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 12:7

12:7 You, Lord, will protect them; ⁶ 

you will continually shelter each one from these evil people, ⁷ 

Mazmur 20:2

20:2 May he send you help from his temple; ⁸ 

from Zion may he give you support!

Mazmur 21:13

21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! ⁹ 

We will sing and praise ¹⁰  your power!

Mazmur 38:13

38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 42:9

42:9 I will pray ¹²  to God, my high ridge: ¹³ 

“Why do you ignore ¹⁴  me?

Why must I walk around mourning ¹⁵ 

because my enemies oppress me?”

Mazmur 44:10

44:10 You made us retreat ¹⁶  from the enemy.

Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 45:8

45:8 All your garments are perfumed with ¹⁸  myrrh, aloes, and cassia.

From the luxurious palaces ¹⁹  comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 45:14

45:14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king.

Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her,

are led before you. ²¹ 

Mazmur 46:2

46:2 For this reason we do not fear ²²  when the earth shakes, ²³ 

and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, ²⁴ 

Mazmur 46:4

46:4 The river’s channels bring joy to the city of God, ²⁵ 

the special, holy dwelling place of ²⁶  the sovereign One. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 58:10

58:10 The godly ²⁸  will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;

they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

Mazmur 59:7

59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me

and openly threaten to kill me, ²⁹ 

for they say, ³⁰ 

“Who hears?”

Mazmur 59:10

59:10 The God who loves me will help me; ³¹ 

God will enable me to triumph over ³²  my enemies. ³³ 

Mazmur 65:10

65:10 You saturate ³⁴  its furrows,

and soak ³⁵  its plowed ground. ³⁶ 

With rain showers you soften its soil, ³⁷ 

and make its crops grow. ³⁸ 

Mazmur 69:9

69:9 Certainly ³⁹  zeal for ⁴⁰  your house ⁴¹  consumes me;

I endure the insults of those who insult you. ⁴² 

Mazmur 77:11

77:11 I will remember the works of the Lord.

Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago! ⁴³ 

Mazmur 80:6

80:6 You have made our neighbors dislike us, ⁴⁴ 

and our enemies insult us.

Mazmur 88:10

88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?

Do the departed spirits ⁴⁵  rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)

Mazmur 88:15

88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. ⁴⁶ 

I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 89:2

89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established; ⁴⁸ 

in the skies you set up your faithfulness.” ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 89:5

89:5 O Lord, the heavens ⁵⁰  praise your amazing deeds,

as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 89:8

89:8 O Lord, sovereign God! ⁵² 

Who is strong like you, O Lord?

Your faithfulness surrounds you.

Mazmur 89:35

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

I will never deceive ⁵³  David.

Mazmur 102:19

102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; ⁵⁴ 

from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 102:24

102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! ⁵⁶ 

You endure through all generations. ⁵⁷ 

[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.

[12:7]  ⁶ tn The third person plural pronominal suffix on the verb is masculine, referring back to the “oppressed” and “needy” in v. 5 (both of those nouns are plural in form), suggesting that the verb means “protect” here. The suffix does not refer to אִמֲרוֹת (’imarot, “words”) in v. 6, because that term is feminine gender.

[12:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “you will protect him from this generation permanently.” The third masculine singular suffix on the verb “protect” is probably used in a distributive sense, referring to each one within the group mentioned previously (the oppressed/needy, referred to as “them” in the preceding line). On this grammatical point see GKC 396 §123.f (where the present text is not cited). (Some Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses read “us,” both here and in the preceding line.) The noun דוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the psalmist’s contemporaries, who were characterized by deceit and arrogance (see vv. 1-2). See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

[20:2]  ⁸ tc Heb “from [the] temple.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix (ן, nun) has probably been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word begins with a prefixed vav (ו). See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 184.

[21:13]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “sing praise.”

[38:13]  ¹¹ sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).

[42:9]  ¹² tn The cohortative form indicates the psalmist’s resolve.

[42:9]  ¹³ tn This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28; Pss 18:2; 31:3.

[42:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “forget.”

[42:9]  ¹⁵ sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar idea.

[44:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”

[44:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).

[45:8]  ¹⁸ tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[45:8]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”

[45:14]  ²¹ tn Heb “virgins after her, her companions, are led to you.” Some emend לָךְ (lakh, “to you”) to לָהּ (lah, “to her,” i.e., the princess), because the princess is now being spoken of in the third person (vv. 13-14a), rather than being addressed directly (as in vv. 10-12). However, the ambiguous suffixed form לָךְ need not be taken as second feminine singular. The suffix can be understood as a pausal second masculine singular form, addressed to the king. The translation assumes this to be the case; note that the king is addressed once more in vv. 16-17, where the second person pronouns are masculine.

