:41] 325 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 326 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
[108:1] 327 sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).
[108:1] 328 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[108:1] 329 tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
[108:2] 330 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[108:3] 331 tn Or “the peoples.”
[108:4] 332 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[108:5] 333 tn Or “be exalted.”
[108:5] 334 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.)
[108:6] 335 tn Heb “right hand.”
[108:6] 336 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[108:7] 337 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[108:7] 338 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
[108:8] 339 tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[108:8] 340 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[108:8] sn Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan River. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
[108:8] 341 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[108:9] 342 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[108:9] 343 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[108:10] 344 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
[108:12] 345 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[108:13] 346 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 118:16-16).
[108:13] 347 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
[109:1] 348 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 349 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 350 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 351 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 352 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 353 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 354 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 355 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 356 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 357 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 358 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 359 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 360 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] 361 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 364 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 365 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 366 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 367 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 368 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 369 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 370 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 371 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 372 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 373 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.)
[109:15] 374 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 375 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 376 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 377 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 378 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] 379 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] 380 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 381 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 382 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 383 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 384 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 385 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 387 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 388 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 389 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
[109:23] 390 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 391 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 392 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 393 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 394 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 395 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 396 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 397 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 398 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 399 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 400 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 401 tn Heb “I will thank the
[110:1] 404 sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.
[110:1] 405 tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.
[110:1] 406 sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).
[110:1] 407 tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.
[110:1] sn The Lord’s invitation to the Davidic king to sit down at his right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.
[110:1] 408 sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).
[110:2] 409 tn Since the
[110:2] 410 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.
[110:2] 411 tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.
[110:3] 412 tn Heb “your people, free will offerings.” Perhaps the people, in their willingness to volunteer, are compared metaphorically to freewill offerings. Following the LXX, some revocalize the text and read “with you is nobility.”
[110:3] 413 tn Heb “in the day of your power.”
[110:3] 414 tc Heb “in splendor of holiness.” The plural construct form הַדְרֵי (hadrey, from הָדַר, hadar, “splendor”) occurs only here; it may indicate degree or perhaps refer by metonymy to garments (see Pss 29:2 and 96:9, where the phrase הַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ [hadrat qodesh] refers to “holy attire”). If one retains the reading of the MT, this phrase should probably be taken with the preceding line. However, because of the subsequent references to “dawn” and to “dew,” it is better to emend the text to הַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ (harrey qodesh, “mountains of holiness”), a reading found in many medieval Hebrew
[110:3] 415 tn Heb “from the womb of dawn.” The Hebrew noun רֶחֶם (rekhem, “womb”) is probably used here metonymically for “birth.” The form מִשְׁחָר (mishkhar) occurs only here and should be emended to שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”) with the mem (מ) being understood as dittographic (note the final mem [ם] on the preceding word). The phrase “womb [i.e., “birth”] of dawn” refers to sunrise.
[110:3] 416 sn The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. The dew may symbolize the king’s youthful vitality or, more likely (note the parallelism), may refer to his army of strong, youthful warriors.
[110:3] 417 tn Heb “to you [is].”
[110:4] 418 tn Or “swears, vows.”
[110:4] 419 tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
[110:4] 420 sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).
[110:4] 421 tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.
[110:4] 422 sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”
[110:5] 423 tn As pointed in the Hebrew text, this title refers to God (many medieval Hebrew
[110:5] 424 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 5-6 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing. Another option is to take them as rhetorical. In this case the psalmist describes anticipated events as if they had already taken place.
[110:5] 425 tn Heb “in the day of his anger.”
[110:6] 426 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] 428 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] 429 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).
[110:7] 430 tn Here the expression “lifts up the head” refers to the renewed physical strength and emotional vigor (see Ps 3:3) provided by the refreshing water. For another example of a victorious warrior being energized by water in the aftermath of battle, see Judg 15:18-19 (see also 1 Sam 30:11-12, where the setting is different, however).
[111:1] 431 sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[111:2] 432 tn Heb “sought out.”
[111:3] 433 tn For other uses of the Hebrew phrase וְהָדָר-הוֹד (hod-vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 21:5; 96:6; 104:1.
[111:4] 435 tn Or “did,” if this refers primarily to the events of the exodus and conquest period (see vv. 6, 9).
[111:4] 436 tn Heb “a memorial he had made for his amazing deeds.”
[111:5] 437 tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.
[111:5] 438 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[111:5] 439 tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).
[111:6] 440 tn Heb “the strength of his deeds he proclaimed to his people, to give to them an inheritance of nations.”
[111:7] 441 tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”
[111:7] 442 tn That is, fair and for man’s good.
[111:8] 443 tn Heb “done in faithfulness and uprightness.” The passive participle probably has the force of a gerund. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 89.
[111:9] 444 tn Heb “redemption he sent for his people.”
[111:9] 445 tn Heb “he commanded forever his covenant.”
[111:10] 446 tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the
[111:10] 447 tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.
