Mazmur 2:1-12
Konteks2:1 Why 2 do the nations rebel? 3
Why 4 are the countries 5 devising 6 plots that will fail? 7
2:2 The kings of the earth 8 form a united front; 9
the rulers collaborate 10
against the Lord and his anointed king. 11
2:3 They say, 12 “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! 13
Let’s free ourselves from 14 their ropes!”
2:4 The one enthroned 15 in heaven laughs in disgust; 16
the Lord taunts 17 them.
2:5 Then he angrily speaks to them
and terrifies them in his rage, 18 saying, 19
2:6 “I myself 20 have installed 21 my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
2:7 The king says, 22 “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: 23
‘You are my son! 24 This very day I have become your father!
2:8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, 25
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
2:9 You will break them 26 with an iron scepter; 27
you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” 28
2:10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; 29
you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! 30
2:11 Serve 31 the Lord in fear!
Repent in terror! 32
Otherwise he 34 will be angry, 35
and you will die because of your behavior, 36
when his anger quickly ignites. 37
How blessed 38 are all who take shelter in him! 39
Mazmur 89:1-52
KonteksA well-written song 41 by Ethan the Ezrachite.
89:1 I will sing continually 42 about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness. 43
89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established; 44
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.” 45
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
89:4 ‘I will give you an eternal dynasty 47
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” 48 (Selah)
89:5 O Lord, the heavens 49 praise your amazing deeds,
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. 50
89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, 51
89:7 a God who is honored 52 in the great angelic assembly, 53
and more awesome than 54 all who surround him?
89:8 O Lord, sovereign God! 55
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
89:9 You rule over the proud sea. 56
When its waves surge, 57 you calm them.
89:10 You crushed the Proud One 58 and killed it; 59
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains. 60
89:12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon 61 rejoice in your name.
89:13 Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand 62 victorious. 63
89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. 64
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule. 65
89:15 How blessed are the people who worship you! 66
O Lord, they experience your favor. 67
89:16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated 68 by your justice.
89:17 For you give them splendor and strength. 69
By your favor we are victorious. 70
89:18 For our shield 71 belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel. 72
89:19 Then you 73 spoke through a vision to your faithful followers 74 and said:
“I have energized a warrior; 75
I have raised up a young man 76 from the people.
89:20 I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king. 77
89:21 My hand will support him, 78
and my arm will strengthen him.
89:22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute 79 from him; 80
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him. 81
89:23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, 82
and by my name he will win victories. 83
89:25 I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers. 84
89:26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my father, 85 my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ 86
89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, 87
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
89:28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure. 88
89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, 89
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. 90
89:30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
89:31 if they break 91 my rules
and do not keep my commandments,
89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, 92
their sin by inflicting them with bruises. 93
89:33 But I will not remove 94 my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise. 95
89:34 I will not break 96 my covenant
or go back on what I promised. 97
89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive 98 David.
89:36 His dynasty will last forever. 99
His throne will endure before me, like the sun, 100
89:37 it will remain stable, like the moon, 101
his throne will endure like the skies.” 102 (Selah)
89:38 But you have spurned 103 and rejected him;
you are angry with your chosen king. 104
89:39 You have repudiated 105 your covenant with your servant; 106
you have thrown his crown to the ground. 107
89:40 You have broken down all his 108 walls;
you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.
89:41 All who pass by 109 have robbed him;
he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.
89:42 You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious, 110
and all his enemies to rejoice.
89:43 You turn back 111 his sword from the adversary, 112
and have not sustained him in battle. 113
89:44 You have brought to an end his splendor, 114
and have knocked 115 his throne to the ground.
89:45 You have cut short his youth, 116
and have covered him with shame. (Selah)
89:46 How long, O Lord, will this last?
Will you remain hidden forever? 117
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! 118
Why do you make all people so mortal? 119
89:48 No man can live on without experiencing death,
or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. 120 (Selah)
89:49 Where are your earlier faithful deeds, 121 O Lord, 122
the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David? 123
89:50 Take note, O Lord, 124 of the way your servants are taunted, 125
and of how I must bear so many insults from people! 126
89:51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;
they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. 127
89:52 128 The Lord deserves praise 129 forevermore!
