Mazmur 8:1-8
KonteksFor the music director, according to the gittith style; 2 a psalm of David.
how magnificent 4 is your reputation 5 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 6
8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, 7
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 8
8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 9
8:4 Of what importance is the human race, 10 that you should notice 11 them?
Of what importance is mankind, 12 that you should pay attention to them, 13
8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? 14
You grant mankind 15 honor and majesty; 16
8:6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; 17
you have placed 18 everything under their authority, 19
8:7 including all the sheep and cattle,
as well as the wild animals, 20
8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea
and everything that moves through the currents 21 of the seas.
Mazmur 29:1-11
KonteksA psalm of David.
29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, 23
acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! 24
29:2 Acknowledge the majesty of the Lord’s reputation! 25
Worship the Lord in holy attire! 26
29:3 The Lord’s shout is heard over the water; 27
the majestic God thunders, 28
the Lord appears over the surging water. 29
29:4 The Lord’s shout is powerful, 30
the Lord’s shout is majestic. 31
29:5 The Lord’s shout breaks 32 the cedars,
the Lord shatters 33 the cedars of Lebanon. 34
29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf
and Sirion 35 like a young ox. 36
29:7 The Lord’s shout strikes 37 with flaming fire. 38
29:8 The Lord’s shout shakes 39 the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 40
29:9 The Lord’s shout bends 41 the large trees 42
and strips 43 the leaves from the forests. 44
Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!” 45
29:10 The Lord sits enthroned over the engulfing waters, 46
the Lord sits enthroned 47 as the eternal king.
29:11 The Lord gives 48 his people strength; 49
the Lord grants his people security. 50
Mazmur 33:1-22
Konteks33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!
It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.
33:2 Give thanks to the Lord with the harp!
Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument!
33:3 Sing to him a new song! 52
Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him! 53
33:4 For 54 the Lord’s decrees 55 are just, 56
and everything he does is fair. 57
33:5 The Lord promotes 58 equity and justice;
the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth. 59
33:6 By the Lord’s decree 60 the heavens were made;
by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. 61
33:7 He piles up the water of the sea; 62
he puts the oceans 63 in storehouses.
33:8 Let the whole earth fear 64 the Lord!
Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him!
33:9 For he spoke, and it 65 came into existence,
he issued the decree, 66 and it stood firm.
33:10 The Lord frustrates 67 the decisions of the nations;
he nullifies the plans 68 of the peoples.
33:11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever;
his plans abide throughout the ages. 69
33:12 How blessed 70 is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession. 71
33:13 The Lord watches 72 from heaven;
he sees all people. 73
33:14 From the place where he lives he looks carefully
at all the earth’s inhabitants.
33:15 He is the one who forms every human heart, 74
and takes note of all their actions.
33:16 No king is delivered by his vast army;
a warrior is not saved by his great might.
33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; 75
despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.
33:18 Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, 76
those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness 77
33:19 by saving their lives from death 78
and sustaining them during times of famine. 79
33:20 We 80 wait for the Lord;
he is our deliverer 81 and shield. 82
33:21 For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
33:22 May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, 83
for 84 we wait for you.
Mazmur 68:1-34
KonteksFor the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.
68:1 God springs into action! 86
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries 87 run from him. 88
68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. 89
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
68:3 But the godly 90 are happy;
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy. 91
68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! 92
For the Lord is his name! 93
Rejoice before him!
68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows. 94
God rules from his holy palace. 95
68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; 96
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. 97
But sinful rebels live in the desert. 98
68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, 99
when you march through the desert, 100 (Selah)
68:8 the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai, 101
before God, the God of Israel. 102
68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall 103 on your chosen people. 104
When they 105 are tired, you sustain them, 106
68:10 for you live among them. 107
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
many, many women spread the good news. 109
68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! 110
The lovely lady 111 of the house divides up the loot.
68:13 When 112 you lie down among the sheepfolds, 113
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold. 114
68:14 When the sovereign judge 115 scatters kings, 116
let it snow 117 on Zalmon!
68:15 The mountain of Bashan 118 is a towering mountain; 119
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. 120
68:16 Why do you look with envy, 121 O mountains 122 with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has decided to live? 123
Indeed 124 the Lord will live there 125 permanently!
