Mazmur 5:5
Konteks5:5 Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; 1
you hate 2 all who behave wickedly. 3
Mazmur 6:5
Konteks6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death, 4
In Sheol who gives you thanks? 5
Mazmur 7:2
Konteks7:2 Otherwise they will rip 6 me 7 to shreds like a lion;
they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me. 8
Mazmur 9:6
Konteks9:6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; 9
you destroyed their cities; 10
all memory of the enemies has perished. 11
Mazmur 10:4
Konteks10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” 12
Mazmur 10:18--11:1
Konteks10:18 You defend 13 the fatherless and oppressed, 14
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. 15
For the music director; by David.
11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. 17
How can you say to me, 18
“Flee to a mountain like a bird! 19
Mazmur 12:4
Konteks12:4 They say, 20 “We speak persuasively; 21
we know how to flatter and boast. 22
Who is our master?” 23
Mazmur 14:3
Konteksthey are all morally corrupt. 25
None of them does what is right, 26
not even one!
Mazmur 18:41
Konteks18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; 27
they cry out to the Lord, 28 but he does not answer them.
Mazmur 19:6-7
Konteks19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, 29
and goes from one end of the sky to the other; 30
nothing can escape 31 its heat.
19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 32
The rules set down by the Lord 33 are reliable 34
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 35
Mazmur 19:12
Konteks19:12 Who can know all his errors? 36
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 37
Mazmur 21:11
Konteks21:11 Yes, 38 they intend to do you harm; 39
they dream up a scheme, 40 but they do not succeed. 41
Mazmur 27:3
Konteks27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,
I do not fear. 42
Even when war is imminent, 43
I remain confident. 44
Mazmur 34:9
Konteks34:9 Remain loyal to 45 the Lord, you chosen people of his, 46
for his loyal followers 47 lack nothing!
Mazmur 34:22
Konteks34:22 The Lord rescues his servants; 48
all who take shelter in him escape punishment. 49
Mazmur 36:4
Konteks36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; 50
he does not reject what is evil. 51
Mazmur 37:25
Konteks37:25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen a godly man abandoned,
or his children 52 forced to search for food. 53
Mazmur 38:3
Konteks38:3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment; 54
I am deprived of health because of my sin. 55
Mazmur 38:15
Konteks38:15 Yet 56 I wait for you, O Lord!
You will respond, O Lord, my God!
Mazmur 39:6
Konteks39:6 Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. 57
Surely they accumulate worthless wealth
without knowing who will eventually haul it away.” 58
Mazmur 39:13
Konteks39:13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy
before I pass away. 59
Mazmur 41:1
KonteksFor the music director; a psalm of David.
41:1 How blessed 61 is the one who treats the poor properly! 62
When trouble comes, 63 the Lord delivers him. 64
Mazmur 44:19
Konteks44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; 65
you have covered us with darkness. 66
Mazmur 46:5
Konteks46:5 God lives within it, 67 it cannot be moved. 68
God rescues it 69 at the break of dawn. 70
Mazmur 49:7
Konteks49:7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; 71
he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price 72
Mazmur 50:12
Konteks50:12 Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all it contains belong to me.
Mazmur 53:3
Konteksthey are all morally corrupt. 74
None of them does what is right, 75
not even one!
Mazmur 56:4
Konteks56:4 In God – I boast in his promise 76 –
in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 77 do to me? 78
Mazmur 59:7
Konteks59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 79
for they say, 80
“Who hears?”
Mazmur 62:2
Konteks62:2 He alone is my protector 81 and deliverer.
He is my refuge; 82 I will not be upended. 83
Mazmur 62:6
Konteks62:6 He alone is my protector 84 and deliverer.
He is my refuge; 85 I will not be upended. 86
Mazmur 64:5-6
Konteks64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. 87
They plan how to hide 88 snares,
and boast, 89 “Who will see them?” 90
64:6 They devise 91 unjust schemes;
they disguise 92 a well-conceived plot. 93
Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. 94
Mazmur 66:7
Konteks66:7 He rules 95 by his power forever;
he watches 96 the nations.
