Mazmur 27:1-14
KonteksBy David.
27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! 2
I fear no one! 3
The Lord protects my life!
I am afraid of no one! 4
27:2 When evil men attack me 5
to devour my flesh, 6
when my adversaries and enemies attack me, 7
they stumble and fall. 8
27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,
I do not fear. 9
Even when war is imminent, 10
I remain confident. 11
27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –
this is what I desire!
I want to live 12 in the Lord’s house 13 all the days of my life,
so I can gaze at the splendor 14 of the Lord
and contemplate in his temple.
27:5 He will surely 15 give me shelter 16 in the day of danger; 17
he will hide me in his home; 18
he will place me 19 on an inaccessible rocky summit. 20
27:6 Now I will triumph
over my enemies who surround me! 21
I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy! 22
I will sing praises to the Lord!
27:7 Hear me, 23 O Lord, when I cry out!
Have mercy on me and answer me!
27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, 24
and I do pray to you, O Lord. 25
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You are my deliverer! 27
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me!
27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me, 28
the Lord would take me in. 29
27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; 30
lead me along a level path 31 because of those who wait to ambush me! 32
27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 33
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 34
27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? 35
Be strong and confident! 37
Rely on the Lord!
Mazmur 40:1-16
KonteksFor the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 39 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 40
out of the slimy mud. 41
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing. 42
40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 43
praising our God. 44
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 45
40:4 How blessed 46 is the one 47 who trusts in the Lord 48
and does not seek help from 49 the proud or from liars! 50
40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 51
No one can thwart you! 52
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 53
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 54
You make that quite clear to me! 55
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
40:7 Then I say,
“Look! I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 56
40:8 I want to do what pleases you, 57 my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” 58
40:9 I have told the great assembly 59 about your justice. 60
Look! I spare no words! 61
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 62
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 63
40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold 64 your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 65
40:12 For innumerable dangers 66 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 67
40:13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! 68
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 69
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 70
40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated 71 and disgraced! 72
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 73 your deliverance say continually, 74
“May the Lord be praised!” 75
Mazmur 46:1-10
KonteksFor the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; 77 a song.
46:1 God is our strong refuge; 78
he is truly our helper in times of trouble. 79
46:2 For this reason we do not fear 80 when the earth shakes, 81
and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 82
46:3 when its waves 83 crash 84 and foam,
and the mountains shake 85 before the surging sea. 86 (Selah)
46:4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, 87
the special, holy dwelling place of 88 the sovereign One. 89
46:5 God lives within it, 90 it cannot be moved. 91
God rescues it 92 at the break of dawn. 93
46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are overthrown. 94
God 95 gives a shout, 96 the earth dissolves. 97
46:7 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! 98
The God of Jacob 99 is our protector! 100 (Selah)
46:8 Come! Witness the exploits 101 of the Lord,
who brings devastation to the earth! 102
46:9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; 103
he shatters 104 the bow and breaks 105 the spear;
he burns 106 the shields with fire. 107
46:10 He says, 108 “Stop your striving and recognize 109 that I am God!
I will be exalted 110 over 111 the nations! I will be exalted over 112 the earth!”
Mazmur 61:1-7
KonteksFor the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.
61:1 O God, hear my cry for help!
Pay attention to my prayer!
61:2 From the most remote place on earth 114
I call out to you in my despair. 115
Lead me 116 up to an inaccessible rocky summit! 117
61:3 Indeed, 118 you are 119 my shelter,
a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. 120
61:4 I will be a permanent guest in your home; 121
I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. 122 (Selah)
61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;
you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. 123
61:6 Give the king long life!
Make his lifetime span several generations! 124
61:7 May he reign 125 forever before God!
Decree that your loyal love and faithfulness should protect him. 126
Mazmur 91:1-16
Konteks91:1 As for you, the one who lives 128 in the shelter of the sovereign One, 129
and resides in the protective shadow 130 of the mighty king 131 –
91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,
my God in whom I trust –
91:3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter 132
and from the destructive plague.
91:4 He will shelter you 133 with his wings; 134
you will find safety under his wings.
