Mazmur 7:12

7:12 If a person ¹  does not repent, God sharpens his sword ² 

and prepares to shoot his bow. ³ 

Mazmur 9:18

9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, ⁴ 

the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. ⁵ 

Mazmur 10:4-5

10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,

“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” ⁶ 

10:5 He is secure at all times. ⁷ 

He has no regard for your commands; ⁸ 

he disdains all his enemies. ⁹ 

Mazmur 16:11

16:11 You lead me in ¹⁰  the path of life; ¹¹ 

I experience absolute joy in your presence; ¹² 

you always give me sheer delight. ¹³ 

Mazmur 17:13

17:13 Rise up, Lord!

Confront him! ¹⁴  Knock him down! ¹⁵ 

Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 18:14

18:14 He shot his ¹⁷  arrows and scattered them, ¹⁸ 

many lightning bolts ¹⁹  and routed them. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 21:4-5

21:4 He asked you to sustain his life, ²¹ 

and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty. ²² 

21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor; ²³ 

you give him majestic splendor. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 21:13

21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! ²⁵ 

We will sing and praise ²⁶  your power!

Mazmur 22:16

22:16 Yes, ²⁷  wild dogs surround me –

a gang of evil men crowd around me;

like a lion they pin my hands and feet. ²⁸ 

Mazmur 22:30

22:30 A whole generation ²⁹  will serve him;

they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. ³⁰ 

Mazmur 25:6

25:6 Remember ³¹  your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,

for you have always acted in this manner. ³² 

Mazmur 29:9

29:9 The Lord’s shout bends ³³  the large trees ³⁴ 

and strips ³⁵  the leaves from the forests. ³⁶ 

Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!” ³⁷ 

Mazmur 30:7

30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. ³⁸ 

Then you rejected me ³⁹  and I was terrified.

Mazmur 30:11

30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 34:15

34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly

and hears their cry for help. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 36:5

36:5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky; ⁴² 

your faithfulness to the clouds. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 39:8

39:8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!

Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!

Mazmur 41:13--42:1

41:13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise ⁴⁴ 

in the future and forevermore! ⁴⁵ 

We agree! We agree! ⁴⁶ 

Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)

Psalm 42 ⁴⁷ 

For the music director; a well-written song ⁴⁸  by the Korahites.

42:1 As a deer ⁴⁹  longs ⁵⁰  for streams of water,

so I long ⁵¹  for you, O God!

Mazmur 44:11

44:11 You handed us ⁵²  over like sheep to be eaten;

you scattered us among the nations.

Mazmur 45:8-9

45:8 All your garments are perfumed with ⁵³  myrrh, aloes, and cassia.

From the luxurious palaces ⁵⁴  comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. ⁵⁵ 

45:9 Princesses ⁵⁶  are among your honored guests, ⁵⁷ 

your bride ⁵⁸  stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 46:11

46:11 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! ⁶⁰ 

The God of Jacob ⁶¹  is our protector! ⁶²  (Selah)

Mazmur 48:14

48:14 For God, our God, is our defender forever! ⁶³ 

He guides ⁶⁴  us! ⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 49:8

49:8 (the ransom price for a human life ⁶⁶  is too high,

and people go to their final destiny), ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 50:12

50:12 Even if I were hungry, I would not tell you,

for the world and all it contains belong to me.

Mazmur 55:6

55:6 I say, ⁶⁸  “I wish I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and settle in a safe place!

