Mazmur 105:1--107:43
Konteks105:1 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, 2
105:6 O children 3 of Abraham, 4 God’s 5 servant,
you descendants 6 of Jacob, God’s 7 chosen ones!
105:7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 8
105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 9 to a thousand generations –
105:9 the promise 10 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, 11
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. 12
105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
105:15 saying, 13 “Don’t touch my chosen 14 ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply. 15
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them 16 –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; 17
his neck was placed in an iron collar, 18
105:19 until the time when his prediction 19 came true.
The Lord’s word 20 proved him right. 21
105:20 The king authorized his release; 22
the ruler of nations set him free.
105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, 23
and made him manager of all his property,
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials 24
and to teach his advisers. 25
105:23 Israel moved to 26 Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time 27 in the land of Ham.
105:24 The Lord 28 made his people very fruitful,
and made them 29 more numerous than their 30 enemies.
105:25 He caused them 31 to hate his people,
and to mistreat 32 his servants.
105:26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, 33
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
they did not disobey his orders. 35
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; 36
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; 37
there was lightning in their land. 38
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come, 39
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 40
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 41
105:37 He brought his people 42 out enriched 43 with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them. 44
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, 45
and provided a fire to light up the night.
105:40 They asked for food, 46 and he sent quails;
he satisfied them with food from the sky. 47
105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
105:42 Yes, 48 he remembered the sacred promise 49
he made to Abraham his servant.
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 50
105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, 51
105:45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey 52 his laws.
Praise the Lord!
106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 54
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? 55
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 56 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 57
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 58
106:6 We have sinned like 59 our ancestors; 60
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. 61
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation, 62
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at 63 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 64 of the one who hated them,
and rescued 65 them from the power 66 of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived. 67
106:12 They believed his promises; 68
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; 69
they did not wait for his instructions. 70
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving 71 for meat; 72
they challenged God 73 in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease. 74
106:16 In the camp they resented 75 Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. 76
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed 77 the group led by Abiram. 78
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked. 79
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God 80
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected 81 the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 82 acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened 83 to destroy them,
but 84 Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him 85
and turned back his destructive anger. 86
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 87
they did not believe his promise. 88
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 89
they did not obey 90 the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow 91
that he would make them die 92 in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants 93 die 94 among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands. 95
106:28 They worshiped 96 Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 97
106:29 They made the Lord angry 98 by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened, 99
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 100
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 101 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 102 his temper, 103
and he spoke rashly. 104
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 105
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 106
106:36 They worshiped 107 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 108
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 109
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. 110
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 111
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 112
and despised the people who belong to him. 113
106:41 He handed them over to 114 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 115
106:43 Many times he delivered 116 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 117
and degraded themselves 118 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 119 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 120
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 121 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 122
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 123
in the future and forevermore. 124
Let all the people say, “We agree! 125 Praise the Lord!” 126
Book 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 128
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 129
those whom he delivered 130 from the power 131 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 132
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. 133
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, 134
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! 135
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 136
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 137
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 138
bound in painful iron chains, 139
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 140
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 141
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 142
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, 143
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! 144
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 145
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 146
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 147
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 148 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 149
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 150
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 151
107:23 152 Some traveled on 153 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 154
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, 155
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 156
107:26 They 157 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 158 left them 159 because the danger was so great. 160
107:27 They swayed 161 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 162
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 163
and the waves 164 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 165 rejoiced because the waves 166 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 167 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! 168
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 169
107:33 He turned 170 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 171
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 172 he turned 173 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 174 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 175
107:38 He blessed 176 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 177
107:39 As for their enemies, 178 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 179 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 180 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 181 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 182 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!
[105:1] 1 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] 2 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
[105:6] 3 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[105:6] 4 tc Some
[105:6] 5 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:6] 7 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:7] 8 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
[105:8] 9 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] 11 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
[105:13] 12 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
[105:15] 13 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:15] 14 tn Heb “anointed.”
[105:16] 15 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] 16 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] 17 tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”
[105:18] 18 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] 19 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] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “refined him.”
[105:20] 22 tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”
[105:21] 23 tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”
[105:22] 24 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
[105:22] 25 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
[105:23] 27 tn Heb “lived as a resident alien.”
[105:24] 28 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[105:24] 29 tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”
[105:24] 30 tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”
[105:25] 31 tn Heb “their heart.”
[105:25] 32 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] 33 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
[105:28] 34 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] 35 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] 36 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
[105:32] 37 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
[105:32] 38 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
[105:34] 39 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
[105:35] 40 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
[105:36] 41 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] 42 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the
[105:37] 43 tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:38] 44 tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”
[105:40] 46 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] 47 tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).
[105:42] 49 tn Heb “his holy word.”
[105:43] 50 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
[105:44] 51 tn Heb “and the [product of the] work of peoples they possessed.”
[106:1] 53 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
[106:1] 54 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[106:2] 55 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
[106:5] 57 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
[106:5] 58 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
[106:6] 60 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
[106:7] 61 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] 62 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[106:11] 67 tn Heb “remained.”
[106:12] 68 tn Heb “his words.”
[106:13] 69 tn Heb “his works.”
[106:13] 70 tn Heb “his counsel.”
[106:14] 71 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
[106:14] 72 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
[106:14] 73 tn Heb “they tested God.”
[106:15] 74 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] 76 tn Heb “the holy one of the
[106:17] 78 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
[106:18] 79 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
[106:20] 80 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] 82 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
[106:23] 83 tn Heb “and he said.”
[106:23] 84 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
[106:23] 85 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
[106:23] 86 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] 87 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
[106:24] 88 tn Heb “his word.”
[106:25] 89 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
[106:25] 90 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
[106:26] 91 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] 92 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
[106:27] 93 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[106:27] 94 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] 95 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[106:28] 96 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] 97 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] 98 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew
[106:30] 99 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
[106:31] 100 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] 101 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 102 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] 103 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 104 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] 105 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 106 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 108 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 109 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] 110 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 111 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 112 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 113 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 114 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 115 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 116 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] 117 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] 118 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 119 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 121 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 122 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 123 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 124 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 125 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 126 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] 127 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 128 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 129 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 132 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 133 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 134 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 135 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 136 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] 137 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 138 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] 139 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] 140 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 141 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 142 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 143 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 144 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 145 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 146 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 147 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 148 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] 149 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] 150 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 151 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 152 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] 153 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 154 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 155 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 156 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 157 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 158 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 160 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 161 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 162 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] 163 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 164 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] 165 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 166 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 167 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 168 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 169 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 170 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] 171 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 172 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] 173 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] 174 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 175 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 176 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] 177 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] 178 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] 179 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 180 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] 181 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 182 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
