Mazmur 7:5

7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase ¹  me ²  and catch me; ³ 

may he trample me to death ⁴ 

and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. ⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 10:4

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

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

Mazmur 12:3

12:3 May the Lord cut off ⁷  all flattering lips,

and the tongue that boasts! ⁸ 

Mazmur 13:2

13:2 How long must I worry, ⁹ 

and suffer in broad daylight? ¹⁰ 

How long will my enemy gloat over me? ¹¹ 

Mazmur 21:13

21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! ¹² 

We will sing and praise ¹³  your power!

Mazmur 22:8

22:8 They say, ¹⁴ 

“Commit yourself ¹⁵  to the Lord!

Let the Lord ¹⁶  rescue him!

Let the Lord ¹⁷  deliver him, for he delights in him.” ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 25:7

25:7 Do not hold against me ¹⁹  the sins of my youth ²⁰  or my rebellious acts!

Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! ²¹ 

Mazmur 27:11-12

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; ²² 

lead me along a level path ²³  because of those who wait to ambush me! ²⁴ 

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, ²⁵ 

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 28:3

28:3 Do not drag me away with evil men,

with those who behave wickedly, ²⁷ 

who talk so friendly to their neighbors, ²⁸ 

while they plan to harm them! ²⁹ 

Mazmur 31:4

31:4 You will free me ³⁰  from the net they hid for me,

for you are my place of refuge.

Mazmur 31:18

31:18 May lying lips be silenced –

lips ³¹  that speak defiantly against the innocent ³² 

with arrogance and contempt!

Mazmur 35:3-4

35:3 Use your spear and lance ³³  against ³⁴  those who chase me!

Assure me with these words: ³⁵  “I am your deliverer!”

35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!

May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! ³⁶ 

Mazmur 35:8

35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise! ³⁷ 

Let the net they hid catch them!

Let them fall into destruction! ³⁸ 

Mazmur 38:16

38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me; ³⁹ 

when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 39:8

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

Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!

Mazmur 41:10

41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,

so I can pay them back!” ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 45:10

45:10 Listen, O princess! ⁴² 

Observe and pay attention! ⁴³ 

Forget your homeland ⁴⁴  and your family! ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 50:22

50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God! ⁴⁶ 

Otherwise I will rip you to shreds ⁴⁷ 

and no one will be able to rescue you.

Mazmur 51:10-11

51:10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! ⁴⁸ 

Renew a resolute spirit within me! ⁴⁹ 

51:11 Do not reject me! ⁵⁰ 

Do not take your Holy Spirit ⁵¹  away from me! ⁵² 

Mazmur 56:8

56:8 You keep track of my misery. ⁵³ 

Put my tears in your leather container! ⁵⁴ 

Are they not recorded in your scroll? ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 58:7

58:7 Let them disappear ⁵⁶  like water that flows away! ⁵⁷ 

Let them wither like grass! ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 59:2

59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! ⁵⁹ 

Rescue me from violent men! ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 62:5

62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! ⁶¹ 

For he is the one who gives me confidence. ⁶² 

Mazmur 64:1

Psalm 64 ⁶³ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

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

Protect ⁶⁵  my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 68:28

68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. ⁶⁷ 

O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,

Mazmur 69:15

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

Don’t let the deep swallow me up!

Don’t let the pit ⁶⁸  devour me! ⁶⁹ 

Mazmur 69:17

69:17 Do not ignore ⁷⁰  your servant,

for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! ⁷¹ 

Mazmur 69:24

69:24 Pour out your judgment ⁷²  on them!

May your raging anger ⁷³  overtake them!

Mazmur 69:32

69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!

You who seek God, ⁷⁴  may you be encouraged! ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 69:34

69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,

along with the seas and everything that swims in them!

Mazmur 72:8

72:8 May he rule ⁷⁶  from sea to sea, ⁷⁷ 

and from the Euphrates River ⁷⁸  to the ends of the earth!

Mazmur 73:25

73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?

I desire no one but you on earth. ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 74:11

74:11 Why do you remain inactive?

Intervene and destroy him! ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 74:19-20

74:19 Do not hand the life of your dove ⁸¹  over to a wild animal!

Do not continue to disregard ⁸²  the lives of your oppressed people!

74:20 Remember your covenant promises, ⁸³ 

for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules. ⁸⁴ 

Mazmur 79:9

79:9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!

For the sake of your glorious reputation, ⁸⁵  rescue us!

Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation! ⁸⁶ 

Mazmur 79:11

79:11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! ⁸⁷ 

Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! ⁸⁸ 

Mazmur 80:7

80:7 O God, invincible warrior, ⁸⁹  restore us!

