105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 1
135:12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
as an inheritance to Israel his people.
136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant,
for his loyal love endures,
147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
Book 3
(Psalms 73-89)
A psalm by Asaph.
73:1 Certainly God is good to Israel, 3
and to those whose motives are pure! 4
81:4 For observing the festival is a requirement for Israel; 5
it is an ordinance given by the God of Jacob.
122:4 The tribes go up 6 there, 7
the tribes of the Lord,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the Lord. 8
1 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
2 sn Psalm 73. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist offers a personal testimony of his struggle with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. As he observed evil men prosper, he wondered if a godly lifestyle really pays off. In the midst of his discouragement, he reflected upon spiritual truths and realities. He was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. God will eventually vindicate his people.
3 tn Since the psalm appears to focus on an individual’s concerns, not the situation of Israel, this introduction may be a later addition designed to apply the psalm’s message to the entire community. To provide a better parallel with the next line, some emend the Hebrew phrase לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים (lÿyisra’el ’elohim, “to Israel, God”) to אֱלֹהִים [or אֵל] לָיָּשָׁר (’elohim [or ’el] lÿyyashar, “God [is good] to the upright one”).
4 tn Heb “to the pure of heart.”
5 tn Heb “because a statute for Israel [is] it.”
6 tn Or “went up.”
7 tn Heb “which is where the tribes go up.”
8 tn Heb “[it is] a statute for Israel to give thanks to the name of the