Mazmur 4:2

4:2 You men, ¹  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ² 

How long ³  will you love what is worthless ⁴ 

and search for what is deceptive? ⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 4:6

4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”

Smile upon us, Lord! ⁶ 

Mazmur 5:10

5:10 Condemn them, ⁷  O God!

May their own schemes be their downfall! ⁸ 

Drive them away ⁹  because of their many acts of insurrection, ¹⁰ 

for they have rebelled against you.

Mazmur 7:6

7:6 Stand up angrily, ¹¹  Lord!

Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! ¹² 

Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! ¹³ 

Mazmur 7:9

7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked ¹⁴  come to an end! ¹⁵ 

But make the innocent ¹⁶  secure, ¹⁷ 

O righteous God,

you who examine ¹⁸  inner thoughts and motives! ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 8:2

8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies

you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, ²⁰ 

so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ²¹ 

Mazmur 9:10

9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, ²² 

for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. ²³ 

Mazmur 12:5

12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, ²⁴ 

because of the painful cries ²⁵  of the needy,

I will spring into action,” ²⁶  says the Lord.

“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” ²⁷ 

Mazmur 18:8

18:8 Smoke ascended from ²⁸  his nose; ²⁹ 

fire devoured as it came from his mouth; ³⁰ 

he hurled down fiery coals. ³¹ 

Mazmur 18:11

18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, ³² 

in thick rain clouds. ³³ 

Mazmur 18:30

18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ³⁴ 

the Lord’s promise ³⁵  is reliable; ³⁶ 

he is a shield to all who take shelter ³⁷  in him.

Mazmur 18:35

18:35 You give me your protective shield; ³⁸ 

your right hand supports me; ³⁹ 

your willingness to help ⁴⁰  enables me to prevail. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 18:43

18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; ⁴² 

you make me ⁴³  a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 18:48

18:48 He delivers me ⁴⁵  from my enemies;

you snatch me away ⁴⁶  from those who attack me; ⁴⁷ 

you rescue me from violent men.

Mazmur 18:50

18:50 He ⁴⁸  gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ⁴⁹ 

he is faithful ⁵⁰  to his chosen ruler, ⁵¹ 

to David and his descendants ⁵²  forever.” ⁵³ 

Mazmur 19:10

19:10 They are of greater value ⁵⁴  than gold,

than even a great amount of pure gold;

they bring greater delight ⁵⁵  than honey,

than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.

Mazmur 19:13

19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant ⁵⁶  sins;

do not allow such sins to control me. ⁵⁷ 

Then I will be blameless,

and innocent of blatant ⁵⁸  rebellion.

Mazmur 20:5-6

20:5 Then we will shout for joy over your ⁵⁹  victory;

we will rejoice ⁶⁰  in the name of our God!

May the Lord grant all your requests!

20:6 Now I am sure ⁶¹  that the Lord will deliver ⁶²  his chosen king; ⁶³ 

he will intervene for him ⁶⁴  from his holy heavenly temple, ⁶⁵ 

and display his mighty ability to deliver. ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 22:23-27

22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, ⁶⁷  praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! ⁶⁸ 

22:24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering ⁶⁹  of the oppressed; ⁷⁰ 

he did not ignore him; ⁷¹ 

when he cried out to him, he responded. ⁷² 

22:25 You are the reason I offer praise ⁷³  in the great assembly;

I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. ⁷⁴ 

22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! ⁷⁵ 

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!

May you ⁷⁶  live forever!

22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! ⁷⁷ 

Let all the nations ⁷⁸  worship you! ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 22:29

22:29 All of the thriving people ⁸⁰  of the earth will join the celebration and worship; ⁸¹ 

all those who are descending into the grave ⁸²  will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives. ⁸³ 

Mazmur 30:5

30:5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment,

and his good favor restores one’s life. ⁸⁴ 

One may experience sorrow during the night,

but joy arrives in the morning. ⁸⁵ 

Mazmur 30:12

30:12 So now ⁸⁶  my heart ⁸⁷  will sing to you and not be silent;

O Lord my God, I will always ⁸⁸  give thanks to you.

Mazmur 31:2

31:2 Listen to me! ⁸⁹ 

Quickly deliver me!

Be my protector and refuge, ⁹⁰ 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 31:7

31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,

because you notice my pain

and you are aware of how distressed I am. ⁹² 

Mazmur 31:11

31:11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me; ⁹³ 

my neighbors are appalled by my suffering ⁹⁴  –

those who know me are horrified by my condition; ⁹⁵ 

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

Mazmur 31:17

31:17 O Lord, do not let me be humiliated,

for I call out to you!

May evil men be humiliated!

