Mazmur 135:16

135:16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

Mazmur 89:11

89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.

You made the world and all it contains. ¹ 

Mazmur 115:6

115:6 ears, but cannot hear,

noses, but cannot smell,

Mazmur 74:16

74:16 You established the cycle of day and night; ² 

you put the moon ³  and sun in place. ⁴ 

Mazmur 115:5

115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

Mazmur 119:94

119:94 I belong to you. Deliver me!

For I seek your precepts.

Mazmur 135:17

135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.

Indeed, they cannot breathe. ⁵ 

Mazmur 37:37

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ⁶ 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ⁷ 

Mazmur 60:7

60:7 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ⁸ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ⁹ 

Judah my royal scepter. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 115:7

115:7 hands, but cannot touch,

feet, but cannot walk.

They cannot even clear their throats. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 24:1

Psalm 24 ¹² 

A psalm of David.

24:1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,

the world and all who live in it.

Mazmur 108:8

108:8 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ¹³ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ¹⁴ 

Judah my royal scepter. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 3:8

3:8 The Lord delivers; ¹⁶ 

you show favor to your people. ¹⁷  (Selah)

Mazmur 62:11

62:11 God has declared one principle;

two principles I have heard: ¹⁸ 

God is strong, ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 146:5

146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Mazmur 12:4

12:4 They say, ²⁰  “We speak persuasively; ²¹ 

we know how to flatter and boast. ²² 

Who is our master?” ²³ 

Mazmur 50:10

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

as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 50:12

50:12 Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,

for the world and all it contains belong to me.

Mazmur 62:12

62:12 and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. ²⁵ 

For you repay men for what they do. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 72:12

72:12 For he will rescue the needy ²⁷  when they cry out for help,

and the oppressed ²⁸  who have no defender.

Mazmur 89:18

89:18 For our shield ²⁹  belongs to the Lord,

our king to the Holy One of Israel. ³⁰ 

Mazmur 95:4

95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, ³¹ 

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Mazmur 22:28

22:28 For the Lord is king ³² 

and rules over the nations.

Mazmur 33:11

33:11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever;

his plans abide throughout the ages. ³³ 

Mazmur 105:21

105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, ³⁴ 

and made him manager of all his property,

Mazmur 146:3

146:3 Do not trust in princes,

or in human beings, who cannot deliver! ³⁵ 

Mazmur 47:9

47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble,

along with the people of the God of Abraham, ³⁶ 

for God has authority over the rulers ³⁷  of the earth.

He is highly exalted! ³⁸ 

Mazmur 2:8

2:8 Ask me,

and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, ³⁹ 

the ends of the earth as your personal property.

Mazmur 45:6

45:6 Your throne, ⁴⁰  O God, is permanent. ⁴¹ 

The scepter ⁴²  of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.

Mazmur 49:20

49:20 Wealthy people do not understand; ⁴³ 

they are like animals ⁴⁴  that perish. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 50:8

50:8 I am not condemning ⁴⁶  you because of your sacrifices,

or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 89:29

89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, ⁴⁸ 

and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 95:5

95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.

His hands formed the dry land.

Mazmur 105:22

105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials ⁵⁰ 

and to teach his advisers. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 107:43

107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!

Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!

Mazmur 109:11

109:11 May the creditor seize ⁵²  all he owns!

May strangers loot his property! ⁵³ 

Mazmur 112:2

112:2 His descendants ⁵⁴  will be powerful on the earth;

the godly ⁵⁵  will be blessed.

Mazmur 115:16

115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, ⁵⁶ 

but the earth he has given to mankind. ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 119:165

119:165 Those who love your law are completely secure; ⁵⁸ 

nothing causes them to stumble. ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 10:3

10:3 Yes, ⁶⁰  the wicked man ⁶¹  boasts because he gets what he wants; ⁶² 

the one who robs others ⁶³  curses ⁶⁴  and ⁶⁵  rejects the Lord. ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 34:5

34:5 Those who look to him for help are happy;

their faces are not ashamed. ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 68:20

68:20 Our God is a God who delivers;

the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. ⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 69:35

69:35 For God will deliver Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah,

and his people ⁶⁹  will again live in them and possess Zion. ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 89:13

89:13 Your arm is powerful,

your hand strong,

your right hand ⁷¹  victorious. ⁷² 

Mazmur 94:10

94:10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?