Stubborn rebels should not exalt 97 themselves. (Selah)
Mazmur 69:2
Konteks69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 98
I am in 99 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
Mazmur 71:15
Konteks71:15 I will tell about your justice,
and all day long proclaim your salvation, 100
though I cannot fathom its full extent. 101
Mazmur 72:12
Konteks72:12 For he will rescue the needy 102 when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed 103 who have no defender.
Mazmur 73:25
Konteks73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
I desire no one but you on earth. 104
Mazmur 74:19
Konteks74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove 105 over to a wild animal!
Do not continue to disregard 106 the lives of your oppressed people!
Mazmur 76:5
Konteks76:5 The bravehearted 107 were plundered; 108
they “fell asleep.” 109
All the warriors were helpless. 110
Mazmur 77:19
Konteks77:19 You walked through the sea; 111
you passed through the surging waters, 112
but left no footprints. 113
Mazmur 78:57
Konteks78:57 They were unfaithful 114 and acted as treacherously as 115 their ancestors;
they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. 116
Mazmur 80:18
Konteks80:18 Then we will not turn away from you.
Revive us and we will pray to you! 117
Mazmur 82:5
Konteks82:5 They 118 neither know nor understand.
They stumble 119 around in the dark,
while all the foundations of the earth crumble. 120
Mazmur 88:8
Konteks88:8 You cause those who know me to keep their distance;
you make me an appalling sight to them.
I am trapped and cannot get free. 121
Mazmur 89:33
Konteks89:33 But I will not remove 122 my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise. 123
Mazmur 89:35
Konteks89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive 124 David.
Mazmur 91:7
Konteks91:7 Though a thousand may fall beside you,
and a multitude on your right side,
it 125 will not reach you.
Mazmur 92:15
Konteks92:15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector,
is just and never unfair. 126
Mazmur 101:5
Konteks101:5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.
I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude. 127
Mazmur 104:25
Konteks104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, 128
which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, 129
living things both small and large.
Mazmur 105:14
Konteks105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
Mazmur 107:12
Konteks107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 130
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
Mazmur 109:17
Konteks109:17 He loved to curse 131 others, so those curses have come upon him. 132
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 133
Mazmur 110:4
Konteks110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath 134 and will not revoke it: 135
“You are an eternal priest 136 after the pattern of 137 Melchizedek.” 138
Mazmur 125:1
KonteksA song of ascents. 140
125:1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion;
it cannot be upended and will endure forever.
Mazmur 126:6
Konteks126:6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag 141 of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain. 142
Mazmur 129:8
Konteks129:8 Those who pass by will not say, 143
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”
Mazmur 137:5-6
Konteks137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand be crippled! 144
137:6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
and do not give Jerusalem priority
over whatever gives me the most joy. 145
Mazmur 138:6
Konteks138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,
and recognizes the proud from far away.
Mazmur 143:2
Konteks143:2 Do not sit in judgment on 146 your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you. 147
Mazmur 144:14
Konteks144:14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. 148
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares. 149
[5:5] 1 tn Heb “before your eyes.”
[5:5] 2 sn You hate. The
[5:5] 3 tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”
[6:5] 4 tn Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.
[6:5] 5 tn The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
[6:5] sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
[7:2] 6 tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew text, even though “all who chase me” in v. 1 refers to a whole group of enemies. The singular is also used in vv. 4-5, but the psalmist returns to the plural in v. 6. The singular is probably collective, emphasizing the united front that the psalmist’s enemies present. This same alternation between a collective singular and a plural referring to enemies appears in Pss 9:3, 6; 13:4; 31:4, 8; 41:6, 10-11; 42:9-10; 55:3; 64:1-2; 74:3-4; 89:22-23; 106:10-11; 143:3, 6, 9.
