Mazmur 2:6

2:6 “I myself ¹  have installed ²  my king

on Zion, my holy hill.”

Mazmur 2:8

2:8 Ask me,

and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, ³ 

the ends of the earth as your personal property.

Mazmur 18:46-50

18:46 The Lord is alive! ⁴ 

My protector ⁵  is praiseworthy! ⁶ 

The God who delivers me ⁷  is exalted as king! ⁸ 

18:47 The one true God ⁹  completely vindicates me; ¹⁰ 

he makes nations submit to me. ¹¹ 

18:48 He delivers me ¹²  from my enemies;

you snatch me away ¹³  from those who attack me; ¹⁴ 

you rescue me from violent men.

18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, ¹⁵  O Lord!

I will sing praises to you! ¹⁶ 

18:50 He ¹⁷  gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ¹⁸ 

he is faithful ¹⁹  to his chosen ruler, ²⁰ 

to David and his descendants ²¹  forever.” ²² 

Mazmur 21:1-13

Psalm 21 ²³ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give; ²⁴ 

he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide. ²⁵ 

21:2 You grant ²⁶  him his heart’s desire;

you do not refuse his request. ²⁷  (Selah)

21:3 For you bring him ²⁸  rich ²⁹  blessings; ³⁰ 

you place a golden crown on his head.

21:4 He asked you to sustain his life, ³¹ 

and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty. ³² 

21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor; ³³ 

you give him majestic splendor. ³⁴ 

21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;

you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence. ³⁵ 

21:7 For the king trusts ³⁶  in the Lord,

and because of the sovereign Lord’s ³⁷  faithfulness he is not upended. ³⁸ 

21:8 You ³⁹  prevail over ⁴⁰  all your enemies;

your power is too great for those who hate you. ⁴¹ 

21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace ⁴²  when you appear; ⁴³ 

the Lord angrily devours them; ⁴⁴ 

the fire consumes them.

21:10 You destroy their offspring ⁴⁵  from the earth,

their descendants ⁴⁶  from among the human race. ⁴⁷ 

21:11 Yes, ⁴⁸  they intend to do you harm; ⁴⁹ 

they dream up a scheme, ⁵⁰  but they do not succeed. ⁵¹ 

21:12 For you make them retreat ⁵² 

when you shoot your arrows at them. ⁵³ 

21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! ⁵⁴ 

We will sing and praise ⁵⁵  your power!

Mazmur 110:1-2

Psalm 110 ⁵⁶ 

A psalm of David.

110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation ⁵⁷  to my lord: ⁵⁸ 

“Sit down at my right hand ⁵⁹  until I make your enemies your footstool!” ⁶⁰ 

110:2 The Lord ⁶¹  extends ⁶²  your dominion ⁶³  from Zion.

Rule in the midst of your enemies!

[2:6]  ¹ tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”

[2:6]  ² tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”

[2:8]  ³ sn I will give you the nations. The Lord promises the Davidic king universal dominion.

[18:46]  ⁴ tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the Lord lives,” but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the Lord’s active presence and intervention. In contrast to pagan deities, he demonstrates he is the living God by rescuing and empowering the psalmist.

[18:46]  ⁵ tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.

[18:46]  ⁶ tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”

[18:46]  ⁷ tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”

[18:46]  ⁸ tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).

[18:47]  ⁹ tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.

[18:47]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication.

[18:47]  sn Completely vindicates me. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.

[18:47]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he subdues nations beneath me.” On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue,” a homonym of דָּבַר, davar, “speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 47:3 and 2 Chr 22:10. 2 Sam 22:48 reads “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”

[18:48]  ¹² tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”

[18:48]  ¹³ tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the Lord has given the psalmist victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[18:48]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”

[18:49]  ¹⁵ sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the Lord in the presence of the defeated nations when they, as his subjects, bring their tribute payments. Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness. See J. H. Eaton, Kingship and the Psalms (SBT), 182-85.

[18:49]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Lord,” the primary name of Israel’s covenant God which suggests his active presence with his people (see Exod 3:12-15).

[18:50]  ¹⁷ tn Or “the one who.”

[18:50]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”

[18:50]  ²⁰ tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.

[18:50]  ²¹ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[18:50]  ²² 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.

[21:1]  ²³ sn Psalm 21. The psalmist praises the Lord for the way he protects and blesses the Davidic king.

[21:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “in your strength.” The translation interprets the pronominal suffix as subjective, rather than merely descriptive (or attributive).

