Mazmur 2:9

2:9 You will break them ¹  with an iron scepter; ² 

you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” ³ 

Mazmur 10:6

10:6 He says to himself, ⁴ 

“I will never ⁵  be upended,

because I experience no calamity.” ⁶ 

Mazmur 11:7

11:7 Certainly ⁷  the Lord is just; ⁸ 

he rewards godly deeds; ⁹ 

the upright will experience his favor. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 16:9

16:9 So my heart rejoices

and I am happy; ¹¹ 

My life is safe. ¹² 

Mazmur 24:5

24:5 Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord, ¹³ 

and vindicated by the God who delivers them. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 25:12

25:12 The Lord shows his faithful followers

the way they should live. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 27:13

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 34:7

34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around

the Lord’s ¹⁷  loyal followers ¹⁸  and delivers them. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 37:4-5

37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, ²⁰ 

and he will answer your prayers. ²¹ 

37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! ²² 

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. ²³ 

Mazmur 37:11

37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 37:18

37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day ²⁵ 

and they possess a permanent inheritance. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 37:27

37:27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right! ²⁷ 

Then you will enjoy lasting security. ²⁸ 

Mazmur 44:21

44:21 would not God discover it,

for he knows ²⁹  one’s thoughts? ³⁰ 

Mazmur 49:3

49:3 I will declare a wise saying; ³¹ 

I will share my profound thoughts. ³² 

Mazmur 49:6

49:6 They trust ³³  in their wealth

and boast ³⁴  in their great riches.

Mazmur 51:3

51:3 For I am aware of ³⁵  my rebellious acts;

I am forever conscious of my sin. ³⁶ 

Mazmur 55:7-8

55:7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;

I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)

55:8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe

from the strong wind ³⁷  and the gale.”

Mazmur 55:16

55:16 As for me, I will call out to God,

and the Lord will deliver me.

Mazmur 62:2

62:2 He alone is my protector ³⁸  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ³⁹  I will not be upended. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 62:6

62:6 He alone is my protector ⁴¹  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ⁴²  I will not be upended. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 67:7

67:7 May God bless us! ⁴⁴ 

Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 69:30

69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! ⁴⁶ 

I will magnify him as I give him thanks! ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 72:14

72:14 From harm and violence he will defend them; ⁴⁸ 

he will value their lives. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 75:2

75:2 God says, ⁵⁰ 

“At the appointed times, ⁵¹ 

I judge ⁵²  fairly.

Mazmur 78:22

78:22 because they did not have faith in God,

and did not trust his ability to deliver them. ⁵³ 

Mazmur 78:39

78:39 He remembered ⁵⁴  that they were made of flesh,

and were like a wind that blows past and does not return. ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 80:3

80:3 O God, restore us!

Smile on us! ⁵⁶  Then we will be delivered! ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 89:25-26

89:25 I will place his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers. ⁵⁸ 

89:26 He will call out to me,

‘You are my father, ⁵⁹  my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 89:29

89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, ⁶¹ 

and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. ⁶² 

Mazmur 89:32

89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, ⁶³ 

their sin by inflicting them with bruises. ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 91:2-3

91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,

my God in whom I trust –

91:3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter ⁶⁵ 

and from the destructive plague.

Mazmur 91:11-12

91:11 For he will order his angels ⁶⁶ 

to protect you in all you do. ⁶⁷ 

91:12 They will lift you up in their hands,

so you will not slip and fall on a stone. ⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 92:13

92:13 Planted in the Lord’s house,

they grow in the courts of our God.

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 101:4

101:4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person; ⁶⁹ 

I will not permit ⁷⁰  evil.

Mazmur 102:14

102:14 Indeed, ⁷¹  your servants take delight in her stones,

and feel compassion for ⁷²  the dust of her ruins. ⁷³ 

Mazmur 103:13

103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, ⁷⁴ 

so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 104:19

104:19 He made the moon to mark the months, ⁷⁶ 

and the sun sets according to a regular schedule. ⁷⁷ 

Mazmur 105:8-9

105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,

the promise he made ⁷⁸  to a thousand generations –

105:9 the promise ⁷⁹  he made to Abraham,

the promise he made by oath to Isaac!

Mazmur 105:11

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

as the portion of your inheritance.”

Mazmur 110:2

110:2 The Lord ⁸⁰  extends ⁸¹  your dominion ⁸²  from Zion.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

Mazmur 110:4

110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath ⁸³  and will not revoke it: ⁸⁴ 

“You are an eternal priest ⁸⁵  after the pattern of ⁸⁶  Melchizedek.” ⁸⁷ 

Mazmur 112:1

Psalm 112 ⁸⁸ 

112:1 Praise the Lord!

