Mazmur 4:2

4:2 You men, ¹  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ² 

How long ³  will you love what is worthless ⁴ 

and search for what is deceptive? ⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 8:1

Psalm 8 ⁶ 

For the music director, according to the gittith style; ⁷  a psalm of David.

8:1 O Lord, our Lord, ⁸ 

how magnificent ⁹  is your reputation ¹⁰  throughout the earth!

You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! ¹¹ 

Mazmur 9:12

9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; ¹² 

he did not overlook ¹³  their cry for help ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 15:5

15:5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money. ¹⁵ 

He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. ¹⁶ 

The one who lives like this ¹⁷  will never be upended.

Mazmur 17:14

17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, ¹⁸ 

from the murderers of this world! ¹⁹ 

They enjoy prosperity; ²⁰ 

you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. ²¹ 

They have many children,

and leave their wealth to their offspring. ²² 

Mazmur 18:50

18:50 He ²³  gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ²⁴ 

he is faithful ²⁵  to his chosen ruler, ²⁶ 

to David and his descendants ²⁷  forever.” ²⁸ 

Mazmur 22:26

22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! ²⁹ 

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!

May you ³⁰  live forever!

Mazmur 26:1

Psalm 26 ³¹ 

By David.

26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have integrity, ³² 

and I trust in the Lord without wavering.

Mazmur 27:9

27:9 Do not reject me! ³³ 

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer! ³⁴ 

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

Mazmur 30:1

Psalm 30 ³⁵ 

A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; ³⁶  by David.

30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, ³⁷ 

and did not allow my enemies to gloat ³⁸  over me.

Mazmur 31:7

31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,

because you notice my pain

and you are aware of how distressed I am. ³⁹ 

Mazmur 31:20

31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks ⁴⁰  of men; ⁴¹ 

you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. ⁴² 

Mazmur 34:1

Psalm 34 ⁴³ 

Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. ⁴⁴ 

34:1 I will praise ⁴⁵  the Lord at all times;

my mouth will continually praise him. ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 35:27

35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!

May they continually say, ⁴⁷  “May the Lord be praised, ⁴⁸  for he wants his servant to be secure.” ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 37:28

37:28 For the Lord promotes ⁵⁰  justice,

and never abandons ⁵¹  his faithful followers.

They are permanently secure, ⁵² 

but the children ⁵³  of evil men are wiped out. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 37:34

37:34 Rely ⁵⁵  on the Lord! Obey his commands! ⁵⁶ 

Then he will permit you ⁵⁷  to possess the land;

you will see the demise of evil men. ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 42:11

42:11 Why are you depressed, ⁵⁹  O my soul? ⁶⁰ 

Why are you upset? ⁶¹ 

Wait for God!

For I will again give thanks

to my God for his saving intervention. ⁶² 

Mazmur 48:8

48:8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds, now we have seen them, ⁶³ 

in the city of the Lord, the invincible Warrior, ⁶⁴ 

in the city of our God.

God makes it permanently secure. ⁶⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 48:10

48:10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth

is worthy of your reputation, O God. ⁶⁶ 

You execute justice! ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 49:10

49:10 Surely ⁶⁸  one sees ⁶⁹  that even wise people die; ⁷⁰ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ⁷¹ 

and leave their wealth to others. ⁷² 

Mazmur 51:4

51:4 Against you – you above all ⁷³  – I have sinned;

I have done what is evil in your sight.

So ⁷⁴  you are just when you confront me; ⁷⁵ 

you are right when you condemn me. ⁷⁶ 

Mazmur 51:14

51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, ⁷⁷  O God, the God who delivers me!

Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 51:19

51:19 Then you will accept ⁷⁹  the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;

then bulls will be sacrificed ⁸⁰  on your altar. ⁸¹ 

Mazmur 53:4

53:4 All those who behave wickedly ⁸²  do not understand ⁸³  –

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to God.

Mazmur 53:6

53:6 I wish the deliverance ⁸⁴  of Israel would come from Zion!

When God restores the well-being of his people, ⁸⁵ 

may Jacob rejoice, ⁸⁶ 

may Israel be happy! ⁸⁷ 

Mazmur 55:15

55:15 May death destroy them! ⁸⁸ 

May they go down alive into Sheol! ⁸⁹ 

For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.

