Mazmur 3:1

Psalm 3 ¹ 

A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. ² 

3:1 Lord, how ³  numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me. ⁴ 

Mazmur 7:6

7:6 Stand up angrily, ⁵  Lord!

Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! ⁶ 

Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! ⁷ 

Mazmur 8:1

Psalm 8 ⁸ 

For the music director, according to the gittith style; ⁹  a psalm of David.

8:1 O Lord, our Lord, ¹⁰ 

how magnificent ¹¹  is your reputation ¹²  throughout the earth!

You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! ¹³ 

Mazmur 17:3

17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; ¹⁴ 

you have examined me during the night. ¹⁵ 

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

I am determined I will say nothing sinful. ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 28:5

28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,

or the way he carries out justice. ¹⁷ 

The Lord ¹⁸  will permanently demolish them. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 31:11

31:11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me; ²⁰ 

my neighbors are appalled by my suffering ²¹  –

those who know me are horrified by my condition; ²² 

those who see me in the street run away from me.

Mazmur 31:13

31:13 For I hear what so many are saying, ²³ 

the terrifying news that comes from every direction. ²⁴ 

When they plot together against me,

they figure out how they can take my life.

Mazmur 39:5

39:5 Look, you make my days short-lived, ²⁵ 

and my life span is nothing from your perspective. ²⁶ 

Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 40:10

40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; ²⁸ 

I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;

I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 52:7

52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make ³⁰  God his protector!

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” ³¹ 

Mazmur 71:18

71:18 Even when I am old and gray, ³² 

O God, do not abandon me,

until I tell the next generation about your strength,

and those coming after me about your power. ³³ 

Mazmur 73:28

73:28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. ³⁴ 

I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter,

as ³⁵  I declare all the things you have done.

Mazmur 77:2

77:2 In my time of trouble I sought ³⁶  the Lord.

I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night. ³⁷ 

I ³⁸  refused to be comforted.

Mazmur 78:20

78:20 Yes, ³⁹  he struck a rock and water flowed out,

streams gushed forth.

But can he also give us food?

Will he provide meat for his people?”

Mazmur 79:10

79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants

be avenged among the nations! ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 81:5

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

when he attacked the land of Egypt. ⁴¹ 

I heard a voice I did not recognize. ⁴² 

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ⁴³  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ⁴⁴ 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 88:1

Psalm 88 ⁴⁵ 

A song, a psalm written by the Korahites; for the music director; according to the machalath-leannoth style; ⁴⁶  a well-written song ⁴⁷  by Heman the Ezrachite.

88:1 O Lord God who delivers me! ⁴⁸ 

By day I cry out

and at night I pray before you. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 95:10

95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted ⁵⁰  with that generation,

and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; ⁵¹ 

they do not obey my commands.’ ⁵² 

Mazmur 99:6

99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;

Samuel was one of those who prayed to him. ⁵³ 

They ⁵⁴  prayed to the Lord and he answered them.

[3:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).

[3:1]  ² sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).

[3:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).

[3:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “many rise up against me.”

[7:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “in your anger.”

[7:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to עַבְרוֹת (’avrot, “angry outbursts”) as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “rise up against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.

[7:6]  ⁷ tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands אֵלִי (’eliy, “my God”) instead of אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”; the LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case צִוִּיתָ (tsivvita, “[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[8:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.

[8:1]  ⁹ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.

[8:1]  ¹⁰ tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.

[8:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”

[8:1]  ¹² tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[8:1]  ¹³ tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.

[17:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “you tested my heart.”

[17:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”

[17:3]  ¹⁶ 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.

[28:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the Lord’s actions” and “the work of his hands” probably refer to the way he carries out justice by vindicating the godly and punishing the wicked. (Note the final line of the verse, which refers to divine judgment. See also Ps 92:4-7.) Evil men do not “understand” God’s just ways; they fail to realize he will protect the innocent. Consequently they seek to harm the godly, as if they believe they will never be held accountable for their actions.

[28:5]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord, who is referred to in the two immediately preceding lines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.

[31:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “because of all my enemies I am a reproach.”

[31:11]  ²¹ tc Heb “and to my neighbors, exceedingly.” If the MT is retained, then these words probably go with what precedes. However the syntactical awkwardness of the text suggests it is textually corrupt. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 258) suggests that the initial mem (מ) on מְאֹד (me’od, “exceedingly”) be understood as an enclitic mem (ם) which was originally suffixed to the preceding form and then later misinterpreted. The resulting form אֵד (’ed) can then be taken as a defectively written form of אֵיד (’ed, “calamity”). If one follows this emendation, then the text reads literally, “and to my neighbors [I am one who experiences] calamity.” The noun פַחַד (fakhad, “[object of] horror”) occurs in the next line; אֵיד and פַחַד appear in parallelism elsewhere (see Prov 1:26-27).

[31:11]  ²² tn Heb “and [an object of ] horror to those known by me.”

[31:13]  ²³ tn Heb “the report of many.”

[31:13]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the terror from all around.”

[39:5]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”

[39:5]  ²⁷ 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.”

[40:10]  ²⁸ tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”

[40:10]  ²⁹ tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”

[52:7]  ³⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”

[52:7]  ³¹ tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).

[71:18]  ³² tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”

[71:18]  ³³ tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.

[73:28]  ³⁴ tn Heb “but as for me, the nearness of God for me [is] good.”

[73:28]  ³⁵ tn The infinitive construct with -לְ (lÿ) is understood here as indicating an attendant circumstance. Another option is to take it as indicating purpose (“so that I might declare”) or result (“with the result that I declare”).

[77:2]  ³⁶ tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.

[77:2]  ³⁷ tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.

[77:2]  ³⁸ tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[78:20]  ³⁹ tn Heb “look.”

[79:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”

[81:5]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ⁴⁴ 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.

[88:1]  ⁴⁵ sn Psalm 88. The psalmist cries out in pain to the Lord, begging him for relief from his intense and constant suffering. The psalmist regards God as the ultimate cause of his distress, but nevertheless clings to God in hope.

[88:1]  ⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew phrase מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת (makhalat lÿ’annot) may mean “illness to afflict.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term מָחֲלַת also appears in the superscription of Ps 53.

[88:1]  ⁴⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[88:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “O Lord God of my deliverance.” In light of the content of the psalm, this reference to God as the one who delivers seems overly positive. For this reason some emend the text to אַלֹהַי שִׁוַּעְתִּי (’alohay shivva’tiy, “[O Lord] my God, I cry out”). See v. 13.

[88:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “[by] day I cry out, in the night before you.”

[95:10]  ⁵⁰ tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.

[95:10]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”

[95:10]  ⁵² tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the Lord’s “ways” are his commands, viewed as a pathway from which his people, likened to wayward sheep (see v. 7), wander.

[99:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “among those who called on his name.”

[99:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “those who.” The participle is in apposition to the phrase “those who called on his name” in the preceding line.