Mazmur 135:4

135:4 Indeed, ¹  the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,

Israel to be his special possession. ² 

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 100:3

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.

Mazmur 109:11

109:11 May the creditor seize ⁴  all he owns!

May strangers loot his property! ⁵ 

Mazmur 73:25

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

I desire no one but you on earth. ⁶ 

Mazmur 105:21

105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, ⁷ 

and made him manager of all his property,

Mazmur 69:35

69:35 For God will deliver Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah,

and his people ⁸  will again live in them and possess Zion. ⁹ 

Mazmur 25:13

25:13 They experience his favor; ¹⁰ 

their descendants ¹¹  inherit the land. ¹² 

Mazmur 37:9

37:9 Wicked men ¹³  will be wiped out, ¹⁴ 

but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 37:22

37:22 Surely ¹⁶  those favored by the Lord ¹⁷  will possess the land,

but those rejected ¹⁸  by him will be wiped out. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 37:29

37:29 The godly will possess the land

and will dwell in it permanently.

Mazmur 37:34

37:34 Rely ²⁰  on the Lord! Obey his commands! ²¹ 

Then he will permit you ²²  to possess the land;

you will see the demise of evil men. ²³ 

Mazmur 2:8

2:8 Ask me,

and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, ²⁴ 

the ends of the earth as your personal property.

Mazmur 82:8

82:8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth!

For you own ²⁵  all the nations.

Mazmur 16:5

16:5 Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; ²⁶ 

you make my future secure. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 37:16

37:16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than

the wealth of many evil men, ²⁸ 

Mazmur 83:12

83:12 who said, ²⁹  “Let’s take over ³⁰  the pastures of God!”

Mazmur 105:44

105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,

and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, ³¹ 

Mazmur 119:94

119:94 I belong to you. Deliver me!

For I seek your precepts.

Mazmur 135:12

135:12 He gave their land as an inheritance,

as an inheritance to Israel his people.

Mazmur 49:11

49:11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence,

their eternal dwelling place. ³² 

They name their lands after themselves, ³³ 

Mazmur 89:11

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

You made the world and all it contains. ³⁴ 

Mazmur 24:1

Psalm 24 ³⁵ 

A psalm of David.

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

the world and all who live in it.

Mazmur 105:11

105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion of your inheritance.”

Mazmur 33:12

33:12 How blessed ³⁶  is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 60:7

60:7 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ³⁸ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ³⁹ 

Judah my royal scepter. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 94:14

94:14 Certainly ⁴¹  the Lord does not forsake his people;

he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him. ⁴² 

Mazmur 108:8

108:8 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ⁴³ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ⁴⁴ 

Judah my royal scepter. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 37:18

37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day ⁴⁶ 

and they possess a permanent inheritance. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 73:26

73:26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak, ⁴⁸ 

but God always ⁴⁹  protects my heart and gives me stability. ⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 78:62

78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword,

and was angry with his chosen nation. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 94:5

94:5 O Lord, they crush your people;

they oppress the nation that belongs to you. ⁵² 

Mazmur 95:5

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

His hands formed the dry land.

Mazmur 106:40

106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people ⁵³ 

and despised the people who belong to him. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 115:16

115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, ⁵⁵ 

but the earth he has given to mankind. ⁵⁶ 

Mazmur 136:22

136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant,

for his loyal love endures,

Mazmur 74:2

74:2 Remember your people ⁵⁷  whom you acquired in ancient times,

whom you rescued ⁵⁸  so they could be your very own nation, ⁵⁹ 

as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!

Mazmur 28:9

28:9 Deliver your people!

Empower ⁶⁰  the nation that belongs to you! ⁶¹ 

Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms ⁶²  at all times! ⁶³ 

Mazmur 34:9

34:9 Remain loyal to ⁶⁴  the Lord, you chosen people of his, ⁶⁵ 

for his loyal followers ⁶⁶  lack nothing!

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. ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 95:4

95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, ⁶⁸ 

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Mazmur 107:34

107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, ⁶⁹ 

because of the sin of its inhabitants.

Mazmur 119:14

119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules ⁷⁰ 

as if ⁷¹  they were riches of all kinds. ⁷² 

Mazmur 106:5

106:5 so I may see the prosperity ⁷³  of your chosen ones,

rejoice along with your nation, ⁷⁴ 

and boast along with the people who belong to you. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 16:6

16:6 It is as if I have been given fertile fields

or received a beautiful tract of land. ⁷⁶ 

Mazmur 50:5

50:5 He says: ⁷⁷ 

“Assemble my covenant people before me, ⁷⁸ 

those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice!” ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 50:11

50:11 I keep track of ⁸⁰  every bird in the hills,

and the insects ⁸¹  of the field are mine.

