Mazmur 102:1-27
KonteksThe prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 2
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 3
Listen to me! 4
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke, 5
and my bones are charred like a fireplace. 6
102:4 My heart is parched 7 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 8 to eat food. 9
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin. 10
102:6 I am like an owl 11 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 12 among the ruins. 13
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses. 15
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, 16
and mix my drink with my tears, 17
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, 18 you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 19
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, 20
and your reputation endures. 21
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 22
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 23 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 24 the dust of her ruins. 25
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 26
and all the kings of the earth will respect 27 his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, 28
and does not reject 29 their request. 30
102:18 The account of his intervention 31 will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; 32
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, 33
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die, 34
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 35 in Jerusalem, 36
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord. 37
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life; 38
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 39
You endure through all generations. 40
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure. 41
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. 42
your years do not come to an end.
Mazmur 130:1-8
KonteksA song of ascents. 45
130:1 From the deep water 46 I cry out to you, O Lord.
130:2 O Lord, listen to me! 47
Pay attention to 48 my plea for mercy!
130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of 49 sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you? 50
130:4 But 51 you are willing to forgive, 52
so that you might 53 be honored. 54
I rely on him with my whole being; 56
I wait for his assuring word. 57
130:6 I yearn for the Lord, 58
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning. 59
130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love, 60
and is more than willing to deliver. 61
130:8 He will deliver 62 Israel
from all the consequences of their sins. 63
Mazmur 140:1--143:12
KonteksFor the music director; a psalm of David.
140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! 65
Protect me from violent men, 66
140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 67
All day long they stir up conflict. 68
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent; 69
a viper’s 70 venom is behind 71 their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power 72 of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over. 73
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men 74 spread a net by the path;
they set traps for me. (Selah)
140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
140:7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, 75
you shield 76 my head in the day of battle.
140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! 77
Do not allow their 78 plan to succeed when they attack! 79 (Selah)
140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me –
may the harm done by 80 their lips overwhelm them!
140:10 May he rain down 81 fiery coals upon them!
May he throw them into the fire!
From bottomless pits they will not escape. 82
140:11 A slanderer 83 will not endure on 84 the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down. 85
140:12 I know 86 that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor. 87
140:13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.
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!
141:2 May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering! 89
141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!
Protect the opening 90 of my lips! 91
141:4 Do not let me have evil desires, 92
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly. 93
I will not eat their delicacies. 94
141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!
May my head not refuse 95 choice oil! 96
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. 97
141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. 98
They 99 will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
141:7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil, 100
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
141:8 Surely I am looking to you, 101 O sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger! 102
141:9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set. 103
141:10 Let the wicked fall 104 into their 105 own nets,
while I escape. 106
A well-written song 108 by David, when he was in the cave; 109 a prayer.
142:1 To the Lord I cry out; 110
to the Lord I plead for mercy. 111
142:2 I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about 112 my troubles.
142:3 Even when my strength leaves me, 113
you watch my footsteps. 114
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
142:4 Look to the right and see!
No one cares about me. 115
I have nowhere to run; 116
no one is concerned about my life. 117
142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security 118 in the land of the living.”
142:6 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble! 119
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
142:7 Free me 120 from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble, 121
for you will vindicate me. 122
A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:2 Do not sit in judgment on 124 your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you. 125
143:3 Certainly 126 my enemies 127 chase me.
They smash me into the ground. 128
They force me to live 129 in dark regions, 130
like those who have been dead for ages.
143:4 My strength leaves me; 131
I am absolutely shocked. 132
143:5 I recall the old days; 133
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments. 134
143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer; 135
my soul thirsts for you in a parched 136 land. 137
143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!
My strength is fading. 138
Do not reject me, 139
or I will join 140 those descending into the grave. 141
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, 142
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, 143
because I long for you. 144
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection. 145
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, 146
for you are my God.
May your kind presence 147
lead me 148 into a level land. 149
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, 150 revive me! 151
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! 152
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 153 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 154 all who threaten my life, 155
for I am your servant.
[102:1] 1 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
[102:1] 2 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
[102:2] 3 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
[102:2] 4 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[102:3] 5 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
[102:3] 6 tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
[102:4] 7 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
[102:4] 9 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
[102:5] 10 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
[102:6] 11 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
[102:6] 12 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
[102:6] 13 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
[102:7] 14 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the
[102:8] 15 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
[102:9] 16 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).
