Mazmur 19:2

19:2 Day after day it speaks out; ¹ 

night after night it reveals his greatness. ² 

Mazmur 105:13

105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,

and from one kingdom to another. ³ 

Mazmur 136:4

136:4 to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself,

for his loyal love endures,

Mazmur 84:10

84:10 Certainly ⁴  spending just one day in your temple courts is better

than spending a thousand elsewhere. ⁵ 

I would rather stand at the entrance ⁶  to the temple of my God

than live ⁷  in the tents of the wicked.

Mazmur 27:4

27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –

this is what I desire!

I want to live ⁸  in the Lord’s house ⁹  all the days of my life,

so I can gaze at the splendor ¹⁰  of the Lord

and contemplate in his temple.

Mazmur 139:16

139:16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. ¹¹ 

All the days ordained for me

were recorded in your scroll

before one of them came into existence. ¹² 

Mazmur 19:6

19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, ¹³ 

and goes from one end of the sky to the other; ¹⁴ 

nothing can escape ¹⁵  its heat.

Mazmur 72:18

72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! ¹⁶ 

He alone accomplishes amazing things! ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 86:10

86:10 For you are great and do amazing things.

You alone are God.

Mazmur 105:37

105:37 He brought his people ¹⁸  out enriched ¹⁹  with silver and gold;

none of his tribes stumbled.

Mazmur 145:4

145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,

and tell about your mighty acts! ²⁰ 

Mazmur 22:29

22:29 All of the thriving people ²¹  of the earth will join the celebration and worship; ²² 

all those who are descending into the grave ²³  will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 42:7

42:7 One deep stream calls out to another ²⁵  at the sound of your waterfalls; ²⁶ 

all your billows and waves overwhelm me. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 102:27

102:27 But you remain; ²⁸ 

your years do not come to an end.

Mazmur 90:4

90:4 Yes, ²⁹  in your eyes a thousand years

are like yesterday that quickly passes,

or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. ³⁰ 

Mazmur 83:5

83:5 Yes, ³¹  they devise a unified strategy; ³² 

they form an alliance ³³  against you.

Mazmur 34:20

34:20 He protects ³⁴  all his bones; ³⁵ 

not one of them is broken. ³⁶ 

Mazmur 75:7

75:7 For God is the judge! ³⁷ 

He brings one down and exalts another. ³⁸ 

Mazmur 5:9

5:9 For ³⁹  they do not speak the truth; ⁴⁰ 

their stomachs are like the place of destruction, ⁴¹ 

their throats like an open grave, ⁴² 

their tongues like a steep slope leading into it. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 49:17

49:17 For he will take nothing with him when he dies;

his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. ⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 86:8

86:8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord!

Your exploits are incomparable! ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 33:10

33:10 The Lord frustrates ⁴⁶  the decisions of the nations;

he nullifies the plans ⁴⁷  of the peoples.

Mazmur 38:7

38:7 For I am overcome with shame ⁴⁸ 

and my whole body is sick. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 119:114

119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield.

I find hope in your word.

Mazmur 17:3

17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; ⁵⁰ 

you have examined me during the night. ⁵¹ 

You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.

I am determined I will say nothing sinful. ⁵² 

Mazmur 39:5

39:5 Look, you make my days short-lived, ⁵³ 

and my life span is nothing from your perspective. ⁵⁴ 

Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 18:22

18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations, ⁵⁶ 

and I do not reject his rules. ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 33:7

33:7 He piles up the water of the sea; ⁵⁸ 

he puts the oceans ⁵⁹  in storehouses.

Mazmur 39:7

39:7 But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?

You are my only hope! ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 49:4

49:4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom;

I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. ⁶¹ 

Mazmur 61:6

61:6 Give the king long life!

Make his lifetime span several generations! ⁶² 

Mazmur 62:11

62:11 God has declared one principle;

two principles I have heard: ⁶³ 

God is strong, ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 119:43

119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, ⁶⁵ 

for I await your justice.

Mazmur 133:1

Psalm 133 ⁶⁶ 

A song of ascents, ⁶⁷  by David.

