Mazmur 5:4

5:4 Certainly ¹  you are not a God who approves of evil; ² 

evil people ³  cannot dwell with you. ⁴ 

Mazmur 7:6

7:6 Stand up angrily, ⁵  Lord!

Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! ⁶ 

Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! ⁷ 

Mazmur 7:11

7:11 God is a just judge;

he is angry throughout the day. ⁸ 

Mazmur 10:11-12

10:11 He says to himself, ⁹ 

“God overlooks it;

he does not pay attention;

he never notices.” ¹⁰ 

10:12 Rise up, Lord! ¹¹ 

O God, strike him down! ¹² 

Do not forget the oppressed!

Mazmur 16:1

Psalm 16 ¹³ 

A prayer ¹⁴  of David.

16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 17:6

17:6 I call to you for you will answer me, O God.

Listen to me! ¹⁶ 

Hear what I say! ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 18:2

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, ¹⁸  my stronghold, ¹⁹  my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where ²⁰  I take shelter, ²¹ 

my shield, the horn that saves me, ²²  and my refuge. ²³ 

Mazmur 18:30

18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ²⁴ 

the Lord’s promise ²⁵  is reliable; ²⁶ 

he is a shield to all who take shelter ²⁷  in him.

Mazmur 18:32

18:32 The one true God ²⁸  gives ²⁹  me strength; ³⁰ 

he removes ³¹  the obstacles in my way. ³² 

Mazmur 18:47

18:47 The one true God ³³  completely vindicates me; ³⁴ 

he makes nations submit to me. ³⁵ 

Mazmur 19:1

Psalm 19 ³⁶ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; ³⁷ 

the sky displays his handiwork. ³⁸ 

Mazmur 22:1

Psalm 22 ³⁹ 

For the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” ⁴⁰  a psalm of David.

22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? ⁴¹ 

I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. ⁴² 

Mazmur 22:10

22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; ⁴³ 

from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God. ⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 29:1

Psalm 29 ⁴⁵ 

A psalm of David.

29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, ⁴⁶ 

acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 29:3

29:3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; ⁴⁸ 

the majestic God thunders, ⁴⁹ 

the Lord appears over the surging water. ⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 31:5

31:5 Into your hand I entrust my life; ⁵¹ 

you will rescue ⁵²  me, O Lord, the faithful God.

Mazmur 36:6

36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, ⁵³ 

your fairness like the deepest sea;

you preserve ⁵⁴  mankind and the animal kingdom. ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 42:2

42:2 I thirst ⁵⁶  for God,

for the living God.

I say, ⁵⁷  “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 42:8-9

42:8 By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, ⁵⁹ 

and by night he gives me a song, ⁶⁰ 

a prayer ⁶¹  to the living God.

42:9 I will pray ⁶²  to God, my high ridge: ⁶³ 

“Why do you ignore ⁶⁴  me?

Why must I walk around mourning ⁶⁵ 

because my enemies oppress me?”

Mazmur 43:4

43:4 Then I will go ⁶⁶  to the altar of God,

to the God who gives me ecstatic joy, ⁶⁷ 

so that I express my thanks to you, ⁶⁸  O God, my God, with a harp.

Mazmur 44:20

44:20 If we had rejected our God, ⁶⁹ 

and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 50:1

Psalm 50 ⁷¹ 

A psalm by Asaph.

50:1 El, God, the Lord ⁷²  speaks,

and summons the earth to come from the east and west. ⁷³ 

Mazmur 52:1

Psalm 52 ⁷⁴ 

For the music director; a well-written song ⁷⁵  by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” ⁷⁶ 

52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, ⁷⁷  O powerful man?

God’s loyal love protects me all day long! ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 52:5

52:5 Yet ⁷⁹  God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. ⁸⁰ 

He will scoop you up ⁸¹  and remove you from your home; ⁸² 

he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)

Mazmur 55:19

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

will hear and humiliate them. ⁸³  (Selah)

They refuse to change,

and do not fear God. ⁸⁴ 

Mazmur 57:2

57:2 I cry out for help to the sovereign God, ⁸⁵ 

to the God who vindicates ⁸⁶  me.

Mazmur 63:1

Psalm 63 ⁸⁷ 

A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. ⁸⁸ 

63:1 O God, you are my God! I long for you! ⁸⁹ 

My soul thirsts ⁹⁰  for you,

my flesh yearns for you,

in a dry and parched ⁹¹  land where there is no water.