How blessed is the one ⁸⁹  who obeys ⁹⁰  the Lord,

who takes great delight in keeping his commands. ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 112:6

112:6 For he will never be upended;

others will always remember one who is just. ⁹² 

Mazmur 115:12-13

115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, ⁹³  he will bless ⁹⁴  –

he will bless the family ⁹⁵  of Israel,

he will bless the family of Aaron.

115:13 He will bless his loyal followers, ⁹⁶ 

both young and old. ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 115:17-18

115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,

nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. ⁹⁸ 

115:18 But we will praise the Lord

now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

Mazmur 116:2

116:2 and listened to me. ⁹⁹ 

As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. ¹⁰⁰ 

Mazmur 116:14

116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

before all his people.

Mazmur 116:18

116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

before all his people,

Mazmur 118:4

118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord ¹⁰¹  say,

“Yes, his loyal love endures!”

Mazmur 118:6-7

118:6 The Lord is on my side, ¹⁰²  I am not afraid!

What can people do to me? ¹⁰³ 

118:7 The Lord is on my side ¹⁰⁴  as my helper. ¹⁰⁵ 

I look in triumph on those who hate me.

Mazmur 119:6

119:6 Then I would not be ashamed,

if ¹⁰⁶  I were focused on ¹⁰⁷  all your commands.

Mazmur 119:8

119:8 I will keep your statutes.

Do not completely abandon me! ¹⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 119:32

119:32 I run along the path of your commands,

for you enable me to do so. ¹⁰⁹ 

Mazmur 119:34

119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,

and keep it with all my heart. ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 119:46

119:46 I will speak ¹¹¹  about your regulations before kings

and not be ashamed.

Mazmur 119:82

119:82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled. ¹¹² 

I say, ¹¹³  “When will you comfort me?”

Mazmur 119:106

119:106 I have vowed and solemnly sworn

to keep your just regulations.

Mazmur 121:1

Psalm 121 ¹¹⁴ 

A song of ascents. ¹¹⁵ 

121:1 I look up ¹¹⁶  toward the hills.

From where ¹¹⁷  does my help come?

Mazmur 126:5

126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant

will shout for joy when they reap the harvest. ¹¹⁸ 

Mazmur 132:4

132:4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,

or my eyelids to slumber,

Mazmur 135:20

135:20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord!

You loyal followers ¹¹⁹  of the Lord, praise the Lord!

Mazmur 139:10

139:10 even there your hand would guide me,

your right hand would grab hold of me.

Mazmur 141:6

141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. ¹²⁰ 

They ¹²¹  will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

Mazmur 141:10

141:10 Let the wicked fall ¹²²  into their ¹²³  own nets,

while I escape. ¹²⁴ 

Mazmur 145:5-6

145:5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,

and your amazing deeds! ¹²⁵ 

145:6 They will proclaim ¹²⁶  the power of your awesome acts!

I will declare your great deeds!

Mazmur 145:19-20

145:19 He satisfies the desire ¹²⁷  of his loyal followers; ¹²⁸ 

he hears their cry for help and delivers them.

145:20 The Lord protects those who love him,

but he destroys all the wicked.

[2:9]  ¹ tc The LXX reads “you will shepherd them.” This reading, quoted in the Greek text of the NT in Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15, assumes a different vocalization of the consonantal Hebrew text and understands the verb as רָעָה (ra’ah, “to shepherd”) rather than רָעָע (ra’a’, “to break”). But the presence of נָפַץ (nafats, “to smash”) in the next line strongly favors the MT vocalization.

[2:9]  ² tn The Hebrew term שֵׁבֶט (shevet) can refer to a “staff” or “rod,” but here it probably refers to the Davidic king’s royal scepter, symbolizing his sovereignty.

[2:9]  ³ sn Like a potter’s jar. Before the Davidic king’s awesome power, the rebellious nations are like fragile pottery.

[10:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “he says in his heart/mind.”

[10:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.” The traditional accentuation of the MT understands these words with the following line.

[10:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “who, not in calamity.” If אֲשֶׁר (’asher) is taken as a relative pronoun here, then one could translate, “[I] who [am] not in calamity.” Some emend אֲשֶׁר to אֹשֶׁר (’osher, “happiness”; see HALOT 99 s.v. אֹשֶׁר); one might then translate, “[I live in] happiness, not in calamity.” The present translation assumes that אֲשֶׁר functions here as a causal conjunction, “because, for.” For this use of אֲשֶׁר, see BDB 83 s.v. אֲשֶׁר 8.c (where the present text is not cited).