Mazmur 74:16

74:16 You established the cycle of day and night; ⁸² 

you put the moon ⁸³  and sun in place. ⁸⁴ 

Mazmur 105:3

105:3 Boast about his holy name!

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Mazmur 119:57

ח (Khet)

119:57 The Lord is my source of security. ⁸⁵ 

I have determined ⁸⁶  to follow your instructions. ⁸⁷ 

Mazmur 119:111

119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,

for they give me joy. ⁸⁸ 

Mazmur 122:5

122:5 Indeed, ⁸⁹  the leaders sit ⁹⁰  there on thrones and make legal decisions,

on the thrones of the house of David. ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 127:3

127:3 Yes, ⁹²  sons ⁹³  are a gift from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Mazmur 136:21

136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance,

for his loyal love endures,

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 12:3

12:3 May the Lord cut off ⁹⁴  all flattering lips,

and the tongue that boasts! ⁹⁵ 

Mazmur 12:7

12:7 You, Lord, will protect them; ⁹⁶ 

you will continually shelter each one from these evil people, ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 30:4

30:4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers ⁹⁸  of his;

give thanks to his holy name. ⁹⁹ 

Mazmur 32:11

32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!

Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! ¹⁰⁰ 

Mazmur 37:37

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ¹⁰¹ 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ¹⁰² 

Mazmur 68:9

68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall ¹⁰³  on your chosen people. ¹⁰⁴ 

When they ¹⁰⁵  are tired, you sustain them, ¹⁰⁶ 

Mazmur 69:36

69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,

and those who are loyal to him ¹⁰⁷  will live in it. ¹⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 78:71

78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, ¹⁰⁹ 

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation. ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 89:18

89:18 For our shield ¹¹¹  belongs to the Lord,

our king to the Holy One of Israel. ¹¹² 

Mazmur 89:41

89:41 All who pass by ¹¹³  have robbed him;

he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.

Mazmur 111:6

111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,

giving them a land that belonged to other nations. ¹¹⁴ 

Mazmur 35:26

35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ¹¹⁵ 

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! ¹¹⁶ 

Mazmur 44:2

44:2 You, by your power, ¹¹⁷  defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; ¹¹⁸ 

you crushed ¹¹⁹  the people living there ¹²⁰  and enabled our ancestors to occupy it. ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 47:9

47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble,

along with the people of the God of Abraham, ¹²² 

for God has authority over the rulers ¹²³  of the earth.

He is highly exalted! ¹²⁴ 

Mazmur 58:1

Psalm 58 ¹²⁵ 

For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ¹²⁶  a prayer ¹²⁷  of David.

58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? ¹²⁸ 

Do you judge people ¹²⁹  fairly?

Mazmur 60:6

60:6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: ¹³⁰ 

“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem;

the Valley of Succoth I will measure off. ¹³¹ 

Mazmur 60:8

60:8 Moab is my washbasin. ¹³² 

I will make Edom serve me. ¹³³ 

I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” ¹³⁴ 

Mazmur 61:5

61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;

you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. ¹³⁵ 

Mazmur 79:1

Psalm 79 ¹³⁶ 

A psalm of Asaph.

79:1 O God, foreigners ¹³⁷  have invaded your chosen land; ¹³⁸ 

they have polluted your holy temple

and turned Jerusalem ¹³⁹  into a heap of ruins.

Mazmur 108:9

108:9 Moab is my wash basin. ¹⁴⁰ 

I will make Edom serve me. ¹⁴¹ 

I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”

Mazmur 44:3

44:3 For they did not conquer ¹⁴²  the land by their swords,

and they did not prevail by their strength, ¹⁴³ 

but rather by your power, ¹⁴⁴  strength ¹⁴⁵  and good favor, ¹⁴⁶ 

for you were partial to ¹⁴⁷  them.

[135:4]  ¹ tn Or “for.”

[135:4]  ² sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.

[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.

[109:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).

[109:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “the product of his labor.”

[73:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.

[105:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”

[69:35]  ⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[69:35]  ⁹ 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.

[25:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his life in goodness dwells.” The singular is representative (see v. 14).

[25:13]  ¹¹ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[25:13]  ¹² tn Or “earth.”

[37:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.

[37:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “cut off, removed.”

[37:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and those who wait on the Lord, they will possess the land.”

[37:22]  ¹⁶ tn The particle כִּי is best understood as asseverative or emphatic here.

[37:22]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “those blessed by him.” The pronoun “him” must refer to the Lord (see vv. 20, 23), so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “cursed.”

[37:22]  ¹⁹ tn Or “cut off”; or “removed” (see v. 9).

[37:34]  ²⁰ tn Or “wait.”

[37:34]  ²¹ tn Heb “keep his way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.

[37:34]  ²² tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.