Mazmur 55:22

55:22 Throw your burden ⁶⁹  upon the Lord,

and he will sustain you. ⁷⁰ 

He will never allow the godly to be upended. ⁷¹ 

Mazmur 56:6

56:6 They stalk ⁷²  and lurk; ⁷³ 

they watch my every step, ⁷⁴ 

as ⁷⁵  they prepare to take my life. ⁷⁶ 

Mazmur 56:10

56:10 In God – I boast in his promise ⁷⁷  –

in the Lord – I boast in his promise ⁷⁸  –

Mazmur 59:4

59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, ⁷⁹  they are anxious to attack. ⁸⁰ 

Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! ⁸¹ 

Mazmur 59:10

59:10 The God who loves me will help me; ⁸² 

God will enable me to triumph over ⁸³  my enemies. ⁸⁴ 

Mazmur 60:2

60:2 You made the earth quake; you split it open. ⁸⁵ 

Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall. ⁸⁶ 

Mazmur 62:2

62:2 He alone is my protector ⁸⁷  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ⁸⁸  I will not be upended. ⁸⁹ 

Mazmur 62:6

62:6 He alone is my protector ⁹⁰  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ⁹¹  I will not be upended. ⁹² 

Mazmur 64:1

Psalm 64 ⁹³ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

64:1 Listen to me, ⁹⁴  O God, as I offer my lament!

Protect ⁹⁵  my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. ⁹⁶ 

Mazmur 67:2

67:2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;

all nations will know how you deliver your people. ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 68:10

68:10 for you live among them. ⁹⁸ 

You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.

Mazmur 68:22

68:22 The Lord says,

“I will retrieve them ⁹⁹  from Bashan,

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

Mazmur 68:24

68:24 They ¹⁰⁰  see your processions, O God –

the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 68:34

68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, ¹⁰² 

his sovereignty over Israel,

and the power he reveals in the skies! ¹⁰³ 

Mazmur 69:15-16

69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!

Don’t let the deep swallow me up!

Don’t let the pit ¹⁰⁴  devour me! ¹⁰⁵ 

69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! ¹⁰⁶ 

Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!

Mazmur 69:19

69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;

you can see all my enemies. ¹⁰⁷ 

Mazmur 69:24

69:24 Pour out your judgment ¹⁰⁸  on them!

May your raging anger ¹⁰⁹  overtake them!

Mazmur 69:29

69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!

O God, deliver and protect me! ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 71:6

71:6 I have leaned on you since birth; ¹¹¹ 

you pulled me ¹¹²  from my mother’s womb.

I praise you continually. ¹¹³ 

Mazmur 74:1

Psalm 74 ¹¹⁴ 

A well-written song ¹¹⁵  by Asaph.

74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? ¹¹⁶ 

Why does your anger burn ¹¹⁷  against the sheep of your pasture?

Mazmur 75:6

75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,

or from the wilderness. ¹¹⁸ 

Mazmur 78:15

78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,

and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. ¹¹⁹ 

Mazmur 79:8

79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! ¹²⁰ 

Quickly send your compassion our way, ¹²¹ 

for we are in serious trouble! ¹²² 

Mazmur 80:5-6

80:5 You have given them tears as food; ¹²³ 

you have made them drink tears by the measure. ¹²⁴ 

80:6 You have made our neighbors dislike us, ¹²⁵ 

and our enemies insult us.

Mazmur 80:8

80:8 You uprooted a vine ¹²⁶  from Egypt;

you drove out nations and transplanted it.

Mazmur 81:3

81:3 Sound the ram’s horn on the day of the new moon, ¹²⁷ 

and on the day of the full moon when our festival begins. ¹²⁸ 

Mazmur 83:11

83:11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, ¹²⁹ 

and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna, ¹³⁰ 

Mazmur 84:6

84:6 As they pass through the Baca Valley, ¹³¹ 

he provides a spring for them. ¹³² 

The rain ¹³³  even covers it with pools of water. ¹³⁴ 

Mazmur 88:12

88:12 Are your amazing deeds experienced ¹³⁵  in the dark region, ¹³⁶ 

or your deliverance in the land of oblivion? ¹³⁷ 

Mazmur 89:16

89:16 They rejoice in your name all day long,

and are vindicated ¹³⁸  by your justice.

Mazmur 89:35

89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,

I will never deceive ¹³⁹  David.

