Mazmur 8:1-9
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.
how magnificent 23 is your reputation 24 throughout the earth! 25
Mazmur 35:1-28
KonteksBy David.
35:1 O Lord, fight 27 those who fight with me!
Attack those who attack me!
35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield, 28
and rise up to help me!
35:3 Use your spear and lance 29 against 30 those who chase me!
Assure me with these words: 31 “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! 32
35:5 May they be 33 like wind-driven chaff,
as the Lord’s angel 34 attacks them! 35
35:6 May their path be 36 dark and slippery,
as the Lord’s angel chases them!
35:7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me
and dug a pit to trap me. 37
35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise! 38
Let the net they hid catch them!
Let them fall into destruction! 39
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance. 40
35:10 With all my strength I will say, 41
“O Lord, who can compare to you?
You rescue 42 the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; 43
the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” 44
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, 45
and falsely accuse me. 46
35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; 47
I am overwhelmed with sorrow. 48
35:13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, 49
and refrained from eating food. 50
(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) 51
35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. 52
I bowed down 53 in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. 54
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me. 55
They tore at me without stopping to rest. 56
35:16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, 57
and tried to bite me. 58
35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? 59
Rescue 60 me 61 from their destructive attacks;
guard my life 62 from the young lions!
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 63
I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 64
35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason 65 gloat 66 over me!
Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! 67
35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, 68
but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. 69
35:21 They are ready to devour me; 70
they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” 71
35:22 But you take notice, 72 Lord!
O Lord, do not remain far away from me!
35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up 73 and vindicate me! 74
My God and Lord, defend my just cause! 75
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat 76 over me!
35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, 77 “Aha! We have what we wanted!” 78
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 79
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 80
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, 81 “May the Lord be praised, 82 for he wants his servant to be secure.” 83
35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice, 84
and praise you all day long. 85
Mazmur 40:1--41:13
KonteksFor the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 87 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 88
out of the slimy mud. 89
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing. 90
40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 91
praising our God. 92
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 93
40:4 How blessed 94 is the one 95 who trusts in the Lord 96
and does not seek help from 97 the proud or from liars! 98
40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 99
No one can thwart you! 100
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 101
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 102
You make that quite clear to me! 103
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
40:7 Then I say,
“Look! I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 104
40:8 I want to do what pleases you, 105 my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” 106
40:9 I have told the great assembly 107 about your justice. 108
Look! I spare no words! 109
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 110
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 111
40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold 112 your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 113
40:12 For innumerable dangers 114 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 115
40:13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! 116
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 117
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 118
40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated 119 and disgraced! 120
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 121 your deliverance say continually, 122
“May the Lord be praised!” 123
40:17 I am oppressed and needy! 124
May the Lord pay attention to me! 125
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O my God, do not delay!
For the music director; a psalm of David.
41:1 How blessed 127 is the one who treats the poor properly! 128
When trouble comes, 129 the Lord delivers him. 130
41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! 131
May he be blessed 132 in the land!
Do not turn him over 133 to his enemies! 134
41:3 The Lord supports 135 him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness. 136
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
41:5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, 138
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 139
41:6 When someone comes to visit, 140 he pretends to be friendly; 141
he thinks of ways to defame me, 142
and when he leaves he slanders me. 143
41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; 144
they plan ways to harm me.
‘An awful disease 146 overwhelms him, 147
and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’ 148
41:9 Even my close friend 149 whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. 150
41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!” 151
41:11 By this 152 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does 153 not triumph 154 over me.
41:12 As for me, you uphold 155 me because of my integrity; 156
you allow 157 me permanent access to your presence. 158
41:13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise 159
in the future and forevermore! 160
We agree! We agree! 161
Mazmur 68:1--69:36
KonteksFor the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.
68:1 God springs into action! 163
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries 164 run from him. 165
68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. 166
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
68:3 But the godly 167 are happy;
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy. 168
68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! 169
For the Lord is his name! 170
Rejoice before him!