May they go wailing to the grave! ⁹⁶ 

Mazmur 31:19-20

31:19 How great is your favor, ⁹⁷ 

which you store up for your loyal followers! ⁹⁸ 

In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter ⁹⁹  in you. ¹⁰⁰ 

31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks ¹⁰¹  of men; ¹⁰² 

you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. ¹⁰³ 

Mazmur 31:22-23

31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, ¹⁰⁴ 

“I am cut off from your presence!” ¹⁰⁵ 

But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers ¹⁰⁶  of his!

The Lord protects those who have integrity,

but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. ¹⁰⁷ 

Mazmur 36:6

36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, ¹⁰⁸ 

your fairness like the deepest sea;

you preserve ¹⁰⁹  mankind and the animal kingdom. ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 38:12

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; ¹¹¹ 

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

Mazmur 39:11

39:11 You severely discipline people for their sins; ¹¹² 

like a moth you slowly devour their strength. ¹¹³ 

Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)

Mazmur 40:2-3

40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, ¹¹⁴ 

out of the slimy mud. ¹¹⁵ 

He placed my feet on a rock

and gave me secure footing. ¹¹⁶ 

40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, ¹¹⁷ 

praising our God. ¹¹⁸ 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! ¹¹⁹ 

Mazmur 40:14

40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ¹²⁰ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 40:16-17

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ¹²²  your deliverance say continually, ¹²³ 

“May the Lord be praised!” ¹²⁴ 

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ¹²⁵ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ¹²⁶ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Mazmur 42:6

42:6 I am depressed, ¹²⁷ 

so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan, ¹²⁸ 

from Hermon, ¹²⁹  from Mount Mizar. ¹³⁰ 

Mazmur 42:8

42:8 By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, ¹³¹ 

and by night he gives me a song, ¹³² 

a prayer ¹³³  to the living God.

Mazmur 42:11

42:11 Why are you depressed, ¹³⁴  O my soul? ¹³⁵ 

Why are you upset? ¹³⁶ 

Wait for God!

For I will again give thanks

to my God for his saving intervention. ¹³⁷ 

Mazmur 45:4

45:4 Appear in your majesty and be victorious! ¹³⁸ 

Ride forth for the sake of what is right, ¹³⁹ 

on behalf of justice! ¹⁴⁰ 

Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts! ¹⁴¹ 

Mazmur 45:7

45:7 You love ¹⁴²  justice and hate evil. ¹⁴³ 

For this reason God, your God ¹⁴⁴  has anointed you ¹⁴⁵ 

with the oil of joy, ¹⁴⁶  elevating you above your companions. ¹⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 48:8

48:8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds, now we have seen them, ¹⁴⁸ 

in the city of the Lord, the invincible Warrior, ¹⁴⁹ 

in the city of our God.

God makes it permanently secure. ¹⁵⁰  (Selah)

Mazmur 48:10

48:10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth

is worthy of your reputation, O God. ¹⁵¹ 

You execute justice! ¹⁵² 

Mazmur 49:10

49:10 Surely ¹⁵³  one sees ¹⁵⁴  that even wise people die; ¹⁵⁵ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ¹⁵⁶ 

and leave their wealth to others. ¹⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 51:19

51:19 Then you will accept ¹⁵⁸  the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;

then bulls will be sacrificed ¹⁵⁹  on your altar. ¹⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 52:7

52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make ¹⁶¹  God his protector!

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” ¹⁶² 

Mazmur 52:9

52:9 I will continually ¹⁶³  thank you when ¹⁶⁴  you execute judgment; ¹⁶⁵ 

I will rely ¹⁶⁶  on you, ¹⁶⁷  for your loyal followers know you are good. ¹⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 54:3

54:3 For foreigners ¹⁶⁹  attack me; ¹⁷⁰ 

ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. ¹⁷¹  (Selah)

Mazmur 55:12

55:12 Indeed, ¹⁷²  it is not an enemy who insults me,

or else I could bear it;

it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, ¹⁷³ 

or else I could hide from him.

Mazmur 55:15

55:15 May death destroy them! ¹⁷⁴ 

May they go down alive into Sheol! ¹⁷⁵ 

For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.

Mazmur 55:19

55:19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,

will hear and humiliate them. ¹⁷⁶  (Selah)

They refuse to change,

and do not fear God. ¹⁷⁷ 

Mazmur 56:13

56:13 when you deliver ¹⁷⁸  my life from death.

You keep my feet from stumbling, ¹⁷⁹ 

so that I might serve ¹⁸⁰  God as I enjoy life. ¹⁸¹ 

Mazmur 57:3-4

57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me ¹⁸² 

from my enemies who hurl insults! ¹⁸³  (Selah)

May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!