Mazmur 89:50

89:50 Take note, O Lord, ¹⁴⁰  of the way your servants are taunted, ¹⁴¹ 

and of how I must bear so many insults from people! ¹⁴² 

Mazmur 90:2

90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence, ¹⁴³ 

or you brought the world into being, ¹⁴⁴ 

you were the eternal God. ¹⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 90:16

90:16 May your servants see your work! ¹⁴⁶ 

May their sons see your majesty! ¹⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 101:3

101:3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest. ¹⁴⁸ 

I hate doing evil; ¹⁴⁹ 

I will have no part of it. ¹⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 102:6

102:6 I am like an owl ¹⁵¹  in the wilderness;

I am like a screech owl ¹⁵²  among the ruins. ¹⁵³ 

Mazmur 102:10

102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.

Indeed, ¹⁵⁴  you pick me up and throw me away.

Mazmur 103:22

103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, ¹⁵⁵ 

in all the regions ¹⁵⁶  of his kingdom!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Mazmur 104:7

104:7 Your shout made the waters retreat;

at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off –

Mazmur 105:14

105:14 He let no one oppress them;

he disciplined kings for their sake,

Mazmur 109:21

109:21 O sovereign Lord,

intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! ¹⁵⁷ 

Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!

Mazmur 112:9-10

112:9 He generously gives ¹⁵⁸  to the needy;

his integrity endures. ¹⁵⁹ 

He will be vindicated and honored. ¹⁶⁰ 

112:10 When the wicked ¹⁶¹  see this, they will worry;

they will grind their teeth in frustration ¹⁶²  and melt away;

the desire of the wicked will perish. ¹⁶³ 

Mazmur 118:12

118:12 They surrounded me like bees.

But they disappeared as quickly ¹⁶⁴  as a fire among thorns. ¹⁶⁵ 

Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

Mazmur 119:71

119:71 It was good for me to suffer,

so that I might learn your statutes.

Mazmur 124:7

124:7 We escaped with our lives, ¹⁶⁶  like a bird from a hunter’s snare.

The snare broke, and we escaped.

Mazmur 137:6-7

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. ¹⁶⁷ 

137:7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did

on the day Jerusalem fell. ¹⁶⁸ 

They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, ¹⁶⁹ 

right to its very foundation!”

Mazmur 145:13

145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, ¹⁷⁰ 

and your dominion endures through all generations.

[7:12]  ¹ tn Heb “If he”; the referent (a person who is a sinner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The subject of the first verb is understood as the sinner who fails to repent of his ways and becomes the target of God’s judgment (vv. 9, 14-16).

[7:12]  ² tn Heb “if he does not return, his sword he sharpens.” The referent (God) of the pronominal subject of the second verb (“sharpens”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:12]  ³ tn Heb “his bow he treads and prepares it.” “Treading the bow” involved stepping on one end of it in order to string it and thus prepare it for battle.

[9:18]  ⁴ tn Or “forgotten.”

[9:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.

[10:4]  ⁶ 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).

[10:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “they are firm, his ways, at every time.” The verb חַיִל (khayil, “be firm, be strong”) occurs only here and in Job 20:21, where it has the sense “endure.”

[10:5]  ⁸ tc Heb “[on a] height, your judgments from before him.” If the MT is retained, then the idea may be that God’s “judgments” are high above (i.e., not recognized) by the wicked man. However, the syntax is awkward. The translation assumes an emendation of מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) to סָרוּ (saru, “[your judgments] are turned aside”), the final mem (ם) being dittographic (note the initial mem on the immediately following word [מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, mishÿfatekha, “your judgments”). “Judgments” probably refers here to God’s laws or commands, rather than his judicial decisions or acts of judgment.

[10:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “all his enemies, he snorts against them.” This may picture the wicked man defiantly challenging his enemies because he is confident of success. Another option is to take יָפִיחַ (yafiakh) from the root יָפַח (yafakh, “to testify”) and translate “he testifies against all his enemies,” implying that he gets the upper hand over them in legal battles. The noun יָפֵחַ (yafeakh, “witness”) is attested in biblical Hebrew (see Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3). The verb, however, is not clearly attested.

