Mazmur 1:2

1:2 Instead ¹  he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; ² 

he meditates on ³  his commands ⁴  day and night.

Mazmur 3:8

3:8 The Lord delivers; ⁵ 

you show favor to your people. ⁶  (Selah)

Mazmur 7:3

7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, ⁷ 

or am guilty of unjust actions, ⁸ 

Mazmur 7:14

7:14 See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,

who conceives destructive plans,

and gives birth to harmful lies – ⁹ 

Mazmur 7:16

7:16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans ¹⁰ 

and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 18:21

18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; ¹² 

I have not rebelled against my God. ¹³ 

Mazmur 18:23

18:23 I was innocent before him,

and kept myself from sinning. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 25:4

25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!

Teach me your paths! ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 26:9

26:9 Do not sweep me away ¹⁶  with sinners,

or execute me along with violent people, ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 26:11

26:11 But I have integrity! ¹⁸ 

Rescue me ¹⁹  and have mercy on me!

Mazmur 33:1

Psalm 33 ²⁰ 

33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!

It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

Mazmur 33:13

33:13 The Lord watches ²¹  from heaven;

he sees all people. ²² 

Mazmur 35:21

35:21 They are ready to devour me; ²³ 

they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” ²⁴ 

Mazmur 37:5

37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! ²⁵ 

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 37:18

37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day ²⁷ 

and they possess a permanent inheritance. ²⁸ 

Mazmur 38:5

38:5 My wounds ²⁹  are infected and starting to smell, ³⁰ 

because of my foolish sins. ³¹ 

Mazmur 41:7

41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; ³² 

they plan ways to harm me.

Mazmur 46:8

46:8 Come! Witness the exploits ³³  of the Lord,

who brings devastation to the earth! ³⁴ 

Mazmur 51:18

51:18 Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! ³⁵ 

Fortify ³⁶  the walls of Jerusalem! ³⁷ 

Mazmur 56:3

56:3 When ³⁸  I am afraid,

I trust in you.

Mazmur 56:11

56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ³⁹  do to me? ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 64:2

64:2 Hide me from the plots of evil men,

from the crowd of evildoers. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 66:5

66:5 Come and witness ⁴²  God’s exploits! ⁴³ 

His acts on behalf of people are awesome! ⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 71:8

71:8 I praise you constantly

and speak of your splendor all day long. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 74:12

74:12 But God has been my ⁴⁶  king from ancient times,

performing acts of deliverance on the earth. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 77:12

77:12 I will think about all you have done;

I will reflect upon your deeds!”

Mazmur 78:12

78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 82:3

82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! ⁴⁹ 

Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!

Mazmur 83:10

83:10 They were destroyed at Endor; ⁵⁰ 

their corpses were like manure ⁵¹  on the ground.

Mazmur 83:17

83:17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified! ⁵² 

May they die in shame! ⁵³ 

Mazmur 91:10

91:10 No harm will overtake ⁵⁴  you;

no illness ⁵⁵  will come near your home. ⁵⁶ 

Mazmur 92:5

92:5 How great are your works, O Lord!

Your plans are very intricate! ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 94:1

Psalm 94 ⁵⁸ 

94:1 O Lord, the God who avenges!

O God who avenges, reveal your splendor! ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 94:4

94:4 They spew out threats ⁶⁰  and speak defiantly;

all the evildoers boast. ⁶¹ 

Mazmur 95:8-9

95:8 He says, ⁶²  “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, ⁶³ 

like they were that day at Massah ⁶⁴  in the wilderness, ⁶⁵ 

95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, ⁶⁶ 

and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.

Mazmur 101:4

101:4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person; ⁶⁷ 

I will not permit ⁶⁸  evil.

Mazmur 105:27

105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, ⁶⁹ 

and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.

Mazmur 106:6

106:6 We have sinned like ⁷⁰  our ancestors; ⁷¹ 

we have done wrong, we have done evil.

Mazmur 106:39

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions. ⁷² 

Mazmur 107:23

107:23 ⁷³ Some traveled on ⁷⁴  the sea in ships,

and carried cargo over the vast waters. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 111:7

111:7 His acts are characterized by ⁷⁶  faithfulness and justice;

all his precepts are reliable. ⁷⁷ 

Mazmur 112:5

112:5 It goes well for the one ⁷⁸  who generously lends money,

and conducts his business honestly. ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 116:12

116:12 How can I repay the Lord

for all his acts of kindness to me?