57:4 I am surrounded by lions;

I lie down ¹⁸⁴  among those who want to devour me; ¹⁸⁵ 

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are a sharp sword. ¹⁸⁶ 

Mazmur 57:6

57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; ¹⁸⁷ 

I am discouraged. ¹⁸⁸ 

They have dug a pit for me. ¹⁸⁹ 

They will fall ¹⁹⁰  into it! (Selah)

Mazmur 59:3

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ¹⁹¹ 

powerful men stalk ¹⁹²  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ¹⁹³ 

Mazmur 59:5

59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, ¹⁹⁴  the God of Israel,

rouse yourself and punish ¹⁹⁵  all the nations!

Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)

Mazmur 59:11-12

59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,

because then my people might forget the lesson. ¹⁹⁶ 

Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,

O Lord who shields us! ¹⁹⁷ 

59:12 They speak sinful words. ¹⁹⁸ 

So let them be trapped by their own pride

and by the curses and lies they speak!

Mazmur 60:4

60:4 You have given your loyal followers ¹⁹⁹  a rallying flag,

so that they might seek safety from the bow. ²⁰⁰  (Selah)

Mazmur 61:2

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ²⁰¹ 

I call out to you in my despair. ²⁰² 

Lead me ²⁰³  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ²⁰⁴ 

Mazmur 61:5

61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;

you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. ²⁰⁵ 

Mazmur 62:3

62:3 How long will you threaten ²⁰⁶  a man?

All of you are murderers, ²⁰⁷ 

as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ²⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 62:8-9

62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!

Pour out your hearts before him! ²⁰⁹ 

God is our shelter! (Selah)

62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;

human beings are unreliable. ²¹⁰ 

When they are weighed in the scales,

all of them together are lighter than air. ²¹¹ 

Mazmur 63:11

63:11 But the king ²¹²  will rejoice in God;

everyone who takes oaths in his name ²¹³  will boast,

for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up. ²¹⁴ 

Mazmur 65:5

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

O God, our savior. ²¹⁵ 

All the ends of the earth trust in you, ²¹⁶ 

as well as those living across the wide seas. ²¹⁷ 

Mazmur 65:9

65:9 You visit the earth and give it rain; ²¹⁸ 

you make it rich and fertile ²¹⁹ 

with overflowing streams full of water. ²²⁰ 

You provide grain for them, ²²¹ 

for you prepare the earth to yield its crops. ²²² 

Mazmur 68:30

68:30 Sound your battle cry ²²³  against the wild beast of the reeds, ²²⁴ 

and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! ²²⁵ 

They humble themselves ²²⁶  and offer gold and silver as tribute. ²²⁷ 

God ²²⁸  scatters ²²⁹  the nations that like to do battle.

Mazmur 68:35

68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! ²³⁰ 

It is the God of Israel ²³¹  who gives the people power and strength.

God deserves praise! ²³² 

Mazmur 69:14

69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!

Deliver me ²³³  from those who hate me,

from the deep water!

Mazmur 69:20

69:20 Their insults are painful ²³⁴  and make me lose heart; ²³⁵ 

I look ²³⁶  for sympathy, but receive none, ²³⁷ 

for comforters, but find none.

Mazmur 70:2

70:2 May those who are trying to take my life

be embarrassed and ashamed! ²³⁸ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ²³⁹ 

Mazmur 70:4

70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ²⁴⁰  your deliverance say continually, ²⁴¹ 

“May God ²⁴²  be praised!” ²⁴³ 

Mazmur 81:5

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

when he attacked the land of Egypt. ²⁴⁴ 

I heard a voice I did not recognize. ²⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 81:7

81:7 In your distress you called out and I rescued you.

I answered you from a dark thundercloud. ²⁴⁶ 

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. ²⁴⁷  (Selah)

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ²⁴⁸  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ²⁴⁹ 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 84:10-11

84:10 Certainly ²⁵⁰  spending just one day in your temple courts is better

than spending a thousand elsewhere. ²⁵¹ 

I would rather stand at the entrance ²⁵²  to the temple of my God

than live ²⁵³  in the tents of the wicked.

84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. ²⁵⁴ 

The Lord bestows favor ²⁵⁵  and honor;

he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. ²⁵⁶ 

Mazmur 88:5

88:5 adrift ²⁵⁷  among the dead,

like corpses lying in the grave,

whom you remember no more,

and who are cut off from your power. ²⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 92:7

92:7 When the wicked sprout up like grass,

and all the evildoers glisten, ²⁵⁹ 

it is so that they may be annihilated. ²⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 102:2

102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! ²⁶¹ 

Listen to me! ²⁶² 

When I call out to you, quickly answer me!