Smile on us! ⁹⁰  Then we will be delivered! ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 83:1

Psalm 83 ⁹² 

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not be silent!

Do not ignore us! ⁹³  Do not be inactive, O God!

Mazmur 83:9

83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian ⁹⁴  –

as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River! ⁹⁵ 

Mazmur 83:15

83:15 chase them with your gale winds,

and terrify ⁹⁶  them with your windstorm.

Mazmur 86:1

Psalm 86 ⁹⁷ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ⁹⁸  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

Mazmur 89:35

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

I will never deceive ⁹⁹  David.

Mazmur 89:50

89:50 Take note, O Lord, ¹⁰⁰  of the way your servants are taunted, ¹⁰¹ 

and of how I must bear so many insults from people! ¹⁰² 

Mazmur 90:14-15

90:14 Satisfy us in the morning ¹⁰³  with your loyal love!

Then we will shout for joy and be happy ¹⁰⁴  all our days!

90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,

in proportion to the years we have experienced ¹⁰⁵  trouble!

Mazmur 97:12

97:12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord!

Give thanks to his holy name. ¹⁰⁶ 

Mazmur 102:24

102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! ¹⁰⁷ 

You endure through all generations. ¹⁰⁸ 

Mazmur 104:29

104:29 When you ignore them, they panic. ¹⁰⁹ 

When you take away their life’s breath, they die

and return to dust.

Mazmur 104:35

104:35 May sinners disappear ¹¹⁰  from the earth,

and the wicked vanish!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

Mazmur 106:4

106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!

Pay attention to me, when you deliver,

Mazmur 108:5-6

108:5 Rise up ¹¹¹  above the sky, O God!

May your splendor cover the whole earth! ¹¹² 

108:6 Deliver by your power ¹¹³  and answer me,

so that the ones you love may be safe. ¹¹⁴ 

Mazmur 109:21

109:21 O sovereign Lord,

intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! ¹¹⁵ 

Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!

Mazmur 109:28

109:28 They curse, but you will bless. ¹¹⁶ 

When they attack, they will be humiliated, ¹¹⁷ 

but your servant will rejoice.

Mazmur 118:27

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

Tie the offering ¹¹⁹  with ropes

to the horns of the altar! ¹²⁰ 

Mazmur 119:10

119:10 With all my heart I seek you.

Do not allow me to stray from your commands!

Mazmur 119:40

119:40 Look, I long for your precepts.

Revive me with your deliverance! ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 119:49

ז (Zayin)

119:49 Remember your word to your servant,

for you have given me hope.

Mazmur 119:78-79

119:78 May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me! ¹²² 

But I meditate on your precepts.

119:79 May your loyal followers ¹²³  turn to me,

those who know your rules.

Mazmur 119:116

119:116 Sustain me as you promised, ¹²⁴  so that I will live. ¹²⁵ 

Do not disappoint me! ¹²⁶ 

Mazmur 119:145

ק (Qof)

119:145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!

I will observe your statutes.”

Mazmur 137:5

137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

may my right hand be crippled! ¹²⁷ 

Mazmur 138:8

138:8 The Lord avenges me. ¹²⁸ 

O Lord, your loyal love endures.

Do not abandon those whom you have made! ¹²⁹ 

Mazmur 141:8

141:8 Surely I am looking to you, ¹³⁰  O sovereign Lord.

In you I take shelter.

Do not expose me to danger! ¹³¹ 

Mazmur 143:11-12

143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, ¹³²  revive me! ¹³³ 

Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! ¹³⁴ 

143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, ¹³⁵  destroy my enemies!

Annihilate ¹³⁶  all who threaten my life, ¹³⁷ 

for I am your servant.

Mazmur 144:11

144:11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners, ¹³⁸ 

who speak lies,

and make false promises. ¹³⁹ 

[7:5]  ¹ tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC 168 §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.

[7:5]  ² tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[7:5]  ³ tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.

[7:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”

[7:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy, “my honor”) to כְבֵדִי (khÿvediy, “my liver” as the seat of life), but the term כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy) is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.

[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).

[12:3]  ⁷ tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the Lord cut off”), not indicative (“The Lord will cut off”; see also Ps 109:15 and Mal 2:12). The psalmist appeals to God to destroy the wicked, rather than simply stating his confidence that he will. In this way he seeks to activate divine judgment by appealing to God’s just character. For an example of the power of such a curse, see Judg 9:7-57.

[12:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”

[13:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”

[13:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”

[13:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”

[21:13]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Heb “sing praise.”