[11:7]  ⁷ tn Or “for.”

[11:7]  ⁸ tn Or “righteous.”

[11:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “he loves righteous deeds.” The “righteous deeds” are probably those done by godly people (see v. 5). The Lord “loves” such deeds in the sense that he rewards them. Another option is to take צְדָקוֹת (tsÿdaqot) as referring to God’s acts of justice (see Ps 103:6). In this case one could translate, “he loves to do just deeds.”

[11:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the upright will see his face.” The singular subject (“upright”) does not agree with the plural verb. However, collective singular nouns can be construed with a plural predicate (see GKC 462 §145.b). Another possibility is that the plural verb יֶחֱזוּ (yekhezu) is a corruption of an original singular form. To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 17:15 and Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזָה (khazah), is used]). On the form פָנֵימוֹ (fanemo, “his face”) see GKC 300-301 §103.b, n. 3.

[16:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “my glory is happy.” Some view the Hebrew term כְּבוֹדִי (kÿvodiy, “my glory”) as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 30:12; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”

[16:9]  ¹² tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.

[24:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the Lord.” The singular subject is representative here, as v. 6 makes clear. The referent (godly people like the individual in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The imperfect verbal form is generalizing; such people are typically rewarded for their deeds.

[24:5]  ¹⁴ tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”

[25:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Who is this man, the one who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.” The singular (note “man”) is representative here (see v. 14, where the plural is used), and has thus been translated as a plural (“followers…they”).

[27:13]  ¹⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” The words “Where would I be” are supplied in the translation to clarify the intent of the statement.

[34:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[34:7]  ¹⁹ tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same generalizing force as the active participle in the first line. See GKC 329 §111.u.

[37:4]  ²⁰ tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).

[37:4]  ²¹ tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”

[37:5]  ²² tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.

[37:5]  ²³ tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.

[37:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”

[37:18]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”

[37:27]  ²⁷ tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).

[37:27]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.

[44:21]  ²⁹ tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.

[44:21]  ³⁰ tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.

[49:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “my mouth will speak wisdom.” According to BDB 315 s.v. חָכְמָה the plural חָכְמוֹת (khokhmot, “wisdom”) indicates degree or emphasis here.

[49:3]  ³² tn Heb “and the meditation of my heart [i.e., mind] is understanding.” The Hebrew term הָגוּת (hagut, “meditation”), derived from הָגָה (hagah, “to recite quietly; to meditate”), here refers to thoughts that are verbalized (see the preceding line). The plural form תְבוּנוֹת (tÿvunot, “understanding”) indicates degree or emphasis (see GKC 397-98 §124.e).

[49:6]  ³³ tn Heb “the ones who trust.” The substantival participle stands in apposition to “those who deceive me” (v. 5).

[49:6]  ³⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form emphasizes their characteristic behavior.

[51:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “know.”

[51:3]  ³⁶ tn Heb “and my sin [is] in front of me continually.”

[55:8]  ³⁷ tn Heb “[the] wind [that] sweeps away.” The verb סָעָה (sa’ah, “sweep away”) occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 120).

[62:2]  ³⁸ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:2]  ³⁹ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:2]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”

[62:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:6]  ⁴² tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:6]  ⁴³ sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.

[67:7]  ⁴⁴ tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.

[67:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”

[69:30]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”

[69:30]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”

[72:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Pss 19:14; 69:18).

[72:14]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”

[75:2]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”

[75:2]  ⁵² 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.”

[78:22]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”

[78:39]  ⁵⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive signals a return to the narrative.

[78:39]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he remembered that they [were] flesh, a wind [that] goes and does not return.”

[80:3]  ⁵⁶ tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” 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; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[80:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.

[89:25]  ⁵⁸ tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).

[89:26]  ⁵⁹ sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.

[89:26]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”

[89:29]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”

[89:29]  ⁶² tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”

[89:32]  ⁶³ tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”

[89:32]  sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).

[89:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “with blows their sin.”

[91:3]  ⁶⁵ tn The word refers specifically to a fowler (or hunter of birds).

[91:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “for his angels he will command concerning you.”

[91:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “in all your ways.”

[91:12]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “so your foot will not strike a stone.”

[101:4]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).

[101:4]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “know.” The king will not willingly allow perverse individuals to remain in his royal court.

[102:14]  ⁷¹ tn Or “for.”

[102:14]  ⁷² tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.

[102:14]  ⁷³ tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.

[103:13]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.

[103:13]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[104:19]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “he made [the] moon for appointed times.” The phrase “appointed times” probably refers to the months of the Hebrew lunar calendar.