Mazmur 68:19-20

68:19 The Lord deserves praise! ⁹² 

Day after day ⁹³  he carries our burden,

the God who delivers us. (Selah)

68:20 Our God is a God who delivers;

the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. ⁹⁴ 

Mazmur 68:24

68:24 They ⁹⁵  see your processions, O God –

the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. ⁹⁶ 

Mazmur 68:35

68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! ⁹⁷ 

It is the God of Israel ⁹⁸  who gives the people power and strength.

God deserves praise! ⁹⁹ 

Mazmur 73:11

73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?

Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” ¹⁰⁰ 

Mazmur 73:17

73:17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple, ¹⁰¹ 

and understood the destiny of the wicked. ¹⁰² 

Mazmur 74:8

74:8 They say to themselves, ¹⁰³ 

“We will oppress all of them.” ¹⁰⁴ 

They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. ¹⁰⁵ 

Mazmur 77:9

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

Mazmur 77:13-14

77:13 ¹⁰⁶ O God, your deeds are extraordinary! ¹⁰⁷ 

What god can compare to our great God? ¹⁰⁸ 

77:14 You are the God who does amazing things;

you have revealed your strength among the nations.

Mazmur 78:7-8

78:7 Then they will place their confidence in God.

They will not forget the works of God,

and they will obey ¹⁰⁹  his commands.

78:8 Then they will not be like their ancestors,

who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation that was not committed

and faithful to God. ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 78:18-19

78:18 They willfully challenged God ¹¹¹ 

by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.

78:19 They insulted God, saying, ¹¹² 

“Is God really able to give us food ¹¹³  in the wilderness?

Mazmur 78:34-35

78:34 When he struck them down, ¹¹⁴  they sought his favor; ¹¹⁵ 

they turned back and longed for God.

78:35 They remembered that God was their protector, ¹¹⁶ 

and that the sovereign God was their deliverer. ¹¹⁷ 

Mazmur 78:41

78:41 They again challenged God, ¹¹⁸ 

and offended ¹¹⁹  the Holy One of Israel. ¹²⁰ 

Mazmur 80:10

80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,

the highest cedars ¹²¹  by its branches.

Mazmur 81:9

81:9 There must be ¹²²  no other ¹²³  god among you.

You must not worship a foreign god.

Mazmur 82:1

Psalm 82 ¹²⁴ 

A psalm of Asaph.

82:1 God stands in ¹²⁵  the assembly of El; ¹²⁶ 

in the midst of the gods ¹²⁷  he renders judgment. ¹²⁸ 

Mazmur 83:1

Psalm 83 ¹²⁹ 

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not be silent!

Do not ignore us! ¹³⁰  Do not be inactive, O God!

Mazmur 84:2

84:2 I desperately want to be ¹³¹ 

in the courts of the Lord’s temple. ¹³² 

My heart and my entire being ¹³³  shout for joy

to the living God.

Mazmur 85:8

85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says. ¹³⁴ 

For he will make ¹³⁵  peace with his people, his faithful followers. ¹³⁶ 

Yet they must not ¹³⁷  return to their foolish ways.

Mazmur 86:15

86:15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.

You are patient ¹³⁸  and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. ¹³⁹ 

Mazmur 89:6-7

89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?

Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, ¹⁴⁰ 

89:7 a God who is honored ¹⁴¹  in the great angelic assembly, ¹⁴² 

and more awesome than ¹⁴³  all who surround him?

Mazmur 89:26

89:26 He will call out to me,

‘You are my father, ¹⁴⁴  my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ ¹⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 90:2

90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence, ¹⁴⁶ 

or you brought the world into being, ¹⁴⁷ 

you were the eternal God. ¹⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 94:1

Psalm 94 ¹⁴⁹ 

94:1 O Lord, the God who avenges!

O God who avenges, reveal your splendor! ¹⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 95:3

95:3 For the Lord is a great God,

a great king who is superior to ¹⁵¹  all gods.

Mazmur 99:8

99:8 O Lord our God, you answered them.

They found you to be a forgiving God,

but also one who punished their sinful deeds. ¹⁵² 

Mazmur 102:24

102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! ¹⁵³ 

You endure through all generations. ¹⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 104:21

104:21 The lions roar for prey,

seeking their food from God. ¹⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 106:14

106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving ¹⁵⁶  for meat; ¹⁵⁷ 

they challenged God ¹⁵⁸  in the desert.