133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is

when brothers live together! ⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 3:3

3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; ⁶⁹ 

you are my glory ⁷⁰  and the one who restores me. ⁷¹ 

Mazmur 7:4

7:4 or have wronged my ally, ⁷² 

or helped his lawless enemy, ⁷³ 

Mazmur 10:3

10:3 Yes, ⁷⁴  the wicked man ⁷⁵  boasts because he gets what he wants; ⁷⁶ 

the one who robs others ⁷⁷  curses ⁷⁸  and ⁷⁹  rejects the Lord. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 34:9

34:9 Remain loyal to ⁸¹  the Lord, you chosen people of his, ⁸² 

for his loyal followers ⁸³  lack nothing!

Mazmur 35:17

35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? ⁸⁴ 

Rescue ⁸⁵  me ⁸⁶  from their destructive attacks;

guard my life ⁸⁷  from the young lions!

Mazmur 38:3

38:3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment; ⁸⁸ 

I am deprived of health because of my sin. ⁸⁹ 

Mazmur 40:11

40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold ⁹⁰  your compassion from me.

May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 43:2

43:2 For you are the God who shelters me. ⁹² 

Why do you reject me? ⁹³ 

Why must I walk around ⁹⁴  mourning ⁹⁵ 

because my enemies oppress me?

Mazmur 49:8

49:8 (the ransom price for a human life ⁹⁶  is too high,

and people go to their final destiny), ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 75:6

75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,

or from the wilderness. ⁹⁸ 

Mazmur 86:11

86:11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live! ⁹⁹ 

Then I will obey your commands. ¹⁰⁰ 

Make me wholeheartedly committed to you! ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 89:34

89:34 I will not break ¹⁰²  my covenant

or go back on what I promised. ¹⁰³ 

Mazmur 109:12

109:12 May no one show him kindness! ¹⁰⁴ 

May no one have compassion ¹⁰⁵  on his fatherless children!

Mazmur 111:10

111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; ¹⁰⁶ 

all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. ¹⁰⁷ 

He will receive praise forever. ¹⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 119:49

ז (Zayin)

119:49 Remember your word to your servant,

for you have given me hope.

Mazmur 142:5

142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

my security ¹⁰⁹  in the land of the living.”

Mazmur 60:4

60:4 You have given your loyal followers ¹¹⁰  a rallying flag,

so that they might seek safety from the bow. ¹¹¹  (Selah)

Mazmur 65:5

65:5 You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance,

O God, our savior. ¹¹² 

All the ends of the earth trust in you, ¹¹³ 

as well as those living across the wide seas. ¹¹⁴ 

Mazmur 81:5

81:5 He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph,

when he attacked the land of Egypt. ¹¹⁵ 

I heard a voice I did not recognize. ¹¹⁶ 

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ¹¹⁷  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ¹¹⁸ 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 84:11

84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. ¹¹⁹ 

The Lord bestows favor ¹²⁰  and honor;

he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 87:4

87:4 I mention Rahab ¹²²  and Babylon to my followers. ¹²³ 

Here are ¹²⁴  Philistia and Tyre, ¹²⁵  along with Ethiopia. ¹²⁶ 

It is said of them, “This one was born there.” ¹²⁷ 

Mazmur 137:3

137:3 for there our captors ask us to compose songs; ¹²⁸ 

those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: ¹²⁹ 

“Sing for us a song about Zion!” ¹³⁰ 

[19:2]  ¹ tn Heb “it gushes forth a word.” The “sky” (see v. 1b) is the subject of the verb. Though not literally speaking (see v. 3), it clearly reveals God’s royal majesty. The sun’s splendor and its movement across the sky is in view (see vv. 4-6).

[19:2]  ² tn Heb “it [i.e., the sky] declares knowledge,” i.e., knowledge about God’s royal majesty and power (see v. 1). This apparently refers to the splendor and movements of the stars. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 2, like the participles in the preceding verse, combine with the temporal phrases (“day after day” and “night after night”) to emphasize the ongoing testimony of the sky.

[105:13]  ³ tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”

[84:10]  ⁴ tn Or “for.”

