Mazmur 11:4

11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; ¹ 

the Lord’s throne is in heaven. ² 

His eyes ³  watch; ⁴ 

his eyes ⁵  examine ⁶  all people. ⁷ 

Mazmur 30:12

30:12 So now ⁸  my heart ⁹  will sing to you and not be silent;

O Lord my God, I will always ¹⁰  give thanks to you.

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ¹¹  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ¹² 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 92:1

Psalm 92 ¹³ 

A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.

92:1 It is fitting ¹⁴  to thank the Lord,

and to sing praises to your name, O sovereign One! ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 127:1

Psalm 127 ¹⁶ 

A song of ascents, ¹⁷  by Solomon.

127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, ¹⁸ 

then those who build it work in vain.

If the Lord does not guard a city, ¹⁹ 

then the watchman stands guard in vain.

Mazmur 142:1

Psalm 142 ²⁰ 

A well-written song ²¹  by David, when he was in the cave; ²²  a prayer.

142:1 To the Lord I cry out; ²³ 

to the Lord I plead for mercy. ²⁴ 

[11:4]  ¹ tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The Lord’s heavenly temple is in view here (see Mic 1:2-4).

[11:4]  ² sn The Lord’s throne is in heaven. The psalmist is confident that the Lord reigns as sovereign king, “keeps an eye on” all people, and responds in a just manner to the godly and wicked.

[11:4]  ³ sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.

[11:4]  ⁴ tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the Lord’s characteristic activity.

[11:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “eyelids.”

[11:4]  ⁶ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.

[11:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “test the sons of men.”

[30:12]  ⁸ tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”

[30:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “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 (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. 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.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.

[30:12]  ¹⁰ tn Or “forever.”

[84:3]  ¹¹ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ¹² tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”

[84:3]  sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.

[92:1]  ¹³ sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.

[92:1]  ¹⁴ tn Or “good.”

[92:1]  ¹⁵ tn Traditionally “O Most High.”

[127:1]  ¹⁶ sn Psalm 127. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist teaches that one does not find security by one’s own efforts, for God alone gives stability and security.

[127:1]  ¹⁷ 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.

[127:1]  ¹⁸ sn The expression build a house may have a double meaning here. It may refer on the surface level to a literal physical structure in which a family lives, but at a deeper, metaphorical level it refers to building, perpetuating, and maintaining a family line. See Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 2:35; 2 Sam 7:27; 1 Kgs 11:38; 1 Chr 17:10, 25. Having a family line provided security in ancient Israel.

[127:1]  ¹⁹ sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.

[142:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.

[142:1]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”

[142:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”