Mazmur 106:21

106:21 They rejected ¹⁵⁹  the God who delivered them,

the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,

Mazmur 107:11

107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, ¹⁶⁰ 

and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. ¹⁶¹ 

Mazmur 118:27-28

118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us. ¹⁶² 

Tie the offering ¹⁶³  with ropes

to the horns of the altar! ¹⁶⁴ 

118:28 You are my ¹⁶⁵  God and I will give you thanks!

You are my God and I will praise you!

Mazmur 136:26

136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his loyal love endures!

Mazmur 139:17

139:17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! ¹⁶⁶ 

How vast is their sum total! ¹⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 139:23

139:23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts! ¹⁶⁸ 

Test me, and know my concerns! ¹⁶⁹ 

Mazmur 140:6

140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”

O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!

Mazmur 146:5

146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

Mazmur 149:6

149:6 May they praise God

while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand, ¹⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 150:1

Psalm 150 ¹⁷¹ 

150:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary!

Praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength! ¹⁷² 

[5:4]  ¹ tn Or “for.”

[5:4]  ² tn Heb “not a God [who] delights [in] wickedness [are] you.”

[5:4]  ³ tn The Hebrew text has simply the singular form רע, which may be taken as an abstract noun “evil” (the reference to “wickedness” in the preceding line favors this; cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV) or as a substantival adjective “evil one” (the references to evil people in the next two verses favor this; cf. NIV “with you the wicked cannot dwell”).

[5:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “cannot dwell as a resident alien [with] you.” The negated imperfect verbal form here indicates incapability or lack of permission. These people are morally incapable of dwelling in God’s presence and are not permitted to do so.

[5:4]  sn Only the godly are allowed to dwell with the Lord. Evil people are excluded. See Ps 15.

[7:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “in your anger.”

[7:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to עַבְרוֹת (’avrot, “angry outbursts”) as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “rise up against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.

[7:6]  ⁷ tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands אֵלִי (’eliy, “my God”) instead of אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”; the LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case צִוִּיתָ (tsivvita, “[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[7:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “God (the divine name אֵל [’el] is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb זֹעֵם (zo’em) means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice leads him to prepare to execute judgment as described in the following verses.

[10:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “he says in his heart.” See v. 6.

[10:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “God forgets, he hides his face, he never sees.”

[10:12]  ¹¹ sn Rise up, O Lord! The psalmist’s mood changes from lament to petition and confidence.

[10:12]  ¹² tn Heb “lift up your hand.” Usually the expression “lifting the hand” refers to praying (Pss 28:2; 134:2) or making an oath (Ps 106:26), but here it probably refers to “striking a blow” (see 2 Sam 18:28; 20:21). Note v. 15, where the psalmist asks the Lord to “break the arm of the wicked.” A less likely option is that the psalmist is requesting that the Lord declare by oath his intention to intervene.

[16:1]  ¹³ sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.

[16:1]  ¹⁴ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[16:1]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).

[16:1]  sn Taken shelter. “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).

[17:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”

[17:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “my word.”

[18:2]  ¹⁸ sn 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.

[18:2]  ¹⁹ sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.

[18:2]  ²⁰ tn Or “in whom.”

[18:2]  ²¹ sn Take shelter. “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).

[18:2]  ²² tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”

[18:2]  sn Though some see “horn” as referring to a horn-shaped peak of a hill, or to the “horns” of an altar where one could find refuge, it is more likely that the horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. 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 the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that uses its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36. Ps 18:2 uses the metaphor of the horn in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord himself is compared to a horn. He is to the psalmist what the horn is to the ox, a source of defense and victory.

[18:2]  ²³ tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”

[18:30]  ²⁴ tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).

[18:30]  ²⁵ sn The Lord’s promise. In the ancient Near East kings would typically seek and receive oracles from their god(s) prior to battle. For examples, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 241-42.

[18:30]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is purified.” The Lord’s “word” probably refers here to his oracle(s) of victory delivered to the psalmist before the battle(s) described in the following context. See also Pss 12:5-7 and 138:2-3. David frequently received such oracles before going into battle (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4-5, 10-12; 30:8; 2 Sam 5:19). The Lord’s word of promise is absolutely reliable; it is compared to metal that has been refined in fire and cleansed of impurities. See Ps 12:6.

[18:30]  ²⁷ sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.

[18:32]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the Lord’s distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). See v. 30.

[18:32]  ²⁹ tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.

[18:32]  ³⁰ tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”

[18:32]  sn Gives me strength. As the following context makes clear, this refers to physical and emotional strength for battle (see especially v. 39).

