Mazmur 78:69

78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; ¹ 

as secure as the earth, which he established permanently. ² 

Mazmur 105:10

105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as a lasting promise, ³ 

Mazmur 146:9

146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;

he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, ⁴ 

but he opposes the wicked. ⁵ 

[78:69]  ¹ tc Heb “and he built like the exalting [ones] his sanctuary.” The phrase כְּמוֹ־רָמִים (kÿmo-ramim, “like the exalting [ones]”) is a poetic form of the comparative preposition followed by a participial form of the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”). The text should be emended to כִּמְרֹמִים (kimromim, “like the [heavenly] heights”). See Ps 148:1, where “heights” refers to the heavens above.

[78:69]  ² tn Heb “like the earth, [which] he established permanently.” The feminine singular suffix on the Hebrew verb יָסַד (yasad, “to establish”) refers to the grammatically feminine noun “earth.”

[105:10]  ³ tn Or “eternal covenant.”

[146:9]  ⁴ sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident aliens, the fatherless, and widows.

[146:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.