[7:2] 7 tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[7:2] 8 tn Heb “tearing and there is no one rescuing.” The verbal form translated “tearing” is a singular active participle.
[9:6] 9 tn Heb “the enemy – they have come to an end [in] ruins permanently.” The singular form אוֹיֵב (’oyev, “enemy”) is collective. It is placed at the beginning of the verse to heighten the contrast with יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[9:6] 10 tn Heb “you uprooted cities.”
[9:6] 11 tn Heb “it has perished, their remembrance, they.” The independent pronoun at the end of the line is in apposition to the preceding pronominal suffix and lends emphasis (see IBHS 299 §16.3.4). The referent of the masculine pronoun is the nations/enemies (cf. v. 5), not the cities (the Hebrew noun עָרִים [’arim, “cities”] is grammatically feminine). This has been specified in the present translation for clarity; many modern translations retain the pronoun “them,” resulting in ambiguity (cf. NRSV “their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished”).
[10:4] 12 tn Heb “the wicked [one], according to the height of his nose, he does not seek, there is no God, all his thoughts.” The phrase “height of his nose” probably refers to an arrogant or snooty attitude; it likely pictures one with his nose turned upward toward the sky in pride. One could take the “wicked” as the subject of the negated verb “seek,” in which case the point is that the wicked do not “seek” God. The translation assumes that this statement, along with “there is no God,” is what the wicked man thinks to himself. In this case God is the subject of the verb “seek,” and the point is that God will not hold the wicked man accountable for his actions. Verse 13 strongly favors this interpretation. The statement “there is no God” is not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see v. 11).
[10:18] 13 tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”
[10:18] 14 tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.
[10:18] 15 tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.
[11:1] 16 sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.
[11:1] 17 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[11:1] 18 tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
[11:1] 19 tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.
[12:4] 20 tn Heb “which say.” The plural verb after the relative pronoun indicates a plural antecedent for the pronoun, probably “lips” in v. 3.
[12:4] 21 tn Heb “to our tongue we make strong.” The Hiphil of גָבַר (gavar) occurs only here and in Dan 9:27, where it refers to making strong, or confirming, a covenant. Here in Ps 12 the evildoers “make their tongue strong” in the sense that they use their tongue to produce flattering and arrogant words to accomplish their purposes. The preposition -לְ (l) prefixed to “our tongue” may be dittographic.
[12:4] 22 tn Heb “our lips [are] with us.” This odd expression probably means, “our lips are in our power,” in the sense that they say what they want, whether it be flattery or boasting. For other cases where אֵת (’et, “with”) has the sense “in the power of,” see Ps 38:10 and other texts listed by BDB 86 s.v. 3.a.
[12:4] 23 sn The rhetorical question expresses the arrogant attitude of these people. As far as they are concerned, they are answerable to no one for how they speak.
[14:3] 24 tn Heb “everyone turns aside.”
[14:3] 25 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[14:3] 26 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[18:41] 27 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[18:41] 28 tn Heb “to the
[18:41] sn They cry out. This reference to the psalmist’s enemies crying out for help to the
[19:6] 29 tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”
[19:6] 30 tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”
[19:6] 31 tn Heb “is hidden from.”
[19:7] 32 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
[19:7] 33 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
[19:7] 34 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[19:7] 35 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
[19:12] 36 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
[19:12] 37 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
[21:11] 39 tn Heb “they extend against you harm.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 11 are taken as generalizing, stating factually what the king’s enemies typically do. Another option is to translate with the past tense (“they intended…planned”).
[21:11] 41 tn Heb “they lack ability.”
[27:3] 42 tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”
[27:3] 43 tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”
[27:3] 44 tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”
[34:9] 46 tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”
[34:9] 47 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[34:22] 48 tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.
[34:22] 49 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[36:4] 50 tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.
[36:4] 51 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.
[37:25] 52 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[37:25] 53 tn Heb “or his offspring searching for food.” The expression “search for food” also appears in Lam 1:11, where Jerusalem’s refugees are forced to search for food and to trade their valuable possessions for something to eat.
