Mazmur 9:7

9:7 But the Lord ¹  rules ²  forever;

he reigns in a just manner. ³ 

Mazmur 18:24

18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; ⁴ 

he took notice of my blameless behavior. ⁵ 

Mazmur 21:6

21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;

you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence. ⁶ 

Mazmur 22:15

22:15 The roof of my mouth ⁷  is as dry as a piece of pottery;

my tongue sticks to my gums. ⁸ 

You ⁹  set me in the dust of death. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 22:31

22:31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds; ¹¹ 

they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished. ¹² 

Mazmur 23:5

23:5 You prepare a feast before me ¹³ 

in plain sight of my enemies.

You refresh ¹⁴  my head with oil;

my cup is completely full. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 31:8

31:8 You do not deliver me over to the power of the enemy;

you enable me to stand ¹⁶  in a wide open place.

Mazmur 32:4

32:4 For day and night you tormented me; ¹⁷ 

you tried to destroy me ¹⁸  in the intense heat ¹⁹  of summer. ²⁰  (Selah)

Mazmur 32:11

32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!

Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! ²¹ 

Mazmur 33:12

33:12 How blessed ²²  is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession. ²³ 

Mazmur 39:9

39:9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth

because of what you have done. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 41:12

41:12 As for me, you uphold ²⁵  me because of my integrity; ²⁶ 

you allow ²⁷  me permanent access to your presence. ²⁸ 

Mazmur 42:3

42:3 I cannot eat, I weep day and night; ²⁹ 

all day long they say to me, ³⁰  “Where is your God?”

Mazmur 44:10

44:10 You made us retreat ³¹  from the enemy.

Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. ³² 

Mazmur 48:6

48:6 Look at them shake uncontrollably, ³³ 

like a woman writhing in childbirth. ³⁴ 

Mazmur 60:9

60:9 Who will lead me into the fortified city?

Who will bring me to Edom? ³⁵ 

Mazmur 64:9

64:9 and all people will fear. ³⁶ 

They will proclaim ³⁷  what God has done,

and reflect on his deeds.

Mazmur 68:7

68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, ³⁸ 

when you march through the desert, ³⁹  (Selah)

Mazmur 68:9

68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall ⁴⁰  on your chosen people. ⁴¹ 

When they ⁴²  are tired, you sustain them, ⁴³ 

Mazmur 71:24

71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,

for those who want to harm me ⁴⁴  will be embarrassed and ashamed. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 76:5

76:5 The bravehearted ⁴⁶  were plundered; ⁴⁷ 

they “fell asleep.” ⁴⁸ 

All the warriors were helpless. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 77:8

77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?

Has his promise ⁵⁰  failed forever?

Mazmur 79:8

79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! ⁵¹ 

Quickly send your compassion our way, ⁵² 

for we are in serious trouble! ⁵³ 

Mazmur 81:10

81:10 I am the Lord, your God,

the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!’

Mazmur 81:13

81:13 If only my people would obey me! ⁵⁴ 

If only Israel would keep my commands! ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 86:9

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ⁵⁶  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

Mazmur 87:5

87:5 But it is said of Zion’s residents, ⁵⁷ 

“Each one of these ⁵⁸  was born in her,

and the sovereign One ⁵⁹  makes her secure.” ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 88:10

88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?

Do the departed spirits ⁶¹  rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)

Mazmur 89:51

89:51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;

they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. ⁶² 

Mazmur 90:4

90:4 Yes, ⁶³  in your eyes a thousand years

are like yesterday that quickly passes,

or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. ⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 94:23

94:23 He will pay them back for their sin. ⁶⁵ 

He will destroy them because of ⁶⁶  their evil;

the Lord our God will destroy them.

Mazmur 97:8

97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,

the towns ⁶⁷  of Judah are happy,

because of your judgments, O Lord.

Mazmur 102:9

102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, ⁶⁸ 

and mix my drink with my tears, ⁶⁹ 

Mazmur 105:8

105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,

the promise he made ⁷⁰  to a thousand generations –

Mazmur 105:15

105:15 saying, ⁷¹  “Don’t touch my chosen ⁷²  ones!

Don’t harm my prophets!”

Mazmur 108:1

Psalm 108 ⁷³ 

A song, a psalm of David.

108:1 I am determined, ⁷⁴  O God!

I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 111:4-5

111:4 He does ⁷⁶  amazing things that will be remembered; ⁷⁷ 

the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

111:5 He gives ⁷⁸  food to his faithful followers; ⁷⁹ 

he always remembers his covenant. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 115:12

115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, ⁸¹  he will bless ⁸²  –

he will bless the family ⁸³  of Israel,

he will bless the family of Aaron.

Mazmur 118:12

118:12 They surrounded me like bees.

But they disappeared as quickly ⁸⁴  as a fire among thorns. ⁸⁵ 

Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

Mazmur 118:27

118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us. ⁸⁶ 

Tie the offering ⁸⁷  with ropes

to the horns of the altar! ⁸⁸ 

Mazmur 119:10

119:10 With all my heart I seek you.