Mazmur 55:19

55:19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,

will hear and humiliate them. ⁹⁰  (Selah)

They refuse to change,

and do not fear God. ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 57:4

57:4 I am surrounded by lions;

I lie down ⁹²  among those who want to devour me; ⁹³ 

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are a sharp sword. ⁹⁴ 

Mazmur 59:3

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ⁹⁵ 

powerful men stalk ⁹⁶  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 59:13

59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!

Let them know that God rules

in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)

Mazmur 62:8

62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!

Pour out your hearts before him! ⁹⁸ 

God is our shelter! (Selah)

Mazmur 63:11

63:11 But the king ⁹⁹  will rejoice in God;

everyone who takes oaths in his name ¹⁰⁰  will boast,

for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up. ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 65:1

Psalm 65 ¹⁰² 

For the music director; a psalm of David, a song.

65:1 Praise awaits you, ¹⁰³  O God, in Zion.

Vows made to you are fulfilled.

Mazmur 68:6

68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; ¹⁰⁴ 

he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. ¹⁰⁵ 

But sinful rebels live in the desert. ¹⁰⁶ 

Mazmur 68:11

68:11 The Lord speaks; ¹⁰⁷ 

many, many women spread the good news. ¹⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 69:1

Psalm 69 ¹⁰⁹ 

For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” ¹¹⁰  by David.

69:1 Deliver me, O God,

for the water has reached my neck. ¹¹¹ 

Mazmur 71:3

71:3 Be my protector and refuge, ¹¹² 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ¹¹³ 

For you are my high ridge ¹¹⁴  and my stronghold.

Mazmur 74:9

74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence; ¹¹⁵ 

there are no longer any prophets ¹¹⁶ 

and we have no one to tell us how long this will last. ¹¹⁷ 

Mazmur 78:20

78:20 Yes, ¹¹⁸  he struck a rock and water flowed out,

streams gushed forth.

But can he also give us food?

Will he provide meat for his people?”

Mazmur 78:50

78:50 He sent his anger in full force; ¹¹⁹ 

he did not spare them from death;

he handed their lives over to destruction. ¹²⁰ 

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ¹²¹  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ¹²² 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 84:10-11

84:10 Certainly ¹²³  spending just one day in your temple courts is better

than spending a thousand elsewhere. ¹²⁴ 

I would rather stand at the entrance ¹²⁵  to the temple of my God

than live ¹²⁶  in the tents of the wicked.

84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector. ¹²⁷ 

The Lord bestows favor ¹²⁸  and honor;

he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity. ¹²⁹ 

Mazmur 87:4

87:4 I mention Rahab ¹³⁰  and Babylon to my followers. ¹³¹ 

Here are ¹³²  Philistia and Tyre, ¹³³  along with Ethiopia. ¹³⁴ 

It is said of them, “This one was born there.” ¹³⁵ 

Mazmur 89:14

89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. ¹³⁶ 

Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule. ¹³⁷ 

Mazmur 89:19

89:19 Then you ¹³⁸  spoke through a vision to your faithful followers ¹³⁹  and said:

“I have energized a warrior; ¹⁴⁰ 

I have raised up a young man ¹⁴¹  from the people.

Mazmur 92:1

Psalm 92 ¹⁴² 

A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.

92:1 It is fitting ¹⁴³  to thank the Lord,

and to sing praises to your name, O sovereign One! ¹⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 106:9

106:9 He shouted at ¹⁴⁵  the Red Sea and it dried up;

he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.

Mazmur 111:9

111:9 He delivered his people; ¹⁴⁶ 

he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. ¹⁴⁷ 

His name is holy and awesome.

Mazmur 127:1

Psalm 127 ¹⁴⁸ 

A song of ascents, ¹⁴⁹  by Solomon.

127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, ¹⁵⁰ 

then those who build it work in vain.

If the Lord does not guard a city, ¹⁵¹ 

then the watchman stands guard in vain.

Mazmur 137:3

137:3 for there our captors ask us to compose songs; ¹⁵² 

those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: ¹⁵³ 

“Sing for us a song about Zion!” ¹⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 141:5

141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!

May my head not refuse ¹⁵⁵  choice oil! ¹⁵⁶ 

Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. ¹⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 142:1

Psalm 142 ¹⁵⁸ 

A well-written song ¹⁵⁹  by David, when he was in the cave; ¹⁶⁰  a prayer.

142:1 To the Lord I cry out; ¹⁶¹ 

to the Lord I plead for mercy. ¹⁶² 

[4:2]  ¹ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ² tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ³ tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.

[8:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.

[8:1]  ⁷ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.

