Mazmur 7:9

7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked ¹  come to an end! ² 

But make the innocent ³  secure, ⁴ 

O righteous God,

you who examine ⁵  inner thoughts and motives! ⁶ 

Mazmur 18:30

18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ⁷ 

the Lord’s promise ⁸  is reliable; ⁹ 

he is a shield to all who take shelter ¹⁰  in him.

Mazmur 22:29

22:29 All of the thriving people ¹¹  of the earth will join the celebration and worship; ¹² 

all those who are descending into the grave ¹³  will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 27:4

27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing –

this is what I desire!

I want to live ¹⁵  in the Lord’s house ¹⁶  all the days of my life,

so I can gaze at the splendor ¹⁷  of the Lord

and contemplate in his temple.

Mazmur 35:27

35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!

May they continually say, ¹⁸  “May the Lord be praised, ¹⁹  for he wants his servant to be secure.” ²⁰ 

Mazmur 40:16-17

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ²¹  your deliverance say continually, ²² 

“May the Lord be praised!” ²³ 

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ²⁴ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ²⁵ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Mazmur 49:10

49:10 Surely ²⁶  one sees ²⁷  that even wise people die; ²⁸ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ²⁹ 

and leave their wealth to others. ³⁰ 

Mazmur 51:4

51:4 Against you – you above all ³¹  – I have sinned;

I have done what is evil in your sight.

So ³²  you are just when you confront me; ³³ 

you are right when you condemn me. ³⁴ 

Mazmur 55:12

55:12 Indeed, ³⁵  it is not an enemy who insults me,

or else I could bear it;

it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, ³⁶ 

or else I could hide from him.

Mazmur 61:5

61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;

you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 66:3

66:3 Say to God:

“How awesome are your deeds!

Because of your great power your enemies cower in fear ³⁸  before you.

Mazmur 68:16

68:16 Why do you look with envy, ³⁹  O mountains ⁴⁰  with many peaks,

at the mountain where God has decided to live? ⁴¹ 

Indeed ⁴²  the Lord will live there ⁴³  permanently!

Mazmur 68:35

68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! ⁴⁴ 

It is the God of Israel ⁴⁵  who gives the people power and strength.

God deserves praise! ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 73:28

73:28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. ⁴⁷ 

I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter,

as ⁴⁸  I declare all the things you have done.

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ⁴⁹  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ⁵⁰ 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 92:1

Psalm 92 ⁵¹ 

A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.

92:1 It is fitting ⁵²  to thank the Lord,

and to sing praises to your name, O sovereign One! ⁵³ 

Mazmur 93:1

Psalm 93 ⁵⁴ 

93:1 The Lord reigns!

He is robed in majesty,

the Lord is robed,

he wears strength around his waist. ⁵⁵ 

Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.

Mazmur 95:10

95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted ⁵⁶  with that generation,

and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; ⁵⁷ 

they do not obey my commands.’ ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 96:10

96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

He judges the nations fairly.”

Mazmur 126:2

126:2 At that time we laughed loudly

and shouted for joy. ⁵⁹ 

At that time the nations said, ⁶⁰ 

“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”

Mazmur 141:5

141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!

May my head not refuse ⁶¹  choice oil! ⁶² 

Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. ⁶³ 

Mazmur 142:7

142:7 Free me ⁶⁴  from prison,

that I may give thanks to your name.

Because of me the godly will assemble, ⁶⁵ 

for you will vindicate me. ⁶⁶ 

[7:9]  ¹ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[7:9]  ² tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

[7:9]  ³ tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.

[7:9]  ⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

[7:9]  ⁵ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

[7:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

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

[18:30]  ⁸ sn The Lord’s promise. In the ancient Near East kings would typically seek and receive oracles from their god(s) prior to battle. For examples, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 241-42.

[18:30]  ⁹ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is purified.” The Lord’s “word” probably refers here to his oracle(s) of victory delivered to the psalmist before the battle(s) described in the following context. See also Pss 12:5-7 and 138:2-3. David frequently received such oracles before going into battle (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4-5, 10-12; 30:8; 2 Sam 5:19). The Lord’s word of promise is absolutely reliable; it is compared to metal that has been refined in fire and cleansed of impurities. See Ps 12:6.