[18:32]  ³¹ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.

[18:32]  ³² tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).

[18:47]  ³³ tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.

[18:47]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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.”

[19:1]  ³⁶ sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.

[19:1]  ³⁷ sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.

[19:1]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.

[22:1]  ³⁹ sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.

[22:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.

[22:1]  ⁴¹ sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).

[22:1]  ⁴² tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.

[22:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “upon you I was cast from [the] womb.”

[22:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “from the womb of my mother you [have been] my God.”

[22:10]  sn Despite the enemies’ taunts, the psalmist is certain of his relationship with God, which began from the time of his birth (from the time I came out of my mother’s womb).

[29:1]  ⁴⁵ sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.

[29:1]  ⁴⁶ tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem 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.

[29:1]  tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “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 referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.

[29:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”

[29:3]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the voice of the Lord [is] over the water.” As the next line makes clear, the “voice of the Lord” is here the thunder that accompanies a violent storm. The psalm depicts the Lord in the role of a warrior-king, so the thunder is his battle cry, as it were.

[29:3]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the Lord coming in the storm to do battle with his enemies and to vindicate his people.

[29:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over the raging waters.

[31:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.

[31:5]  ⁵² tn Or “redeem.” The perfect verbal form is understood here as anticipatory, indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer that he can describe his deliverance as if it had already happened. Another option is to take the perfect as precative, expressing a wish or request (“rescue me”; cf. NIV). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[36:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[36:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “deliver.”

[36:6]  ⁵⁵ sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.

[42:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “my soul thirsts.”

[42:2]  ⁵⁷ tn The words “I say” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[42:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “When will I go and appear [to] the face of God?” Some emend the Niphal verbal form אֵרָאֶה (’era’eh, “I will appear”) to a Qal אֶרְאֶה (’er’eh, “I will see”; see Gen 33:10), but the Niphal can be retained if one understands ellipsis of אֶת (’et) before “face” (see Exod 34:24; Deut 31:11).

[42:8]  ⁵⁹ sn The psalmist believes that the Lord has not abandoned him, but continues to extend his loyal love. To this point in the psalm, the author has used the name “God,” but now, as he mentions the divine characteristic of loyal love, he switches to the more personal divine name Yahweh (rendered in the translation as “the Lord”).

[42:8]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “his song [is] with me.”

[42:8]  ⁶¹ tc A few medieval Hebrew mss read תְּהִלָּה (tÿhillah, “praise”) instead of תְּפִלָּה (tÿfillah, “prayer”).

[42:9]  ⁶² tn The cohortative form indicates the psalmist’s resolve.

[42:9]  ⁶³ tn 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; Pss 18:2; 31:3.

[42:9]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “forget.”

[42:9]  ⁶⁵ sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar idea.

[43:4]  ⁶⁶ tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. Prefixed with the vav (ו) conjunctive it also expresses the result or outcome of the preceding verbs “lead” and “escort.”

[43:4]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “to God, the joy of my happiness.” The phrase “joy of my happiness” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the degree of the psalmist’s joy. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.

[43:4]  ⁶⁸ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates purpose (“so that”) or intention.

[44:20]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “If we had forgotten the name of our God.” To “forget the name” here refers to rejecting the Lord’s authority (see Jer 23:27) and abandoning him as an object of prayer and worship (see the next line).

[44:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and spread out your hands to another god.” Spreading out the hands was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). In its most fundamental sense זר (“another; foreign; strange”) refers to something that is outside one’s circle, often making association with it inappropriate. A “strange” god is an alien deity, an “outside god” (see L. A. Snijders, TDOT 4:54-55).

[50:1]  ⁷¹ sn Psalm 50. This psalm takes the form of a covenant lawsuit in which the Lord comes to confront his people in a formal manner (as in Isa 1:2-20). The Lord emphasizes that he places priority on obedience and genuine worship, not empty ritual.

[50:1]  ⁷² sn Israel’s God is here identified with three names: El (אֵל [’el], or “God”), Elohim (אֱלֹהִים [’elohim], or “God”), and Yahweh (יְהוָה [yÿhvah] or “the Lord”). There is an obvious allusion here to Josh 22:22, the only other passage where these three names appear in succession. In that passage the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh declare, “El, God, the Lord! El, God, the Lord! He knows the truth! Israel must also know! If we have rebelled or disobeyed the Lord, don’t spare us today!” In that context the other tribes had accused the trans-Jordanian tribes of breaking God’s covenant by worshiping idols. The trans-Jordanian tribes appealed to “El, God, the Lord” as their witness that they were innocent of the charges brought against them. Ironically here in Ps 50 “El, God, the Lord” accuses his sinful covenant people of violating the covenant and warns that he will not spare them if they persist in their rebellion.

