Mazmur 25:17

25:17 Deliver me from my distress; ¹ 

rescue me from my suffering! ² 

Mazmur 25:19

25:19 Watch my enemies, for they outnumber me;

they hate me and want to harm me. ³ 

Mazmur 25:21

25:21 May integrity and godliness protect me,

for I rely on you!

Mazmur 35:1

Psalm 35 ⁴ 

By David.

35:1 O Lord, fight ⁵  those who fight with me!

Attack those who attack me!

Mazmur 51:2

51:2 Wash away my wrongdoing! ⁶ 

Cleanse me of my sin! ⁷ 

Mazmur 71:12

71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!

My God, hurry and help me! ⁸ 

Mazmur 73:15

73:15 If I had publicized these thoughts, ⁹ 

I would have betrayed your loyal followers. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 109:1

Psalm 109 ¹¹ 

For the music director, a psalm of David.

109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! ¹² 

Mazmur 116:4

116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,

“Please Lord, rescue my life!”

Mazmur 119:5

119:5 If only I were predisposed ¹³ 

to keep your statutes!

Mazmur 119:86

119:86 All your commands are reliable.

I am pursued without reason. ¹⁴  Help me!

Mazmur 119:154

119:154 Fight for me ¹⁵  and defend me! ¹⁶ 

Revive me with your word!

Mazmur 122:6

122:6 Pray ¹⁷  for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love her prosper! ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 141:3

141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!

Protect the opening ¹⁹  of my lips! ²⁰ 

[25:17]  ¹ tc Heb “the distresses of my heart, they make wide.” The text makes little if any sense as it stands, unless this is an otherwise unattested intransitive use of the Hiphil of רָחַב (rakhav, “be wide”). It is preferable to emend the form הִרְחִיבוּ (hirkhivu; Hiphil perfect third plural “they make wide”) to הַרְחֵיב (harkhev; Hiphil imperative masculine singular “make wide”). (The final vav [ו] can be joined to the following word and taken as a conjunction.) In this case one can translate, “[in/from] the distresses of my heart, make wide [a place for me],” that is, “deliver me from the distress I am experiencing.” For the expression “make wide [a place for me],” see Ps 4:1.

[25:17]  ² tn Heb “from my distresses lead me out.”

[25:19]  ³ tn Heb “see my enemies for they are numerous, and [with] violent hatred they hate me.”

[35:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 35. The author, who faces ruthless enemies who seek his life for no reason, begs the Lord to fight his battles for him and to vindicate him by annihilating his adversaries.

[35:1]  ⁵ tn Or “contend.”

[51:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “Thoroughly wash me from my wrongdoing.”

[51:2]  ⁷ sn In vv. 1b-2 the psalmist uses three different words to emphasize the multifaceted character and degree of his sin. Whatever one wants to call it (“rebellious acts,” “wrongdoing,” “sin”), he has done it and stands morally polluted in God’s sight. The same three words appear in Exod 34:7, which emphasizes that God is willing to forgive sin in all of its many dimensions. In v. 2 the psalmist compares forgiveness and restoration to physical cleansing. Perhaps he likens spiritual cleansing to the purification rites of priestly law.

[71:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “hurry to my help.”

[73:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “If I had said, ‘I will speak out like this.’”

[73:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “look, the generation of your sons I would have betrayed.” The phrase “generation of your [i.e., God’s] sons” occurs only here in the OT. Some equate the phrase with “generation of the godly” (Ps 14:5), “generation of the ones seeking him” (Ps 24:6), and “generation of the upright” (Ps 112:2). In Deut 14:1 the Israelites are referred to as God’s “sons.” Perhaps the psalmist refers here to those who are “Israelites” in the true sense because of their loyalty to God (note the juxtaposition of “Israel” with “the pure in heart” in v. 1).

[109:1]  ¹¹ sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.

[109:1]  ¹² tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[119:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”

[119:86]  ¹⁴ sn God’s commands are a reliable guide to right and wrong. By keeping them the psalmist is doing what is right, yet he is still persecuted.

[119:154]  ¹⁵ tn Or “argue my case.”

[119:154]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and redeem me.” 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 Ps 19:14).

[122:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “ask [for].”

[122:6]  ¹⁸ tn Or “be secure.”

[141:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.

[141:3]  ²⁰ sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.