[21:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and in your deliverance, how greatly he rejoices.”

[21:2]  ²⁶ tn The translation assumes the perfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing, stating factually what God typically does for the king. Another option is to take them as present perfects, “you have granted…you have not refused.” See v. 4, which mentions a specific request for a long reign.

[21:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and the request of his lips you do not refuse.”

[21:3]  ²⁸ tn Or “meet him [with].”

[21:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “good.”

[21:3]  ³⁰ sn You bring him rich blessings. The following context indicates that God’s “blessings” include deliverance/protection, vindication, sustained life, and a long, stable reign (see also Pss 3:8; 24:5).

[21:4]  ³¹ tn Heb “life he asked from you.” Another option is to translate the perfect verbal forms in v. 4 with the present tense, “he asks…you grant.”

[21:4]  ³² tn Heb “you have granted him length of days forever and ever.” The phrase “length of days,” when used of human beings, usually refers to a lengthy period of time (such as one’s lifetime). See, for example, Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20. The additional phrase “forever and ever” is hyperbolic. While it seems to attribute eternal life to the king (see Pss 61:6-7; 72:5 as well), the underlying reality is the king’s enduring dynasty. He will live on, as it were, through his descendants, who will continue to rule over his kingdom long after he has passed off the scene.

[21:5]  ³³ tn Or “great glory.”

[21:5]  ³⁴ tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.

[21:6]  ³⁵ tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.

[21:7]  ³⁶ tn The active participle draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action.

[21:7]  ³⁷ tn Traditionally “the Most High’s.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. Note the focus of vv. 8-12 and see Ps 47:2.

[21:7]  ³⁸ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “he will not be upended” (cf. NRSV “he shall not be moved”). Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense.

[21:8]  ³⁹ tn The king is now addressed. One could argue that the Lord is still being addressed, but v. 9 militates against this proposal, for there the Lord is mentioned in the third person and appears to be distinct from the addressee (unless, of course, one takes “Lord” in v. 9 as vocative; see the note on “them” in v. 9b). Verse 7 begins this transition to a new addressee by referring to both the king and the Lord in the third person (in vv. 1-6 the Lord is addressed and only the king referred to in the third person).

[21:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “your hand finds.” The idiom pictures the king grabbing hold of his enemies and defeating them (see 1 Sam 23:17). The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 8-12 may be translated with the future tense, as long as the future is understood as generalizing.

[21:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “your right hand finds those who hate you.”

[21:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “you make them like a furnace of fire.” Although many modern translations retain the literal Hebrew, the statement is elliptical. The point is not that he makes them like a furnace, but like an object burned in a furnace (cf. NEB, “at your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace”).

[21:9]  ⁴³ tn Heb “at the time of your face.” The “face” of the king here refers to his angry presence. See Lam 4:16.

[21:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the Lord, in his anger he swallows them, and fire devours them.” Some take “the Lord” as a vocative, in which case he is addressed in vv. 8-9a. But this makes the use of the third person in v. 9b rather awkward, though the king could be the subject (see vv. 1-7).

[21:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “fruit.” The next line makes it clear that offspring is in view.

[21:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “seed.”

[21:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[21:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “for.”

[21:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “they extend against you harm.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 11 are taken as generalizing, stating factually what the king’s enemies typically do. Another option is to translate with the past tense (“they intended…planned”).

[21:11]  ⁵⁰ sn See Ps 10:2.

[21:11]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “they lack ability.”

[21:12]  ⁵² tn Heb “you make them a shoulder,” i.e., “you make them turn and run, showing the back of their neck and shoulders.”

[21:12]  ⁵³ tn Heb “with your bowstrings you fix against their faces,” i.e., “you fix your arrows on the bowstrings to shoot at them.”

[21:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “in your strength,” but English idiom does not require the pronoun.

[21:13]  sn The psalm concludes with a petition to the Lord, asking him to continue to intervene in strength for the king and nation.

[21:13]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “sing praise.”

[110:1]  ⁵⁶ sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.

[110:1]  ⁵⁷ tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.

[110:1]  ⁵⁸ sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).

[110:1]  ⁵⁹ tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.

[110:1]  sn The Lord’s invitation to the Davidic king to sit down at his right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.

[110:1]  ⁶⁰ sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).

[110:2]  ⁶¹ tn Since the Lord is mentioned in the third person (note the use of the first person in v. 1), it is likely that these are the psalmist’s words to the king, not a continuation of the oracle per se.

[110:2]  ⁶² tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.

[110:2]  ⁶³ tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.