Mazmur 33:1

Psalm 33 ¹ 

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

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

Mazmur 51:19

51:19 Then you will accept ²  the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;

then bulls will be sacrificed ³  on your altar. ⁴ 

Mazmur 78:19

78:19 They insulted God, saying, ⁵ 

“Is God really able to give us food ⁶  in the wilderness?

Mazmur 90:11

90:11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? ⁷ 

Your raging fury causes people to fear you. ⁸ 

Mazmur 93:5

93:5 The rules you set down ⁹  are completely reliable. ¹⁰ 

Holiness ¹¹  aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever. ¹² 

Mazmur 106:2

106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,

or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? ¹³ 

Mazmur 111:2

111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,

eagerly awaited ¹⁴  by all who desire them.

Mazmur 119:29

119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! ¹⁵ 

Graciously give me ¹⁶  your law!

Mazmur 127:2

127:2 It is vain for you to rise early, come home late,

and work so hard for your food. ¹⁷ 

Yes, ¹⁸  he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 147:1

Psalm 147 ²⁰ 

147:1 Praise the Lord,

for it is good to sing praises to our God!

Yes, ²¹  praise is pleasant and appropriate!

Mazmur 148:13

148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty extends over the earth and sky.

[33:1]  ¹ 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.

[51:19]  ² tn Or “desire, take delight in.”

[51:19]  ³ tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.

[51:19]  ⁴ sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.

[78:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”

[78:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”

[90:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “Who knows the strength of your anger?”

[90:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “and like your fear [is] your raging fury.” Perhaps one should emend וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ (ukhyir’otekh, “and like your fear”) to יִרְאָתְךְ (yir’otkh, “your fear”), understanding a virtual dittography (אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ, ’apekha ukhyir’otekh) to have occurred. In this case the psalmist asserts “your fear [is] your raging fury,” that is, your raging fury is what causes others to fear you. The suffix on “fear” is understood as objective.

[93:5]  ⁹ tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.

[93:5]  ¹⁰ sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.

[93:5]  ¹¹ sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).

[93:5]  ¹² tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O Lord, for length of days.”

[106:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”

[111:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “sought out.”

[119:29]  ¹⁵ tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.

[119:29]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)

[127:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “[it is] vain for you, you who are early to rise, who delay sitting, who eat the food of hard work.” The three substantival participles are parallel and stand in apposition to the pronominal suffix on the preposition. See לָכֶם (lakhem, “for you”).

[127:2]  ¹⁸ tn Here the Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4; Ps 63:2).

[127:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he gives to his beloved, sleep.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew term שֵׁנָא (shena’, “sleep,” an alternate form of שֵׁנָה, shenah) is an adverbial accusative. The point seems to be this: Hard work by itself is not what counts, but one’s relationship to God, for God is able to bless an individual even while he sleeps. (There may even be a subtle allusion to the miracle of conception following sexual intercourse; see the reference to the gift of sons in the following verse.) The statement is not advocating laziness, but utilizing hyperbole to give perspective and to remind the addressees that God must be one’s first priority. Another option is to take “sleep” as the direct object: “yes, he gives sleep to his beloved” (cf. NIV, NRSV). In this case the point is this: Hard work by itself is futile, for only God is able to bless one with sleep, which metonymically refers to having one’s needs met. He blesses on the basis of one’s relationship to him, not on the basis of physical energy expended.

[147:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 147. The psalmist praises the Lord for he is the sovereign ruler of the world who cares for the needs of his covenant people.

[147:1]  ²¹ tn Or “for.”