[84:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”

[84:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “I choose being at the entrance of the house of my God over living in the tents of the wicked.” The verb סָפַף (safaf) appears only here in the OT; it is derived from the noun סַף (saf, “threshold”). Traditionally some have interpreted this as a reference to being a doorkeeper at the temple, though some understand it to mean “lie as a beggar at the entrance to the temple” (see HALOT 765 s.v. ספף).

[84:10]  ⁷ tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.

[27:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “my living.”

[27:4]  ⁹ sn The Lord’s house. This probably refers to the tabernacle (if one accepts Davidic authorship) or the temple (see Judg 19:18; 1 Sam 1:7, 24; 2 Sam 12:20; 1 Kgs 7:12, 40, 45, 51).

[27:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “beauty.”

[139:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Your eyes saw my shapeless form.” The Hebrew noun גֹּלֶם (golem) occurs only here in the OT. In later Hebrew the word refers to “a lump, a shapeless or lifeless substance,” and to “unfinished matter, a vessel wanting finishing” (Jastrow 222 s.v. גּוֹלֶם). The translation employs the dynamic rendering “when I was inside the womb” to clarify that the speaker was still in his mother’s womb at the time he was “seen” by God.

[139:16]  ¹² tn Heb “and on your scroll all of them were written, [the] days [which] were formed, and [there was] not one among them.” This “scroll” may be the “scroll of life” mentioned in Ps 69:28 (see the note on the word “living” there).

[19:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”

[19:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”

[19:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “is hidden from.”

[72:18]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.

[72:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”

[105:37]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the Lord’s people) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[105:37]  ¹⁹ tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[145:4]  ²⁰ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are understood as imperfects, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as jussives, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may one generation praise…and tell about.”

[22:29]  ²¹ tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the Lord.

[22:29]  ²² tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the Lord will receive universal worship. The mood is one of wishful thinking and anticipation; this is not prophecy in the strict sense.

[22:29]  ²³ tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.

[22:29]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”

[42:7]  ²⁵ tn Heb “deep calls to deep.” The Hebrew noun תְּהוֹם (tÿhom) often refers to the deep sea, but here, where it is associated with Hermon, it probably refers to mountain streams. The word can be used of streams and rivers (see Deut 8:7; Ezek 31:4).

[42:7]  ²⁶ tn The noun צִנּוֹר (tsinnor, “waterfall”) occurs only here and in 2 Sam 5:8, where it apparently refers to a water shaft. The psalmist alludes to the loud rushing sound of mountain streams and cascading waterfalls. Using the poetic device of personification, he imagines the streams calling out to each other as they hear the sound of the waterfalls.

[42:7]  ²⁷ tn Heb “pass over me” (see Jonah 2:3). As he hears the sound of the rushing water, the psalmist imagines himself engulfed in the current. By implication he likens his emotional distress to such an experience.

[102:27]  ²⁸ tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the Lord’s affirmation “I am he” in Isa 41:4; 43:10, 13; 46:10; 48:12. In each of these passages the affirmation emphasizes the fact that the Lord transcends time limitations, the very point being made in Ps 102:27.

[90:4]  ²⁹ tn Or “for.”

[90:4]  ³⁰ sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”

[83:5]  ³¹ tn Or “for.”

[83:5]  ³² tn Heb “they consult [with] a heart together.”

[83:5]  ³³ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[34:20]  ³⁴ tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.

[34:20]  ³⁵ tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.

[34:20]  ³⁶ sn Not one of them is broken. The author of the Gospel of John saw a fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ experience on the cross (see John 19:31-37), for the Roman soldiers, when they saw that Jesus was already dead, did not break his legs as was customarily done to speed the death of crucified individuals. John’s use of the psalm seems strange, for the statement in its original context suggests that the Lord protects the godly from physical harm. Jesus’ legs may have remained unbroken, but he was brutally and unjustly executed by his enemies. John seems to give the statement a literal sense that is foreign to its original literary context by applying a promise of divine protection to a man who was seemingly not saved by God. However, John saw in this incident a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate deliverance and vindication. His unbroken bones were a reminder of God’s commitment to the godly and a sign of things to come. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of the story; God vindicated him, as John goes on to explain in the following context (John 19:38-20:18).