His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. 135
91:5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, 136
the arrow that flies by day,
91:6 the plague that comes in the darkness,
or the disease that comes at noon. 137
91:7 Though a thousand may fall beside you,
and a multitude on your right side,
it 138 will not reach you.
91:8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes –
you will see the wicked paid back. 139
91:9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord,
my shelter, the sovereign One. 140
91:10 No harm will overtake 141 you;
no illness 142 will come near your home. 143
91:11 For he will order his angels 144
to protect you in all you do. 145
91:12 They will lift you up in their hands,
so you will not slip and fall on a stone. 146
91:13 You will subdue 147 a lion and a snake; 148
you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.
“Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him 150 because he is loyal to me. 151
91:15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him.
I will be with him when he is in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him honor.
91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, 152
and will let him see my salvation.
Mazmur 121:1-8
KonteksA song of ascents. 154
121:1 I look up 155 toward the hills.
From where 156 does my help come?
121:2 My help comes from the Lord, 157
the Creator 158 of heaven and earth!
121:3 May he not allow your foot to slip!
May your protector 159 not sleep! 160
121:4 Look! Israel’s protector 161
does not sleep or slumber!
121:5 The Lord is your protector;
the Lord is the shade at your right hand.
121:6 The sun will not harm you by day,
or the moon by night. 162
121:7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.
121:8 The Lord will protect you in all you do, 163
now and forevermore.
Mazmur 125:1-5
KonteksA song of ascents. 165
125:1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion;
it cannot be upended and will endure forever.
125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, 166
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
125:3 Indeed, 167 the scepter of a wicked king 168 will not settle 169
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly might
do what is wrong. 170
125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright! 171
125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path, 172
may the Lord remove them, 173 along with those who behave wickedly! 174
May Israel experience peace! 175
[27:1] 1 sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.
[27:1] 2 tn Heb “the
[27:1] 3 tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:1] 4 tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[27:2] 5 tn Heb “draw near to me.”
[27:2] 6 sn To devour my flesh. The psalmist compares his enemies to dangerous, hungry predators (see 2 Kgs 9:36; Ezek 39:17).
[27:2] 7 tn Heb “my adversaries and my enemies against me.” The verb “draw near” (that is, “attack”) is understood by ellipsis; see the previous line.
[27:2] 8 tn The Hebrew verbal forms are perfects. The translation assumes the psalmist is generalizing here, but another option is to take this as a report of past experience, “when evil men attacked me…they stumbled and fell.”
[27:3] 9 tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”
[27:3] 10 tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”
[27:3] 11 tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”
[27:4] 13 sn The
[27:5] 15 tn Or “for he will.” The translation assumes the כִּי (ki) is asseverative here, rather than causal.
[27:5] 16 tn Heb “he will hide me in his hut.”
[27:5] 19 tn The three imperfect verb forms in v. 5 anticipate a positive response to the prayer offered in vv. 7-12.
[27:5] 20 tn Heb “on a rocky summit he lifts me up.” The
[27:6] 21 tn Heb “and now my head will be lifted up over my enemies all around me.”
[27:6] sn In vv. 1-3 the psalmist generalizes, but here we discover that he is facing a crisis and is under attack from enemies (see vv. 11-12).
[27:6] 22 tn Heb “I will sacrifice in his tent sacrifices of a shout for joy” (that is, “sacrifices accompanied by a joyful shout”).
[27:8] 24 tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the
[27:8] 25 tn Heb “your face, O
[27:9] 26 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[27:9] 27 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[27:10] 28 tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
[27:10] 29 tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
[27:11] 30 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
[27:11] 31 sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).
[27:11] 32 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.
[27:12] 33 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
[27:12] 34 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.
[27:13] 35 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the
[27:14] 37 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”
[40:1] 38 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
[40:1] 39 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:2] 40 tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).
[40:2] 41 tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[40:2] 42 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
[40:3] 43 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
[40:3] 44 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
[40:3] 45 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the
[40:4] 46 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[40:4] 47 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
[40:4] 48 tn Heb “who has made the
[40:4] 49 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
[40:4] 50 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
[40:5] 51 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 52 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (’arakh ’el, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
[40:5] 53 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
[40:6] 54 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
[40:6] 55 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
[40:7] 56 tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.