[16:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”

[16:11]  ¹¹ tn This is a metaphorical way of saying, “you preserve my life.” The phrase “path of life” stands in contrast to death/Sheol in Prov 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 15:24.

[16:11]  ¹² tn Heb “abundance of joy [is] with your face.” The plural form of the noun שִׂמְחָה (simkhah, “joy”) occurs only here and in Ps 45:15. It may emphasize the degree of joy experienced.

[16:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “delight [is] in your right hand forever.” The plural form of the adjective נָעִים (na’im, “pleasant, delightful”) may here emphasize the degree of delight experienced (see Job 36:11).

[17:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”

[17:13]  ¹⁵ tn Or “bring him to his knees.”

[17:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”

[18:14]  ¹⁷ tn 2 Sam 22:15 omits the pronominal suffix (“his”).

[18:14]  ¹⁸ tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to the psalmist’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).

[18:14]  ¹⁹ sn Lightning is a common motif in in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 190-92.

[18:14]  ²⁰ tn Heb “lightning bolts, many.” 2 Sam 22:15 has simply “lightning” (בָּרָק, baraq). The identity of the word רָב (rav) in Ps 18:14 is problematic. (1) It may be a form of a rare verb רָבַב (ravav, “to shoot”), perhaps attested in Gen 49:23 as well. In this case one might translate, “he shot lightning bolts and routed them.” Other options include (2) understanding רָב (rav) as an adverbial use of the adjective, “lightning bolts in abundance,” or (3) emending the form to רַבּוּ (rabbu), from רָבַב (ravav, “be many”) or to רָבוּ (ravu), from רָבָה (ravah, “be many”) – both a haplography of the vav (ו); note the initial vav on the immediately following form – and translating “lightning bolts were in abundance.”

[18:14]  sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 77:17-18; 144:6; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).

[21:4]  ²¹ tn Heb “life he asked from you.” Another option is to translate the perfect verbal forms in v. 4 with the present tense, “he asks…you grant.”

[21:4]  ²² tn Heb “you have granted him length of days forever and ever.” The phrase “length of days,” when used of human beings, usually refers to a lengthy period of time (such as one’s lifetime). See, for example, Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20. The additional phrase “forever and ever” is hyperbolic. While it seems to attribute eternal life to the king (see Pss 61:6-7; 72:5 as well), the underlying reality is the king’s enduring dynasty. He will live on, as it were, through his descendants, who will continue to rule over his kingdom long after he has passed off the scene.

[21:5]  ²³ tn Or “great glory.”

[21:5]  ²⁴ tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.

[21:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “in your strength,” but English idiom does not require the pronoun.

[21:13]  sn The psalm concludes with a petition to the Lord, asking him to continue to intervene in strength for the king and nation.

[21:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “sing praise.”

[22:16]  ²⁷ tn Or “for.”

[22:16]  ²⁸ tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”

[22:30]  ²⁹ tn Heb “offspring.”

[22:30]  ³⁰ tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[25:6]  ³¹ tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.

[25:6]  ³² tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”

[29:9]  ³³ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.

[29:9]  ³⁴ tc Heb “the deer.” Preserving this reading, some translate the preceding verb, “causes [the deer] to give premature birth” (cf. NEB, NASB). But the Polel of חוּל/חִיל (khul/khil) means “give birth,” not “cause to give birth,” and the statement “the Lord’s shout gives birth to deer” is absurd. In light of the parallelism (note “forests” in the next line) and v. 5, it is preferable to emend אַיָּלוֹת (’ayyalot, “deer”) to אֵילוֹת (’elot, “large trees”) understanding the latter as an alternate form of the usual plural form אַיָּלִים (’ayyalim).

[29:9]  ³⁵ tn The verb is used in Joel 1:7 of locusts stripping the leaves from a tree. The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.