68:17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands. 126
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 127
you have taken many captives. 129
You receive tribute 130 from 131 men,
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed the Lord God lives there! 132
68:19 The Lord deserves praise! 133
Day after day 134 he carries our burden,
the God who delivers us. (Selah)
68:20 Our God is a God who delivers;
the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. 135
68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion. 136
68:22 The Lord says,
“I will retrieve them 137 from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
68:23 so that your feet may stomp 138 in their blood,
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” 139
68:24 They 140 see your processions, O God –
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. 141
68:25 Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, 142
in the midst of young women playing tambourines. 143
68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! 144
68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, 145
and the princes of Judah in their robes, 146
along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. 147
O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,
68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! 148
Kings bring tribute to you.
68:30 Sound your battle cry 149 against the wild beast of the reeds, 150
and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! 151
They humble themselves 152 and offer gold and silver as tribute. 153
God 154 scatters 155 the nations that like to do battle.
68:31 They come with red cloth 156 from Egypt,
Ethiopia 157 voluntarily offers tribute 158 to God.
68:32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah)
68:33 to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times! 159
Look! He thunders loudly. 160
68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, 161
his sovereignty over Israel,
and the power he reveals in the skies! 162
[8:1] 1 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
[8:1] 2 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
[8:1] 3 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:1] 4 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
[8:1] 5 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:1] 6 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
[8:2] 7 tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.
[8:2] 8 tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.
[8:3] 9 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
[8:4] 10 tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.
[8:4] 11 tn Heb “remember him.”
[8:4] 12 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
[8:4] 13 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 14 tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him…”) of the preceding statement (see GKC 328 §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him….” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26-27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26-27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26-27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).
[8:5] 15 tn Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 16 sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 17 tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
[8:6] 18 tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 19 tn Heb “under his feet.”
[8:6] sn Placed everything under their authority. This verse affirms that mankind rules over God’s creation as his vice-regent. See Gen 1:26-30.
[8:7] 20 tn Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
[29:1] 22 sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.
[29:1] 23 tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.
[29:1] tn The phrase בְּנֵי אֵלִים (bÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 89:6 (89:7 HT). In Ps 89 the “sons of gods/God” are also called “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones.” The heavenly assembly, comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings, appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is referred to as “the sons of El.” The OT apparently borrows the Canaanite phrase and applies it to the supernatural beings that surround the heavenly throne.
[29:1] 24 tn Or “ascribe to the
[29:2] 25 tn Heb “ascribe to the
[29:2] 26 tn That is, properly dressed for the occasion.
[29:3] 27 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:3] 28 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form is probably descriptive. In dramatic fashion the psalmist portrays the
[29:3] 29 tn Traditionally “many waters.” The geographical references in the psalm (Lebanon, Sirion, Kadesh) suggest this is a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (see Ezek 26:19; 27:26). The psalmist describes a powerful storm moving in from the sea and sweeping over the mountainous areas north of Israel. The “surging waters” may symbolize the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy his people (see Pss 18:17; 32:6; 77:20; 93:4; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). In this case the
[29:4] 30 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:4] 31 tn Heb “the voice of the
[29:5] 32 tn The Hebrew participial form draws attention to the durative nature of the action being described.
[29:5] 33 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive here and in v. 6a carry on the descriptive function of the preceding participle (see GKC 329 §111.u). The verb שָׁבַר (shavar) appears in the Qal in the first line of the verse, and in the Piel in the second line. The verb, which means “break” in the Qal, appears thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3).
[29:5] 34 sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. Here they may symbolize the arrogant enemies of God (see Isa 2:12-13).
[29:6] 35 sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).
[29:6] 36 sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.
[29:7] 37 tn The verb normally means “to hew [stone or wood],” or “to hew out.” In Hos 6:5 it seems to mean “cut in pieces,” “knock down,” or perhaps “hack” (see F. I. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Hosea [AB], 428). The Ugaritic cognate can mean “assault.” In v. 7 the verb seems to have a similar meaning, perhaps “attack, strike.” The phrase “flames of fire” is an adverbial accusative; the
[29:7] 38 sn The
[29:8] 39 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:8] 40 sn Kadesh. The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.
