Mazmur 35:1-28
KonteksBy David.
35:1 O Lord, fight 2 those who fight with me!
Attack those who attack me!
35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield, 3
and rise up to help me!
35:3 Use your spear and lance 4 against 5 those who chase me!
Assure me with these words: 6 “I am your deliverer!”
35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!
May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! 7
35:5 May they be 8 like wind-driven chaff,
as the Lord’s angel 9 attacks them! 10
35:6 May their path be 11 dark and slippery,
as the Lord’s angel chases them!
35:7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me
and dug a pit to trap me. 12
35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise! 13
Let the net they hid catch them!
Let them fall into destruction! 14
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance. 15
35:10 With all my strength I will say, 16
“O Lord, who can compare to you?
You rescue 17 the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; 18
the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” 19
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, 20
and falsely accuse me. 21
35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; 22
I am overwhelmed with sorrow. 23
35:13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, 24
and refrained from eating food. 25
(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) 26
35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. 27
I bowed down 28 in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. 29
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me. 30
They tore at me without stopping to rest. 31
35:16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, 32
and tried to bite me. 33
35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? 34
Rescue 35 me 36 from their destructive attacks;
guard my life 37 from the young lions!
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 38
I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 39
35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason 40 gloat 41 over me!
Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! 42
35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, 43
but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. 44
35:21 They are ready to devour me; 45
they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” 46
35:22 But you take notice, 47 Lord!
O Lord, do not remain far away from me!
35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up 48 and vindicate me! 49
My God and Lord, defend my just cause! 50
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat 51 over me!
35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, 52 “Aha! We have what we wanted!” 53
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 54
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 55
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, 56 “May the Lord be praised, 57 for he wants his servant to be secure.” 58
35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice, 59
and praise you all day long. 60
Mazmur 69:1-36
KonteksFor the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 62 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 63
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 64
I am in 65 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 66
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 67
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 68 outnumber me. 69
They make me repay what I did not steal! 70
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 71
my guilt is not hidden from you. 72
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 73
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 74 humiliation for your sake 75
and am thoroughly disgraced. 76
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 77
69:9 Certainly 78 zeal for 79 your house 80 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 81
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 82
which causes others to insult me. 83
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 84
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 85
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 86
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 87
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 88 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 89 devour me! 90
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 91
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 92 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 93
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 94
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 95
69:20 Their insults are painful 96 and make me lose heart; 97
I look 98 for sympathy, but receive none, 99
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 100 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 101
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 102
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 103
Make them shake violently! 104
69:24 Pour out your judgment 105 on them!
May your raging anger 106 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 107
69:26 For they harass 108 the one whom you discipline; 109
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 110
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 111
Do not vindicate them! 112
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 113
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 114
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 115
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 116
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 117
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 118 may you be encouraged! 119
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 120
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 121 will again live in them and possess Zion. 122
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 123 will live in it. 124
Mazmur 109:1-31
KonteksFor the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 126
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 127
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 128
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 129
but I continue to pray. 130
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 131
and hate for love.
109:6 132 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 133
May an accuser stand 134 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 135 guilty! 136
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few! 137
May another take his job! 138
109:9 May his children 139 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 140 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 141
109:11 May the creditor seize 142 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 143
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 144
May no one have compassion 145 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 146 be cut off! 147
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 148
109:14 May his ancestors’ 149 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 150
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 151
and cut off the memory of his children 152 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 153
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 154
109:17 He loved to curse 155 others, so those curses have come upon him. 156
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 157
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 158
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 159
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 160
or a belt 161 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 162
those who say evil things about 163 me! 164
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 165
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 166
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 167
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 168
I have turned into skin and bones. 169
109:25 I am disdained by them. 170
When they see me, they shake their heads. 171
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 172
109:27 Then they will realize 173 this is your work, 174
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 175
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 176
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 177 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 178
in the middle of a crowd 179 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 180 his life.
Mazmur 137:1-9
Konteks137:1 By the rivers of Babylon
we sit down and weep 182
when we remember Zion.
137:2 On the poplars in her midst
we hang our harps,
137:3 for there our captors ask us to compose songs; 183
those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: 184
“Sing for us a song about Zion!” 185
137:4 How can we sing a song to the Lord
in a foreign land?
137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand be crippled! 186
137:6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
and do not give Jerusalem priority
over whatever gives me the most joy. 187
137:7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell. 188
They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, 189
right to its very foundation!”