Mazmur 119:2

119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,

and seek him with all their heart,

Mazmur 119:9

ב (Bet)

119:9 How can a young person ⁸⁰  maintain a pure life? ⁸¹ 

By guarding it according to your instructions! ⁸² 

Mazmur 119:34

119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,

and keep it with all my heart. ⁸³ 

Mazmur 119:38

119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, ⁸⁴ 

which you made to the one who honors you. ⁸⁵ 

Mazmur 119:53

119:53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,

those who reject your law.

Mazmur 119:57

ח (Khet)

119:57 The Lord is my source of security. ⁸⁶ 

I have determined ⁸⁷  to follow your instructions. ⁸⁸ 

Mazmur 119:59

119:59 I consider my actions ⁸⁹ 

and follow ⁹⁰  your rules.

Mazmur 119:63

119:63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers, ⁹¹ 

and to those who keep your precepts.

Mazmur 119:101

119:101 I stay away ⁹²  from the evil path,

so that I might keep your instructions. ⁹³ 

Mazmur 119:126

119:126 It is time for the Lord to act –

they break your law!

Mazmur 119:160

119:160 Your instructions are totally reliable;

all your just regulations endure. ⁹⁴ 

Mazmur 125:4

125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,

to the morally upright! ⁹⁵ 

Mazmur 135:9

135:9 He performed awesome deeds ⁹⁶  and acts of judgment ⁹⁷ 

in your midst, O Egypt,

against Pharaoh and all his servants.

Mazmur 141:9

141:9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,

and the traps the evildoers have set. ⁹⁸ 

Mazmur 143:5

143:5 I recall the old days; ⁹⁹ 

I meditate on all you have done;

I reflect on your accomplishments. ¹⁰⁰ 

Mazmur 145:9

145:9 The Lord is good to all,

and has compassion on all he has made. ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 148:6

148:6 He established them so they would endure; ¹⁰² 

he issued a decree that will not be revoked. ¹⁰³ 

[1:2]  ¹ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead”) introduces a contrast between the sinful behavior depicted in v. 1 and the godly lifestyle described in v. 2.

[1:2]  ² tn Heb “his delight [is] in the law of the Lord.” In light of the following line, which focuses on studying the Lord’s law, one might translate, “he finds pleasure in studying the Lord’s commands.” However, even if one translates the line this way, it is important to recognize that mere study and intellectual awareness are not ultimately what bring divine favor. Study of the law is metonymic here for the correct attitudes and behavior that should result from an awareness of and commitment to God’s moral will; thus “obeying” has been used in the translation rather than “studying.”

[1:2]  ³ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the characteristic behavior described here and lends support to the hyperbolic adverbial phrase “day and night.” The verb הָגָה (hagag) means “to recite quietly; to meditate” and refers metonymically to intense study and reflection.

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Or “his law.”

[3:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “to the Lord [is] deliverance.”

[3:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “upon your people [is] your blessing.” In this context God’s “blessing” includes deliverance/protection, vindication, and sustained life (see Pss 21:3, 6; 24:5).

[7:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “if I have done this.”

[7:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.

[7:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he conceives harm and gives birth to a lie.”

[7:14]  sn Pregnant with wickedness…gives birth to harmful lies. The psalmist metaphorically pictures the typical sinner as a pregnant woman, who is ready to give birth to wicked, destructive schemes and actions.

[7:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his harm [i.e., the harm he conceived for others, see v. 14] returns on his head.”

[7:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and on his forehead his violence [i.e., the violence he intended to do to others] comes down.”

[18:21]  ¹² tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the Lord.” The phrase “ways of the Lord” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.

[18:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical; the idea is, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”

[18:23]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way.

[18:23]  sn Kept myself from sinning. Leading a blameless life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the Lord (see Ps 101).

[25:4]  ¹⁵ sn Teach me your paths. In this context the Lord’s “ways” and “paths” refer to the moral principles which the Lord prescribes for his followers. See vv. 8-10.

[26:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”

[26:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

[26:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and I in my integrity walk.” The psalmist uses the imperfect verbal form to emphasize this is his practice. The construction at the beginning of the verse (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist and the sinners mentioned in vv. 9-10.

[26:11]  ¹⁹ tn Or “redeem me.”

[33:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.

[33:13]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.

[33:13]  ²² tn Heb “all the sons of men.”

[35:21]  ²³ tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.

[35:21]  ²⁴ tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).

[37:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.

[37:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.

[37:18]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the Lord knows the days of the innocent ones.” He “knows” their days in the sense that he is intimately aware of and involved in their daily struggles. He meets their needs and sustains them.

[37:18]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”

[38:5]  ²⁹ sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows.

[38:5]  ³⁰ tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).

[38:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”

[41:7]  ³² tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).