[29:9] 41 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form is descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
[29:9] 42 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
[29:9] 43 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] 44 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] 45 tn Heb “In his temple, all of it says, ‘Glory.’”
[29:10] 46 tn The noun מַּבּוּל (mabbul, “flood”) appears only here and in Gen 6-11, where it refers to the Noahic flood. Some see a reference to that event here. The presence of the article (perhaps indicating uniqueness) and the switch to the perfect verbal form (which could be taken as describing a past situation) might support this. However, the immediate context indicates that the referent of מַּבּוּל is the “surging waters” mentioned in v. 3. The article indicates waters that are definite in the mind of the speaker and the perfect is probably descriptive in function, like “thunders” in v. 3. However, even though the historical flood is not the primary referent here, there may be a literary allusion involved. The psalmist views the threatening chaotic sea as a contemporary manifestation of the destructive waters of old.
[29:10] 47 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the descriptive function of the preceding perfect.
[29:11] 48 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 11 are either descriptive or generalizing.
[29:11] 49 sn Strength. This probably refers to military power; see the use of the noun in 1 Sam 2:10 and Ps 86:16.
[29:11] 50 tn Heb “blesses his people with peace.” The Hebrew term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) probably refers here to the protection and prosperity experienced by God’s people after the
[33:1] 51 sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.
[33:3] 52 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.
[33:3] 53 tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”
[33:4] 54 sn For the
[33:4] 55 tn Heb “word.” In this context, which depicts the
[33:4] 57 tn Heb “and all his work [is] in faithfulness.”
[33:5] 58 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
[33:5] 59 tn Heb “fills the earth.”
[33:6] 61 tn Heb “and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” The words “were created” are added in the translation for stylistic reasons; they are understood by ellipsis (note “were made” in the preceding line). The description is consistent with Gen 1:16, which indicates that God spoke the heavenly luminaries into existence.
[33:7] 62 tn Heb “[he] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ged, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the
[33:7] 63 tn Or “watery depths.” The form תְּהוֹמוֹת (tÿhomot, “watery depths”) is the plural form of תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “great deep”; see Gen 1:2).
[33:8] 64 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the
[33:9] 65 tn That is, “all the earth” in the first line of v. 8. The apparent antecedent of the masculine subject of the verbs in v. 9 (note וַיֶּהִי [vayyehiy] and וַיַּעֲמֹד [vayya’amod]) is “earth” or “world,” both of which are feminine nouns. However, כָּל (kol, “all”) may be the antecedent, or the apparent lack of agreement may be explained by the collective nature of the nouns involved here (see GKC 463 §145.e).
[33:9] 66 tn Heb “he commanded.”
[33:10] 67 tn Heb “breaks” or “destroys.” The Hebrew perfect verbal forms here and in the next line generalize about the
[33:11] 69 tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The
[33:12] 70 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[33:12] 71 tn Heb “inheritance.”
[33:13] 72 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.
[33:13] 73 tn Heb “all the sons of men.”
[33:15] 74 tn Heb “the one who forms together their heart[s].” “Heart” here refers to human nature, composed of intellect, emotions and will. The precise force of יָחַד (yakhad, “together”) is unclear here. The point seems to be that the
[33:17] 75 tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”
[33:18] 76 tn Heb “look, the eye of the
[33:18] 77 tn Heb “for the ones who wait for his faithfulness.”
[33:19] 78 tn Heb “to save from death their live[s].”
[33:19] 79 tn Heb “and to keep them alive in famine.”
[33:20] 80 tn Or “our lives.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
[33:20] 81 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[33:22] 83 tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O
[68:1] 85 sn Psalm 68. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.
[68:1] 86 tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.
[68:1] 87 tn Heb “those who hate him.”
[68:1] 88 sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action,
[68:2] 89 tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”
[68:3] 90 tn By placing the subject first the psalmist highlights the contrast between God’s ecstatic people and his defeated enemies (vv. 1-2).