[37:34]  ²³ tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”

[2:8]  ²⁴ sn I will give you the nations. The Lord promises the Davidic king universal dominion.

[82:8]  ²⁵ tn The translation assumes that the Qal of נָחַל (nakhal) here means “to own; to possess,” and that the imperfect emphasizes a general truth. Another option is to translate the verb as future, “for you will take possession of all the nations” (cf. NIV “all the nations are your inheritance”).

[16:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “O Lord, the portion of my possession and my cup”; or “the Lord [is] the portion of my possession and my cup.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel, and to a cup of wine, which may symbolize a reward (in Ps 11:6 it symbolizes the judgment one deserves) or divine blessing (see Ps 23:5). The metaphor highlights the fact that God is the psalmist’s source of security and prosperity.

[16:5]  ²⁷ tc Heb “you take hold of my lot.” The form תּוֹמִיךְ (tomikh) should be emended to a participle, תוֹמֵךְ (tomekh). The psalmist pictures the Lord as casting his lot (a method used to allot landed property) for him, thus assuring that he will receive a fertile piece of land (see v. 6). As in the previous line, land represents security and economic stability, thus “you make my future secure.”

[37:16]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Better [is] a little to the godly one than the wealth of many evil ones.” The following verses explain why this is true. Though a godly individual may seem to have only meager possessions, he always has what he needs and will eventually possess the land. The wicked may prosper for a brief time, but will eventually be destroyed by divine judgment and lose everything.

[83:12]  ²⁹ tn The translation assumes that “Zebah and Zalmunna” are the antecedents of the relative pronoun (“who [said]”). Another option is to take “their nobles…all their rulers” as the antecedent and to translate, “those who say.”

[83:12]  ³⁰ tn Heb “let’s take possession for ourselves.”

[105:44]  ³¹ tn Heb “and the [product of the] work of peoples they possessed.”

[49:11]  ³² tc Heb “their inward part [is] their houses [are] permanent, their dwelling places for a generation and a generation.” If one follows the MT, then קֶרֶב (qerev, “inward part”) must refer to the seat of these people’s thoughts (for other examples of this use of the term, see BDB 899 s.v., though BDB prefers an emendation in this passage). In this case all three lines of v. 11 expose these people’s arrogant assumption that they will last forever, which then stands in sharp contrast to reality as summarized in v. 12. In this case one might translate the first two lines, “they think that their houses are permanent and that their dwelling places will last forever” (cf. NASB). Following the lead of several ancient versions, the present translation assumes an emendation of קִרְבָּם (qirbam, “their inward part”) to קְבָרִים (qÿvarim, “graves”). This assumes that the letters bet (ב) and resh (ר) were accidentally transposed in the MT. In this case the first two lines support the point made in v. 10, while the third line of v. 11 stands in contrast to v. 12. The phrase בֵּית עוֹלָם (bet ’olam, “permanent house”) is used of a tomb in Eccl 12:5 (as well as in Phoenician tomb inscriptions, see DNWSI 1:160 for a list of texts) and מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “dwelling place”) refers to a tomb in Isa 22:16. Cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV.

[49:11]  ³³ sn Naming their lands after themselves is a claim of possession.

[89:11]  ³⁴ tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”

[24:1]  ³⁵ 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.

[33:12]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[33:12]  ³⁷ tn Heb “inheritance.”

[60:7]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ 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.

[94:14]  ⁴¹ tn Or “for.”

[94:14]  ⁴² tn Or “his inheritance.”

[108:8]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[37:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the Lord knows the days of the innocent ones.” He “knows” their days in the sense that he is intimately aware of and involved in their daily struggles. He meets their needs and sustains them.

[37:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”

[73:26]  ⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew verb כָלָה (khalah, “to fail; to grow weak”) does not refer here to physical death per se, but to the physical weakness that sometimes precedes death (see Job 33:21; Pss 71:9; 143:7; Prov 5:11).

[73:26]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “forever.”

[73:26]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “is the rocky summit of my heart and my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to a rocky summit where one could go for protection and to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

[78:62]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “his inheritance.”

[94:5]  ⁵² tn Or “your inheritance.”

[106:40]  ⁵³ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”

[106:40]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “his inheritance.”

[115:16]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the Lord.”

[115:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “to the sons of man.”

[74:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.

[74:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).

[74:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).

[28:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “bless.”

[28:9]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.

[28:9]  ⁶² tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”

[28:9]  sn The shepherd metaphor is sometimes associated with royal responsibility. See 2 Sam 5:2; 7:7; Mic 5:2-4).

[28:9]  ⁶³ tn Or “forever.”

[34:9]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “fear.”

[34:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”

[34:9]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[50:10]  ⁶⁷ 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).

[95:4]  ⁶⁸ tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.

[107:34]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “a salty land.”

