Mazmur 12:5

12:5 “Because of the violence done to the oppressed, ¹ 

because of the painful cries ²  of the needy,

I will spring into action,” ³  says the Lord.

“I will provide the safety they so desperately desire.” ⁴ 

Mazmur 18:50

18:50 He ⁵  gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ⁶ 

he is faithful ⁷  to his chosen ruler, ⁸ 

to David and his descendants ⁹  forever.” ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 31:2

31:2 Listen to me! ¹¹ 

Quickly deliver me!

Be my protector and refuge, ¹² 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ¹³ 

Mazmur 35:27

35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!

May they continually say, ¹⁴  “May the Lord be praised, ¹⁵  for he wants his servant to be secure.” ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 40:17

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ¹⁷ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ¹⁸ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

[12:5]  ¹ tn The term translated “oppressed” is an objective genitive; the oppressed are the recipients/victims of violence.

[12:5]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “I will rise up.”

[12:5]  ⁴ 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.

[18:50]  ⁵ tn Or “the one who.”

[18:50]  ⁶ tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.

[18:50]  ⁷ tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”

[18:50]  ⁸ tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.

[18:50]  ⁹ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[18:50]  ¹⁰ sn If David is the author of the psalm (see the superscription), then he here anticipates that God will continue to demonstrate loyalty to his descendants who succeed him. If the author is a later Davidic king, then he views the divine favor he has experienced as the outworking of God’s faithful promises to David his ancestor.

[31:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[31:2]  ¹² tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”

[31:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”

[35:27]  ¹⁴ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).

[35:27]  ¹⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.”

[35:27]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”

[40:17]  ¹⁷ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ¹⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).