[40:8] 58 tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.
[40:9] 59 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
[40:9] 60 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
[40:9] 61 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
[40:10] 62 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
[40:10] 63 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
[40:11] 64 tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).
[40:11] 65 tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.
[40:12] 66 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
[40:12] 67 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
[40:13] 68 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[40:14] 69 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
[40:14] 70 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[40:14] sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
[40:15] 71 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[40:15] 72 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
[40:16] 73 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
[40:16] 74 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
[40:16] 75 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[46:1] 76 sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.
[46:1] 77 sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.
[46:1] 78 tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”
[46:1] 79 tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.
[46:2] 80 tn The imperfect is taken in a generalizing sense (cf. NEB) because the situation described in vv. 2-3 is understood as symbolizing typical world conditions. In this case the imperfect draws attention to the typical nature of the response. The covenant community characteristically responds with confidence, not fear. Another option is to take the situation described as purely hypothetical. In this case one might translate, “We will not fear, even though the earth should shake” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[46:2] 81 tn The Hiphil infinitival form is normally taken to mean “when [the earth] is altered,” being derived from מוּר (mur, “to change”). In this case the Hiphil would be intransitive, as in Ps 15:4. HALOT 560 s.v. II מור emends the form to a Niphal and derives it from a homonymic root מוּר attested in Arabic with the meaning “shake.”
[46:2] 82 tn Heb “heart of the seas.” The plural may be used for emphasis, pointing to the deepest sea. Note that the next verse uses a singular pronoun (“its waters,” “its swelling”) in referring back to the plural noun.
[46:3] 83 tn Heb “its waters.”
[46:3] 85 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 draw attention to the characteristic nature of the activity described.
[46:3] 86 tn Heb “at its swelling.” The Hebrew word often means “pride.” If the sea is symbolic of hostile nations, then this may be a case of double entendre. The surging, swelling sea symbolizes the proud, hostile nations. On the surface the psalmist appears to be depicting a major natural catastrophe, perhaps a tidal wave. If so, then the situation would be hypothetical. However, the repetition of the verbs הָמָה (hamah, “crash; roar,” v. 3) and מוֹט (mot, “shake,” v. 2) in v. 6, where nations/kingdoms “roar” and “shake,” suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:4] 87 tn Heb “A river, its channels cause the city of God to be glad.”
[46:4] sn The city of God is Jerusalem (see Pss 48:1-2; 87:2-3). The river’s “channels” are probably irrigation ditches vital to growing crops. Some relate the imagery to the “waters of Shiloah” (see Isa 8:6), which flowed from the Gihon spring to the pool of Siloam. In Isa 8:6-8 these waters are contrasted with the flood waters symbolizing Assyria. Even if this is the reality behind the imagery, the picture of a river flowing through Jerusalem is idealized and exaggerated. The river and irrigation ditches symbolize the peace and prosperity that the Lord provides for Jerusalem, in contrast to the havoc produced by the turbulent waters (symbolic of the nations) outside the city. Some see here an adaptation of Canaanite (or, more specifically, Jebusite) mythical traditions of rivers/springs flowing from the high god El’s dwelling place. The Songs of Zion do utilize such imagery at times (see Ps 48:2). The image of a river flowing through Zion may have inspired prophetic visions of an eschatological river flowing from the temple (see Ezek 47:1-12; Joel 3:18).
[46:4] 88 tn Heb “the holy [place] of the dwelling places of.” The adjective “holy” is used here in a substantival manner and placed in construct with the following noun (see GKC 428 §132.c). Origen’s transliterated text assumes the reading קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness; holy place”), while the LXX assumes a Piel verbal form קִדֵּשׁ (qidesh, “makes holy”) and takes the following form as “his dwelling place.” The plural form מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkÿney, “dwelling places of”) is probably a plural of degree, emphasizing the special character of this dwelling place. See GKC 397 §124.b. The form stands as an appositional genitive in relation to the preceding construct noun.
[46:4] 89 tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
[46:5] 90 tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.
[46:5] 91 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.
[46:5] 92 tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.
[46:5] 93 tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).