[22:8]  ¹⁴ tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons. The psalmist here quotes the sarcastic taunts of his enemies.

[22:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “roll [yourself].” The Hebrew verb גלל here has the sense of “commit” (see Prov 16:3). The imperatival form in the Hebrew text indicates the enemies here address the psalmist. Since they refer to him in the third person in the rest of the verse, some prefer to emend the verb to a perfect, “he commits himself to the Lord.”

[22:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Let him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:8]  ¹⁸ tn That is, “for he [the Lord] delights in him [the psalmist].” For other cases where the expression “delight in” refers to God’s delight in a person, see Num 14:8; 1 Kgs 10:9; Pss 18:19; 40:8.

[22:8]  sn This statement does not necessarily reflect the enemies’ actual belief, but it does reflect the psalmist’s confession. The psalmist’s enemies sarcastically appeal to God to help him, because he claims to be an object of divine favor. However, they probably doubted the reality of his claim.

[25:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.

[25:7]  ²⁰ sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.

[25:7]  ²¹ tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.”

[27:11]  ²² tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.

[27:11]  ²³ sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).

[27:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.

[27:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”

[27:12]  ²⁶ tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.

[28:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”

[28:3]  ²⁸ tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”

[28:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”

[31:4]  ³⁰ tn Heb “bring me out.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form expresses the psalmist’s confidence about the future. Another option is to take the form as expressing a prayer, “free me.”

[31:18]  ³¹ tn Heb “the [ones which].”

[31:18]  ³² tn Or “godly.”

[35:3]  ³³ tn Or “javelin.” On the meaning of this word, which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, see M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:210-11.

[35:3]  ³⁴ tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”

[35:3]  ³⁵ tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”

[35:4]  ³⁶ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See also the distinct jussive form in v. 6.

[35:8]  ³⁷ tn Heb “let destruction [which] he does not know come to him.” The singular is used of the enemy in v. 8, probably in a representative or collective sense. The psalmist has more than one enemy, as vv. 1-7 make clear.

[35:8]  ³⁸ tn The psalmist’s prayer for his enemies’ demise continues. See vv. 4-6.

[38:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).

[38:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.

[41:10]  ⁴¹ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.

[45:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “daughter.” The Hebrew noun בת (“daughter”) can sometimes refer to a young woman in a general sense (see H. Haag, TDOT 2:334).

[45:10]  sn Listen, O princess. The poet now addresses the bride.

[45:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.

[45:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “your people.” This reference to the “people” of the princess suggests she was a foreigner. Perhaps the marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between Israel (or Judah) and a neighboring state. The translation “your homeland” reflects such a situation.

[45:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and the house of your father.”

[50:22]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.

[50:22]  ⁴⁷ sn Elsewhere in the psalms this verb is used (within a metaphorical framework) of a lion tearing its prey (see Pss 7:2; 17:12; 22:13).

[51:10]  ⁴⁸ sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.

[51:10]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”

[51:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “do not cast me away from before you.”

[51:11]  ⁵¹ sn Your Holy Spirit. The personal Spirit of God is mentioned frequently in the OT, but only here and in Isa 63:10-11 is he called “your/his Holy Spirit.”

[51:11]  ⁵² sn Do not take…away. The psalmist expresses his fear that, due to his sin, God will take away the Holy Spirit from him. NT believers enjoy the permanent gift of the Holy Spirit and need not make such a request nor fear such a consequence. However, in the OT God’s Spirit empowered certain individuals for special tasks and only temporarily resided in them. For example, when God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him, the divine Spirit left Saul and came upon David (1 Sam 16:13-14).

[56:8]  ⁵³ tn Heb “my wandering you count, you.” The Hebrew term נֹד (nod, “wandering,” derived from the verbal root נוֹד, nod, “to wander”; cf. NASB) here refers to the psalmist’s “changeable circumstances of life” and may be translated “misery.” The verb סָפַר (safar, “count”) probably carries the nuance “assess” here. Cf. NIV “my lament”; NRSV “my tossings.”

[56:8]  ⁵⁴ tn Traditionally “your bottle.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20). If such a container is metaphorically in view here, then the psalmist seems to be asking God to store up his tears as a reminder of his suffering.

[56:8]  ⁵⁵ tn The word “recorded” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The rhetorical question assumes a positive response (see the first line of the verse).

[58:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Following the imperatival forms in v. 6, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive expressing the psalmist’s wish. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect (indicative) and translate, “they will scatter” (see v. 9). The verb מָאַס (ma’as; which is a homonym of the more common מָאַס, “to refuse, reject”) appears only here and in Job 7:5, where it is used of a festering wound from which fluid runs or flows.