[46:8]  ³³ sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).

[46:8]  ³⁴ tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.

[51:18]  ³⁵ tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”

[51:18]  ³⁶ tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.

[51:18]  ³⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[56:3]  ³⁸ tn Heb “[in] a day.”

[56:11]  ³⁹ tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”

[56:11]  ⁴⁰ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.

[64:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”

[66:5]  ⁴² tn Or “see.”

[66:5]  ⁴³ tn Or “acts” (see Ps 46:8).

[66:5]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “awesome [is] an act toward the sons of man.” It is unclear how the prepositional phrase relates to what precedes. If collocated with “act,” it may mean “on behalf of” or “toward.” If taken with “awesome” (see 1 Chr 16:25; Pss 89:7; 96:4; Zeph 2:11), one might translate “his awesome acts are beyond human comprehension” or “his awesome acts are superior to anything men can do.”

[71:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”

[74:12]  ⁴⁶ tn The psalmist speaks as Israel’s representative here.

[74:12]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “in the midst of the earth.”

[78:12]  ⁴⁸ sn The region of Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta, where the enslaved Israelites lived (see Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek 30:14).

[82:3]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[83:10]  ⁵⁰ sn Endor is not mentioned in the accounts of Gideon’s or Barak’s victories, but both battles took place in the general vicinity of the town. (See Y. Aharoni and M. Avi-Yonah, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, 46, 54.) Because Sisera and Jabin are mentioned in v. 9b, many understand them to be the subject of the verbs in v. 10, though they relate v. 10 to Gideon’s victory, which is referred to in v. 9a, 11. (See, for example, Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 263.)

[83:10]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “they were manure.” In addition to this passage, corpses are compared to manure in 2 Kgs 9:37; Jer 8:2; 9:21; 16:4; 25:33.

[83:17]  ⁵² tn Heb “and may they be terrified to perpetuity.” The Hebrew expression עֲדֵי־עַד (’adey-’ad, “to perpetuity”) can mean “forevermore” (see Pss 92:7; 132:12, 14), but here it may be used hyperbolically, for the psalmist asks that the experience of judgment might lead the nations to recognize (v. 18) and even to seek (v. 16) God.

[83:17]  ⁵³ tn Heb “may they be ashamed and perish.” The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling severe judgment down on his enemies. The strong language of the imprecation seems to run contrary to the positive outcome of divine judgment envisioned in v. 16b. Perhaps the language of v. 17 is overstated for effect. Another option is that v. 16b expresses an ideal, while the strong imprecation of vv. 17-18 anticipates reality. It would be nice if the defeated nations actually pursued a relationship with God, but if judgment does not bring them to that point, the psalmist asks that they be annihilated so that they might at least be forced to acknowledge God’s power.

[91:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “confront.”

[91:10]  ⁵⁵ tn For this sense of the Hebrew term נגע see Ps 38:11.

[91:10]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “your tent.”

[92:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15.

[94:1]  ⁵⁸ sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.

[94:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).

[94:4]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”

[94:4]  ⁶¹ tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (’amar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).

[95:8]  ⁶² tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).

[95:8]  ⁶³ sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.

[95:8]  ⁶⁴ sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).

[95:8]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”

[95:9]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”

[101:4]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).

[101:4]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “know.” The king will not willingly allow perverse individuals to remain in his royal court.

[105:27]  ⁶⁹ tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).

[106:6]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “with.”

[106:6]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).

[106:39]  ⁷² tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).

[107:23]  ⁷³ sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.

[107:23]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “those going down [into].”

[107:23]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”

[111:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”

[111:7]  ⁷⁷ tn That is, fair and for man’s good.

[112:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “man.”

[112:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “he sustains his matters with justice.”

[119:9]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”

[119:9]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “purify his path.”

[119:9]  ⁸² tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

[119:34]  ⁸³ tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.

[119:38]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “word.”

[119:38]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.

[119:57]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “my portion [is] the Lord.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel (see Ps 16:5).

[119:57]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “I said.”

[119:57]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).

[119:59]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “my ways.”

[119:59]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and I turn my feet toward.”

[119:63]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “to all who fear you.”

[119:101]  ⁹² tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”

[119:101]  ⁹³ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural.

[119:160]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “the head of your word is truth, and forever [is] all your just regulation.” The term “head” is used here of the “sum total” of God’s instructions.

[125:4]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[135:9]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).

[135:9]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.

[141:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”

[143:5]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”

[143:5]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “the work of your hands.”

[145:9]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and his compassion is over all his works.”

[148:6]  ¹⁰² tn Or “forever and ever.”

[148:6]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”