[75:7]  ³⁷ tn Or “judges.”

[75:7]  ³⁸ tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.

[5:9]  ³⁹ tn Or “certainly.”

[5:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “for there is not in his mouth truthfulness.” The singular pronoun (“his”) probably refers back to the “man of bloodshed and deceit” mentioned in v. 6. The singular is collective or representative, as the plural in the next line indicates, and so has been translated “they.”

[5:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “their inward part[s] [is] destruction.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse.

[5:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “their throat is an open grave.” For a discussion of the extended metaphor in v. 9b, see the note on the word “it” at the end of the verse. The metaphor is suggested by the physical resemblance of the human throat to a deeply dug grave; both are dark chasms.

[5:9]  ⁴³ tn Heb “they make smooth their tongue.” Flattering, deceitful words are in view. See Ps 12:2. The psalmist’s deceitful enemies are compared to the realm of death/Sheol in v. 9b. Sheol was envisioned as a dark region within the earth, the entrance to which was the grave with its steep slopes (cf. Ps 88:4-6). The enemies’ victims are pictured here as slipping down a steep slope (the enemies’ tongues) and falling into an open grave (their throat) that terminates in destruction in the inner recesses of Sheol (their stomach). The enemies’ קרב (“inward part”) refers here to their thoughts and motives, which are destructive in their intent. The throat is where these destructive thoughts are transformed into words, and their tongue is what they use to speak the deceitful words that lead their innocent victims to their demise.

[5:9]  sn As the psalmist walks down the path in which God leads him, he asks the Lord to guide his steps and remove danger from the path (v. 8), because he knows his enemies have “dug a grave” for him and are ready to use their deceitful words to “swallow him up” like the realm of death (i.e., Sheol) and bring him to ruin.

[49:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “his glory will not go down after him.”

[86:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”

[33:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the Lord’s activity.

[33:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “thoughts.”

[38:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).

[38:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).

[17:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “you tested my heart.”

[17:3]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”

[17:3]  ⁵² tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.

[39:5]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 309.

[39:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”

[39:5]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”

[18:22]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “for all his regulations [are] before me.” The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf. Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf. vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf. v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.

[18:22]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” 2 Sam 22:23 reads, “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; the psalmist here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The Lord’s “rules” are the stipulations of the covenant which the king was responsible to obey (see Ps 89:31; cf. v. 30 and Deut 17:18-20).

[33:7]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “[he] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ged, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the Lord confines to one place (Exod 15:8; Josh 3:13, 16; Ps 78:13). This verse appears to refer to Gen 1:9, where God decrees that the watery deep be gathered to one place so that dry land might appear. If so, the participles in this and the following line depict this action with special vividness, as if the reader were present on the occasion. Another option is that the participles picture the confinement of the sea to one place as an ongoing divine activity.

[33:7]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “watery depths.” The form תְּהוֹמוֹת (tÿhomot, “watery depths”) is the plural form of תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “great deep”; see Gen 1:2).

[39:7]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”

[49:4]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “I will turn my ear to a wise saying, I will open [i.e., “reveal; explain”] my insightful saying with a harp.” In the first line the psalmist speaks as a pupil who learns a song of wisdom from a sage. This suggests that the resulting insightful song derives from another source, perhaps God himself. Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה/מָשָׁל (mashal/khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), lessons from history (Ps 78:2), and proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6). Here it appears to refer to the insightful song that follows, which reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent the inevitable – death. Another option is that the word pair refers more specifically to the closely related proverbial sayings of vv. 12, 20 (note the use of the verb מָשָׁל, mashal, “to be like” in both verses). In this case the psalmist first hears the sayings and then explains (Heb “opens”) their significance (see vv. 5-11, 13-19).

[61:6]  ⁶² tn Heb “days upon days of the king add, his years like generation and generation.”

[61:6]  sn It is not certain if the (royal) psalmist is referring to himself in the third person in this verse, or if an exile is praying on behalf of the king.

[62:11]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “that strength [belongs] to God.”

[119:43]  ⁶⁵ 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.

[133:1]  ⁶⁶ sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.