[29:9]  ³⁶ tn The usual form of the plural of יַעַר (ya’ar, “forest”) is יְעָרִים (yÿ’arim). For this reason some propose an emendation to יְעָלוֹת (yÿ’alot, “female mountain goats”) which would fit nicely in the parallelism with “deer” (cf. NEB “brings kids early to birth”). In this case one would have to understand the verb חָשַׂף (khasaf) to mean “cause premature birth,” an otherwise unattested homonym of the more common חָשַׂף (“strip bare”).

[29:9]  sn The Lord’s thunderous shout is accompanied by high winds which damage the trees of the forest.

[29:9]  ³⁷ tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”

[30:7]  ³⁸ tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).

[30:7]  ³⁹ tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).

[30:11]  ⁴⁰ sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.

[34:15]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the eyes of the Lord [are] toward the godly, and his ears [are] toward their cry for help.”

[36:5]  ⁴² tn Heb “[is] in the heavens.”

[36:5]  ⁴³ sn The Lord’s loyal love/faithfulness is almost limitless. He is loyal and faithful to his creation and blesses mankind and the animal kingdom with physical life and sustenance (vv. 6-9).

[41:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.

[41:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.

[41:13]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.

[42:1]  ⁴⁷ sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalms 42 and 43 into a single psalm.

[42:1]  ⁴⁸ 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.

[42:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.

[42:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “pants [with thirst].”

[42:1]  ⁵¹ tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[44:11]  ⁵² tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[45:8]  ⁵³ tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[45:8]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “the palaces of ivory.” The phrase “palaces of ivory” refers to palaces that had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. Such decoration with ivory was characteristic of a high level of luxury. See 1 Kgs 22:39 and Amos 3:15.

[45:8]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”

[45:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “daughters of kings.”

[45:9]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.

[45:9]  ⁵⁸ tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.

[45:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”

[45:9]  sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.

[46:11]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts is with us.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Ps 24:10). The military imagery is further developed in vv. 8-9.

[46:11]  ⁶¹ tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:11]  ⁶² tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).

[48:14]  ⁶³ tn Heb “for this is God, our God, forever and ever.” “This” might be paraphrased, “this protector described and praised in the preceding verses.”

[48:14]  ⁶⁴ tn The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[48:14]  ⁶⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the psalm ends with the words עַל־מוּת (’al-mut, “upon [unto?] dying”), which make little, if any, sense. M. Dahood (Psalms [AB], 1:293) proposes an otherwise unattested plural form עֹלָמוֹת (’olamot; from עוֹלָם, ’olam, “eternity”). This would provide a nice parallel to עוֹלָם וָעֶד (’olam va’ed, “forever”) in the preceding line, but elsewhere the plural of עוֹלָם appears as עֹלָמִים (’olamim). It is preferable to understand the phrase as a musical direction of some sort (see עַל־מוּת [’al-mut] in the superscription of Ps 9) or to emend the text to עַל־עֲלָמוֹת (’al-’alamot, “according to the alamoth style”; see the heading of Ps 46). In either case it should be understood as belonging with the superscription of the following psalm.

[49:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.

[49:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.

[55:6]  ⁶⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.

[55:22]  ⁶⁹ tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.

[55:22]  ⁷⁰ tn The pronoun is singular; the psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually.

[55:22]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “he will never allow swaying for the righteous.”

[56:6]  ⁷² tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.

[56:6]  ⁷³ tn Or “hide.”

[56:6]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “my heels.”

[56:6]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”

[56:6]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”

[56:10]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “in God I praise a word.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult. The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except that the third person pronominal suffix is omitted here, where the text has simply “a word” instead of “his word.” (1) One could translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” refers to a song of praise. (2) If one assumes that God’s word is in view, as in v. 4, then one option is to translate, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” In this case the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and “[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. (3) The present translation reflects another option: 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 v. 11, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.

[56:10]  ⁷⁸ tn The phrase “in the Lord” parallels “in God” in the first line. Once again the psalmist parenthetically remarks “I boast in [his] word” before completing the sentence in v. 11.

