Mazmur 5:1

Psalm 5 ¹ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; ²  a psalm of David.

5:1 Listen to what I say, ³  Lord!

Carefully consider my complaint! ⁴ 

Mazmur 11:1

Psalm 11 ⁵ 

For the music director; by David.

11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. ⁶ 

How can you say to me, ⁷ 

“Flee to a mountain like a bird! ⁸ 

Mazmur 14:1

Psalm 14 ⁹ 

For the music director; by David.

14:1 Fools say to themselves, ¹⁰  “There is no God.” ¹¹ 

They sin and commit evil deeds; ¹² 

none of them does what is right. ¹³ 

Mazmur 18:25

18:25 You prove to be loyal ¹⁴  to one who is faithful; ¹⁵ 

you prove to be trustworthy ¹⁶  to one who is innocent. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 19:1

Psalm 19 ¹⁸ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; ¹⁹ 

the sky displays his handiwork. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 20:1

Psalm 20 ²¹ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

20:1 May the Lord answer ²²  you ²³  when you are in trouble; ²⁴ 

may the God of Jacob ²⁵  make you secure!

Mazmur 21:5

21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor; ²⁶ 

you give him majestic splendor. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 27:3

27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,

I do not fear. ²⁸ 

Even when war is imminent, ²⁹ 

I remain confident. ³⁰ 

Mazmur 29:3

29:3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; ³¹ 

the majestic God thunders, ³² 

the Lord appears over the surging water. ³³ 

Mazmur 36:1

Psalm 36 ³⁴ 

For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. ³⁵ 

36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. ³⁶ 

He does not fear God, ³⁷ 

Mazmur 37:37

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ³⁸ 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ³⁹ 

Mazmur 38:19

38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; ⁴⁰ 

those who hate me without cause outnumber me. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 40:1

Psalm 40 ⁴² 

For the music director; By David, a psalm.

40:1 I relied completely ⁴³  on the Lord,

and he turned toward me

and heard my cry for help.

Mazmur 41:1

Psalm 41 ⁴⁴ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

41:1 How blessed ⁴⁵  is the one who treats the poor properly! ⁴⁶ 

When trouble comes, ⁴⁷  the Lord delivers him. ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 42:1

Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)

Psalm 42 ⁴⁹ 

For the music director; a well-written song ⁵⁰  by the Korahites.

42:1 As a deer ⁵¹  longs ⁵²  for streams of water,

so I long ⁵³  for you, O God!

Mazmur 47:1

Psalm 47 ⁵⁴ 

For the music director; by the Korahites; a psalm.

47:1 All you nations, clap your hands!

Shout out to God in celebration! ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 48:1

Psalm 48 ⁵⁶ 

A song, a psalm by the Korahites.

48:1 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise

in the city of our God, ⁵⁷  his holy hill.

Mazmur 48:14--49:1

48:14 For God, our God, is our defender forever! ⁵⁸ 

He guides ⁵⁹  us! ⁶⁰ 

Psalm 49 ⁶¹ 

For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites.

49:1 Listen to this, all you nations!

Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world! ⁶² 

Mazmur 50:3

50:3 Our God approaches and is not silent; ⁶³ 

consuming fire goes ahead of him

and all around him a storm rages. ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 62:1

Psalm 62 ⁶⁵ 

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; ⁶⁶ 

he is the one who delivers me. ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 63:5

63:5 As if with choice meat ⁶⁸  you satisfy my soul. ⁶⁹ 

My mouth joyfully praises you, ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 64:1

Psalm 64 ⁷¹ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

64:1 Listen to me, ⁷²  O God, as I offer my lament!

Protect ⁷³  my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. ⁷⁴ 

Mazmur 66:7

66:7 He rules ⁷⁵  by his power forever;

he watches ⁷⁶  the nations.