[38:3] 54 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh from before your anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger at the psalmist’s sin.
[38:3] 55 tn Heb “there is no health in my bones from before my sin.”
[38:15] 56 tn Or perhaps “surely.”
[39:6] 57 tn Heb “surely, as an image man walks about.” The preposition prefixed to “image” indicates identity here.
[39:6] sn People go through life (Heb “man walks about”). “Walking” is here used as a metaphor for living. The point is that human beings are here today, gone tomorrow. They have no lasting substance and are comparable to mere images or ghosts.
[39:6] 58 tc Heb “Surely [in] vain they strive, he accumulates and does not know who gathers them.” The MT as it stands is syntactically awkward. The verb forms switch from singular (“walks about”) to plural (“they strive”) and then back to singular (“accumulates and does not know”), even though the subject (generic “man”) remains the same. Furthermore there is no object for the verb “accumulates” and no plural antecedent for the plural pronoun (“them”) attached to “gathers.” These problems can be removed if one emends the text from הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן (hevel yehemaun, “[in] vain they strive”) to הֶבְלֵי הָמוֹן (hevley hamon, “vain things of wealth”). This assumes a misdivision in the MT and a virtual dittography of vav (ו) between the mem and nun of המון. The present translation follows this emendation.
[39:13] 59 tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.
[41:1] 60 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
[41:1] 61 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[41:1] 62 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
[41:1] 63 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
[41:1] 64 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the
[44:19] 65 tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”
[44:19] 66 tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל+מָוֶת [mavet + tsel]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness” (cf. NIV, NRSV). An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 44:19 darkness symbolizes defeat and humiliation.
[46:5] 67 tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.
[46:5] 68 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.
[46:5] 69 tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.
[46:5] 70 tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).
[46:5] sn At the break of dawn. The “morning” is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Ps 30:5; Isa 17:14). There may be an allusion here to Exod 14:27 (where the Lord destroyed the Egyptians at the “break of dawn”) or, more likely, to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege, when the people discovered the dead bodies of the Assyrian army in the morning (Isa 37:36).
[49:7] 71 tn Heb “a brother, he surely does not ransom, a man.” The sequence אִישׁ...אָח (’akh...’ish, “a brother…a man”) is problematic, for the usual combination is אָח...אָח (“a brother…a brother”) or אִישׁ...אִישׁ (“a man…a man”). When אִישׁ and אָח are combined, the usual order is אָח...אִישׁ (“a man…a brother”), with “brother” having a third masculine singular suffix, “his brother.” This suggests that “brother” is the object of the verb and “man” the subject. (1) Perhaps the altered word order and absence of the suffix can be explained by the text’s poetic character, for ellipsis is a feature of Hebrew poetic style. (2) Another option, supported by a few medieval Hebrew
[49:7] 72 tn Heb “he cannot pay to God his ransom price.” Num 35:31 may supply the legal background for the metaphorical language used here. The psalmist pictures God as having a claim on the soul of the individual. When God comes to claim the life that ultimately belongs to him, he demands a ransom price that is beyond the capability of anyone to pay. The psalmist’s point is that God has ultimate authority over life and death; all the money in the world cannot buy anyone a single day of life beyond what God has decreed.
[53:3] 73 tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
[53:3] 74 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
[53:3] 75 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
[56:4] 76 tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:4] 77 tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.
[56:4] 78 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[59:7] 79 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
[59:7] 80 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
[62:2] 81 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[62:2] 82 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[62:2] 83 tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”
[62:6] 84 tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”
[62:6] 85 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[62:6] 86 sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.
[64:5] 87 tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”
[64:5] 88 tn Heb “they report about hiding.”
[64:5] 90 tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).
[64:6] 91 tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”
[64:6] 92 tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew
[64:6] 93 tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.
[64:6] 94 tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.
[66:7] 95 tn Heb “[the] one who rules.”