[133:1]  ⁶⁷ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[133:1]  ⁶⁸ sn This statement refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel, where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the family greater social prominence and security. However, in its later application in the Israelite cult it probably envisions unity within the covenant community. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 212-15.

[3:3]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “a shield round about me.”

[3:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “my glory,” or “my honor.” The psalmist affirms that the Lord is his source of honor, i.e., the one who gives him honor in the sight of others. According to BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 7, the phrase refers to God as the one to whom the psalmist gives honor. But the immediate context focuses on what God does for the psalmist, not vice-versa.

[3:3]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “[the one who] lifts my head.” This phrase could be understood to refer to a general strengthening of the psalmist by God during difficult circumstances. However, if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase “lift the head” could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position (cf. Gen 40:13 where the same phrase is used). Like the Hebrew text, the present translation (“who restores me”) can be understood in either sense.

[7:4]  ⁷² tn Heb “if I have repaid the one at peace with me evil.” The form שׁוֹלְמִי (sholÿmi, “the one at peace with me”) probably refers to a close friend or ally, i.e., one with whom the psalmist has made a formal agreement. See BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלוֹם 4.a.

[7:4]  ⁷³ tn Heb “or rescued my enemy in vain.” The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive (the verb form is pseudo-cohortative; see IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3) carries on the hypothetical nuance of the perfect in the preceding line. Some regard the statement as a parenthetical assertion that the psalmist is kind to his enemies. Others define חָלַץ (khalats) as “despoil” (cf. NASB, NRSV “plundered”; NIV “robbed”), an otherwise unattested nuance for this verb. Still others emend the verb to לָחַץ (lakhats, “oppress”). Most construe the adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “emptily, vainly”) with “my enemy,” i.e., the one who is my enemy in vain.” The present translation (1) assumes an emendation of צוֹרְרִי (tsorÿriy, “my enemy”) to צוֹרְרוֹ (tsorÿro, “his [i.e., the psalmist’s ally’s] enemy”) following J. Tigay, “Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties,” JBL 89 (1970): 178-86, (2) understands the final mem (ם) on רֵיקָם as enclitic, and (3) takes רִיק (riq) as an adjective modifying “his enemy.” (For other examples of a suffixed noun followed by an attributive adjective without the article, see Pss 18:17 (“my strong enemy”), 99:3 (“your great and awesome name”) and 143:10 (“your good spirit”). The adjective רִיק occurs with the sense “lawless” in Judg 9:4; 11:3; 2 Chr 13:7. In this case the psalmist affirms that he has not wronged his ally, nor has he given aid to his ally’s enemies. Ancient Near Eastern treaties typically included such clauses, with one or both parties agreeing not to lend aid to the treaty partner’s enemies.

[10:3]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶ 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]  ⁷⁷ 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]  ⁷⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹ tn The conjunction “and” is supplied in the translation; it does not appear in the Hebrew text.

[10:3]  ⁸⁰ 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.”

[34:9]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “fear.”

[34:9]  ⁸² tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”

[34:9]  ⁸³ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[35:17]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “O Lord, how long will you see?”

[35:17]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “bring back, restore.”

[35:17]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “my life.”

[35:17]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone (see Ps 22:20). The verb “guard” is supplied in the translation, because the verb “rescue” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).

[38:3]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh from before your anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger at the psalmist’s sin.

[38:3]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “there is no health in my bones from before my sin.”

[40:11]  ⁹⁰ tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).

[40:11]  ⁹¹ tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.

[43:2]  ⁹² tn Heb “God of my place of refuge,” that is, “God who is my place of refuge.” See Ps 31:4.

[43:2]  ⁹³ tn The question is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but זָנַח (zanakh, “reject”) is a stronger verb than שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”).

[43:2]  ⁹⁴ tn The language is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but the Hitpael form of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh; as opposed to the Qal form in 42:9) expresses more forcefully the continuing nature of the psalmist’s distress.

[43:2]  ⁹⁵ sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar statement.

[49:8]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.

[49:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.

[75:6]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.

[86:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles he expects the psalmist to follow. See Pss 25:4; 27:11.

[86:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “I will walk in your truth.” The Lord’s commandments are referred to as “truth” here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will. See Ps 25:5.

