Mazmur 47:7

47:7 For God is king of the whole earth!

Sing a well-written song! ¹ 

Mazmur 81:1

Psalm 81 ² 

For the music director; according to the gittith style; ³  by Asaph.

81:1 Shout for joy to God, our source of strength!

Shout out to the God of Jacob!

Mazmur 83:1

Psalm 83 ⁴ 

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not be silent!

Do not ignore us! ⁵  Do not be inactive, O God!

Mazmur 61:1

Psalm 61 ⁶ 

For the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.

61:1 O God, hear my cry for help!

Pay attention to my prayer!

Mazmur 54:4

54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! ⁷ 

The Lord is among those who support me. ⁸ 

Mazmur 67:7

67:7 May God bless us! ⁹ 

Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 54:2

54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!

Pay attention to what I say! ¹¹ 

Mazmur 70:1

Psalm 70 ¹² 

For the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. ¹³ 

70:1 O God, please be willing to rescue me! ¹⁴ 

O Lord, hurry and help me! ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 5:2

5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,

my king and my God,

for I am praying to you!

Mazmur 22:10

22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; ¹⁶ 

from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 56:11

56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ¹⁸  do to me? ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 57:2

57:2 I cry out for help to the sovereign God, ²⁰ 

to the God who vindicates ²¹  me.

Mazmur 18:31

18:31 Indeed, ²²  who is God besides the Lord?

Who is a protector ²³  besides our God? ²⁴ 

Mazmur 67:6

67:6 The earth yields its crops.

May God, our God, bless us!

Mazmur 47:8

47:8 God reigns ²⁵  over the nations!

God sits on his holy throne!

Mazmur 7:11

7:11 God is a just judge;

he is angry throughout the day. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 62:11

62:11 God has declared one principle;

two principles I have heard: ²⁷ 

God is strong, ²⁸ 

Mazmur 18:46

18:46 The Lord is alive! ²⁹ 

My protector ³⁰  is praiseworthy! ³¹ 

The God who delivers me ³²  is exalted as king! ³³ 

[47:7]  ¹ 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 also occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142. Here, in a context of celebration, the meaning “skillful, well-written” would fit particularly well.

[81:1]  ² sn Psalm 81. The psalmist calls God’s people to assemble for a festival and then proclaims God’s message to them. The divine speech (vv. 6-16) recalls how God delivered the people from Egypt, reminds Israel of their rebellious past, expresses God’s desire for his people to obey him, and promises divine protection in exchange for obedience.

[81:1]  ³ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument. See the superscription to Ps 8.

[83:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.

[83:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[61:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.

[54:4]  ⁷ tn Or “my helper.”

[54:4]  ⁸ tn Or “sustain my life.”

[67:7]  ⁹ tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.

[67:7]  ¹⁰ 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.”

[54:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”

[70:1]  ¹² sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.

[70:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).

[70:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “Lord” rather than “God.”

[70:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.

[22:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”

[22:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”

[22:10]  sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).

[56:11]  ¹⁸ tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”

[56:11]  ¹⁹ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.

[57:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “to God Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.

[57:2]  ²¹ tn Or “avenges in favor of.”

[18:31]  ²² tn Or “for.”

[18:31]  ²³ tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of divine protection. See v. 2, where the Hebrew term צוּר (tsur) is translated “rocky summit.”

[18:31]  ²⁴ tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the Lord is the only true God and reliable source of protection. See also Deut 32:39, where the Lord affirms that he is the only true God. Note as well the emphasis on his role as protector (Heb “rocky cliff,” צוּר, tsur) in Deut 32:4, 15, 17-18, 30.

[47:8]  ²⁵ tn When a new king was enthroned, his followers would acclaim him king using this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3ms מָלַךְ, malakh, “to reign,” followed by the name of the king). See 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13, as well as Isa 52:7. In this context the perfect verbal form is generalizing, but the declaration logically follows the historical reference in v. 5 to the Lord’s having ascended his throne.

[7:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “God (the divine name אֵל [’el] is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb זֹעֵם (zo’em) means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice leads him to prepare to execute judgment as described in the following verses.

[62:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “one God spoke, two which I heard.” This is a numerical saying utilizing the “x” followed by “x + 1” pattern to facilitate poetic parallelism. (See W. M. W. Roth, Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament [VTSup], 55-56.) As is typical in such sayings, a list corresponding to the second number (in this case “two”) follows. Another option is to translate, “God has spoken once, twice [he has spoken] that which I have heard.” The terms אַחַת (’akhat, “one; once”) and שְׁתַּיִם (shÿtayim, “two; twice”) are also juxtaposed in 2 Kgs 6:10 (where they refer to an action that was done more than “once or twice”) and in Job 33:14 (where they refer to God speaking “one way” and then in “another manner”).

[62:11]  ²⁸ tn Heb “that strength [belongs] to God.”

[18:46]  ²⁹ tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the Lord lives,” but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the Lord’s active presence and intervention. In contrast to pagan deities, he demonstrates he is the living God by rescuing and empowering the psalmist.

[18:46]  ³⁰ tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.

[18:46]  ³¹ tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”

[18:46]  ³² tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”

[18:46]  ³³ tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).