137:8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! 190
How blessed will be the one who repays you
for what you dished out to us! 191
137:9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies
and smashes them on a rock! 192
[35:1] 1 sn Psalm 35. The author, who faces ruthless enemies who seek his life for no reason, begs the Lord to fight his battles for him and to vindicate him by annihilating his adversaries.
[35:2] 3 tn Two different types of shields are mentioned here. See also Ezek 38:4. Many modern translations render the first term (translated here “small shield”) as “buckler” (cf. NASB “buckler and shield”; the order is often reversed in the translation, apparently for stylistic reasons: cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “shield and buckler”). The English term “buckler,” referring to a small round shield held on the arm to protect the upper body, is unfamiliar to many modern readers, so the term “small shield” was used in the present translation for clarity.
[35:3] 4 tn Or “javelin.” On the meaning of this word, which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, see M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:210-11.
[35:3] 5 tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”
[35:3] 6 tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”
[35:4] 7 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See also the distinct jussive form in v. 6.
[35:5] 8 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.
[35:5] 9 sn See the mention of the
[35:5] 10 tn Heb “as the
[35:6] 11 tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[35:7] 12 tc Heb “for without cause they hid for me a pit of their net, without cause they dug for my life.” It appears that the words “pit” and “net” have been transposed. “Net” goes with the verb “hid” in the first line (see v. 8, as well as Pss 9:15; 31:4), while “pit” goes with the verb “dug” in the second line (see Ps 7:15).
[35:8] 13 tn Heb “let destruction [which] he does not know come to him.” The singular is used of the enemy in v. 8, probably in a representative or collective sense. The psalmist has more than one enemy, as vv. 1-7 make clear.
[35:8] 14 tn The psalmist’s prayer for his enemies’ demise continues. See vv. 4-6.
[35:9] 15 tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the
[35:10] 16 tn Heb “all my bones will say.”
[35:10] 17 tn Heb “[the one who] rescues.” The substantival participle in the Hebrew text characterizes God as one who typically rescues the oppressed.
[35:10] 18 tn Heb “from [the one who is] too strong for him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense. The typical oppressed individual and typical oppressor are in view.
[35:10] 19 tn Heb “the oppressed [one] and needy [one] from [the one who] robs him.” As in the previous line, the singular forms are used in a representative sense.
[35:11] 20 tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”
[35:11] 21 tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”
[35:12] 22 tn Heb “they repay me evil instead of good.”
[35:12] 23 tn Heb “[there is] bereavement to my soul.”
[35:13] 24 tn Heb “as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.” Sackcloth was worn by mourners. When the psalmist’s enemies were sick, he was sorry for their misfortune and mourned for them.
[35:13] 25 sn Fasting was also a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities, such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[35:13] 26 tn Heb “and my prayer upon my chest will return.” One could translate, “but my prayer was returning upon my chest,” but the use of the imperfect verbal form sets this line apart from the preceding and following lines (vv. 13a, 14), which use the perfect to describe the psalmist’s past actions.
[35:14] 27 tn Heb “like a friend, like a brother to me I walked about.”
[35:14] 28 sn I bowed down. Bowing down was a posture for mourning. See Ps 38:6.
[35:14] 29 tn Heb “like mourning for a mother [in] sorrow I bowed down.”
[35:15] 30 tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).
[35:15] 31 tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.
[35:16] 32 tc The MT reads “as profane [ones] of mockers of food,” which is nonsensical. The present translation assumes (1) an emendation of בְּחַנְפֵי (bÿkhanfey, “as profane men”) to בְּחַנְפִי (bekhanfiy, “when I tripped”; preposition + Qal infinitive construct from II חָנַף [“limp”] + first common singular pronominal suffix) and (2) an emendation of לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג (la’agey ma’og, “mockers of food”) to עָגוּ[ם]לַעְגָּ (la’gam ’agu, “[with] taunting they taunted”; masculine plural noun with enclitic mem + Qal perfect third common plural from לַּעַג [la’ag, “taunt”]).
[35:16] 33 tn Heb “gnashing at me with their teeth.” The infinitive absolute adds a complementary action – they gnashed with their teeth as they taunted.
[35:17] 34 tn Heb “O Lord, how long will you see?”
[35:17] 35 tn Heb “bring back, restore.”
[35:17] 37 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone (see Ps 22:20). The verb “guard” is supplied in the translation, because the verb “rescue” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[35:18] 38 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.
[35:18] 39 tn Heb “among numerous people.”
[35:19] 40 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).
[35:19] 42 tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).