He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!

Mazmur 112:9

112:9 He generously gives ⁷³  to the needy;

his integrity endures. ⁷⁴ 

He will be vindicated and honored. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 127:5

127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

They will not be put to shame ⁷⁶  when they confront ⁷⁷  enemies at the city gate.

Mazmur 17:14

17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, ⁷⁸ 

from the murderers of this world! ⁷⁹ 

They enjoy prosperity; ⁸⁰ 

you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. ⁸¹ 

They have many children,

and leave their wealth to their offspring. ⁸² 

Mazmur 31:20

31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks ⁸³  of men; ⁸⁴ 

you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. ⁸⁵ 

Mazmur 49:10

49:10 Surely ⁸⁶  one sees ⁸⁷  that even wise people die; ⁸⁸ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ⁸⁹ 

and leave their wealth to others. ⁹⁰ 

Mazmur 53:4

53:4 All those who behave wickedly ⁹¹  do not understand ⁹²  –

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to God.

Mazmur 100:3

100:3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

He made us and we belong to him; ⁹³ 

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Mazmur 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ⁹⁴  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ⁹⁵ 

[89:11]  ¹ tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”

[74:16]  ² tn Heb “To you [is] day, also to you [is] night.”

[74:16]  ³ tn Heb “[the] light.” Following the reference to “day and night” and in combination with “sun,” it is likely that the Hebrew term מָאוֹר (ma’or, “light”) refers here to the moon.

[74:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “you established [the] light and [the] sun.”

[135:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (’af ’en, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”

[37:37]  ⁶ tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ⁷ tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).

[60:7]  ⁸ sn Gilead was located east of the Jordan. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.

[60:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “the protection of my head.”

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

[60:7]  ¹⁰ sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.

[115:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they cannot mutter in their throats.” Verse 5a refers to speaking, v. 7c to inarticulate sounds made in the throat (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:140-41).

[24:1]  ¹² sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.

[108:8]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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.

[3:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to the Lord [is] deliverance.”

[3:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “upon your people [is] your blessing.” In this context God’s “blessing” includes deliverance/protection, vindication, and sustained life (see Pss 21:3, 6; 24:5).

[62:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “one God spoke, two which I heard.” This is a numerical saying utilizing the “x” followed by “x + 1” pattern to facilitate poetic parallelism. (See W. M. W. Roth, Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament [VTSup], 55-56.) As is typical in such sayings, a list corresponding to the second number (in this case “two”) follows. Another option is to translate, “God has spoken once, twice [he has spoken] that which I have heard.” The terms אַחַת (’akhat, “one; once”) and שְׁתַּיִם (shÿtayim, “two; twice”) are also juxtaposed in 2 Kgs 6:10 (where they refer to an action that was done more than “once or twice”) and in Job 33:14 (where they refer to God speaking “one way” and then in “another manner”).

[62:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “that strength [belongs] to God.”

[12:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “which say.” The plural verb after the relative pronoun indicates a plural antecedent for the pronoun, probably “lips” in v. 3.

[12:4]  ²¹ tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to accomplish their purposes. The preposition -לְ (l) prefixed to “our tongue” may be dittographic.

[12:4]  ²² tn Heb “our lips [are] with us.” This odd expression probably means, “our lips are in our power,” in the sense that they say what they want, whether it be flattery or boasting. For other cases where אֵת (’et, “with”) has the sense “in the power of,” see Ps 38:10 and other texts listed by BDB 86 s.v. 3.a.

[12:4]  ²³ sn The rhetorical question expresses the arrogant attitude of these people. As far as they are concerned, they are answerable to no one for how they speak.

[50:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “[the] animals on a thousand hills.” The words “that graze” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The term בְּהֵמוֹה (bÿhemot, “animal”) refers here to cattle (see Ps 104:14).