Stubborn rebels should not exalt ⁷⁷  themselves. (Selah)

Mazmur 68:15

68:15 The mountain of Bashan ⁷⁸  is a towering mountain; ⁷⁹ 

the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 68:28

68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. ⁸¹ 

O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,

Mazmur 69:17

69:17 Do not ignore ⁸²  your servant,

for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! ⁸³ 

Mazmur 69:31

69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull

with horns and hooves.

Mazmur 70:1

Psalm 70 ⁸⁴ 

For the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. ⁸⁵ 

70:1 O God, please be willing to rescue me! ⁸⁶ 

O Lord, hurry and help me! ⁸⁷ 

Mazmur 71:16

71:16 I will come and tell about ⁸⁸  the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.

I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.

Mazmur 71:19-20

71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; ⁸⁹ 

you have done great things. ⁹⁰ 

O God, who can compare to you? ⁹¹ 

71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, ⁹² 

revive me once again! ⁹³ 

Bring me up once again ⁹⁴  from the depths of the earth!

Mazmur 72:8

72:8 May he rule ⁹⁵  from sea to sea, ⁹⁶ 

and from the Euphrates River ⁹⁷  to the ends of the earth!

Mazmur 76:1

Psalm 76 ⁹⁸ 

For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.

76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah; ⁹⁹ 

in Israel his reputation ¹⁰⁰  is great.

Mazmur 77:16

77:16 The waters ¹⁰¹  saw you, O God,

the waters saw you and trembled. ¹⁰² 

Yes, the depths of the sea ¹⁰³  shook with fear. ¹⁰⁴ 

Mazmur 80:2

80:2 In the sight of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh reveal ¹⁰⁵  your power!

Come and deliver us! ¹⁰⁶ 

Mazmur 81:1

Psalm 81 ¹⁰⁷ 

For the music director; according to the gittith style; ¹⁰⁸  by Asaph.

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

Shout out to the God of Jacob!

Mazmur 83:15

83:15 chase them with your gale winds,

and terrify ¹⁰⁹  them with your windstorm.

Mazmur 84:1

Psalm 84 ¹¹⁰ 

For the music director; according to the gittith style; ¹¹¹  written by the Korahites, a psalm.

84:1 How lovely is the place where you live, ¹¹² 

O Lord who rules over all! ¹¹³ 

Mazmur 86:1

Psalm 86 ¹¹⁴ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ¹¹⁵  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

Mazmur 86:9

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ¹¹⁶  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

Mazmur 88:8

88:8 You cause those who know me to keep their distance;

you make me an appalling sight to them.

I am trapped and cannot get free. ¹¹⁷ 

Mazmur 89:13

89:13 Your arm is powerful,

your hand strong,

your right hand ¹¹⁸  victorious. ¹¹⁹ 

Mazmur 89:24

89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, ¹²⁰ 

and by my name he will win victories. ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 91:14

91:14 The Lord says, ¹²² 

“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;

I will protect him ¹²³  because he is loyal to me. ¹²⁴ 

Mazmur 93:4

93:4 Above the sound of the surging water, ¹²⁵ 

and the mighty waves of the sea,

the Lord sits enthroned in majesty. ¹²⁶ 

Mazmur 97:8

97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,

the towns ¹²⁷  of Judah are happy,

because of your judgments, O Lord.

Mazmur 107:38

107:38 He blessed ¹²⁸  them so that they became very numerous.

He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. ¹²⁹ 

Mazmur 108:6

108:6 Deliver by your power ¹³⁰  and answer me,

so that the ones you love may be safe. ¹³¹ 

Mazmur 110:6

110:6 He executes judgment ¹³²  against ¹³³  the nations;

he fills the valleys with corpses; ¹³⁴ 

he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. ¹³⁵ 

Mazmur 111:1

Psalm 111 ¹³⁶ 

111:1 Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,

in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.

Mazmur 111:6

111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,

giving them a land that belonged to other nations. ¹³⁷ 

Mazmur 136:11

136:11 and led Israel out from their midst,

for his loyal love endures,

Mazmur 137:5

137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

may my right hand be crippled! ¹³⁸ 

Mazmur 138:6

138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,

and recognizes the proud from far away.