[46:2]  ²² tn The imperfect is taken in a generalizing sense (cf. NEB) because the situation described in vv. 2-3 is understood as symbolizing typical world conditions. In this case the imperfect draws attention to the typical nature of the response. The covenant community characteristically responds with confidence, not fear. Another option is to take the situation described as purely hypothetical. In this case one might translate, “We will not fear, even though the earth should shake” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[46:2]  ²³ tn The Hiphil infinitival form is normally taken to mean “when [the earth] is altered,” being derived from מוּר (mur, “to change”). In this case the Hiphil would be intransitive, as in Ps 15:4. HALOT 560 s.v. II מור emends the form to a Niphal and derives it from a homonymic root מוּר attested in Arabic with the meaning “shake.”

[46:2]  ²⁴ tn Heb “heart of the seas.” The plural may be used for emphasis, pointing to the deepest sea. Note that the next verse uses a singular pronoun (“its waters,” “its swelling”) in referring back to the plural noun.

[46:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “A river, its channels cause the city of God to be glad.”

[46:4]  sn The city of God is Jerusalem (see Pss 48:1-2; 87:2-3). The river’s “channels” are probably irrigation ditches vital to growing crops. Some relate the imagery to the “waters of Shiloah” (see Isa 8:6), which flowed from the Gihon spring to the pool of Siloam. In Isa 8:6-8 these waters are contrasted with the flood waters symbolizing Assyria. Even if this is the reality behind the imagery, the picture of a river flowing through Jerusalem is idealized and exaggerated. The river and irrigation ditches symbolize the peace and prosperity that the Lord provides for Jerusalem, in contrast to the havoc produced by the turbulent waters (symbolic of the nations) outside the city. Some see here an adaptation of Canaanite (or, more specifically, Jebusite) mythical traditions of rivers/springs flowing from the high god El’s dwelling place. The Songs of Zion do utilize such imagery at times (see Ps 48:2). The image of a river flowing through Zion may have inspired prophetic visions of an eschatological river flowing from the temple (see Ezek 47:1-12; Joel 3:18).

[46:4]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the holy [place] of the dwelling places of.” The adjective “holy” is used here in a substantival manner and placed in construct with the following noun (see GKC 428 §132.c). Origen’s transliterated text assumes the reading קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holiness; holy place”), while the LXX assumes a Piel verbal form קִדֵּשׁ (qidesh, “makes holy”) and takes the following form as “his dwelling place.” The plural form מִשְׁכְּנֵי (mishkÿney, “dwelling places of”) is probably a plural of degree, emphasizing the special character of this dwelling place. See GKC 397 §124.b. The form stands as an appositional genitive in relation to the preceding construct noun.

[46:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.

[58:10]  ²⁸ tn The singular is representative here, as is the singular from “wicked” in the next line.

[59:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”

[59:7]  ³⁰ 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.

[59:10]  ³¹ tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”

[59:10]  ³² tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”

[59:10]  ³³ tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.

[65:10]  ³⁴ tn Heb “saturating” [the form is an infinitive absolute].

[65:10]  ³⁵ tn Heb “flatten, cause to sink.”

[65:10]  ³⁶ tn Heb “trenches,” or “furrows.”

[65:10]  ³⁷ tn Heb “soften it,” that is, the earth.

[65:10]  ³⁸ tn Heb “its vegetation you bless.” Divine “blessing” often involves endowing an object with special power or capacity.

[69:9]  ³⁹ tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.

[69:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “devotion to.”

[69:9]  ⁴¹ sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.

[69:9]  ⁴² tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”

[69:9]  sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.

[77:11]  ⁴³ tn Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.”

[77:11]  sn The psalmist refuses to allow skepticism to win out. God has revealed himself to his people in tangible, incontrovertible ways in the past and the psalmist vows to remember the historical record as a source of hope for the future.

[80:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”

[88:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).

[88:15]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and am dying from youth.”

[88:15]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “I carry your horrors [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew form אָפוּנָה (’afunah), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. It may be an adverb meaning “very much” (BDB 67 s.v.), though some prefer to emend the text to אָפוּגָה (’afugah, “I am numb”) from the verb פוּג (pug; see Pss 38:8; 77:2).

[89:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “built.”

[89:2]  ⁴⁹ sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).

[89:5]  ⁵⁰ tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.

[89:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).

[89:8]  ⁵² tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the Lord as enthroned in the midst of the angelic hosts of heaven.

[89:35]  ⁵³ tn Or “lie to.”

[102:19]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”

[102:19]  ⁵⁵ tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.

[102:24]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”

[102:24]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”