[8:1]  ⁸ tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.

[8:1]  ⁹ tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”

[8:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[8:1]  ¹¹ tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.

[9:12]  ¹² tn Heb “for the one who seeks shed blood remembered them.” The idiomatic expression “to seek shed blood” seems to carry the idea “to seek payment/restitution for one’s shed blood.” The plural form דָּמִים (damim, “shed blood”) occurs only here as the object of דָּרַשׁ (darash); the singular form דָּם (dam, “blood”) appears with the verb in Gen 9:5; 42:22; Ezek 33:6. “Them,” the pronominal object of the verb “remembered,” refers to the oppressed, mentioned specifically in the next line, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “did not forget.”

[9:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the cry for help of the oppressed.” In this context the “oppressed” are the psalmist and those he represents, whom the hostile nations have threatened.

[15:5]  ¹⁵ sn He does not charge interest. Such an individual is truly generous, and not simply concerned with making a profit.

[15:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “a bribe against the innocent he does not take.” For other texts condemning the practice of a judge or witness taking a bribe, see Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19; 27:25; 1 Sam 8:3; Ezek 22:12; Prov 17:23.

[15:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “does these things.”

[17:14]  ¹⁸ tc Heb “from men [by] your hand, Lord.” The translation assumes an emendation (both here and in the following line) of מִמְתִים (mimtim, “from men”) to מִמְמִתִים (mimmitim, “from those who kill”). For other uses of the plural form of the Hiphil participle of מוּת (mut, “die”), see 2 Kgs 17:26 (used with lions as subject), Job 33:22 (apparently referring to the agents of death), and Jer 26:15 (used of those seeking Jeremiah’s life).

[17:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”

[17:14]  ²⁰ tn Heb “their portion, in life.”

[17:14]  ²¹ tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”

[17:14]  sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.

[17:14]  ²² tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”

[18:50]  ²³ tn Or “the one who.”

[18:50]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”

[18:50]  ²⁶ tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.

[18:50]  ²⁷ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[18:50]  ²⁸ 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.

[22:26]  ²⁹ sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.

[22:26]  ³⁰ tn Heb “may your heart[s].”

[26:1]  ³¹ sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.

[26:1]  ³² tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”

[27:9]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[30:1]  ³⁵ sn Psalm 30. The author thanks the Lord for delivering him from death and urges others to join him in praise. The psalmist experienced divine discipline for a brief time, but when he cried out for help the Lord intervened and restored his favor.

[30:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb “a song of the dedication of the house.” The referent of “house” is unclear. It is possible that David wrote this psalm for the dedication ceremony of Solomon’s temple. Another possibility is that the psalm was used on the occasion of the dedication of the second temple following the return from exile, or on the occasion of the rededication of the temple in Maccabean times.

[30:1]  ³⁷ tn Elsewhere the verb דָּלָה (dalah) is used of drawing water from a well (Exod 2:16, 19; Prov 20:5). The psalmist was trapped in the pit leading to Sheol (see v. 3), but the Lord hoisted him up. The Piel stem is used here, perhaps suggesting special exertion on the Lord’s part.

[30:1]  ³⁸ tn Or “rejoice.”

[31:7]  ³⁹ tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”

[31:20]  ⁴⁰ tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”

[31:20]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.

[31:20]  ⁴² tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”

[34:1]  ⁴³ sn Psalm 34. In this song of thanksgiving the psalmist praises God for delivering him from distress. He encourages others to be loyal to the Lord, tells them how to please God, and assures them that the Lord protects his servants. The psalm is an acrostic; vv. 1-21 begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. (Verse 6 begins with the letter he (ה) and v. 7 with the letter zayin (ז). The letter vav (ו), which comes between ה and ז, seems to be omitted, although it does appear at the beginning of v. 6b. The final verse of the psalm, which begins with the letter pe (פ), is outside the acrostic scheme.

[34:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “By David, when he changed his sense before Abimelech and he drove him away and he went.”

[34:1]  sn Pretended to be insane. The psalm heading appears to refer to the account in 1 Sam 21:10-15 which tells how David, fearful that King Achish of Gath might kill him, pretended to be insane in hopes that the king would simply send him away. The psalm heading names the king Abimelech, not Achish, suggesting that the tradition is confused on this point. However, perhaps “Abimelech” was a royal title, rather than a proper name. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 278.

[34:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “bless.”

[34:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “continually [will] his praise [be] in my mouth.”

[35:27]  ⁴⁷ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).