Mazmur 139:17

139:17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! ¹³⁹ 

How vast is their sum total! ¹⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 140:1

Psalm 140 ¹⁴¹ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! ¹⁴² 

Protect me from violent men, ¹⁴³ 

Mazmur 145:12

145:12 so that mankind ¹⁴⁴  might acknowledge your mighty acts,

and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.

Mazmur 148:13

148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty extends over the earth and sky.

Mazmur 150:1

Psalm 150 ¹⁴⁵ 

150:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary!

Praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength! ¹⁴⁶ 

[5:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.

[5:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).

[5:1]  ³ tn Heb “my words.”

[5:1]  ⁴ tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.

[11:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.

[11:1]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

[11:1]  ⁷ tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[11:1]  ⁸ tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.

[14:1]  ⁹ sn Psalm 14. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.

[14:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.

[14:1]  ¹¹ sn “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).

[14:1]  ¹² tn Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.

[14:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “there is none that does good.”

[18:25]  ¹⁴ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.

[18:25]  ¹⁵ tn Or “to a faithful follower.” 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).

[18:25]  ¹⁶ tn Or “innocent.”

[18:25]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “a man of innocence.”

[19:1]  ¹⁸ sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.

[19:1]  ¹⁹ sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.

[19:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.

[20:1]  ²¹ sn Psalm 20. The people pray for the king’s success in battle. When the king declares his assurance that the Lord will answer the people’s prayer, they affirm their confidence in God’s enablement.

[20:1]  ²² tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in vv. 1b-5 are interpreted as jussives of prayer (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). Another option is to understand them as imperfects, “the Lord will answer,” etc. In this case the people declare their confidence that the Lord will intervene on behalf of the king and extend to him his favor.

[20:1]  ²³ sn May the Lord answer you. The people address the king as they pray to the Lord.

[20:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “in a day of trouble.”

[20:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the name of the God of Jacob.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his very person and to the divine characteristics suggested by his name, in this case “God of Jacob,” which highlights his relationship to Israel.

[21:5]  ²⁶ tn Or “great glory.”

[21:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.

[27:3]  ²⁸ tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”

[27:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”

[27:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”

[29:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] over the water.” As the next line makes clear, the “voice of the Lord” is here the thunder that accompanies a violent storm. The psalm depicts the Lord in the role of a warrior-king, so the thunder is his battle cry, as it were.

[29:3]  ³² tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the Lord coming in the storm to do battle with his enemies and to vindicate his people.

[29:3]  ³³ tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over the raging waters.

[36:1]  ³⁴ sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.

[36:1]  ³⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.

[36:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Hebrew text of Origen’s Hexapla, and the Syriac.

[36:1]  ³⁷ tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.

[37:37]  ³⁸ tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ³⁹ tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).

[38:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).

[38:19]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “are many.”

[40:1]  ⁴² sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).

[40:1]  ⁴³ tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[41:1]  ⁴⁴ sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).

[41:1]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[41:1]  ⁴⁶ sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.

[41:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).

[41:1]  ⁴⁸ tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the Lord deliver,” see v. 2), but the preceding parallel line is a declaration of fact, not a prayer per se. The imperfect can be taken here as future (“will deliver,” cf. NEB, NASB) or as generalizing (“delivers,” cf. NIV, NRSV). The parallel line, which has a generalizing tone, favors the latter. At the same time, though the psalmist uses a generalizing style here, he clearly has himself primarily in view.

[42:1]  ⁴⁹ sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalms 42 and 43 into a single psalm.

[42:1]  ⁵⁰ 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.

[42:1]  ⁵¹ tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.

[42:1]  ⁵² tn Or “pants [with thirst].”

[42:1]  ⁵³ tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” 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).

[47:1]  ⁵⁴ sn Psalm 47. In this hymn the covenant community praises the Lord as the exalted king of the earth who has given them victory over the nations and a land in which to live.