We agree! We agree! 130
[2:1] 1 sn Psalm 2. In this royal psalm the author asserts the special status of the divinely chosen Davidic king and warns the nations and their rulers to submit to the authority of God and his chosen vice-regent.
[2:1] 2 tn The question is rhetorical. Rather than seeking information, the psalmist expresses his outrage that the nations would have the audacity to rebel against God and his chosen king.
[2:1] 3 tn The Hebrew verb רָגַשׁ (ragash) occurs only here. In Dan 6:6, 11, 15 the Aramaic cognate verb describes several officials acting as a group. A Hebrew nominal derivative is used in Ps 55:14 of a crowd of people in the temple.
[2:1] 4 tn The interrogative לָמָּה (lamah, “why?”) is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[2:1] 5 tn Or “peoples” (so many English versions).
[2:1] 6 tn The Hebrew imperfect form describes the rebellion as underway. The verb הָגָה (hagah), which means “to recite quietly, meditate,” here has the metonymic nuance “devise, plan, plot” (see Ps 38:12; Prov 24:2).
[2:1] 7 tn Heb “devising emptiness.” The noun רִיק (riq, “emptiness”) may characterize their behavior as “worthless, morally bankrupt” but more likely refers to the outcome of their plots (i.e., failure). As the rest of the psalm emphasizes, their rebellion will fail.
[2:2] 8 sn The expression kings of the earth refers somewhat hyperbolically to the kings who had been conquered by and were subject to the Davidic king.
[2:2] 9 tn Or “take their stand.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes their action as underway.
[2:2] 10 tn Or “conspire together.” The verbal form is a Niphal from יָסַד (yasad). BDB 413-14 s.v. יָסַד defines the verb as “establish, found,” but HALOT 417 s.v. II יסד proposes a homonym meaning “get together, conspire” (an alternate form of סוּד, sud).
[2:2] 11 tn Heb “and against his anointed one.” The Davidic king is the referent (see vv. 6-7).
[2:3] 12 tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The quotation represents the words of the rebellious kings.
[2:3] 13 tn Heb “their (i.e., the
[2:3] 14 tn Heb “throw off from us.”
[2:4] 15 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).
[2:4] 16 tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
[2:4] 17 tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”
[2:5] 18 sn And terrifies them in his rage. This line focuses on the effect that God’s angry response (see previous line) has on the rebellious kings.
[2:5] 19 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification to indicate that the speaker is the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV).
[2:6] 20 tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”
[2:6] 21 tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”
[2:7] 22 tn The words “the king says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The speaker is the Lord’s chosen king.
[2:7] 23 tn Or “I will relate the decree. The
[2:7] 24 sn ‘You are my son!’ The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 89:26-27). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
[2:8] 25 sn I will give you the nations. The
[2:9] 26 tc The LXX reads “you will shepherd them.” This reading, quoted in the Greek text of the NT in Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15, assumes a different vocalization of the consonantal Hebrew text and understands the verb as רָעָה (ra’ah, “to shepherd”) rather than רָעָע (ra’a’, “to break”). But the presence of נָפַץ (nafats, “to smash”) in the next line strongly favors the MT vocalization.
[2:9] 27 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁבֶט (shevet) can refer to a “staff” or “rod,” but here it probably refers to the Davidic king’s royal scepter, symbolizing his sovereignty.
[2:9] 28 sn Like a potter’s jar. Before the Davidic king’s awesome power, the rebellious nations are like fragile pottery.
[2:10] 29 sn The speaker here is either the psalmist or the Davidic king, who now addresses the rebellious kings.
[2:10] 30 tn The Niphal has here a tolerative nuance; the kings are urged to submit themselves to the advice being offered.
[2:11] 31 tn The Hebrew verb translated “serve” refers here to submitting to the Lord’s sovereignty as expressed through the rule of the Davidic king. Such “service” would involve maintaining allegiance to the Davidic king by paying tribute on a regular basis.