[35:27]  ⁴⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.”

[35:27]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”

[37:28]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the Lord’s commitment to principles of justice causes him to actively promote these principles as he governs the world. The active participle describes characteristic behavior.

[37:28]  ⁵¹ tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.

[37:28]  ⁵² tn Or “protected forever.”

[37:28]  ⁵³ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[37:28]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.

[37:34]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “wait.”

[37:34]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “keep his way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.

[37:34]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.

[37:34]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”

[42:11]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”

[42:11]  ⁶⁰ sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.

[42:11]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”

[42:11]  ⁶² tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God”), that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is almost identical to the one in v. 5. See also Ps 43:5.

[48:8]  ⁶³ tn Heb “As we have heard, so we have seen.” The community had heard about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history. Having personally witnessed his saving power with their own eyes, they could now affirm that the tradition was not exaggerated or inaccurate.

[48:8]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Pss 24:10; 46:7, 11).

[48:8]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “God makes it secure forever.” The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[48:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “like your name, O God, so [is] your praise to the ends of the earth.” Here “name” refers to God’s reputation and revealed character.

[48:10]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “your right hand is full of justice.” The “right hand” suggests activity and power.

[49:10]  ⁶⁸ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ⁶⁹ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ⁷⁰ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ⁷² sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[51:4]  ⁷³ tn Heb “only you,” as if the psalmist had sinned exclusively against God and no other. Since the Hebrew verb חָטָא (hata’, “to sin”) is used elsewhere of sinful acts against people (see BDB 306 s.v. 2.a) and David (the presumed author) certainly sinned when he murdered Uriah (2 Sam 12:9), it is likely that the psalmist is overstating the case to suggest that the attack on Uriah was ultimately an attack on God himself. To clarify the point of the hyperbole, the translation uses “especially,” rather than the potentially confusing “only.”

[51:4]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) normally indicates purpose (“in order that”), but here it introduces a logical consequence of the preceding statement. (Taking the clause as indicating purpose here would yield a theologically preposterous idea – the psalmist purposely sinned so that God’s justice might be vindicated!) For other examples of לְמַעַן indicating result, see 2 Kgs 22:17; Jer 27:15; Amos 2:7, as well as IBHS 638-40 §38.3.

[51:4]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “when you speak.” In this context the psalmist refers to God’s word of condemnation against his sin delivered through Nathan (cf. 2 Sam 12:7-12).

[51:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “when you judge.”

[51:14]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.

[51:14]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).

[51:19]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “desire, take delight in.”

[51:19]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.

[51:19]  ⁸¹ 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.

[53:4]  ⁸² tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”

[53:4]  ⁸³ tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).

[53:6]  ⁸⁴ tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.

[53:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).

[53:6]  ⁸⁶ tn The verb form is jussive.

[53:6]  ⁸⁷ tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.

[55:15]  ⁸⁸ tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ’alemo, “May devastation [be] upon them!”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth-Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ’alemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashi’), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nasha’, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (yeshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled and corrupt text. The preposition עַל (’al) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ’alemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.

[55:15]  ⁸⁹ sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.

[55:19]  ⁹⁰ tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay’annem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (’anah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).

[55:19]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”

[57:4]  ⁹² tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).

[57:4]  ⁹³ tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).

[57:4]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”

[59:3]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.

[59:3]  ⁹⁷ sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the Lord.

[62:8]  ⁹⁸ tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).

[63:11]  ⁹⁹ sn The psalmist probably refers to himself in the third person here.

[63:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “who swears [an oath] by him.”

[63:11]  ¹⁰¹ tn The Niphal of this verb occurs only here and in Gen 8:2, where it is used of God “stopping” or “damming up” the great deep as he brought the flood to an end.

[65:1]  ¹⁰² sn Psalm 65. The psalmist praises God because he forgives sin and blesses his people with an abundant harvest.

[65:1]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “for you, silence, praise.” Many prefer to emend the noun דֻּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”) to a participle דּוֹמִיָּה (domiyyah), from the root דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”), understood here in the sense of “wait.”

[68:6]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “God causes the solitary ones to dwell in a house.” The participle suggests this is what God typically does.

[68:6]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “he brings out prisoners into prosperity.” Another option is to translate, “he brings out prisoners with singing” (cf. NIV). The participle suggests this is what God typically does.

[68:6]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “in a parched [land].”

[68:6]  sn God delivers the downtrodden and oppressed, but sinful rebels who oppose his reign are treated appropriately.