[68:3] 91 tn Heb “and they are happy with joy” (cf. NEB). Some translate the prefixed verbal forms of v. 3 as jussives, “Let the godly be happy, let them rejoice before God, and let them be happy with joy!” (Cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV; note the call to praise in v. 4.)
[68:4] 92 tn Traditionally the Hebrew term עֲרָבוֹת (’aravot) is taken as “steppe-lands” (often rendered “deserts”), but here the form is probably a homonym meaning “clouds.” Verse 33, which depicts God as the one who “rides on the sky” strongly favors this (see as well Deut 33:26), as does the reference in v. 9 to God as the source of rain. The term עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “cloud”) is cognate with Akkadian urpatu/erpetu and with Ugaritic ’rpt. The phrase rkb ’rpt (“one who rides on the clouds”) appears in Ugaritic mythological texts as an epithet of the storm god Baal. The nonphonemic interchange of the bilabial consonants b and p is attested elsewhere in roots common to Hebrew and Ugaritic, though the phenomenon is relatively rare.
[68:4] 93 tc Heb “in the
[68:5] 94 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by the fatherless and widows.
[68:5] 95 tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.
[68:6] 96 tn Heb “God causes the solitary ones to dwell in a house.” The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 97 tn Heb “he brings out prisoners into prosperity.” Another option is to translate, “he brings out prisoners with singing” (cf. NIV). The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 98 tn Or “in a parched [land].”
[68:6] sn God delivers the downtrodden and oppressed, but sinful rebels who oppose his reign are treated appropriately.
[68:7] 99 tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).
[68:7] 100 sn When you march through the desert. Some interpreters think that v. 7 alludes to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and its subsequent travels in the desert. Another option is that v. 7, like v. 8, echoes Judg 5:4, which describes how the God of Sinai marched across the desert regions to do battle with Sisera and his Canaanite army.
[68:8] 101 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
[68:8] 102 sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)
[68:9] 103 tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).
[68:9] 104 tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.
[68:9] 105 tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:9] 106 tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:10] 107 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.”
[68:11] 108 tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.
[68:11] 109 tn Heb “the ones spreading the good news [are] a large army.” The participle translated “the ones spreading the good news” is a feminine plural form. Apparently the good news here is the announcement that enemy kings have been defeated (see v. 12).
[68:12] 110 tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.
[68:12] 111 tn The Hebrew form appears to be the construct of נוּה (nuh, “pasture”) but the phrase “pasture of the house” makes no sense here. The translation assumes that the form is an alternative or corruption of נצוה (“beautiful woman”). A reference to a woman would be appropriate in light of v. 11b.
[68:13] 113 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.
[68:13] 114 tn Heb “and her pinions with the yellow of gold.”
[68:13] sn The point of the imagery of v. 13 is not certain, though the reference to silver and gold appears to be positive. Both would be part of the loot carried away from battle (see v. 12b).
[68:14] 115 tn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (“Shaddai”). Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life, blesses and kills, and judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses (protects) and takes away life and/or happiness.
[68:14] 116 tn The Hebrew text adds “in it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix may refer back to God’s community/dwelling place (v. 10).
[68:14] 117 tn The verb form appears to be a Hiphil jussive from שָׁלַג (shalag), which is usually understood as a denominative verb from שֶׁלֶג (sheleg, “snow”) with an indefinite subject. The form could be taken as a preterite, in which case one might translate, “when the sovereign judge scattered kings, it snowed on Zalmon” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The point of the image is unclear. Perhaps “snow” suggests fertility and blessing (see v. 9 and Isa 55:10), or the image of a snow-capped mountain suggests grandeur.
[68:14] sn Zalmon was apparently a mountain in the region, perhaps the one mentioned in Judg 9:46 as being in the vicinity of Shechem.
[68:15] 118 sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.
[68:15] 119 tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”
[68:15] 120 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term, which appears only here in the OT, is uncertain. HALOT 174 s.v. גַּבְנוֹן suggests “many-peaked,” while BDB 148 s.v. גַּבְנִן suggests “rounded summit.”
[68:16] 121 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] 122 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] 123 tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.
[68:16] 124 tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.