[2:11] 32 tn Traditionally, “rejoice with trembling” (KJV). The verb גִּיל (gil) normally means “rejoice,” but this meaning does not fit well here in conjunction with “in trembling.” Some try to understand “trembling” (and the parallel יִרְאָה, yir’ah, “fear”) in the sense of “reverential awe” and then take the verbs “serve” and “rejoice” in the sense of “worship” (cf. NASB). But רְעָדָה (rÿ’adah, “trembling”) and its related terms consistently refer to utter terror and fear (see Exod 15:15; Job 4:14; Pss 48:6; 55:5; 104:32; Isa 33:14; Dan 10:11) or at least great emotional distress (Ezra 10:9). It seems more likely here that גִּיל carries its polarized meaning “mourn, lament,” as in Hos 10:5. “Mourn, lament” would then be metonymic in this context for “repent” (referring to one’s rebellious ways). On the meaning of the verb in Hos 10:5, see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea (AB), 556-57.
[2:12] 33 tn Traditionally, “kiss the son” (KJV). But בַּר (bar) is the Aramaic word for “son,” not the Hebrew. For this reason many regard the reading as suspect. Some propose emendations of vv. 11b-12a. One of the more popular proposals is to read בִּרְעָדָה נַשְּׁקוּ לְרַגְלָיו (bir’adah nashÿqu lÿraslayv, “in trembling kiss his feet”). It makes better sense to understand בַּר (bar) as an adjective meaning “pure” (see Pss 24:4; 73:1 and BDB 141 s.v. בַּר 3) functioning here in an adverbial sense. If read this way, then the syntactical structure of exhortation (imperative followed by adverbial modifier) corresponds to the two preceding lines (see v. 11). The verb נָשַׁק (nashaq, “kiss”) refers metonymically to showing homage (see 1 Sam 10:1; Hos 13:2). The exhortation in v. 12a advocates a genuine expression of allegiance and warns against insincerity. When swearing allegiance, vassal kings would sometimes do so insincerely, with the intent of rebelling when the time was right. The so-called “Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon” also warn against such an attitude. In this treaty the vassal is told: “If you, as you stand on the soil where this oath [is sworn], swear the oath with your words and lips [only], do not swear with your entire heart, do not transmit it to your sons who will live after this treaty, if you take this curse upon yourselves but do not plan to keep the treaty of Esarhaddon…may your sons and grandsons because of this fear in the future” (see J. B. Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East, 2:62).
[2:12] 34 tn Throughout the translation of this verse the third person masculine pronouns refer to the
[2:12] 35 tn The implied subject of the verb is the
[2:12] 36 tn Heb “and you will perish [in the] way.” The Hebrew word דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to their rebellious behavior (not to a pathway, as often understood). It functions syntactically as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb “perish.”
[2:12] 37 tn Or “burns.” The
[2:12] 38 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; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[2:12] 39 sn Who take shelter in him. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[89:1] 40 sn Psalm 89. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign creator of the world. He recalls God’s covenant with David, but then laments that the promises of the covenant remain unrealized. The covenant promised the Davidic king military victories, but the king has now been subjected to humiliating defeat.
[89:1] 41 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 88.
[89:1] 43 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”
[89:2] 45 sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).
[89:3] 46 tn The words “the
[89:4] 47 tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”
[89:4] 48 tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”
[89:5] 49 tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.
[89:5] 50 tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).
[89:6] 51 tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (vÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the
[89:7] 53 tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”
[89:7] 54 tn Or perhaps “feared by.”
[89:8] 55 tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the
[89:9] 56 tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”
[89:10] 58 tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.
[89:10] 59 tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”
[89:11] 60 tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”
[89:12] 61 sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.
[89:13] 62 sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.
[89:13] 63 tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).
[89:14] 64 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
[89:14] 65 tn Heb “are in front of your face.” The idiom can mean “confront” (Ps 17:13) or “meet, enter the presence of” (Ps 95:2).
[89:15] 66 tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the
[89:15] 67 tn Heb “in the light of your face they walk.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; Dan 9:17).
[89:16] 68 tn Heb “are lifted up.”
[89:17] 69 tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”
[89:17] 70 tn Heb “you lift up our horn,” or if one follows the marginal reading (Qere), “our horn is lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
[89:18] 71 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king" here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.
[89:18] 72 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the
[89:19] 73 tn The pronoun “you” refers to the
[89:19] 74 tc Many medieval
[89:19] 75 tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”
[89:19] 76 tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”
[89:20] 77 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.
