Mazmur 9:18

9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, ¹ 

the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. ² 

Mazmur 12:5

12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, ³ 

because of the painful cries ⁴  of the needy,

I will spring into action,” ⁵  says the Lord.

“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” ⁶ 

Mazmur 102:19-21

102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; ⁷ 

from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, ⁸ 

102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,

and to set free those condemned to die, ⁹ 

102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,

and praise him ¹⁰  in Jerusalem, ¹¹ 

Mazmur 109:22

109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,

and my heart beats violently within me. ¹² 

[9:18]  ¹ tn Or “forgotten.”

[9:18]  ² tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.

[12:5]  ³ tn The term translated “oppressed” is an objective genitive; the oppressed are the recipients/victims of violence.

[12:5]  ⁴ tn Elsewhere in the psalms this noun is used of the painful groans of prisoners awaiting death (79:11; 102:20). The related verb is used of the painful groaning of those wounded in combat (Jer 51:52; Ezek 26:15) and of the mournful sighing of those in grief (Ezek 9:4; 24:17).

[12:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “I will rise up.”

[12:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will place in deliverance, he pants for it.” The final two words in Hebrew (יָפִיחַ לוֹ, yafiakh lo) comprise an asyndetic relative clause, “the one who pants for it.” “The one who pants” is the object of the verb “place” and the antecedent of the pronominal suffix (in the phrase “for it”) is “deliverance.” Another option is to translate, “I will place in deliverance the witness for him,” repointing יָפִיחַ (a Hiphil imperfect from פּוּחַ, puakh, “pant”) as יָפֵחַ (yafeakh), a noun meaning “witness.” In this case the Lord would be promising protection to those who have the courage to support the oppressed in the court of law. However, the first part of the verse focuses on the oppressed, not their advocates.

[102:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”

[102:19]  ⁸ tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.

[102:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.

[102:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his praise.”

[102:21]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[109:22]  ¹² 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”).