[104:19]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb more metaphorically, “knows its setting.”

[105:8]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.

[105:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “which.”

[110:2]  ⁸⁰ tn Since the Lord is mentioned in the third person (note the use of the first person in v. 1), it is likely that these are the psalmist’s words to the king, not a continuation of the oracle per se.

[110:2]  ⁸¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.

[110:2]  ⁸² tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.

[110:4]  ⁸³ tn Or “swears, vows.”

[110:4]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.

[110:4]  ⁸⁵ sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).

[110:4]  ⁸⁶ tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.

[110:4]  ⁸⁷ sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”

[112:1]  ⁸⁸ sn Psalm 112. This wisdom psalm lists some of the benefits of living a godly life. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[112:1]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The individual is representative of a larger group, called the “godly” in vv. 3-4. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in the following verses.

[112:1]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “fears.”

[112:1]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “in his commands he delights very much.” The words “in keeping” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Taking delight in the law is metonymic here for obeying God’s moral will. See Ps 1:2.

[112:6]  ⁹² tn Heb “for an eternal memorial a just [one] will be.”

[115:12]  ⁹³ tn Or “remembers us.”

[115:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Another option is to translate the prefixed form of the verb “bless” in vv. 12-13 as a jussive, “may he bless” (see v. 14).

[115:12]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “house.”

[115:13]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “the fearers of the Lord.”

[115:13]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “the small along with the great.” The translation assumes that “small” and “great” here refer to age (see 2 Chr 15:13). Another option is to translate “both the insignificant and the prominent” (see Job 3:19; cf. NEB “high and low alike”).

[115:17]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “silence,” a metonymy here for death (see Ps 94:17).

[116:2]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”

[116:2]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”

[118:4]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[118:6]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “for me.”

[118:6]  ¹⁰³ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.

[118:7]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “for me.”

[118:7]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.

[119:6]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “when.”

[119:6]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “I gaze at.”

[119:8]  ¹⁰⁸ 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.

[119:32]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The Lord gives the psalmist the desire and moral understanding that are foundational to the willing obedience depicted metaphorically in the preceding line. In Isa 60:5 the expression “your heart will be wide” means “your heart will swell with pride,” but here the nuance appears to be different.

[119:34]  ¹¹⁰ tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.

[119:46]  ¹¹¹ tn The series of four cohortatives with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive in vv. 46-48 list further consequences of the anticipated positive divine response to the request made in v. 43.

[119:82]  ¹¹² tn Heb “my eyes fail for your word.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See Ps 69:3.

[119:82]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “saying.”

[121:1]  ¹¹⁴ sn Psalm 121. The psalm affirms that the Lord protects his people Israel. Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in vv. 3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes v. 3. The translation assumes that speaker one talks in vv. 1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in v. 3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in vv. 4-8. If the verbs in v. 3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Verses 3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one. See the note on the word “sleep” at the end of v. 3.

[121:1]  ¹¹⁵ 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.

[121:1]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”

[121:1]  ¹¹⁷ tn The Hebrew term מֵאַיִן (me’ayin) is interrogative, not relative, in function. Rather than directly stating that his source of help descends from the hills, the psalmist is asking, “From where does my help come?” Nevertheless, the first line does indicate that he is looking toward the hills for help, probably indicating that he is looking up toward the sky in anticipation of supernatural intervention. The psalmist assumes the dramatic role of one needing help. He answers his own question in v. 2.

[126:5]  ¹¹⁸ sn O. Borowski says regarding this passage: “The dependence on rain for watering plants, the uncertainty of the quantity and timing of the rains, and the possibility of crop failure due to pests and diseases appear to have kept the farmer in a gloomy mood during sowing” (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 54). Perhaps the people were experiencing a literal drought, the effects of which cause them to lament their plight as they plant their seed in hopes that the rain would come. However, most take the language as metaphorical. Like a farmer sowing his seed, the covenant community was enduring hardship as they waited for a new outpouring of divine blessing. Yet they are confident that a time of restoration will come and relieve their anxiety, just as the harvest brings relief and joy to the farmer.

[135:20]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “fearers.”

[141:6]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.

[141:6]  ¹²¹ tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.

[141:10]  ¹²² tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”

[141:10]  ¹²³ tn Heb “his.”

[141:10]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

[145:5]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “the splendor of the glory of your majesty, and the matters of your amazing deeds I will ponder.”

[145:6]  ¹²⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as an imperfect, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as a jussive, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may they proclaim.”

[145:19]  ¹²⁷ tn In this context “desire” refers to the followers’ desire to be delivered from wicked enemies.

[145:19]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “the desire of those who fear him, he does.”