[35:20] 43 tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”
[35:20] 44 tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.
[35:21] 45 tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.
[35:21] 46 tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).
[35:22] 47 tn Heb “you see, O
[35:23] 48 sn Though he is confident that the Lord is aware of his situation (see v. 22a), the psalmist compares the Lord’s inactivity to sleep and urges him to wake up.
[35:23] 49 tn Heb “for my justice.”
[35:23] 50 tn Heb “for my cause.”
[35:25] 52 tn Heb “in their heart[s].”
[35:25] 53 tn Heb “Aha! Our desire!” The “desire” of the psalmist’s enemies is to triumph over him.
[35:26] 54 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”
[35:26] 55 tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.
[35:27] 56 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).
[35:27] 57 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[35:27] 58 tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”
[35:28] 59 tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”
[35:28] 60 tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[69:1] 61 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 62 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 63 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 64 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 65 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 66 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 67 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 68 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 69 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 70 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:4] sn They make me repay what I did not steal. The psalmist’s enemies falsely accuse him and hold him accountable for alleged crimes he did not even commit.
[69:5] 71 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 72 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 73 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 74 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 75 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 76 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 77 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 78 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 79 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 80 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 81 tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”
[69:9] sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.
[69:10] 82 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 83 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 84 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 85 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 86 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 87 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 88 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 89 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 90 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 91 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 92 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).
[69:18] 94 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 95 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 96 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 97 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 99 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 100 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 101 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 102 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 103 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 104 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 105 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 106 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971), 17-81.
[69:25] 107 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:25] sn In Acts 1:20 Peter applies the language of this verse to Judas’ experience. By changing the pronouns from plural to singular, he is able to apply the ancient curse, pronounced against the psalmist’s enemies, to Judas in particular.
[69:26] 108 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 109 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 110 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:26] sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
[69:27] 111 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 112 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 113 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] sn The phrase the scroll of the living occurs only here in the OT. It pictures a scroll or census list containing the names of the citizens of a community. When an individual died, that person’s name was removed from the list. So this curse is a very vivid way of asking that the enemies die.
[69:28] 114 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:28] sn Do not let their names be listed with the godly. This curse pictures a scroll in which God records the names of his loyal followers. The psalmist makes the point that his enemies have no right to be included in this list of the godly.
[69:29] 115 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 116 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 117 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 118 sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).
[69:32] 119 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 120 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 121 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 122 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 123 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 124 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[109:1] 125 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 126 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 127 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 128 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 129 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 130 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 131 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 132 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 133 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 134 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 135 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 136 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 137 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
[109:8] 138 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 141 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 142 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 143 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 144 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 145 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 146 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 147 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 148 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 149 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 150 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:14] sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
[109:15] 151 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 152 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 153 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 154 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 155 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 156 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 157 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 158 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 159 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 160 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 161 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 162 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 164 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 165 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 166 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
[109:23] 167 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 168 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 169 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 170 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 171 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 172 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 173 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 174 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 175 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 176 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 177 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 178 tn Heb “I will thank the
[137:1] 181 sn Psalm 137. The Babylonian exiles lament their condition, vow to remain loyal to Jerusalem, and appeal to God for revenge on their enemies.
[137:1] 182 tn Heb “there we sit down, also we weep.”
[137:3] 183 tn Heb “ask us [for] the words of a song.”
[137:3] 184 tn Heb “our [?] joy.” The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew phrase תוֹלָלֵינוּ (tolalenu, “our [?]”) are uncertain. A derivation from תָּלַל (talal, “to mock”) fits contextually, but this root occurs only in the Hiphil stem. For a discussion of various proposals, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 236.
[137:3] 185 tn Heb “from a song of Zion.” Most modern translations read, “one of the songs of Zion,” taking the preposition מִן (min, “from”) as partitive and “song” as collective. The present translation assumes the mem (ם) is enclitic, being misunderstood later as the prefixed preposition.
[137:5] 186 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.
[137:6] 187 tn Heb “if I do not lift up Jerusalem over the top of my joy.”
[137:7] 188 tn Heb “remember, O
[137:7] 189 tn Heb “lay [it] bare, lay [it] bare.”
[137:8] 190 tn Heb “O devastated daughter of Babylon.” The psalmist dramatically anticipates Babylon’s demise.
[137:8] 191 tn Heb “O the happiness of the one who repays you your wage which you paid to us.”
[137:9] 192 sn For other references to the wholesale slaughter of babies in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, see 2 Kgs 8:12; Isa 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10.