[89:21] 78 tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”
[89:22] 79 tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.
[89:22] 80 tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nasha’) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yisa’), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (na’as, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).
[89:22] 81 tn Heb “and a son of violence will not oppress him.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential. The reference to a “son of violence” echoes the language of God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7:10 (see also 1 Chr 17:9).
[89:24] 82 tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”
[89:24] 83 tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
[89:25] 84 tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).
[89:26] 85 sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
[89:26] 86 tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”
[89:27] 87 sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.
[89:28] 88 tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”
[89:29] 89 tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”
[89:29] 90 tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”
[89:32] 92 tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”
[89:32] sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).
[89:32] 93 tn Heb “with blows their sin.”
[89:33] 94 tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.
[89:33] 95 tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”
[89:34] 97 tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”
[89:36] 99 tn Heb “his offspring forever will be.”
[89:36] 100 tn Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”
[89:37] 101 tn Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”
[89:37] 102 tn Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (vÿ’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22-23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, shÿkhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.
[89:38] 103 tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.
[89:38] 104 tn Heb “your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 132:10, 17).
[89:39] 105 tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.
[89:39] 106 tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”
[89:39] 107 tn Heb “you dishonor [or “desecrate”] on the ground his crown.”
[89:40] 108 tn The king here represents the land and cities over which he rules.
[89:41] 109 tn Heb “all the passersby on the road.”
[89:42] 110 tn Heb “you have lifted up the right hand of his adversaries.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:13; 118:16).
[89:43] 111 tn The perfect verbal form predominates in vv. 38-45. The use of the imperfect in this one instance may be for rhetorical effect. The psalmist briefly lapses into dramatic mode, describing the king’s military defeat as if it were happening before his very eyes.
[89:43] 112 tc Heb “you turn back, rocky summit, his sword.” The Hebrew term צוּר (tsur, “rocky summit”) makes no sense here, unless it is a divine title understood as vocative, “you turn back, O Rocky Summit, his sword.” Some emend the form to צֹר (tsor, “flint”) on the basis of Josh 5:2, which uses the phrase חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים (kharvot tsurim, “flint knives”). The noun צֹר (tsor, “flint”) can then be taken as “flint-like edge,” indicating the sharpness of the sword. Others emend the form to אָחוֹר (’akhor, “backward”) or to מִצַּר (mitsar, “from the adversary”). The present translation reflects the latter, assuming an original reading תָּשִׁיב מִצָּר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv mitsar kharbo), which was corrupted to תָּשִׁיב צָר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv tsar kharbo) by virtual haplography (confusion of bet/mem is well-attested) with צָר (tsar, “adversary”) then being misinterpreted as צוּר in the later tradition.
[89:43] 113 tn Heb “and you have not caused him to stand in the battle.”
[89:44] 114 tc The Hebrew text appears to read, “you have brought to an end from his splendor,” but the form מִטְּהָרוֹ (mittÿharo) should be slightly emended (the daghesh should be removed from the tet [ת]) and read simply “his splendor” (the initial mem [מ] is not the preposition, but a nominal prefix).
[89:44] 115 tn The Hebrew verb מָגַר (magar) occurs only here and perhaps in Ezek 21:17.
[89:45] 116 tn Heb “the days of his youth” (see as well Job 33:25).
[89:46] 117 tn Heb “How long, O
[89:47] 118 tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).
[89:47] 119 tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).
[89:48] 120 tn Heb “Who [is] the man [who] can live and not see death, [who] can deliver his life from the hand of Sheol?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
[89:49] 121 sn The Lord’s faithful deeds are also mentioned in Pss 17:7 and 25:6.
[89:49] 122 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[89:49] 123 tn Heb “[which] you swore on oath to David by your faithfulness.”
[89:50] 124 tc Many medieval Hebrew
[89:50] 125 tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew
[89:50] 126 tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).
[89:51] 127 tn Heb “[by] which your enemies, O
[89:52] 128 sn The final verse of Ps 89, v. 52, is a conclusion to this third “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 106:48, respectively).
[89:52] 129 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[89:52] 130 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God; thus it has been translated “We agree! We agree!”