[62:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and to you, O Master, [is] loyal love.”

[62:12]  ²⁶ tn Heb “for you pay back to a man according to his deed.” Another option is to understand vv. 11b and 12a as the first principle and v. 12b as the second. In this case one might translate, “God has declared one principle, two principles I have heard, namely, that God is strong, and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love, and that you repay men for what they do.”

[62:12]  sn You repay men for what they do. The psalmist views God’s justice as a demonstration of both his power (see v. 11c) and his loyal love (see v. 12a). When God judges evildoers, he demonstrates loyal love to his people.

[72:12]  ²⁷ tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.

[72:12]  ²⁸ tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.

[89:18]  ²⁹ tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king" here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.

[89:18]  ³⁰ sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah.

[95:4]  ³¹ tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.

[22:28]  ³² tn Heb “for to the Lord [is] dominion.”

[33:11]  ³³ tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The Lord’s “decisions” and “plans” here refer to his decrees and purposes.

[105:21]  ³⁴ tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”

[146:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”

[47:9]  ³⁶ tc The words “along with” do not appear in the MT. However, the LXX has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the MT is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the LXX is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.

[47:9]  ³⁷ tn Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.

[47:9]  ³⁸ tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.

[2:8]  ³⁹ sn I will give you the nations. The Lord promises the Davidic king universal dominion.

[45:6]  ⁴⁰ sn The king’s throne here symbolizes his rule.

[45:6]  ⁴¹ tn Or “forever and ever.”

[45:6]  sn O God. The king is clearly the addressee here, as in vv. 2-5 and 7-9. Rather than taking the statement at face value, many prefer to emend the text because the concept of deifying the earthly king is foreign to ancient Israelite thinking (cf. NEB “your throne is like God’s throne, eternal”). However, it is preferable to retain the text and take this statement as another instance of the royal hyperbole that permeates the royal psalms. Because the Davidic king is God’s vice-regent on earth, the psalmist addresses him as if he were God incarnate. God energizes the king for battle and accomplishes justice through him. A similar use of hyperbole appears in Isa 9:6, where the ideal Davidic king of the eschaton is given the title “Mighty God” (see the note on this phrase there). Ancient Near Eastern art and literature picture gods training kings for battle, bestowing special weapons, and intervening in battle. According to Egyptian propaganda, the Hittites described Rameses II as follows: “No man is he who is among us, It is Seth great-of-strength, Baal in person; Not deeds of man are these his doings, They are of one who is unique” (see Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:67). Ps 45:6 and Isa 9:6 probably envision a similar kind of response when friends and foes alike look at the Davidic king in full battle regalia. When the king’s enemies oppose him on the battlefield, they are, as it were, fighting against God himself.

[45:6]  ⁴² sn The king’s scepter symbolizes his royal authority.

[49:20]  ⁴³ tn Heb “mankind in honor does not understand.” The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some emend יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) to יָלִין (yalin, “remains”), but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 12.

[49:20]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “cattle.”

[49:20]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease, destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [I דָּמַה, “be silent,” and II דָּמַה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense here, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.

[50:8]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “rebuking.”

[50:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and your burnt sacrifices before me continually.”

[89:29]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”

[89:29]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”

[105:22]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”

[105:22]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”

[109:11]  ⁵² tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).

[109:11]  ⁵³ tn Heb “the product of his labor.”

[112:2]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[112:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “His seed will be mighty on the earth, the generation of the godly.” The Hebrew term דוֹר (dor, “generation”) could be taken as parallel to “offspring” and translated “posterity,” but the singular more likely refers to the godly as a class. See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

[115:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the Lord.”

[115:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “to the sons of man.”

[119:165]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”

[119:165]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”

[10:3]  ⁶⁰ tn The translation assumes כִּי (ki) is asseverative: “indeed, certainly.” Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 3 as giving the reason why the wicked so arrogantly seek to destroy the helpless (so NASB, NRSV).