Mazmur 108:8

108:8 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ²⁶³ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ²⁶⁴ 

Judah my royal scepter. ²⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ²⁶⁶  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ²⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 142:4

142:4 Look to the right and see!

No one cares about me. ²⁶⁸ 

I have nowhere to run; ²⁶⁹ 

no one is concerned about my life. ²⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 142:7

142:7 Free me ²⁷¹  from prison,

that I may give thanks to your name.

Because of me the godly will assemble, ²⁷² 

for you will vindicate me. ²⁷³ 

[4:2]  ¹ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ² tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ³ tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.

[4:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face, Lord.” The verb נסה is apparently an alternate form of נשׂא, “lift up.” See GKC 217 §76.b. The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[4:6]  sn Smile upon us. Though many are discouraged, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and transform the situation.

[5:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “declare/regard them as guilty.” Declaring the psalmist’s adversaries guilty is here metonymic for judging them or paying them back for their wrongdoing.

[5:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “may they fall from their plans.” The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation. The psalmist calls judgment down on the evildoers. Their plans will be their downfall in that God will judge them for their evil schemes.

[5:10]  ⁹ tn Or “banish them.”

[5:10]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew noun used here, פֶּשַׁע (pesha’), refers to rebellious actions. The psalmist pictures his enemies as rebels against God (see the next line).

[7:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in your anger.”

[7:6]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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.

[7:9]  ¹⁴ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[7:9]  ¹⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

[7:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.

[7:9]  ¹⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

[7:9]  ¹⁸ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

[7:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

[8:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.

[8:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.

[9:10]  ²² tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the Lord’s “name” means to be his follower, recognizing his authority and maintaining loyalty to him. See Ps 91:14, where “knowing” the Lord’s “name” is associated with loving him.

[9:10]  ²³ tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”

[12:5]  ²⁴ tn The term translated “oppressed” is an objective genitive; the oppressed are the recipients/victims of violence.

[12:5]  ²⁵ tn Elsewhere in the psalms this noun is used of the painful groans of prisoners awaiting death (79:11; 102:20). The related verb is used of the painful groaning of those wounded in combat (Jer 51:52; Ezek 26:15) and of the mournful sighing of those in grief (Ezek 9:4; 24:17).

[12:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “I will rise up.”

[12:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I will place in deliverance, he pants for it.” The final two words in Hebrew (יָפִיחַ לוֹ, yafiakh lo) comprise an asyndetic relative clause, “the one who pants for it.” “The one who pants” is the object of the verb “place” and the antecedent of the pronominal suffix (in the phrase “for it”) is “deliverance.” Another option is to translate, “I will place in deliverance the witness for him,” repointing יָפִיחַ (a Hiphil imperfect from פּוּחַ, puakh, “pant”) as יָפֵחַ (yafeakh), a noun meaning “witness.” In this case the Lord would be promising protection to those who have the courage to support the oppressed in the court of law. However, the first part of the verse focuses on the oppressed, not their advocates.

[18:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “within”; or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition -בְּ (bÿ) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.

[18:8]  ²⁹ tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here. See also v. 15, “the powerful breath of your nose.”

[18:8]  ³⁰ tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.

[18:8]  sn Fire devoured as it came from his mouth. For other examples of fire as a weapon in OT theophanies and ancient Near Eastern portrayals of warring gods and kings, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 165-67.

[18:8]  ³¹ tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (cf. Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (cf. Ps 120:4).

[18:11]  ³² tc Heb “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 reads, “he made darkness around him coverings,” omitting “his hiding place” and pluralizing “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering”) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the Hebrew letter samek: סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvivotayv sukkato).

[18:11]  ³³ tc Heb “darkness of water, clouds of clouds.” The noun “darkness” (חֶשְׁכַת, kheshkhat) is probably a corruption of an original reading חשׁרת, a form that is preserved in 2 Sam 22:12. The latter is a construct form of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”) which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חָשַׁר (khashar, “to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The phrase חַשְׁרַת מַיִם (khashrat mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground (see F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry [SBLDS], 146, n. 33).

[18:30]  ³⁴ tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).

[18:30]  ³⁵ sn The Lord’s promise. In the ancient Near East kings would typically seek and receive oracles from their god(s) prior to battle. For examples, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 241-42.

[18:30]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is purified.” The Lord’s “word” probably refers here to his oracle(s) of victory delivered to the psalmist before the battle(s) described in the following context. See also Pss 12:5-7 and 138:2-3. David frequently received such oracles before going into battle (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4-5, 10-12; 30:8; 2 Sam 5:19). The Lord’s word of promise is absolutely reliable; it is compared to metal that has been refined in fire and cleansed of impurities. See Ps 12:6.

[18:30]  ³⁷ sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.

[18:35]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and you give to me the shield of your deliverance.”

