Mazmur 102:17-21

102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, ¹ 

and does not reject ²  their request. ³ 

102:18 The account of his intervention ⁴  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; ⁵ 

from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, ⁶ 

102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,

and to set free those condemned to die, ⁷ 

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

and praise him ⁸  in Jerusalem, ⁹ 

[102:17]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “despise.”

[102:17]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”

[102:19]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Heb “his praise.”

[102:21]  ⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.