[119:14]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”

[119:14]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).

[119:14]  ⁷² tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.

[106:5]  ⁷³ tn Heb “good.”

[106:5]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”

[106:5]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “with your inheritance.”

[16:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant [places]; yes, property [or “an inheritance”] is beautiful for me.” On the dative use of עַל, see BDB 758 s.v. II.8. Extending the metaphor used in v. 5, the psalmist compares the divine blessings he has received to a rich, beautiful tract of land that one might receive by allotment or inheritance.

[50:5]  ⁷⁷ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s summons to the defendant follows.

[50:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “Gather to me my covenant people.” The Hebrew term חָסִיד (khasid, “covenant people”) elsewhere in the psalms is used in a positive sense of God’s loyal followers (see the note at Ps 4:3), but here, as the following line makes clear, the term has a neutral sense and simply refers to those who have outwardly sworn allegiance to God, not necessarily to those whose loyalty is genuine.

[50:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “the cutters of my covenant according to sacrifice.” A sacrifice accompanied the covenant-making ceremony and formally ratified the agreement (see Exod 24:3-8).

[50:11]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “I know.”

[50:11]  ⁸¹ tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word, which occurs only here and in Ps 80:13, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.

[74:16]  ⁸² tn Heb “To you [is] day, also to you [is] night.”

[74:16]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “you established [the] light and [the] sun.”

[119:57]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “my portion [is] the Lord.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel (see Ps 16:5).

[119:57]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “I said.”

[119:57]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).

[119:111]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”

[122:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “for.”

[122:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “sat.”

[122:5]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Indeed, there they sit [on] thrones for judgment, [on] thrones [belonging] to the house of David.”

[127:3]  ⁹² tn or “look.”

[127:3]  ⁹³ tn Some prefer to translate this term with the gender neutral “children,” but “sons” are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the “arrows” that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled.

[12:3]  ⁹⁴ tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the Lord cut off”), not indicative (“The Lord will cut off”; see also Ps 109:15 and Mal 2:12). The psalmist appeals to God to destroy the wicked, rather than simply stating his confidence that he will. In this way he seeks to activate divine judgment by appealing to God’s just character. For an example of the power of such a curse, see Judg 9:7-57.

[12:3]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”

[12:7]  ⁹⁶ tn The third person plural pronominal suffix on the verb is masculine, referring back to the “oppressed” and “needy” in v. 5 (both of those nouns are plural in form), suggesting that the verb means “protect” here. The suffix does not refer to אִמֲרוֹת (’imarot, “words”) in v. 6, because that term is feminine gender.

[12:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “you will protect him from this generation permanently.” The third masculine singular suffix on the verb “protect” is probably used in a distributive sense, referring to each one within the group mentioned previously (the oppressed/needy, referred to as “them” in the preceding line). On this grammatical point see GKC 396 §123.f (where the present text is not cited). (Some Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses read “us,” both here and in the preceding line.) The noun דוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the psalmist’s contemporaries, who were characterized by deceit and arrogance (see vv. 1-2). See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

[30:4]  ⁹⁸ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[30:4]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 97:12.The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.

[32:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[37:37]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ¹⁰² 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).

[68:9]  ¹⁰³ tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).

[68:9]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.

[68:9]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[68:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[69:36]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.

[69:36]  ¹⁰⁸ sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.

[78:71]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”

[78:71]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”

[89:18]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² 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.

[89:41]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “all the passersby on the road.”

[111:6]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “the strength of his deeds he proclaimed to his people, to give to them an inheritance of nations.”

[35:26]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”

[35:26]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.

[44:2]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “you, your hand.”

[44:2]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.

[44:2]  ¹¹⁹ tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).

[44:2]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “peoples.”

[44:2]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.

[47:9]  ¹²² 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]  ¹²³ 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]  ¹²⁴ tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.

[58:1]  ¹²⁵ sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.

[58:1]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.

[58:1]  ¹²⁷ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[58:1]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.

[58:1]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)

[60:6]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “in his holy place.”

[60:6]  ¹³¹ sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan, the Valley of Succoth for the region east of the Jordan.

[60:8]  ¹³² sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.

[60:8]  ¹³³ 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,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” 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.

[60:8]  ¹³⁴ tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.

[61:5]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).

[79:1]  ¹³⁶ sn Psalm 79. The author laments how the invading nations have destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem. He asks God to forgive his people and to pour out his vengeance on those who have mistreated them.

[79:1]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “nations.”

[79:1]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “have come into your inheritance.”

[79:1]  ¹³⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[108:9]  ¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁴¹ 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.

[44:3]  ¹⁴² tn Or “take possession of.”

[44:3]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.

[44:3]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).

[44:3]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “your arm.”

[44:3]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[44:3]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “favorable toward.”