[102:11] 19 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
[102:12] 20 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[102:12] 21 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
[102:13] 22 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
[102:14] 24 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
[102:14] 25 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
[102:15] 26 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
[102:15] 27 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[102:17] 28 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
[102:17] 30 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
[102:18] 31 tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[102:19] 32 tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
[102:19] 33 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] 34 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] 35 tn Heb “his praise.”
[102:21] 36 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[102:22] 37 tn “and the kingdoms to serve the
[102:23] 38 tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
[102:24] 39 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
[102:24] 40 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
[102:26] 42 tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
[102:27] 43 tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the
[130:1] 44 sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.
[130:1] 45 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[130:1] 46 tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.
[130:2] 48 tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”
[130:3] 50 tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”
[130:4] 52 tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”
[130:4] 53 tn Or “consequently you are.”
[130:5] 56 tn Heb “my soul waits.”
[130:6] 58 tn Heb “my soul for the master.”
[130:6] 59 tn Heb “more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.” The words “yes, more” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[130:7] 60 tn Heb “for with the
[130:7] 61 tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”
[130:8] 63 tn The Hebrew noun עָוֹן (’avon) can refer to sin, the guilt sin produces, or the consequences of sin. Only here is the noun collocated with the verb פָּדָה (padah, “to redeem; to deliver”). The psalmist may refer to forgiveness per se (v. 4), but the emphasis in this context is likely on deliverance from the national consequences of sin. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 192.
[140:1] 64 sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
[140:1] 65 tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
[140:1] 66 tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
[140:2] 67 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
[140:2] 68 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
[140:3] 69 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
[140:3] 70 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
[140:4] 73 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
[140:5] 74 tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khovÿlim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
[140:7] 75 tn Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”
[140:8] 77 tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
[140:8] 78 tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).
[140:8] 79 tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).
[140:9] 80 tn Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.
[140:10] 81 tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.
[140:10] 82 tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition -בְּ (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.
[140:11] 83 tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”
[140:11] 84 tn Heb “be established in.”
[140:11] 85 tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.
[140:12] 86 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[140:12] 87 tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”
[141:1] 88 sn Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.
[141:2] 89 tn Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
[141:3] 90 tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
[141:3] 91 sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
[141:4] 92 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
[141:4] 93 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
[141:4] 94 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
[141:5] 95 tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
[141:5] 96 sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
[141:5] 97 tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
[141:6] 98 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] 99 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.
[141:7] 100 tn Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
[141:8] 101 tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
[141:8] 102 tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
[141:9] 103 tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
[141:10] 104 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
[141:10] 106 tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”
[142:1] 107 sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
[142:1] 108 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
[142:1] 109 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
[142:1] 110 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the
[142:1] 111 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the
[142:2] 112 tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
[142:3] 113 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
[142:3] 114 tn Heb “you know my path.”
[142:4] 115 tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
[142:4] 116 tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
[142:4] 117 tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
[142:5] 118 tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the
[142:6] 119 tn Heb “for I am very low.”
[142:7] 120 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
[142:7] 121 tn Or “gather around.”
[142:7] 122 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
[143:1] 123 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
[143:2] 124 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
[143:2] 125 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
[143:3] 127 tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).
[143:3] 128 tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”
[143:3] 130 sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).
[143:4] 131 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
[143:4] 132 tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.
[143:5] 133 tn Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”
[143:5] 134 tn Heb “the work of your hands.”
[143:6] 135 tn The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
[143:6] 136 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
[143:6] 137 tc Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition -כְּ (kÿ, “like”) to -בְּ (bÿ, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. NEB “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the MT is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[143:7] 138 tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”
[143:7] 139 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[143:7] 140 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
[143:7] 141 tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
[143:8] 142 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.
[143:8] sn The morning is sometimes viewed as the time of divine intervention (see Pss 30:5; 59:16; 90:14).
[143:8] 143 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
[143:8] 144 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (na’as nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
[143:9] 145 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (כ) and nun (נ) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.
[143:10] 146 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
[143:10] 147 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
[143:10] 148 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
[143:10] 149 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
[143:11] 150 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[143:11] 151 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
[143:11] 152 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
[143:12] 153 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
[143:12] 154 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