[47:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Shout to God with [the] sound of a ringing cry!”

[48:1]  ⁵⁶ sn Psalm 48. This so-called “Song of Zion” celebrates the greatness and glory of the Lord’s dwelling place, Jerusalem. His presence in the city elevates it above all others and assures its security.

[48:1]  ⁵⁷ sn The city of our God is Jerusalem, which is also referred to here as “his holy hill,” that is, Zion (see v. 2, as well as Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 87:1; Dan 9:16).

[48:14]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “for this is God, our God, forever and ever.” “This” might be paraphrased, “this protector described and praised in the preceding verses.”

[48:14]  ⁵⁹ tn The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[48:14]  ⁶⁰ tn In the Hebrew text the psalm ends with the words עַל־מוּת (’al-mut, “upon [unto?] dying”), which make little, if any, sense. M. Dahood (Psalms [AB], 1:293) proposes an otherwise unattested plural form עֹלָמוֹת (’olamot; from עוֹלָם, ’olam, “eternity”). This would provide a nice parallel to עוֹלָם וָעֶד (’olam va’ed, “forever”) in the preceding line, but elsewhere the plural of עוֹלָם appears as עֹלָמִים (’olamim). It is preferable to understand the phrase as a musical direction of some sort (see עַל־מוּת [’al-mut] in the superscription of Ps 9) or to emend the text to עַל־עֲלָמוֹת (’al-’alamot, “according to the alamoth style”; see the heading of Ps 46). In either case it should be understood as belonging with the superscription of the following psalm.

[49:1]  ⁶¹ sn Psalm 49. In this so-called wisdom psalm (see v. 3) the psalmist states that he will not fear the rich enemies who threaten him, for despite their wealth, they are mere men who will die like everyone else. The psalmist is confident the Lord will vindicate the godly and protect them from the attacks of their oppressors.

[49:1]  ⁶² tn The rare noun חָלֶד (kheled, “world”) occurs in Ps 17:14 and perhaps also in Isa 38:11 (see the note on “world” there).

[50:3]  ⁶³ tn According to GKC 322 §109.e, the jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al) is used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.”

[50:3]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “fire before him devours, and around him it is very stormy.”

[62:1]  ⁶⁵ sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.

[62:1]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”

[62:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”

[63:5]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “like fat and fatness.”

[63:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “me.”

[63:5]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and [with] lips of joy my mouth praises.”

[64:1]  ⁷¹ sn Psalm 64. The psalmist asks God to protect him from his dangerous enemies and then confidently affirms that God will destroy his enemies and demonstrate his justice in the sight of all observers.

[64:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “my voice.”

[64:1]  ⁷³ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s request.

[64:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “from the terror of [the] enemy.” “Terror” is used here metonymically for the enemy’s attacks that produce fear because they threaten the psalmist’s life.

[66:7]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “[the] one who rules.”

[66:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “his eyes watch.” “Eyes” are an anthropomorphism, attributed to God here to emphasize his awareness of all that happens on earth.

[66:7]  ⁷⁷ tn The verb form is jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al). The Kethib (consonantal text) has a Hiphil form of the verb, apparently to be understood in an exhibitive sense (“demonstrate stubborn rebellion”; see BDB 927 s.v. רוּם Hiph), while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Qal form, to be understood in an intransitive sense. The preposition -לְ (lamed) with pronominal suffix should be understood in a reflexive sense (“for themselves”) and indicates that the action is performed with the interest of the subject in mind.

[68:15]  ⁷⁸ sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.

[68:15]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”

[68:15]  ⁸⁰ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term, which appears only here in the OT, is uncertain. HALOT 174 s.v. גַּבְנוֹן suggests “many-peaked,” while BDB 148 s.v. גַּבְנִן suggests “rounded summit.”

[68:28]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).

[69:17]  ⁸² tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[69:17]  ⁸³ tn Or “quickly.”

[70:1]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.

[71:16]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “I will come with.”

[71:19]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.

[71:19]  sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.