[46:5] sn At the break of dawn. The “morning” is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Ps 30:5; Isa 17:14). There may be an allusion here to Exod 14:27 (where the Lord destroyed the Egyptians at the “break of dawn”) or, more likely, to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege, when the people discovered the dead bodies of the Assyrian army in the morning (Isa 37:36).
[46:6] 94 tn Heb “nations roar, kingdoms shake.” The Hebrew verb הָמָה (hamah, “roar, be in uproar”) is used in v. 3 of the waves crashing, while the verb מוֹט (mot, “overthrown”) is used in v. 2 of mountains tumbling into the sea (see also v. 5, where the psalm affirms that Jerusalem “cannot be moved”). The repetition of the verbs suggests that the language of vv. 2-3 is symbolic and depicts the upheaval that characterizes relationships between the nations of the earth. As some nations (symbolized by the surging, chaotic waters) show hostility, others (symbolized by the mountains) come crashing down to destruction. The surging waters are symbolic of chaotic forces in other poetic texts (see, for example, Isa 17:12; Jer 51:42) and mountains can symbolize strong kingdoms (see, for example, Jer 51:25).
[46:6] 95 tn Heb “He.” God is the obvious referent here (see v. 5), and has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[46:6] 96 tn Heb “offers his voice.” In theophanic texts the phrase refers to God’s thunderous shout which functions as a battle cry (see Pss 18:13; 68:33).
[46:6] 97 tn Or “melts.” See Amos 9:5. The image depicts the nation’s helplessness before Jerusalem’s defender, who annihilates their armies (see vv. 8-9). The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the characteristic nature of the action described.
[46:7] 98 tn Heb “the
[46:7] 99 tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).
[46:7] 100 tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).
[46:8] 101 sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).
[46:8] 102 tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.
[46:9] 103 tn Heb “[the] one who causes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” The participle continues the description begun in v. 8b and indicates that this is the
[46:9] 104 tn The verb שָׁבַר (shavar, “break”) appears in the Piel here (see Ps 29:5). In the OT it occurs thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3). The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.
[46:9] 105 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries along the generalizing emphasis of the preceding imperfect.
[46:9] 106 tn The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.
[46:9] 107 tn Heb “wagons he burns with fire.” Some read “chariots” here (cf. NASB), but the Hebrew word refers to wagons or carts, not chariots, elsewhere in the OT. In this context, where military weapons are mentioned, it is better to revocalize the form as עֲגִלוֹת (’agilot, “round shields”), a word which occurs only here in the OT, but is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic.
[46:10] 108 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[46:10] 109 tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.
[46:10] 110 tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).
[61:1] 113 sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.
[61:2] 114 tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).
[61:2] 115 tn Heb “while my heart faints.”
[61:2] 116 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
[61:2] 117 tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”
[61:3] 120 tn Heb “a strong tower from the face of an enemy.”
[61:4] 121 tn Heb “I will live as a resident alien in your tent permanently.” The cohortative is understood here as indicating resolve. Another option is to take it as expressing a request, “please let me live” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[61:4] 122 sn I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[61:5] 123 tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).
[61:6] 124 tn Heb “days upon days of the king add, his years like generation and generation.”
[61:6] sn It is not certain if the (royal) psalmist is referring to himself in the third person in this verse, or if an exile is praying on behalf of the king.
[61:7] 125 tn Heb “sit [enthroned].” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive here, expressing the psalmist’s prayer.
[61:7] 126 tn Heb “loyal love and faithfulness appoint, let them protect him.”
[91:1] 127 sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.
[91:1] 128 tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”
[91:1] 129 tn Traditionally “the Most High.”
[91:1] 130 sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).
[91:1] 131 sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.
[91:3] 132 tn The word refers specifically to a fowler (or hunter of birds).
[91:4] 133 tn Heb “put a cover over you” (see Ps 5:11).
[91:4] 134 tc The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural should be read. The final yod (י) of the suffix, which indicates the plural, has dropped off by haplography (note the yod [י] at the beginning of the next word).
[91:4] 135 tn Traditionally the Hebrew term סֹחֵרָה (sokherah), which occurs only here in the OT, has been understood to refer to a buckler or small shield (see BDB 695 s.v.). But HALOT 750 s.v., on the basis of evidence from the cognate languages, proposes the meaning “wall.”