[86:11]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “Bind my heart to the fearing of your name.” The verb translated “bind” occurs only here in the Piel stem. It appears twice in the Qal, meaning “be joined” in both cases (Gen 49:6; Isa 14:20). To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for him which in turn motivates one to obey his commands (see Pss 61:5; 102:15).

[89:34]  ¹⁰² tn Or “desecrate.”

[89:34]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”

[109:12]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”

[109:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).

[111:10]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the Lord.”

[111:10]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.

[111:10]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “his praise stands forever.”

[142:5]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

[60:4]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “those who fear you.”

[60:4]  ¹¹¹ tn There is a ray of hope in that God has allowed his loyal followers to rally under a battle flag. The translation assumes the verb is from the root נוּס (nus, “flee”) used here in the Hitpolel in the sense of “find safety for oneself” (HALOT 681 s.v. נוס) or “take flight for oneself” (BDB 630-31 s.v. נוּס). Another option is to take the verb as a denominative from נֵס (nes, “flag”) and translate “that it may be displayed” (BDB 651 s.v. II נסס) or “that they may assemble under the banner” (HALOT 704 s.v. II נסס). Here קֹשֶׁט (qoshet) is taken as an Aramaized form of קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”; BDB 905-6 s.v. קֶשֶׁת), though some understand the homonymic קֹשְׁטְ (qosht, “truth”) here (see Prov 22:21; cf. NASB). If one follows the latter interpretation, the line may be translated, “so that they might assemble under the banner for the sake of truth.”

[65:5]  ¹¹² tn Heb “[with] awesome acts in deliverance you answer us, O God of our salvation.”

[65:5]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “a source of confidence [for] all the ends of the earth.”

[65:5]  sn All the ends of the earth trust in you. This idealistic portrayal of universal worship is typical hymnic hyperbole, though it does anticipate eschatological reality.

[65:5]  ¹¹⁴ tc Heb “and [the] distant sea.” The plural adjective is problematic after the singular form “sea.” One could emend יָם (yam, “sea”) to יָמִים (yamim, “seas”), or emend the plural form רְחֹקִים (rÿkhoqim, “far”) to the singular רָחֹק (rakhoq). In this case the final mem (ם) could be treated as dittographic; note the mem on the beginning of the first word in v. 6.

[81:5]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “in his going out against the land of Egypt.” This apparently refers to the general time period of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The LXX reads, “from Egypt,” in which case “Joseph” (see the preceding line) would be the subject of the verb, “when he [Joseph = Israel] left Egypt.”

[81:5]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “a lip I did not know, I heard.” Here the term “lip” probably stands for speech or a voice. Apparently the psalmist speaks here and refers to God’s voice, whose speech is recorded in the following verses.

[84:3]  ¹¹⁷ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”

[84:3]  sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.

[84:11]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.

[84:11]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “grace.”

[84:11]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”

[87:4]  ¹²² sn “Rahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).

[87:4]  ¹²³ tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the Lord speaks here. The verbal construction (the Hiphil of זָכַר, zakhar, “remember” followed by the preposition -לְ [le] with a substantive) is rare, but the prepositional phrase is best understood as indicating the recipient of the announcement (see Jer 4:16). Some take the preposition in the sense of “among” and translate, “among those who know me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). In this case these foreigners are viewed as the Lord’s people and the psalm is interpreted as anticipating a time when all nations will worship the Lord (see Ps 86:9) and be considered citizens of Zion.

[87:4]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “Look.”

[87:4]  ¹²⁵ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[87:4]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “Cush.”

[87:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.

[137:3]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “ask us [for] the words of a song.”

[137:3]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “our [?] joy.” The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew phrase תוֹלָלֵינוּ (tolalenu, “our [?]”) are uncertain. A derivation from תָּלַל (talal, “to mock”) fits contextually, but this root occurs only in the Hiphil stem. For a discussion of various proposals, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 236.

[137:3]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “from a song of Zion.” Most modern translations read, “one of the songs of Zion,” taking the preposition מִן (min, “from”) as partitive and “song” as collective. The present translation assumes the mem (ם) is enclitic, being misunderstood later as the prefixed preposition.