[10:3]  ⁶¹ tn The representative or typical evildoer is described in vv. 3-11, 13, 15. Since the singular form predominates in these verses, it has been retained in the translation.

[10:3]  ⁶² tn Heb “the wicked [one] boasts on account of the desire of his appetite.” The translation assumes that the preposition עַל (’al) introduces the reason why the wicked boasts (cf. this use of עַל with הָלַל (halal) in Ps 119:164 and Ezra 3:11). In this case, the “desire of his appetite” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired.

[10:3]  ⁶³ tn The translation assumes the active participle is substantival, referring to the wicked man mentioned in the preceding line. The substantival participle is then understood as the subject of the following verbs. For other examples of the participle of בָּצַע (batsar) used of those who desire and/or acquire wealth through dishonest and/or violent means, see Prov 1:19; 15:27; Jer 6:13; 8:10; Hab 2:9.

[10:3]  ⁶⁴ tn The verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) normally means “to bless,” but in a few cases it exhibits the polarized meaning “to curse” (1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Job 1:5-11; 2:5-9). (Some regard this use of בָּרַךְ as a mere euphemism.) The verb refers to the act of pronouncing or calling down a formal curse upon the object of one’s anger.

[10:3]  ⁶⁵ tn The conjunction “and” is supplied in the translation; it does not appear in the Hebrew text.

[10:3]  ⁶⁶ tn Another option is to translate, “he blesses one who robs others, [but] he curses the Lord.” In this case the subject of the verbs is “the wicked man” mentioned in the previous line, and “the one who robs others” is the object of the verb בָּרַךְ (barakh), which is understood in its usual sense of “bless.”

[34:5]  ⁶⁷ tc Heb “they look to him and are radiant and their faces are not ashamed.” The third person plural subject (“they”) is unidentified; there is no antecedent in the Hebrew text. For this reason some prefer to take the perfect verbal forms in the first line as imperatives, “look to him and be radiant” (cf. NEB, NRSV). Some medieval Hebrew mss and other ancient witnesses (Aquila, the Syriac, and Jerome) support an imperatival reading for the first verb. In the second line some (with support from the LXX and Syriac) change “their faces” to “your faces,” which allows one to retain more easily the jussive force of the verb (suggested by the preceding אַל [’al]): “do not let your faces be ashamed.” It is probable that the verbal construction in the second line is rhetorical, expressing the conviction that the action in view cannot or should not happen. See GKC 322 §109.e.

[68:20]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and to the Lord, the Lord, to death, goings out.”

[69:35]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[69:35]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[89:13]  ⁷¹ sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.

[89:13]  ⁷² tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).

[112:9]  ⁷³ tn Heb “he scatters, he gives.”

[112:9]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “stands forever.”

[112:9]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “his horn will be lifted up in honor.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[127:5]  ⁷⁶ tn Being “put to shame” is here metonymic for being defeated, probably in a legal context, as the reference to the city gate suggests. One could be humiliated (Ps 69:12) or deprived of justice (Amos 5:12) at the gate, but with strong sons to defend the family interests this was less likely to happen.

[127:5]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “speak with.”

[17:14]  ⁷⁸ tc Heb “from men [by] your hand, Lord.” The translation assumes an emendation (both here and in the following line) of מִמְתִים (mimtim, “from men”) to מִמְמִתִים (mimmitim, “from those who kill”). For other uses of the plural form of the Hiphil participle of מוּת (mut, “die”), see 2 Kgs 17:26 (used with lions as subject), Job 33:22 (apparently referring to the agents of death), and Jer 26:15 (used of those seeking Jeremiah’s life).

[17:14]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”

[17:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “their portion, in life.”

[17:14]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”

[17:14]  sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.

[17:14]  ⁸² tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”

[31:20]  ⁸³ tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”

[31:20]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.

[31:20]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”

[49:10]  ⁸⁶ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ⁸⁷ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ⁸⁸ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ⁹⁰ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[53:4]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”

[53:4]  ⁹² tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).

[100:3]  ⁹³ 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.

[140:4]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”