Do not allow me to stray from your commands!

Mazmur 119:69

119:69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies, ⁸⁹ 

but I observe your precepts with all my heart.

Mazmur 119:73

י (Yod)

119:73 Your hands made me and formed me. ⁹⁰ 

Give me understanding so that I might learn ⁹¹  your commands.

Mazmur 119:90

119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. ⁹² 

You established the earth and it stood firm.

Mazmur 119:118

119:118 You despise ⁹³  all who stray from your statutes,

for they are deceptive and unreliable. ⁹⁴ 

Mazmur 119:168

119:168 I keep your precepts and rules,

for you are aware of everything I do. ⁹⁵ 

Mazmur 136:16

136:16 to the one who led his people through the wilderness,

for his loyal love endures,

Mazmur 138:4

138:4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks ⁹⁶  to you, O Lord,

when they hear the words you speak. ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 139:5

139:5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;

you place your hand on me.

Mazmur 139:14

139:14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. ⁹⁸ 

You knew me thoroughly; ⁹⁹ 

Mazmur 140:12

140:12 I know ¹⁰⁰  that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed

and vindicates the poor. ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 141:1

Psalm 141 ¹⁰² 

A psalm of David.

141:1 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me!

Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!

Mazmur 141:6

141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. ¹⁰³ 

They ¹⁰⁴  will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

Mazmur 149:9

149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies ¹⁰⁵  have been sentenced. ¹⁰⁶ 

All his loyal followers will be vindicated. ¹⁰⁷ 

Praise the Lord!

[9:7]  ¹ tn The construction vav (ו) + subject highlights the contrast between the exalted Lord and his defeated foes (see v. 6).

[9:7]  ² tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, see v. 4). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.

[9:7]  ³ tn Heb “he establishes for justice his throne.”

[18:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “according to my righteousness.”

[18:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.” 2 Sam 22:25 reads “according to my purity before his eyes.” The verbal repetition (compare vv. 20 and 24) sets off vv. 20-24 as a distinct sub-unit within the psalm.

[21:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.

[22:15]  ⁷ tc Heb “my strength” (כֹּחִי, kokhiy), but many prefer to emend the text to חִכִּי (khikiy, “my palate”; cf. NEB, NRSV “my mouth”) assuming that an error of transposition has occurred in the traditional Hebrew text.

[22:15]  ⁸ tn Cf. NEB “my jaw”; NASB, NRSV “my jaws”; NIV “the roof of my mouth.”

[22:15]  ⁹ sn Here the psalmist addresses God and suggests that God is ultimately responsible for what is happening because of his failure to intervene (see vv. 1-2, 11).

[22:15]  ¹⁰ sn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the progressive nature of the action. The psalmist is in the process of dying.

[22:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his righteousness.” Here the noun צִדָקָה (tsidaqah) refers to the Lord’s saving deeds whereby he vindicates the oppressed.

[22:31]  ¹² tn Heb “to a people [to be] born that he has acted.” The words “they will tell” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:5]  ¹³ sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23,” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.

[23:5]  ¹⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.

[23:5]  ¹⁵ tn The rare noun רְַָויָה (rÿvayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.

[31:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “you cause my feet to stand.”

[32:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”

[32:4]  ¹⁸ tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (lÿshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (lÿshuddiy, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.

[32:4]  sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.

[32:4]  ¹⁹ tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”

[32:4]  ²⁰ sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.

[32:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[33:12]  ²² 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; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[33:12]  ²³ tn Heb “inheritance.”

[39:9]  ²⁴ tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).

[41:12]  ²⁵ tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.

[41:12]  ²⁶ sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.

[41:12]  ²⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).

[41:12]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”

[42:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “My tears have become my food day and night.”

[42:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “when [they] say to me all the day.” The suffixed third masculine plural pronoun may have been accidentally omitted from the infinitive בֶּאֱמֹר (be’ÿmor, “when [they] say”). Note the term בְּאָמְרָם (bÿ’omram, “when they say”) in v. 10.

[44:10]  ³¹ tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”

[44:10]  ³² tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).

[48:6]  ³³ tn Heb “trembling seizes them there.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” (BDB 1027 s.v.).

[48:6]  ³⁴ tn Heb “[with] writhing like one giving birth.”

[48:6]  sn The language of vv. 5-6 is reminiscent of Exod 15:15.

[60:9]  ³⁵ sn In v. 9 the psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 8, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation (v. 10, see also v. 1).

[64:9]  ³⁶ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read וַיִּרְאוּ (vayyir’u, “and they will see”) instead of וַיִּירְאוּ (vayyirÿ’u, “and they will proclaim”).

[64:9]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the work of God,” referring to the judgment described in v. 7.

[68:7]  ³⁸ tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).

[68:7]  ³⁹ sn When you march through the desert. Some interpreters think that v. 7 alludes to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and its subsequent travels in the desert. Another option is that v. 7, like v. 8, echoes Judg 5:4, which describes how the God of Sinai marched across the desert regions to do battle with Sisera and his Canaanite army.