[58:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “like water, they go about for themselves.” The translation assumes that the phrase “they go about for themselves” is an implied relative clause modifying “water.” Another option is to take the clause as independent and parallel to what precedes. In this case the enemies would be the subject and the verb could be taken as jussive, “let them wander about.”

[58:7]  ⁵⁸ tc The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The text reads literally, “he treads his arrows (following the Qere; Kethib has “his arrow”), like they are cut off/dry up.” It is not clear if the verbal root is מָלַל (malal, “circumcise”; BDB 576 s.v. IV מָלַל) or the homonymic מָלַל (“wither”; HALOT 593-94 s.v. I מלל). Since the verb מָלַל (“to wither”) is used of vegetation, it is possible that the noun חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass,” which is visually similar to חִצָּיו, khitsayv, “his arrows”) originally appeared in the text. The translation above assumes that the text originally was כְּמוֹ חָצִיר יִתְמֹלָלוּ(kÿmo khatsir yitmolalu, “like grass let them wither”). If original, it could have been accidentally corrupted to חִצָּיר כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ (“his arrow(s) like they dry up”) with דָּרַךְ (darakh, “to tread”) being added later in an effort to make sense of “his arrow(s).”

[59:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”

[59:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”

[62:5]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.

[62:5]  ⁶² tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”

[64:1]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “my voice.”

[64:1]  ⁶⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s request.

[64:1]  ⁶⁶ 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.

[68:28]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).

[69:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).

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

[69:17]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[69:17]  ⁷¹ tn Or “quickly.”

[69:24]  ⁷² tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.

[69:24]  ⁷³ 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.

[69:32]  ⁷⁴ sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).

[69:32]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.

[72:8]  ⁷⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.

[72:8]  ⁷⁷ sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.

[72:8]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.

[73:25]  ⁷⁹ 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.

[74:11]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? From the midst of your chest, destroy!” The psalmist pictures God as having placed his right hand (symbolic of activity and strength) inside his robe against his chest. He prays that God would pull his hand out from under his robe and use it to destroy the enemy.

[74:19]  ⁸¹ sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.

[74:19]  ⁸² tn Heb “do not forget forever.”

[74:20]  ⁸³ tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix. The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word (כִּי) begins with kaf (כ).

[74:20]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).

[79:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “the glory of your name.” Here and in the following line “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[79:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “your name.”

[79:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”

[79:11]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.

[80:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also v. 4 for a similar construction.

[80:7]  ⁹⁰ tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[80:7]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.

[83:1]  ⁹² 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]  ⁹³ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[83:9]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “do to them like Midian.”

[83:9]  ⁹⁵ sn The psalmist alludes here to Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (see Judg 7-8) and to Barak’s victory over Jabin’s army, which was led by his general Sisera (Judg 4-5).

[83:15]  ⁹⁶ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 15 express the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[86:1]  ⁹⁷ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[89:35]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “lie to.”

[89:50]  ¹⁰⁰ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read here יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”).

[89:50]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² 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”).

[90:14]  ¹⁰³ sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).

[90:14]  ¹⁰⁴ tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.

[90:15]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “have seen.”

[97:12]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 30:4. The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.

[102:24]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”

[102:24]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”

[104:29]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “you hide your face, they are terrified.”

[104:35]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “be destroyed.”

[108:5]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “be exalted.”

[108:5]  ¹¹² tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)

[108:6]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “right hand.”

[108:6]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

[109:21]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “but you, Lord, Master, do with me for the sake of your name.” Here “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[109:28]  ¹¹⁶ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).

[109:28]  ¹¹⁷ tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.

[118:27]  ¹¹⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁹ 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]  ¹²⁰ 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.

[119:40]  ¹²¹ tn Or “righteousness.”

[119:78]  ¹²² tn Heb “for [with] falsehood they have denied me justice.”

[119:79]  ¹²³ tn Heb “those who fear you.”

[119:116]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[119:116]  ¹²⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:116]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “do not make me ashamed of my hope.” After the Hebrew verb בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “to be ashamed”) the preposition מִן (min, “from”) often introduces the reason for shame.

[137:5]  ¹²⁷ 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.

[138:8]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “avenges on my behalf.” For the meaning “to avenge” for the verb גָּמַר (gamar), see HALOT 197-98 s.v. גמר.

[138:8]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “the works of your hands.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular, “work of your hands.”

[141:8]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”

[141:8]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”

[143:11]  ¹³² tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[143:11]  ¹³³ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

[143:11]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”

[143:12]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”

[143:12]  ¹³⁶ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.

[143:12]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

[144:11]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”

[144:11]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.