[59:4]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “without sin.”

[59:4]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”

[59:4]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”

[59:10]  ⁸² tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”

[59:10]  ⁸³ tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”

[59:10]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.

[60:2]  ⁸⁵ tn The verb פָּצַם (patsam, “split open”) occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “crack,” and an Aramaic cognate is used in Tg. Jer 22:14 with the meaning “break open, frame.” See BDB 822 s.v. and Jastrow 1205 s.v. פְּצַם.

[60:2]  sn You made the earth quake; you split it open. The psalmist uses the imagery of an earthquake to describe the nation’s defeat.

[60:2]  ⁸⁶ sn It is ready to fall. The earth is compared to a wall that has been broken by the force of the earthquake (note the preceding line) and is ready to collapse.

[62:2]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:2]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:2]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:6]  ⁹¹ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:6]  ⁹² sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.

[64:1]  ⁹³ sn Psalm 64. The psalmist asks God to protect him from his dangerous enemies and then confidently affirms that God will destroy his enemies and demonstrate his justice in the sight of all observers.

[64:1]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “my voice.”

[64:1]  ⁹⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s request.

[64:1]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “from the terror of [the] enemy.” “Terror” is used here metonymically for the enemy’s attacks that produce fear because they threaten the psalmist’s life.

[67:2]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.

[68:10]  ⁹⁸ tn The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear; it appears to read, “your animals, they live in it,” but this makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some suggest that חָיָּה (khayah) is a rare homonym here, meaning “community” (BDB 312 s.v.) or “dwelling place” (HALOT 310 s.v. III *הַיָּה). In this case one may take “your community/dwelling place” as appositional to the third feminine singular pronominal suffix at the end of v. 9, the antecedent of which is “your inheritance.” The phrase יָשְׁבוּ־בָהּ (yashvu-vah, “they live in it”) may then be understood as an asyndetic relative clause modifying “your community/dwelling place.” A literal translation of vv. 9b-10a would be, “when it [your inheritance] is tired, you sustain it, your community/dwelling place in [which] they live.”

[68:22]  ⁹⁹ tn That is, the enemies mentioned in v. 21. Even if they retreat to distant regions, God will retrieve them and make them taste his judgment.

[68:24]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.

[68:24]  ¹⁰¹ tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[68:34]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “give strength to God.”

[68:34]  ¹⁰³ sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.

[69:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).

[69:15]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”

[69:16]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”

[69:19]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”

[69:24]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.

[69:24]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. 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.

[69:29]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”

[71:6]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “from the womb.”

[71:6]  ¹¹² tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”).

[71:6]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”

[74:1]  ¹¹⁴ sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 b.c., asks God to consider Israel’s sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people. He describes the ruined temple, recalls God’s mighty deeds in the past, begs for mercy, and calls for judgment upon God’s enemies.

[74:1]  ¹¹⁵ 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.

[74:1]  ¹¹⁶ sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.

[74:1]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.

[75:6]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.

[78:15]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “and caused them to drink, like the depths, abundantly.”

[79:8]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.

[79:8]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.

[79:8]  ¹²² tn Heb “for we are very low.”

[80:5]  ¹²³ tn Heb “you have fed them the food of tears.”

[80:5]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “[by] the third part [of a measure].” The Hebrew term שָׁלִישׁ (shalish, “third part [of a measure]”) occurs only here and in Isa 40:12.

[80:6]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”

[80:8]  ¹²⁶ sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).

[81:3]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “at the new moon.”

[81:3]  sn New moon festivals were a monthly ritual in Israel (see R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 469-70). In this context the New Moon festival of the seventh month, when the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated (note the reference to a “festival” in the next line), may be in view.

[81:3]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “at the full moon on the day of our festival.” The Hebrew word כֶּסֶה (keseh) is an alternate spelling of כֶּסֶא (kese’, “full moon”).

[81:3]  sn The festival in view is probably the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month when the moon was full. See Lev 23:34; Num 29:12.

