Mazmur 1:4

1:4 Not so with the wicked!

Instead ¹  they are like wind-driven chaff. ² 

Mazmur 73:11

73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?

Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” ³ 

Mazmur 115:15

115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

the creator ⁴  of heaven and earth!

Mazmur 119:123

119:123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, ⁵ 

for your reliable promise to be fulfilled. ⁶ 

Mazmur 119:162

119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,

like one who finds much plunder. ⁷ 

Mazmur 120:4

120:4 Here’s how! ⁸  With the sharp arrows of warriors,

with arrowheads forged over the hot coals. ⁹ 

Mazmur 124:8

124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord, ¹⁰ 

the Creator ¹¹  of heaven and earth.

Mazmur 137:9

137:9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies

and smashes them on a rock! ¹² 

Mazmur 144:4

144:4 People ¹³  are like a vapor,

their days like a shadow that disappears. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 146:3

146:3 Do not trust in princes,

or in human beings, who cannot deliver! ¹⁵ 

[1:4]  ¹ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead,” cf. v. 2) introduces a contrast between the prosperity of the godly depicted in v. 3 and the destiny of the wicked described in v. 4.

[1:4]  ² tn Heb “[they are] like the chaff which [the] wind blows about.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.

[1:4]  sn Wind-driven chaff. In contrast to the well-rooted and productive tree described in v. 3, the wicked are like a dried up plant that has no root system and is blown away by the wind. The simile describes the destiny of the wicked (see vv. 5-6).

[73:11]  ³ tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).

[115:15]  ⁴ tn Or “maker.”

[119:123]  ⁵ tn Heb “my eyes fail for your deliverance.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See the similar phrase in v. 82.

[119:123]  ⁶ tn Heb “and for the word of your faithfulness.”

[119:162]  ⁷ tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.

[120:4]  ⁸ tn The words “here’s how” are supplied in the translation as a clarification. In v. 4 the psalmist answers the question he raises in v. 3.

[120:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “with coals of the wood of the broom plant.” The wood of the broom plant was used to make charcoal, which in turn was used to fuel the fire used to forge the arrowheads.

[124:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “our help [is] in the name of the Lord.”

[124:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “Maker.”

[137:9]  ¹² sn For other references to the wholesale slaughter of babies in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, see 2 Kgs 8:12; Isa 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10.

[144:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “man,” or “mankind.”

[144:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.

[146:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”