[50:1]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and calls [the] earth from the sunrise to its going.”

[52:1]  ⁷⁴ sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.

[52:1]  ⁷⁵ 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.

[52:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”

[52:1]  sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).

[52:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”

[52:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.

[52:5]  ⁷⁹ tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.

[52:5]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”

[52:5]  ⁸¹ tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.

[52:5]  ⁸² tn Heb “from [your] tent.”

[55:19]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”

[57:2]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “to God Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.

[57:2]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “avenges in favor of.”

[63:1]  ⁸⁷ sn Psalm 63. The psalmist expresses his intense desire to be in God’s presence and confidently affirms that God will judge his enemies.

[63:1]  ⁸⁸ sn According to the psalm superscription David wrote the psalm while in the “wilderness of Judah.” Perhaps this refers to the period described in 1 Sam 23-24 or to the incident mentioned in 2 Sam 15:23.

[63:1]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “I will seek you.”

[63:1]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “I thirst.”

[63:1]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” This may picture the land as “faint” or “weary,” or it may allude to the effect this dry desert has on those who are forced to live in it.

[68:19]  ⁹² tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”

[68:19]  ⁹³ tn It is possible to take this phrase with what precedes (“The Lord deserves praise day after day”) rather than with what follows.

[68:20]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “and to the Lord, the Lord, to death, goings out.”

[68:24]  ⁹⁵ tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.

[68:24]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[68:35]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).

[68:35]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”

[68:35]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”

[73:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).

[73:17]  ¹⁰¹ tn The plural of the term מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash) probably refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 68:35; Jer 51:51).

[73:17]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “I discerned their end.” At the temple the psalmist perhaps received an oracle of deliverance announcing his vindication and the demise of the wicked (see Ps 12) or heard songs of confidence (for example, Ps 11), wisdom psalms (for example, Pss 1, 37), and hymns (for example, Ps 112) that describe the eventual downfall of the proud and wealthy.

[74:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “in their heart.”

[74:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).

[74:8]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”

[77:13]  ¹⁰⁶ sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).

[77:13]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.

[77:13]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”

[78:7]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “keep.”

[78:8]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “a generation that did not make firm its heart and whose spirit was not faithful with God.” The expression “make firm the heart” means “to be committed, devoted” (see 1 Sam 7:3).

[78:18]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and they tested God in their heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the center of their volition.

[78:19]  ¹¹² tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”

[78:19]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”

[78:34]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.

[78:34]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “they sought him.”

[78:35]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[78:35]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and [that] God Most High [was] their redeemer.”

[78:41]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and they returned and tested God.” The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate that an earlier action was repeated.

[78:41]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT.

[78:41]  ¹²⁰ 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 Lord in the book of Isaiah.

[80:10]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (’al, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[81:9]  ¹²² tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 have a modal function, expressing what is obligatory.

[81:9]  ¹²³ tn Heb “different”; “illicit.”

[82:1]  ¹²⁴ sn Psalm 82. The psalmist pictures God standing in the “assembly of El” where he accuses the “gods” of failing to promote justice on earth. God pronounces sentence upon them, announcing that they will die like men. Having witnessed the scene, the psalmist then asks God to establish his just rule over the earth.

[82:1]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “presides over.”

[82:1]  ¹²⁶ tn The phrase עֲדַת אֵל (’adat ’el, “assembly of El”) appears only here in the OT. (1) Some understand “El” to refer to God himself. In this case he is pictured presiding over his own heavenly assembly. (2) Others take אֵל as a superlative here (“God stands in the great assembly”), as in Pss 36:6 and 80:10. (3) The present translation assumes this is a reference to the Canaanite high god El, who presided over the Canaanite divine assembly. (See Isa 14:13, where El’s assembly is called “the stars of El.”) In the Ugaritic myths the phrase ’dt ’ilm refers to the “assembly of the gods,” who congregate in King Kirtu’s house, where Baal asks El to bless Kirtu’s house (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). If the Canaanite divine assembly is referred to here in Ps 82:1, then the psalm must be understood as a bold polemic against Canaanite religion. Israel’s God invades El’s assembly, denounces its gods as failing to uphold justice, and announces their coming demise. For an interpretation of the psalm along these lines, see W. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:533-36.