[83:11]  ¹²⁹ sn Oreb and Zeeb were the generals of the Midianite army that was defeated by Gideon. The Ephraimites captured and executed both of them and sent their heads to Gideon (Judg 7:24-25).

[83:11]  ¹³⁰ sn Zebah and Zalmunna were the Midianite kings. Gideon captured them and executed them (Judg 8:1-21).

[84:6]  ¹³¹ tn The translation assumes that the Hebrew phrase עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא (’emeq habbakha’) is the name of an otherwise unknown arid valley through which pilgrims to Jerusalem passed. The term בָּכָא (bakha’) may be the name of a particular type of plant or shrub that grew in this valley. O. Borowski (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 130) suggests it is the black mulberry. Some take the phrase as purely metaphorical and relate בָּכָא to the root בָּכָה (bakhah, “to weep”). In this case one might translate, “the valley of weeping” or “the valley of affliction.”

[84:6]  ¹³² tc The MT reads “a spring they make it,” but this makes little sense. Many medieval Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX, understand God to be the subject and the valley to be the object, “he [God] makes it [the valley] [into] a spring.”

[84:6]  ¹³³ tn This rare word may refer to the early (or autumn) rains (see Joel 2:23).

[84:6]  ¹³⁴ tc The MT reads בְּרָכוֹת (bÿrakhot, “blessings”) but the preceding reference to a “spring” favors an emendation to בְּרֵכוֹת (bÿrekhot, “pools”).

[84:6]  sn Pools of water. Because water is so necessary for life, it makes an apt symbol for divine favor and blessing. As the pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem, God provided for their physical needs and gave them a token of his favor and of the blessings awaiting them at the temple.

[88:12]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “known.”

[88:12]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “darkness,” here a title for Sheol.

[88:12]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “forgetfulness.” The noun, which occurs only here in the OT, is derived from a verbal root meaning “to forget.”

[88:12]  sn The rhetorical questions in vv. 10-12 expect the answer, “Of course not!”

[89:16]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “are lifted up.”

[89:35]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “lie to.”

[89:50]  ¹⁴⁰ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read here יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”).

[89:50]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular here, “your servant” (that is, the psalmist).

[89:50]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).

[90:2]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “were born.”

[90:2]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ 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”).

[90:16]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).

[90:16]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[101:3]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”

[101:3]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “the doing of swerving [deeds] I hate.” The Hebrew term סֵטִים (setim) is probably an alternate spelling of שֵׂטִים (setim), which appears in many medieval Hebrew mss. The form appears to be derived from a verbal root שׂוּט (sut, “to fall away; to swerve”; see Ps 40:4).

[101:3]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “it [i.e., the doing of evil deeds] does not cling to me.”

[102:6]  ¹⁵¹ tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).

[102:6]  ¹⁵² tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).

[102:6]  ¹⁵³ sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.

[102:10]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “for.”

[103:22]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “all his works,” which includes mankind.

[103:22]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “places.”

[109:21]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “but you, Lord, Master, do with me for the sake of your name.” Here “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[112:9]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “he scatters, he gives.”

[112:9]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “stands forever.”

[112:9]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “his horn will be lifted up in honor.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see 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/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[112:10]  ¹⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text uses the singular; the representative wicked individual is in view as typifying the group (note the use of the plural form in v. 10).

[112:10]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “his teeth he will gnash.” In Pss 35:16 and 37:12 this action is associated with a vicious attack.

[112:10]  ¹⁶³ tn This could mean that the desires of the wicked will go unfulfilled. Another possibility is that “desire” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired. In this case the point is that the wicked will lose what they desired so badly and acquired by evil means (see Ps 10:3).

[118:12]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “were extinguished.”

[118:12]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.

[124:7]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “our life escaped.”

[137:6]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “if I do not lift up Jerusalem over the top of my joy.”

[137:7]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem.”

[137:7]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “lay [it] bare, lay [it] bare.”

[145:13]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “a kingdom of all ages.”