[91:5] 136 tn This probably alludes to a sneak attack by enemies in the darkness of night (see Song 3:8).
[91:6] 137 sn As in Deut 32:23-24, vv. 5-6 closely associate military attack and deadly disease. Perhaps the latter alludes to one of the effects of siege warfare on the population of an entrapped city, which was especially vulnerable to the outbreak of epidemics.
[91:7] 138 tn Apparently the deadly disease mentioned in v. 6b is the understood subject here.
[91:8] 139 tn Heb “retribution on the wicked.”
[91:9] 140 tn Heb “for you, the
[91:10] 142 tn For this sense of the Hebrew term נגע see Ps 38:11.
[91:10] 143 tn Heb “your tent.”
[91:11] 144 tn Heb “for his angels he will command concerning you.”
[91:11] 145 tn Heb “in all your ways.”
[91:12] 146 tn Heb “so your foot will not strike a stone.”
[91:13] 147 tn Heb “walk upon.”
[91:13] 148 tn Or perhaps “cobra” (see Ps 58:4).
[91:14] 149 tn The words “the
[91:14] 150 tn Or “make him secure” (Heb “set him on high”).
[91:14] 151 tn Heb “because he knows my name” (see Ps 9:10).
[91:16] 152 tn Heb “length of days.”
[121:1] 153 sn Psalm 121. The psalm affirms that the Lord protects his people Israel. Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in vv. 3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes v. 3. The translation assumes that speaker one talks in vv. 1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in v. 3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in vv. 4-8. If the verbs in v. 3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Verses 3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one. See the note on the word “sleep” at the end of v. 3.
[121:1] 154 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.
[121:1] 155 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
[121:1] 156 tn The Hebrew term מֵאַיִן (me’ayin) is interrogative, not relative, in function. Rather than directly stating that his source of help descends from the hills, the psalmist is asking, “From where does my help come?” Nevertheless, the first line does indicate that he is looking toward the hills for help, probably indicating that he is looking up toward the sky in anticipation of supernatural intervention. The psalmist assumes the dramatic role of one needing help. He answers his own question in v. 2.
[121:2] 157 tn Heb “my help [is] from with the
[121:3] 159 tn Heb “the one who guards you.”
[121:3] 160 tn The prefixed verbal forms following the negative particle אל appear to be jussives. As noted above, if they are taken as true jussives of prayer, then the speaker in v. 3 would appear to be distinct from both the speaker in vv. 1-2 and the speaker in vv. 4-8. However, according to GKC 322 §109.e), the jussives are used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one should probably translate, “he will not allow your foot to slip, your protector will not sleep,” and understand just one speaker in vv. 4-8.
[121:4] 161 tn Heb “the one who guards Israel.”
[121:6] 162 sn One hardly thinks of the moon’s rays as being physically harmful, like those of the sun. The reference to the moon may simply lend poetic balance to the verse, but it is likely that the verse reflects an ancient, primitive belief that the moon could have an adverse effect on the mind (note the English expression “moonstruck,” which reflects such a belief). Another possibility is that the sun and moon stand by metonymy for harmful forces characteristic of the day and night, respectively.
[121:8] 163 tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.”
[125:1] 164 sn Psalm 125. The psalmist affirms his confidence in the Lord’s protection and justice.
[125:1] 165 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.
[125:2] 166 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[125:3] 168 tn Heb “a scepter of wickedness.” The “scepter” symbolizes royal authority; when collocated with “wickedness” the phrase refers to an oppressive foreign conqueror.
[125:3] 170 tn Heb “so that the godly might not stretch out their hands in wrongdoing.” A wicked king who sets a sinful example can have an adverse moral and ethical effect on the people he rules.
[125:4] 171 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
[125:5] 172 tn Heb “and the ones making their paths twisted.” A sinful lifestyle is compared to a twisting, winding road.
[125:5] 173 tn Heb “lead them away.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer here (note the prayers directly before and after this). Another option is to translate, “the
[125:5] 174 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.”
[125:5] 175 tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 122:8 for a similar prayer for peace).
