Mazmur 8:4

8:4 Of what importance is the human race, ¹  that you should notice ²  them?

Of what importance is mankind, ³  that you should pay attention to them, ⁴ 

Mazmur 49:8

49:8 (the ransom price for a human life ⁵  is too high,

and people go to their final destiny), ⁶ 

Mazmur 73:26

73:26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak, ⁷ 

but God always ⁸  protects my heart and gives me stability. ⁹ 

Mazmur 77:10

77:10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought

that the sovereign One ¹⁰  might become inactive. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 88:18

88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance; ¹² 

those who know me leave me alone in the darkness. ¹³ 

Mazmur 91:16

91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, ¹⁴ 

and will let him see my salvation.

Mazmur 119:160

119:160 Your instructions are totally reliable;

all your just regulations endure. ¹⁵ 

[8:4]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “remember him.”

[8:4]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.

[49:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.

[49:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.

[73:26]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew verb כָלָה (khalah, “to fail; to grow weak”) does not refer here to physical death per se, but to the physical weakness that sometimes precedes death (see Job 33:21; Pss 71:9; 143:7; Prov 5:11).

[73:26]  ⁸ tn Or “forever.”

[73:26]  ⁹ tn Heb “is the rocky summit of my heart and my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to a rocky summit where one could go for protection and to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

[77:10]  ¹⁰ 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.

[77:10]  ¹¹ tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khallotiy) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khalotiy), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shÿnot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.

[88:18]  ¹² tn Heb “you cause to be far from me friend and neighbor.”

[88:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “those known by me, darkness.”

[91:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “length of days.”

[119:160]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the head of your word is truth, and forever [is] all your just regulation.” The term “head” is used here of the “sum total” of God’s instructions.