[18:30]  ¹⁰ sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.

[22:29]  ¹¹ tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the Lord.

[22:29]  ¹² tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the Lord will receive universal worship. The mood is one of wishful thinking and anticipation; this is not prophecy in the strict sense.

[22:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.

[22:29]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”

[27:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “my living.”

[27:4]  ¹⁶ sn The Lord’s house. This probably refers to the tabernacle (if one accepts Davidic authorship) or the temple (see Judg 19:18; 1 Sam 1:7, 24; 2 Sam 12:20; 1 Kgs 7:12, 40, 45, 51).

[27:4]  ¹⁷ tn Or “beauty.”

[35:27]  ¹⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).

[35:27]  ¹⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.”

[35:27]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”

[40:16]  ²¹ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

[40:16]  ²² tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

[40:16]  ²³ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.

[40:17]  ²⁴ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ²⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

[49:10]  ²⁶ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ²⁷ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ²⁸ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ²⁹ tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ³⁰ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[51:4]  ³¹ tn Heb “only you,” as if the psalmist had sinned exclusively against God and no other. Since the Hebrew verb חָטָא (hata’, “to sin”) is used elsewhere of sinful acts against people (see BDB 306 s.v. 2.a) and David (the presumed author) certainly sinned when he murdered Uriah (2 Sam 12:9), it is likely that the psalmist is overstating the case to suggest that the attack on Uriah was ultimately an attack on God himself. To clarify the point of the hyperbole, the translation uses “especially,” rather than the potentially confusing “only.”

[51:4]  ³² tn The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) normally indicates purpose (“in order that”), but here it introduces a logical consequence of the preceding statement. (Taking the clause as indicating purpose here would yield a theologically preposterous idea – the psalmist purposely sinned so that God’s justice might be vindicated!) For other examples of לְמַעַן indicating result, see 2 Kgs 22:17; Jer 27:15; Amos 2:7, as well as IBHS 638-40 §38.3.

[51:4]  ³³ tn Heb “when you speak.” In this context the psalmist refers to God’s word of condemnation against his sin delivered through Nathan (cf. 2 Sam 12:7-12).

[51:4]  ³⁴ tn Heb “when you judge.”

[55:12]  ³⁵ tn Or “for.”

[55:12]  ³⁶ tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.

[61:5]  ³⁷ tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).

[66:3]  ³⁸ tn See Deut 33:29; Ps 81:15 for other uses of the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) in the sense “cower in fear.” In Ps 18:44 the verb seems to carry the nuance “be weak, powerless” (see also Ps 109:24).

[68:16]  ³⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).

[68:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.

[68:16]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.

[68:16]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.

[68:16]  ⁴³ tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[68:35]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).

[68:35]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”

[68:35]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”

[73:28]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “but as for me, the nearness of God for me [is] good.”

[73:28]  ⁴⁸ tn The infinitive construct with -לְ (lÿ) is understood here as indicating an attendant circumstance. Another option is to take it as indicating purpose (“so that I might declare”) or result (“with the result that I declare”).

[84:3]  ⁴⁹ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”

[84:3]  sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.

[92:1]  ⁵¹ sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.

[92:1]  ⁵² tn Or “good.”

[92:1]  ⁵³ tn Traditionally “O Most High.”

[93:1]  ⁵⁴ sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the Lord is the king of the universe who preserves order and suppresses the destructive forces in the world.

[93:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.

[95:10]  ⁵⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.

[95:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”

[95:10]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the Lord’s “ways” are his commands, viewed as a pathway from which his people, likened to wayward sheep (see v. 7), wander.

[126:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”

[126:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “they said among the nations.”

[141:5]  ⁶¹ tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.

[141:5]  ⁶² sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.

[141:5]  ⁶³ tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.

[142:7]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “bring out my life.”

[142:7]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “gather around.”

[142:7]  ⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.