[71:19]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “you who have done great things.”

[71:19]  ⁹¹ tn Or “Who is like you?”

[71:20]  ⁹² tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”

[71:20]  ⁹³ tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[71:20]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[72:8]  ⁹⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.

[72:8]  ⁹⁶ sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.

[72:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.

[76:1]  ⁹⁸ sn Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.

[76:1]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “God is known in Judah.”

[76:1]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[77:16]  ¹⁰¹ tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.

[77:16]  ¹⁰² tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.

[77:16]  ¹⁰³ tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[77:16]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.

[80:2]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”

[80:2]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “come for our deliverance.”

[81:1]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ 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.

[83:15]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 15 express the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[84:1]  ¹¹⁰ sn Psalm 84. The psalmist expresses his desire to be in God’s presence in the Jerusalem temple, for the Lord is the protector of his people.

[84:1]  ¹¹¹ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument.

[84:1]  ¹¹² tn Or “your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the Lord’s special dwelling place (see Pss 43:3; 46:4; 132:5, 7).

[84:1]  ¹¹³ tn Traditionally, “Lord of hosts.” The title draws attention to God’s sovereign position (see Ps 69:6).

[86:1]  ¹¹⁴ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[86:9]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “bow down before you.”

[88:8]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “[I am] confined and I cannot go out.”

[89:13]  ¹¹⁸ sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.

[89:13]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).

[89:24]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”

[89:24]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[91:14]  ¹²² tn The words “the Lord says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the words which follow are the Lord’s oracle of assurance.

[91:14]  ¹²³ tn Or “make him secure” (Heb “set him on high”).

[91:14]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “because he knows my name” (see Ps 9:10).

[93:4]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “mighty waters.”

[93:4]  sn The surging waters here symbolizes the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy the order he has established in the world (see Pss 18:17; 29:3; 32:6; 77:20; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). But the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over these raging waters.

[93:4]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “mighty on high [is] the Lord.”

[97:8]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[107:38]  ¹²⁸ tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).

[107:38]  ¹²⁹ tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).

[108:6]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “right hand.”

[108:6]  ¹³¹ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

[110:6]  ¹³² tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 6-7 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though they could be taken as future.

[110:6]  ¹³³ tn Or “among.”

[110:6]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “he fills [with] corpses,” but one expects a double accusative here. The translation assumes an emendation to גְוִיּוֹת גֵאָיוֹת(בִּ) מִלֵּא or מִלֵּא גֵאָיוֹת גְּוִיוֹת (for a similar construction see Ezek 32:5). In the former case גֵאָיוֹת(ge’ayot) has accidentally dropped from the text due to homoioteleuton; in the latter case it has dropped out due to homoioarcton.

[110:6]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “he strikes [the verb is מָחַץ (makhats), translated “strikes down” in v. 5] head[s] over a great land.” The Hebrew term רַבָּה (rabbah, “great”) is here used of distance or spatial measurement (see 1 Sam 26:13).

[111:1]  ¹³⁶ sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[111:6]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “the strength of his deeds he proclaimed to his people, to give to them an inheritance of nations.”

[137:5]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “may my right hand forget.” In this case one must supply an object, such as “how to move.” The elliptical nature of the text has prompted emendations (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 236). The translation assumes an emendation to תִּכְשַׁח (tikhshakh), from an otherwise unattested root כשׁח, meaning “to be crippled; to be lame.” See HALOT 502 s.v. כשׁח, which cites Arabic cognate evidence in support of the proposal. The corruption of the MT can be explained as an error of transposition facilitated by the use of שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”) just before this.

[139:17]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see HALOT 432 s.v. יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1-6, 17b-18).

[139:17]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.

[140:1]  ¹⁴¹ sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.

[140:1]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).

[140:1]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).

[145:12]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “the sons of man.”

[150:1]  ¹⁴⁵ sn Psalm 150. The Psalter concludes with a resounding call for praise from everything that has breath.

[150:1]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “the sky of his strength.”