[82:1]  ¹²⁷ sn The present translation assumes that the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”) here refers to the pagan gods who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Canaanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).

[82:1]  ¹²⁸ sn The picture of God rendering judgment among the gods clearly depicts his sovereign authority as universal king (see v. 8, where the psalmist boldly affirms this truth).

[83:1]  ¹²⁹ sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.

[83:1]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[84:2]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”

[84:2]  ¹³² tn Heb “the courts of the Lord” (see Ps 65:4).

[84:2]  ¹³³ tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.

[85:8]  ¹³⁴ sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.

[85:8]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).

[85:8]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.

[85:8]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (’el), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.

[86:15]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “slow to anger.”

[86:15]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “and great of loyal love and faithfulness.”

[86:15]  sn The psalmist’s confession of faith in this verse echoes Exod 34:6.

[89:6]  ¹⁴⁰ 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 Lord’s heavenly throne.

[89:7]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “feared.”

[89:7]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

[89:7]  ¹⁴³ tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

[89:26]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”

[90:2]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “were born.”

[90:2]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and you gave birth to the earth and world.” The Polel verbal form in the Hebrew text pictures God giving birth to the world. The LXX and some other ancient textual witnesses assume a polal (passive) verbal form here. In this case the earth becomes the subject of the verb and the verb is understood as third feminine singular rather than second masculine singular.

[90:2]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and from everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.” Instead of אֵל (’el, “God”) the LXX reads אַל (’al, “not”) and joins the negative particle to the following verse, making the verb תָּשֵׁב (tashev) a jussive. In this case v. 3a reads as a prayer, “do not turn man back to a low place.” However, taking תָּשֵׁב as a jussive is problematic in light of the following following wayyiqtol form וַתֹּאמֶר (vato’mer, “and you said/say”).

[94:1]  ¹⁴⁹ sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.

[94:1]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).

[95:3]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “above.”

[99:8]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “a God of lifting up [i.e., forgiveness] you were to them, and an avenger concerning their deeds.” The present translation reflects the traditional interpretation, which understands the last line as qualifying the preceding one. God forgave Moses and Aaron, but he also disciplined them when they sinned (cf. NIV, NRSV). Another option is to take “their deeds” as referring to harmful deeds directed against Moses and Aaron. In this case the verse may be translated, “and one who avenged attacks against them.” Still another option is to emend the participial form נֹקֵם (noqem, “an avenger”) to נֹקָם (noqam), a rare Qal participial form of נָקַה (naqah, “purify”) with a suffixed pronoun. In this case one could translate, “and one who purified them from their [sinful] deeds” (cf. NEB “and held them innocent”).

[102:24]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”

[102:24]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”

[104:21]  ¹⁵⁵ sn The lions’ roaring is viewed as a request for food from God.

[106:14]  ¹⁵⁶ sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.

[106:14]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”

[106:14]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “they tested God.”

[106:21]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “forgot.”

[107:11]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “the words of God.”

[107:11]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”

[118:27]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “and he has given us light.” This may be an elliptical expression, with “his face” being implied as the object (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19). In this case, “his face has given us light” = “he has smiled on us,” or “he has shown us his favor.” Another option (the one reflected in the translation) is that “light” here symbolizes divine blessing in the form of deliverance. “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Some prefer to repoint the form וְיָאֵר (vÿya’er; vav [ו] conjunctive + jussive) and translate the statement as a prayer, “may he give us light.”

[118:27]  ¹⁶³ tn The Hebrew noun חַג (khag) normally means “festival,” but here it apparently refers metonymically to an offering made at the festival. BDB 291 s.v. חַג 2 interprets the word in this way here, citing as comparable the use of later Hebrew חֲגִיגָה, which can refer to both a festival and a festival offering (see Jastrow 424 s.v. חֲגִיגָה).

[118:27]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The second half of v. 27 has been translated and interpreted in a variety of ways. For a survey of major views, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 122.

[118:28]  ¹⁶⁵ sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).

[139:17]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see HALOT 432 s.v. יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1-6, 17b-18).

[139:17]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.

[139:23]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “and know my heart.”

[139:23]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sar’apay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.

[149:6]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “[May] praises of God [be] in their throat, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”

[150:1]  ¹⁷¹ sn Psalm 150. The Psalter concludes with a resounding call for praise from everything that has breath.

[150:1]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “the sky of his strength.”