[68:11]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.

[68:11]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “the ones spreading the good news [are] a large army.” The participle translated “the ones spreading the good news” is a feminine plural form. Apparently the good news here is the announcement that enemy kings have been defeated (see v. 12).

[69:1]  ¹⁰⁹ sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.

[69:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.

[69:1]  ¹¹¹ tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.

[71:3]  ¹¹² tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).

[71:3]  ¹¹³ tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).

[71:3]  ¹¹⁴ sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.

[74:9]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).

[74:9]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”

[74:9]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”

[78:20]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “look.”

[78:50]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “he leveled a path for his anger.” There were no obstacles to impede its progress; it moved swiftly and destructively.

[78:50]  ¹²⁰ tn Or perhaps “[the] plague.”

[84:3]  ¹²¹ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ¹²² tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”

[84:3]  sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.

[84:10]  ¹²³ tn Or “for.”

[84:10]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”

[84:10]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “I choose being at the entrance of the house of my God over living in the tents of the wicked.” The verb סָפַף (safaf) appears only here in the OT; it is derived from the noun סַף (saf, “threshold”). Traditionally some have interpreted this as a reference to being a doorkeeper at the temple, though some understand it to mean “lie as a beggar at the entrance to the temple” (see HALOT 765 s.v. ספף).

[84:10]  ¹²⁶ tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.

[84:11]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.

[84:11]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “grace.”

[84:11]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”

[87:4]  ¹³⁰ sn “Rahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).

[87:4]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the Lord speaks here. The verbal construction (the Hiphil of זָכַר, zakhar, “remember” followed by the preposition -לְ [le] with a substantive) is rare, but the prepositional phrase is best understood as indicating the recipient of the announcement (see Jer 4:16). Some take the preposition in the sense of “among” and translate, “among those who know me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). In this case these foreigners are viewed as the Lord’s people and the psalm is interpreted as anticipating a time when all nations will worship the Lord (see Ps 86:9) and be considered citizens of Zion.

[87:4]  ¹³² tn Heb “Look.”

[87:4]  ¹³³ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[87:4]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “Cush.”

[87:4]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.

[89:14]  ¹³⁶ sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.

[89:14]  ¹³⁷ 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).

[89:19]  ¹³⁸ tn The pronoun “you” refers to the Lord, who is addressed here. The quotation that follows further develops the announcement of vv. 3-4.

[89:19]  ¹³⁹ tc Many medieval mss read the singular here, “your faithful follower.” In this case the statement refers directly to Nathan’s oracle to David (see 2 Sam 7:17).

[89:19]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”

[89:19]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”

[92:1]  ¹⁴² sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.

[92:1]  ¹⁴³ tn Or “good.”

[92:1]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Traditionally “O Most High.”

[106:9]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “rebuked.”

[111:9]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “redemption he sent for his people.”

[111:9]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “he commanded forever his covenant.”

[127:1]  ¹⁴⁸ sn Psalm 127. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist teaches that one does not find security by one’s own efforts, for God alone gives stability and security.

[127:1]  ¹⁴⁹ 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.

[127:1]  ¹⁵⁰ sn The expression build a house may have a double meaning here. It may refer on the surface level to a literal physical structure in which a family lives, but at a deeper, metaphorical level it refers to building, perpetuating, and maintaining a family line. See Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 2:35; 2 Sam 7:27; 1 Kgs 11:38; 1 Chr 17:10, 25. Having a family line provided security in ancient Israel.

[127:1]  ¹⁵¹ sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.

[137:3]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “ask us [for] the words of a song.”

[137:3]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “our [?] joy.” The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew phrase תוֹלָלֵינוּ (tolalenu, “our [?]”) are uncertain. A derivation from תָּלַל (talal, “to mock”) fits contextually, but this root occurs only in the Hiphil stem. For a discussion of various proposals, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 236.

[137:3]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “from a song of Zion.” Most modern translations read, “one of the songs of Zion,” taking the preposition מִן (min, “from”) as partitive and “song” as collective. The present translation assumes the mem (ם) is enclitic, being misunderstood later as the prefixed preposition.

[141:5]  ¹⁵⁵ tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.

[141:5]  ¹⁵⁶ sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.

[141:5]  ¹⁵⁷ tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.

[142:1]  ¹⁵⁸ sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.

[142:1]  ¹⁵⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[142:1]  ¹⁶⁰ sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.

[142:1]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”

[142:1]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”