[18:35]  sn You give me your protective shield. Ancient Near Eastern literature often refers to a god giving a king special weapons. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 260-61.

[18:35]  ³⁹ tc 2 Sam 22:36 omits this line, perhaps due to homoioarcton. A scribe’s eye may have jumped from the vav (ו) prefixed to “your right hand” to the vav prefixed to the following “and your answer,” causing the copyist to omit by accident the intervening words (“your right hand supports me and”).

[18:35]  ⁴⁰ tn The MT of Ps 18:35 appears to read, “your condescension,” apparently referring to God’s willingness to intervene (cf. NIV “you stoop down”). However, the noun עֲנָוָה (’anavah) elsewhere means “humility” and is used only here of God. The form עַנְוַתְךָ (’anvatÿkha) may be a fully written form of the suffixed infinitive construct of עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”; a defectively written form of the infinitive appears in 2 Sam 22:36). In this case the psalmist refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer; one might translate, “your favorable response.”

[18:35]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “makes me great.”

[18:43]  ⁴² tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.

[18:43]  ⁴³ tn 2 Sam 22:44 reads, “you keep me.”

[18:43]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 44-45). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.

[18:48]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”

[18:48]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the Lord has given the psalmist victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[18:48]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”

[18:50]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “the one who.”

[18:50]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.

[18:50]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”

[18:50]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.

[18:50]  ⁵² tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[18:50]  ⁵³ sn If David is the author of the psalm (see the superscription), then he here anticipates that God will continue to demonstrate loyalty to his descendants who succeed him. If the author is a later Davidic king, then he views the divine favor he has experienced as the outworking of God’s faithful promises to David his ancestor.

[19:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “more desirable.”

[19:10]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).

[19:13]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “presumptuous.”

[19:13]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”

[19:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “great.”

[20:5]  ⁵⁹ sn Your victory. Here the king is addressed (see v. 1).

[20:5]  ⁶⁰ tc The Hebrew verb דָּגַל (dagal) occurs only here in the Qal. If accepted as original, it may carry the nuance “raise a banner,” but it is preferable to emend the form to נגיל (“we will rejoice”) which provides better parallelism with “shout for joy” and fits well with the prepositional phrase “in the name of our God” (see Ps 89:16).

[20:6]  ⁶¹ tn Or “know.”

[20:6]  sn Now I am sure. The speaker is not identified. It is likely that the king, referring to himself in the third person (note “his chosen king”), responds to the people’s prayer. Perhaps his confidence is due to the reception of a divine oracle of salvation.

[20:6]  ⁶² tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the Lord typically delivers the king.

[20:6]  ⁶³ tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.

[20:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “he will answer him.”

[20:6]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”

[20:6]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).

[22:23]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[22:23]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “fear him.”

[22:24]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “affliction”; or “need.”

[22:24]  ⁷⁰ sn In this verse the psalmist refers to himself in the third person and characterizes himself as oppressed.

[22:24]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “he did not hide his face from him.” For other uses of the idiom “hide the face” meaning “ignore,” see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9. Sometimes the idiom carries the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 27:9; 88:14).

[22:24]  ⁷² tn Heb “heard.”

[22:25]  ⁷³ tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”

[22:25]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the Lord for help, the psalmists would typically promise to praise the Lord publicly if he intervened and delivered them.

[22:26]  ⁷⁵ sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.

[22:26]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “may your heart[s].”

[22:27]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27 are understood as jussives (cf. NEB). Another option (cf. NIV, NRSV) is to take the forms as imperfects and translate, “all the people of the earth will acknowledge and turn…and worship.” See vv. 29-32.

[22:27]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “families of the nations.”

[22:27]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “before you.”

[22:29]  ⁸⁰ 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]  ⁸¹ 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]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”

[30:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “for [there is] a moment in his anger, [but] life in his favor.” Because of the parallelism with “moment,” some understand חַיִּים (khayyim) in a quantitative sense: “lifetime” (cf. NIV, NRSV). However, the immediate context, which emphasizes deliverance from death (see v. 3), suggests that חַיִּים has a qualitative sense: “physical life” or even “prosperous life” (cf. NEB “in his favour there is life”).

[30:5]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “in the evening weeping comes to lodge, but at morning a shout of joy.” “Weeping” is personified here as a traveler who lodges with one temporarily.

[30:12]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”

[30:12]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “glory”) here 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 16:9; 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.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.

[30:12]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “forever.”

[31:2]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[31:2]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”

[31:2]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”

[31:7]  ⁹² tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”

[31:11]  ⁹³ tn Heb “because of all my enemies I am a reproach.”

[31:11]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and [an object of ] horror to those known by me.”

