Mazmur 3:4

3:4 To the Lord I cried out, ¹ 

and he answered me from his holy hill. ²  (Selah)

Mazmur 9:11

9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules ³  in Zion!

Tell the nations what he has done! ⁴ 

Mazmur 48:1

Psalm 48 ⁵ 

A song, a psalm by the Korahites.

48:1 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise

in the city of our God, ⁶  his holy hill.

Mazmur 48:11

48:11 Mount Zion rejoices;

the towns ⁷  of Judah are happy, ⁸ 

because of your acts of judgment. ⁹ 

Mazmur 87:5

87:5 But it is said of Zion’s residents, ¹⁰ 

“Each one of these ¹¹  was born in her,

and the sovereign One ¹²  makes her secure.” ¹³ 

Mazmur 97:8

97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,

the towns ¹⁴  of Judah are happy,

because of your judgments, O Lord.

Mazmur 99:9

99:9 Praise ¹⁵  the Lord our God!

Worship on his holy hill,

for the Lord our God is holy!

Mazmur 102:13

102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. ¹⁶ 

For it is time to have mercy on her,

for the appointed time has come.

Mazmur 133:3

133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, ¹⁷ 

which flows down upon the hills of Zion. ¹⁸ 

Indeed ¹⁹  that is where the Lord has decreed

a blessing will be available – eternal life. ²⁰ 

[3:4]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form could be an imperfect, yielding the translation “I cry out,” but the verb form in the next line (a vav [ו] consecutive with the preterite) suggests this is a brief narrative of what has already happened. Consequently the verb form in v. 4a is better understood as a preterite, “I cried out.” (For another example of the preterite of this same verb form, see Ps 30:8.) Sometime after the crisis arose, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and received an assuring answer. Now he confidently awaits the fulfillment of the divine promise.

[3:4]  ² sn His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1-2). The psalmist recognizes that the Lord dwells in his sanctuary on Mount Zion.

[9:11]  ³ tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, and therefore ruling – see v. 4). Another option is to translate as “lives” or “dwells.”

[9:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “declare among the nations his deeds.”

[48:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 48. This so-called “Song of Zion” celebrates the greatness and glory of the Lord’s dwelling place, Jerusalem. His presence in the city elevates it above all others and assures its security.

[48:1]  ⁶ sn The city of our God is Jerusalem, which is also referred to here as “his holy hill,” that is, Zion (see v. 2, as well as Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 43:3; 87:1; Dan 9:16).

[48:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[48:11]  ⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)

[48:11]  ⁹ sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.

[87:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and of Zion it is said.” Another option is to translate, “and to Zion it is said.” In collocation with the Niphal of אָמַר (’amar), the preposition lamed (-לְ) can introduce the recipient of the statement (see Josh 2:2; Jer 4:11; Hos 1:10; Zeph 3:16), carry the nuance “concerning, of” (see Num 23:23), or mean “be named” (see Isa 4:3; 62:4).

[87:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a man and a man.” The idiom also appears in Esth 1:8. The translation assumes that the phrase refers to each of Zion’s residents, in contrast to the foreigners mentioned in v. 4. Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand this as a reference to each of the nations, including those mentioned in v. 4.

[87:5]  ¹² tn Traditionally “Most High.”

[87:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he makes her secure, the Most High.”

[97:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[99:9]  ¹⁵ tn Or “exalt.”

[102:13]  ¹⁶ tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”

[133:3]  ¹⁷ sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.

[133:3]  ¹⁸ sn The hills of Zion are those surrounding Zion (see Pss 87:1; 125:2). The psalmist does not intend to suggest that the dew from Mt. Hermon in the distant north actually flows down upon Zion. His point is that the same kind of heavy dew that replenishes Hermon may also be seen on Zion’s hills. See A. Cohen, Psalms (SoBB), 439. “Dew” here symbolizes divine blessing, as the next line suggests.

[133:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “for.”

[133:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forever.”