[68:16] 125 tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[68:17] 126 tn Heb “thousands of [?].” The meaning of the word שִׁנְאָן (shin’an), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Perhaps the form should be emended to שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan, “at ease”) and be translated here “held in reserve.”
[68:17] 127 tc The MT reads, “the Lord [is] among them, Sinai, in holiness,” which is syntactically difficult. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֲדֹנָי בָּא מִסִּינַי (’adonay ba’ missinay; see BHS note b-b and Deut 33:2).
[68:18] 128 tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.
[68:18] 129 tn Heb “you have taken captives captive.”
[68:18] 132 tn Heb “so that the
[68:19] 133 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”
[68:19] 134 tn It is possible to take this phrase with what precedes (“The Lord deserves praise day after day”) rather than with what follows.
[68:20] 135 tn Heb “and to the
[68:21] 136 tn Heb “the hairy forehead of the one who walks about in his guilt.” The singular is representative.
[68:22] 137 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.
[68:23] 138 tc Some (e.g. NRSV) prefer to emend מָחַץ (makhats, “smash; stomp”; see v. 21) to רָחַץ (rakhats, “bathe”; see Ps 58:10).
[68:23] 139 tn Heb “[and] the tongue of your dogs from [the] enemies [may eat] its portion.”
[68:24] 140 tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.
[68:24] 141 tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[68:25] 142 tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”
[68:25] 143 sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).
[68:26] 144 tn Heb “from the fountain of Israel,” which makes little, if any, sense here. The translation assumes an emendation to בְּמִקְרָאֵי (bÿmiqra’ey, “in the assemblies of [Israel]”).
[68:27] 145 sn Little Benjamin, their ruler. This may allude to the fact that Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin.
[68:27] 146 tc The MT reads רִגְמָתָם (rigmatam), which many derive from רָגַם (ragam, “to kill by stoning”) and translates, “[in] their heaps,” that is, in large numbers.
[68:28] 147 tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).
[68:29] 148 tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”
[68:29] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[68:30] 149 tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts such as Ps 68 this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[68:30] 150 sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.
[68:30] 151 tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”
[68:30] 152 tn Heb “humbling himself.” The verb form is a Hitpael participle from the root רָפַס (rafas, “to trample”). The Hitpael of this verb appears only here and in Prov 6:3, where it seems to mean, “humble oneself,” a nuance that fits nicely in this context. The apparent subject is “wild beast” or “assembly,” though both of these nouns are grammatically feminine, while the participle is a masculine form. Perhaps one should emend the participial form to a masculine plural (מִתְרַפִּם, mitrapim) and understand “bulls” or “calves” as the subject.
[68:30] 153 tc Heb “with pieces [?] of silver.” The meaning of the Hebrew term רַצֵּי (ratsey) is unclear. It is probably best to emend the text to בֶּצֶר וְכָסֶף (betser vÿkhasef, “[with] gold and silver”).
[68:30] 154 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[68:30] 155 tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).
[68:31] 156 tn This noun, which occurs only here in the OT, apparently means “red cloth” or “bronze articles” (see HALOT 362 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NEB “tribute”). Traditionally the word has been taken to refer to “nobles” (see BDB 365 s.v. חַשְׁמַן; cf. NIV “envoys”). Another option would be to emend the text to הַשְׁמַנִּים (hashmannim, “the robust ones,” i.e., leaders).
[68:31] 158 tn Heb “causes its hands to run,” which must mean “quickly stretches out its hands” (to present tribute).
[68:33] 159 tc Heb “to the one who rides through the skies of skies of ancient times.” If the MT is retained, one might translate, “to the one who rides through the ancient skies.” (שְׁמֵי [shÿmey, “skies of”] may be accidentally repeated.) The present translation assumes an emendation to בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִקֶּדֶם (bashamayim miqqedem, “[to the one who rides] through the sky from ancient times”), that is, God has been revealing his power through the storm since ancient times.
[68:33] 160 tn Heb “he gives his voice a strong voice.” In this context God’s “voice” is the thunder that accompanies the rain (see vv. 8-9, as well as Deut 33:26).
[68:34] 161 tn Heb “give strength to God.”
[68:34] 162 sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.
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