Mazmur 16:3

16:3 As for God’s chosen people who are in the land,

and the leading officials I admired so much ¹  –

Mazmur 16:5

16:5 Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; ² 

you make my future secure. ³ 

Mazmur 52:2

52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; ⁴ 

it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. ⁵ 

Mazmur 71:7

71:7 Many are appalled when they see me, ⁶ 

but you are my secure shelter.

Mazmur 72:18

72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! ⁷ 

He alone accomplishes amazing things! ⁸ 

Mazmur 75:2

75:2 God says, ⁹ 

“At the appointed times, ¹⁰ 

I judge ¹¹  fairly.

Mazmur 96:5

96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, ¹² 

but the Lord made the sky.

Mazmur 119:8

119:8 I will keep your statutes.

Do not completely abandon me! ¹³ 

Mazmur 119:43

119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, ¹⁴ 

for I await your justice.

[16:3]  ¹ tn Heb “regarding the holy ones who [are] in the land, they; and the mighty [ones] in [whom is/was] all my desire.” The difficult syntax makes the meaning of the verse uncertain. The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s angelic assembly (see Ps 89:5, 7), but the qualifying clause “who are in the land” suggests that here it refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3).

[16:5]  ² 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]  ³ 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.”

[52:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”

[52:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.

[71:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”

[72:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.

[72:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”

[75:2]  ⁹ tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in vv. 2-3.

[75:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”

[75:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I, [in] fairness, I judge.” The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically executes fair judgment as he governs the world. One could take this as referring to an anticipated (future) judgment, “I will judge.”

[96:5]  ¹² tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.

[119:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “do not abandon me to excess.” For other uses of the phrase עַד מְאֹד (’ad mÿ’od, “to excess”), see Ps 38:6, 8.

[119:43]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “do not snatch from my mouth a word of truth to excess.” The psalmist wants to be able to give a reliable testimony about the Lord’s loyal love (vv. 41-42), but if God does not intervene, the psalmist will be deprived of doing so, for the evidence of such love (i.e., deliverance) will be lacking.