[68:9]  ⁴⁰ tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).

[68:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.

[68:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[68:9]  ⁴³ tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[71:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[71:24]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.

[76:5]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).

[76:5]  ⁴⁷ tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).

[76:5]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”

[76:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”

[77:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).

[79:8]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.

[79:8]  ⁵² tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.

[79:8]  ⁵³ tn Heb “for we are very low.”

[81:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “if only my people were listening to me.” The Hebrew particle לוּ (lu, “if not”) introduces a purely hypothetical or contrary to fact condition (see 2 Sam 18:12).

[81:13]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “[and if only] Israel would walk in my ways.”

[86:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “bow down before you.”

[87:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and of Zion it is said.” Another option is to translate, “and to Zion it is said.” In collocation with the Niphal of אָמַר (’amar), the preposition lamed (-לְ) can introduce the recipient of the statement (see Josh 2:2; Jer 4:11; Hos 1:10; Zeph 3:16), carry the nuance “concerning, of” (see Num 23:23), or mean “be named” (see Isa 4:3; 62:4).

[87:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “a man and a man.” The idiom also appears in Esth 1:8. The translation assumes that the phrase refers to each of Zion’s residents, in contrast to the foreigners mentioned in v. 4. Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand this as a reference to each of the nations, including those mentioned in v. 4.

[87:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Traditionally “Most High.”

[87:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and he makes her secure, the Most High.”

[88:10]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).

[89:51]  ⁶² tn Heb “[by] which your enemies, O Lord, taunt, [by] which they taunt [at] the heels of your anointed one.”

[90:4]  ⁶³ tn Or “for.”

[90:4]  ⁶⁴ sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”

[94:23]  ⁶⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.

[94:23]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “in.”

[97:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[102:9]  ⁶⁸ sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).

[102:9]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “weeping.”

[105:8]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.

[105:15]  ⁷¹ tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[105:15]  ⁷² tn Heb “anointed.”

[108:1]  ⁷³ sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).

[108:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.

[108:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“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 (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. 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.”

[111:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “did,” if this refers primarily to the events of the exodus and conquest period (see vv. 6, 9).

[111:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “a memorial he had made for his amazing deeds.”

[111:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.

[111:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[111:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).

[115:12]  ⁸¹ tn Or “remembers us.”

[115:12]  ⁸² tn Another option is to translate the prefixed form of the verb “bless” in vv. 12-13 as a jussive, “may he bless” (see v. 14).

[115:12]  ⁸³ tn Heb “house.”

[118:12]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “were extinguished.”

[118:12]  ⁸⁵ tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.

[118:27]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he has given us light.” This may be an elliptical expression, with “his face” being implied as the object (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19). In this case, “his face has given us light” = “he has smiled on us,” or “he has shown us his favor.” Another option (the one reflected in the translation) is that “light” here symbolizes divine blessing in the form of deliverance. “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Some prefer to repoint the form וְיָאֵר (vÿya’er; vav [ו] conjunctive + jussive) and translate the statement as a prayer, “may he give us light.”

[118:27]  ⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew noun חַג (khag) normally means “festival,” but here it apparently refers metonymically to an offering made at the festival. BDB 291 s.v. חַג 2 interprets the word in this way here, citing as comparable the use of later Hebrew חֲגִיגָה, which can refer to both a festival and a festival offering (see Jastrow 424 s.v. חֲגִיגָה).

[118:27]  ⁸⁸ tn The second half of v. 27 has been translated and interpreted in a variety of ways. For a survey of major views, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 122.

[119:69]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “smear over me a lie.”

[119:73]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “made me and established me.” The two verbs also appear together in Deut 32:6, where God, compared to a father, is said to have “made and established” Israel.

[119:73]  ⁹¹ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:90]  ⁹² tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”

[119:118]  ⁹³ tn The Hebrew verb סָלָה (salah, “to disdain”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:15. Cognate usage in Aramaic and Akkadian, as well as Lam 1:15, suggest it may have a concrete nuance of “to throw away.”

[119:118]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “for their deceit [is] falsehood.”

[119:168]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”

[138:4]  ⁹⁶ tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks…and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.

[138:4]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “the words of your mouth.”

[139:14]  ⁹⁸ tc Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (pala’) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (pala’; see GKC 216 §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the LXX and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 249, 251). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נפלאים, the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (nifla’ot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).

[139:14]  ⁹⁹ tc Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yoda’at), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yada’ta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252.

[140:12]  ¹⁰⁰ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.

[140:12]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”

[141:1]  ¹⁰² sn Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.

[141:6]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.

[141:6]  ¹⁰⁴ tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.

[149:9]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the enemies of the people of God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[149:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “to do against them judgment [that] is written.”

[149:9]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “it is honor for all his godly ones.” The judgment of the oppressive kings will bring vindication and honor to God’s people (see vv. 4-5).