[66:7] 96 tn Heb “his eyes watch.” “Eyes” are an anthropomorphism, attributed to God here to emphasize his awareness of all that happens on earth.
[66:7] 97 tn The verb form is jussive (note the negative particle אַל, ’al). The Kethib (consonantal text) has a Hiphil form of the verb, apparently to be understood in an exhibitive sense (“demonstrate stubborn rebellion”; see BDB 927 s.v. רוּם Hiph), while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Qal form, to be understood in an intransitive sense. The preposition -לְ (lamed) with pronominal suffix should be understood in a reflexive sense (“for themselves”) and indicates that the action is performed with the interest of the subject in mind.
[69:2] 98 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 99 tn Heb “have entered.”
[71:15] 100 tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”
[71:15] 101 tn Heb “though I do not know [the] numbers,” that is, the tally of God’s just and saving acts. HALOT 768 s.v. סְפֹרוֹת understands the plural noun to mean “the art of writing.”
[72:12] 102 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
[72:12] 103 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
[73:25] 104 tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.
[74:19] 105 sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.
[74:19] 106 tn Heb “do not forget forever.”
[76:5] 107 tn Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).
[76:5] 108 tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).
[76:5] 109 tn Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”
[76:5] 110 tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”
[77:19] 111 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
[77:19] 112 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
[77:19] 113 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”
[78:57] 114 tn Heb “they turned back.”
[78:57] 115 tn Or “acted treacherously like.”
[78:57] 116 tn Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”
[80:18] 117 tn Heb “and in your name we will call.”
[82:5] 118 sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in the third person.
[82:5] 119 tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.
[82:5] 120 sn These gods, though responsible for justice, neglect their duty. Their self-imposed ignorance (which the psalmist compares to stumbling around in the dark) results in widespread injustice, which threatens the social order of the world (the meaning of the phrase all the foundations of the earth crumble).
[88:8] 121 tn Heb “[I am] confined and I cannot go out.”
[89:33] 122 tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.
[89:33] 123 tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”
[91:7] 125 tn Apparently the deadly disease mentioned in v. 6b is the understood subject here.
[92:15] 126 tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the
[101:5] 127 tn Heb “[one who has] pride of eyes and wideness [i.e., arrogance] of heart, him I will not endure.”
[104:25] 128 tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”
[104:25] 129 tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”
[107:12] 130 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[109:17] 131 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 132 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 133 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[110:4] 134 tn Or “swears, vows.”
[110:4] 135 tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
[110:4] 136 sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).
[110:4] 137 tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.
[110:4] 138 sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”
[125:1] 139 sn Psalm 125. The psalmist affirms his confidence in the Lord’s protection and justice.
[125:1] 140 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.
[126:6] 141 tn The noun occurs only here and in Job 28:18 in the OT. See HALOT 646 s.v. I מֶשֶׁךְ which gives “leather pouch” as the meaning.
[126:6] 142 tn The Hebrew noun אֲלֻמָּה (’alummah, “sheaf”) occurs only here and in Gen 37:7 in the OT.
[126:6] sn Verse 6 expands the image of v. 5. See the note on the word “harvest” there.
[129:8] 143 tn The perfect verbal form is used for rhetorical effect; it describes an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
[137:5] 144 tn Heb “may my right hand forget.” In this case one must supply an object, such as “how to move.” The elliptical nature of the text has prompted emendations (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 236). The translation assumes an emendation to תִּכְשַׁח (tikhshakh), from an otherwise unattested root כשׁח, meaning “to be crippled; to be lame.” See HALOT 502 s.v. כשׁח, which cites Arabic cognate evidence in support of the proposal. The corruption of the MT can be explained as an error of transposition facilitated by the use of שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”) just before this.
[137:6] 145 tn Heb “if I do not lift up Jerusalem over the top of my joy.”
[143:2] 146 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
[143:2] 147 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
[144:14] 148 tn Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see BDB 687 s.v. סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see HALOT 741 s.v. סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 288).
[144:14] 149 tn Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