[31:17]  ⁹⁶ tn The verb יִדְּמוּ (yiddÿmu) is understood as a form of דָּמַם (damam, “wail, lament”). Another option is to take the verb from דָּמַם (“be quiet”; see BDB 198-99 s.v. I דָּמַם), in which case one might translate, “May they lie silent in the grave.”

[31:19]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”

[31:19]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “for those who fear you.”

[31:19]  ⁹⁹ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 34:21-22).

[31:19]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”

[31:20]  ¹⁰¹ tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”

[31:20]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.

[31:20]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”

[31:22]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”

[31:22]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “from before your eyes.”

[31:23]  ¹⁰⁶ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[31:23]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.

[36:6]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[36:6]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Or “deliver.”

[36:6]  ¹¹⁰ sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.

[38:12]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “lay snares.”

[39:11]  ¹¹² tn “with punishments on account of sin you discipline a man.”

[39:11]  ¹¹³ tc Heb “you cause to dissolve, like a moth, his desired [thing].” The translation assumes an emendation of חֲמוּדוֹ (khamudo, “his desirable [thing]”) to חֶמְדוֹ (khemdo, “his loveliness” [or “beauty”]), a reading that is supported by a few medieval Hebrew mss.

[40:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).

[40:2]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.

[40:2]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”

[40:3]  ¹¹⁷ sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.

[40:3]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”

[40:3]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the Lord.” The translation assumes that the initial prefixed verbal form is a jussive (“may many see”), rather than an imperfect (“many will see”). The following prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive are taken as indicating purpose or result (“so that they might swear allegiance…and trust”) after the introductory jussive.

[40:14]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”

[40:14]  ¹²¹ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[40:14]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[40:16]  ¹²² tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

[40:16]  ¹²³ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

[40:16]  ¹²⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.

[40:17]  ¹²⁵ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ¹²⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

[42:6]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “my God, upon me my soul bows down.” As noted earlier, “my God” belongs with the end of v. 6.

[42:6]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan.” “Remember” is here used metonymically for prayer (see vv. 8-9). As the next line indicates, the region of the upper Jordan, where the river originates, is in view.

[42:6]  ¹²⁹ tc Heb “Hermons.” The plural form of the name occurs only here in the OT. Some suggest the plural refers to multiple mountain peaks (cf. NASB) or simply retain the plural in the translation (cf. NEB), but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note that the next form in the text begins with the letter mem) or enclitic. At a later time it was misinterpreted as a plural marker and vocalized accordingly.

[42:6]  ¹³⁰ tn The Hebrew term מִצְעָר (mits’ar) is probably a proper name (“Mizar”), designating a particular mountain in the Hermon region. The name appears only here in the OT.

[42:8]  ¹³¹ sn The psalmist believes that the Lord has not abandoned him, but continues to extend his loyal love. To this point in the psalm, the author has used the name “God,” but now, as he mentions the divine characteristic of loyal love, he switches to the more personal divine name Yahweh (rendered in the translation as “the Lord”).

[42:8]  ¹³² tn Heb “his song [is] with me.”

[42:8]  ¹³³ tc A few medieval Hebrew mss read תְּהִלָּה (tÿhillah, “praise”) instead of תְּפִלָּה (tÿfillah, “prayer”).

[42:11]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”

[42:11]  ¹³⁵ sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.

[42:11]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”

[42:11]  ¹³⁷ tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God”), that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is almost identical to the one in v. 5. See also Ps 43:5.

[45:4]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and your majesty, be successful.” The syntax is awkward. The phrase “and your majesty” at the beginning of the verse may be accidentally repeated (dittography); it appears at the end of v. 3.

[45:4]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “for the sake of truth.”

[45:4]  ¹⁴⁰ tc The precise meaning of the MT is uncertain. The form עַנְוָה (’anvah) occurs only here. One could emend the text to עֲנָוָה וְצֶדֶק (’anavah vÿtsedeq, “[for the sake of truth], humility, and justice”). In this case “humility” would perhaps allude to the king’s responsibility to “serve” his people by promoting justice (cf. NIV “in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יַעַן (ya’an, “because; on account of”) which would form a suitable parallel to עַל־דְּבַר (’al-dÿvar, “because; for the sake of”) in the preceding line.

[45:4]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and your right hand will teach you mighty acts”; or “and may your right hand teach you mighty acts.” After the imperatives in the first half of the verse, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive likely indicates purpose (“so that your right hand might teach you mighty acts”) or result (see the present translation). The “right hand” here symbolizes the king’s military strength. His right hand will “teach” him mighty acts by performing them and thereby causing him to experience their magnificence.

[45:7]  ¹⁴² sn To love justice means to actively promote it.

