Mazmur 89:29-36

89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, ¹ 

and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. ² 

89:30 If his sons reject my law

and disobey my regulations,

89:31 if they break ³  my rules

and do not keep my commandments,

89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, ⁴ 

their sin by inflicting them with bruises. ⁵ 

89:33 But I will not remove ⁶  my loyal love from him,

nor be unfaithful to my promise. ⁷ 

89:34 I will not break ⁸  my covenant

or go back on what I promised. ⁹ 

89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,

I will never deceive ¹⁰  David.

89:36 His dynasty will last forever. ¹¹ 

His throne will endure before me, like the sun, ¹² 

[89:29]  ¹ tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”

[89:29]  ² tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”

[89:31]  ³ tn Or “desecrate.”

[89:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”

[89:32]  sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).

[89:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “with blows their sin.”

[89:33]  ⁶ tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.

[89:33]  ⁷ tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”

[89:34]  ⁸ tn Or “desecrate.”

[89:34]  ⁹ tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”

[89:35]  ¹⁰ tn Or “lie to.”

[89:36]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his offspring forever will be.”

[89:36]  ¹² tn Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”