[45:7]  ¹⁴³ sn To hate evil means to actively oppose it.

[45:7]  ¹⁴⁴ tn For other examples of the repetition of Elohim, “God,” see Pss 43:4; 48:8, 14; 50:7; 51:14; 67:7. Because the name Yahweh (“Lord”) is relatively rare in Pss 42-83, where the name Elohim (“God”) predominates, this compounding of Elohim may be an alternative form of the compound name “the Lord my/your/our God.”

[45:7]  ¹⁴⁵ sn Anointed you. When read in the light of the preceding context, the anointing is most naturally taken as referring to the king’s coronation. However, the following context (vv. 8-9) focuses on the wedding ceremony, so some prefer to see this anointing as part of the king’s preparations for the wedding celebration. Perhaps the reference to his anointing at his coronation facilitates the transition to the description of the wedding, for the king was also anointed on this occasion.

[45:7]  ¹⁴⁶ sn The phrase oil of joy alludes to the fact that the coronation of the king, which was ritually accomplished by anointing his head with olive oil, was a time of great celebration and renewed hope. (If one understands the anointing in conjunction with the wedding ceremony, the “joy” would be that associated with the marriage.) The phrase “oil of joy” also appears in Isa 61:3, where mourners are granted “oil of joy” in conjunction with their deliverance from oppression.

[45:7]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “from your companions.” The “companions” are most naturally understood as others in the royal family or, more generally, as the king’s countrymen.

[45:7]  sn Verses 6-7 are quoted in Heb 1:8-9, where they are applied to Jesus.

[48:8]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “As we have heard, so we have seen.” The community had heard about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history. Having personally witnessed his saving power with their own eyes, they could now affirm that the tradition was not exaggerated or inaccurate.

[48:8]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Pss 24:10; 46:7, 11).

[48:8]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Or “God makes it secure forever.” The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[48:10]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “like your name, O God, so [is] your praise to the ends of the earth.” Here “name” refers to God’s reputation and revealed character.

[48:10]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “your right hand is full of justice.” The “right hand” suggests activity and power.

[49:10]  ¹⁵³ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ¹⁵⁵ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ¹⁵⁷ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[51:19]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “desire, take delight in.”

[51:19]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.

[51:19]  ¹⁶⁰ sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.

[52:7]  ¹⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁶² 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”).

[52:9]  ¹⁶³ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

[52:9]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Or “for.”

[52:9]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.

[52:9]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or “wait.”

[52:9]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.

[52:9]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

[54:3]  ¹⁶⁹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read זֵדִים (zedim, “proud ones”) rather than זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”). (No matter which reading one chooses as original, dalet-resh confusion accounts for the existence of the variant.) The term זֵדִים (“proud ones”) occurs in parallelism with עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Ps 86:14 and Isa 13:11. However, זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) is parallel to עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Isa 25:5; 29:5; Ezek 28:7; 31:12.

[54:3]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “rise against me.”

[54:3]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”

[55:12]  ¹⁷² tn Or “for.”

[55:12]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.

[55:15]  ¹⁷⁴ tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ’alemo, “May devastation [be] upon them!”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth-Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ’alemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashi’), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nasha’, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (yeshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled and corrupt text. The preposition עַל (’al) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ’alemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.

[55:15]  ¹⁷⁵ sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.

[55:19]  ¹⁷⁶ tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay’annem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (’anah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).

[55:19]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”

[56:13]  ¹⁷⁸ tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the Lord intervened on the psalmist’s behalf. In this case one may translate, “for you have delivered.” Other options include taking the perfect as (3) generalizing (“for you deliver”) or (4) rhetorical (“for you will”).

[56:13]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.

[56:13]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.

[56:13]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.

[57:3]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).

[57:3]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”

[57:4]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).

[57:4]  ¹⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).

[57:4]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”

[57:6]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “for my feet.”

[57:6]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “my life bends low.” 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).

[57:6]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “before me.”

[57:6]  ¹⁹⁰ tn The perfect form is used rhetorically here to express the psalmist’s certitude. The demise of the enemies is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished.

[59:3]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  ¹⁹² tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.

[59:3]  ¹⁹³ sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the Lord.

[59:5]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “Lord, God, Hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי (’elohey) before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”). See Ps 89:9, but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yÿhvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 80:4, 19; 84:8 as well.

[59:5]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).

[59:11]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”

[59:11]  sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.

[59:11]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”

[59:12]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”

[60:4]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “those who fear you.”

[60:4]  ²⁰⁰ 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.”

[61:2]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).

[61:2]  ²⁰² tn Heb “while my heart faints.”

[61:2]  ²⁰³ tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[61:2]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”

[61:5]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).

[62:3]  ²⁰⁶ tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”

[62:3]  ²⁰⁷ tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.

[62:3]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).

[62:8]  ²⁰⁹ tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).

[62:9]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “only a breath [are] the sons of mankind, a lie [are] the sons of man.” The phrases “sons of mankind” and “sons of man” also appear together in Ps 49:2. Because of the parallel line there, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, a number of interpreters and translators treat these expressions as polar opposites, בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes. But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand the phrases as synonymous expressions.

[62:9]  ²¹¹ tn The noun הֶבֶל (hevel), translated “a breath” earlier in the verse, appears again here.

[63:11]  ²¹² sn The psalmist probably refers to himself in the third person here.

[63:11]  ²¹³ tn Heb “who swears [an oath] by him.”

[63:11]  ²¹⁴ tn The Niphal of this verb occurs only here and in Gen 8:2, where it is used of God “stopping” or “damming up” the great deep as he brought the flood to an end.

[65:5]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “[with] awesome acts in deliverance you answer us, O God of our salvation.”

[65:5]  ²¹⁶ 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]  ²¹⁷ 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.

[65:9]  ²¹⁸ tn The verb form is a Polel from שׁוּק (shuq, “be abundant”), a verb which appears only here and in Joel 2:24 and 3:13, where it is used in the Hiphil stem and means “overflow.”

[65:9]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “you greatly enrich it.”

[65:9]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “[with] a channel of God full of water.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very deep stream (“a stream fit for God,” as it were).

[65:9]  ²²¹ tn The pronoun apparently refers to the people of the earth, mentioned in v. 8.

[65:9]  ²²² tn Heb “for thus [referring to the provision of rain described in the first half of the verse] you prepare it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix attached to the verb “prepare” refers back to the “earth,” which is a feminine noun with regard to grammatical form.

[68:30]  ²²³ tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts such as Ps 68 this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[68:30]  ²²⁴ sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.

[68:30]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”

[68:30]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “humbling himself.” The verb form is a Hitpael participle from the root רָפַס (rafas, “to trample”). The Hitpael of this verb appears only here and in Prov 6:3, where it seems to mean, “humble oneself,” a nuance that fits nicely in this context. The apparent subject is “wild beast” or “assembly,” though both of these nouns are grammatically feminine, while the participle is a masculine form. Perhaps one should emend the participial form to a masculine plural (מִתְרַפִּם, mitrapim) and understand “bulls” or “calves” as the subject.

[68:30]  ²²⁷ tc Heb “with pieces [?] of silver.” The meaning of the Hebrew term רַצֵּי (ratsey) is unclear. It is probably best to emend the text to בֶּצֶר וְכָסֶף (betser vÿkhasef, “[with] gold and silver”).

[68:30]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[68:30]  ²²⁹ tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).

[68:35]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).

[68:35]  ²³¹ tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”

[68:35]  ²³² tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”

[69:14]  ²³³ tn Heb “let me be delivered.”

[69:20]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.

[69:20]  ²³⁵ tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.

[69:20]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “wait.”

[69:20]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.

[70:2]  ²³⁸ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”

[70:2]  ²³⁹ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[70:2]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[70:4]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.

[70:4]  ²⁴¹ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.

[70:4]  ²⁴² tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”

[70:4]  ²⁴³ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.

[81:5]  ²⁴⁴ 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]  ²⁴⁵ 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.

[81:7]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “I answered you in the hidden place of thunder.” This may allude to God’s self-revelation at Mount Sinai, where he appeared in a dark cloud accompanied by thunder (see Exod 19:16).

[81:7]  ²⁴⁷ sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at the place called Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.

[84:3]  ²⁴⁸ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ²⁴⁹ 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.

[84:10]  ²⁵⁰ tn Or “for.”

[84:10]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”

[84:10]  ²⁵² 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]  ²⁵³ tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.

[84:11]  ²⁵⁴ 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]  ²⁵⁵ tn Or “grace.”

[84:11]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”

[88:5]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “set free.”

[88:5]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “from your hand.”

[92:7]  ²⁵⁹ tn Or “flourish.”

[92:7]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “in order that they might be destroyed permanently.”

[92:7]  sn God allows the wicked to prosper temporarily so that he might reveal his justice. When the wicked are annihilated, God demonstrates that wickedness does not pay off.

[102:2]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).

[102:2]  ²⁶² tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[108:8]  ²⁶³ tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.

[108:8]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “the protection of my head.”

[108:8]  sn Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan River. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.

[108:8]  ²⁶⁵ sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.

[140:4]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”

[142:4]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”

[142:4]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”

[142:4]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”

[142:7]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “bring out my life.”

[142:7]  ²⁷² tn Or “gather around.”

[142:7]  ²⁷³ tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.