68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows. 171
God rules from his holy palace. 172
68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes; 173
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. 174
But sinful rebels live in the desert. 175
68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle, 176
when you march through the desert, 177 (Selah)
68:8 the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai, 178
before God, the God of Israel. 179
68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall 180 on your chosen people. 181
When they 182 are tired, you sustain them, 183
68:10 for you live among them. 184
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
many, many women spread the good news. 186
68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away! 187
The lovely lady 188 of the house divides up the loot.
68:13 When 189 you lie down among the sheepfolds, 190
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold. 191
68:14 When the sovereign judge 192 scatters kings, 193
let it snow 194 on Zalmon!
68:15 The mountain of Bashan 195 is a towering mountain; 196
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. 197
68:16 Why do you look with envy, 198 O mountains 199 with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has decided to live? 200
Indeed 201 the Lord will live there 202 permanently!
68:17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands. 203
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor. 204
you have taken many captives. 206
You receive tribute 207 from 208 men,
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed the Lord God lives there! 209
68:19 The Lord deserves praise! 210
Day after day 211 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. 212
68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion. 213
68:22 The Lord says,
“I will retrieve them 214 from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
68:23 so that your feet may stomp 215 in their blood,
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” 216
68:24 They 217 see your processions, O God –
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. 218
68:25 Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, 219
in the midst of young women playing tambourines. 220
68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! 221
68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, 222
and the princes of Judah in their robes, 223
along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.
68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. 224
O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,
68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! 225
Kings bring tribute to you.
68:30 Sound your battle cry 226 against the wild beast of the reeds, 227
and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! 228
They humble themselves 229 and offer gold and silver as tribute. 230
God 231 scatters 232 the nations that like to do battle.
68:31 They come with red cloth 233 from Egypt,
Ethiopia 234 voluntarily offers tribute 235 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! 236
Look! He thunders loudly. 237
68:34 Acknowledge God’s power, 238
his sovereignty over Israel,
and the power he reveals in the skies! 239
68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! 240
It is the God of Israel 241 who gives the people power and strength.
God deserves praise! 242
For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” 244 by David.
69:1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck. 245
69:2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground; 246
I am in 247 deep water,
and the current overpowers me.
69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore; 248
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. 249
69:4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, 250 outnumber me. 251
They make me repay what I did not steal! 252
69:5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; 253
my guilt is not hidden from you. 254
69:6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king! 255
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!
69:7 For I suffer 256 humiliation for your sake 257
and am thoroughly disgraced. 258
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 259
69:9 Certainly 260 zeal for 261 your house 262 consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you. 263
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 264
which causes others to insult me. 265
69:11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me. 266
69:12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs. 267
69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! 268
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance! 269
69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me 270 from those who hate me,
from the deep water!
69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit 271 devour me! 272
69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! 273
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!
69:17 Do not ignore 274 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 275
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 276
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 277
69:20 Their insults are painful 278 and make me lose heart; 279
I look 280 for sympathy, but receive none, 281
for comforters, but find none.
69:21 They put bitter poison 282 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 283
69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends! 284
69:23 May their eyes be blinded! 285
Make them shake violently! 286
69:24 Pour out your judgment 287 on them!
May your raging anger 288 overtake them!
69:25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited! 289
69:26 For they harass 290 the one whom you discipline; 291
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 292
69:27 Hold them accountable for all their sins! 293
Do not vindicate them! 294
69:28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living! 295
Do not let their names be listed with the godly! 296
69:29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me! 297
69:30 I will sing praises to God’s name! 298
I will magnify him as I give him thanks! 299
69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.
69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, 300 may you be encouraged! 301
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 302
69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!
69:35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people 303 will again live in them and possess Zion. 304
69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him 305 will live in it. 306
Mazmur 97:1-12
Konteks97:1 The Lord reigns!
Let the earth be happy!
Let the many coastlands rejoice!
97:2 Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne. 308
97:3 Fire goes before him;
on every side 309 it burns up his enemies.
97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
97:6 The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
97:7 All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him. 310
97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns 311 of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
97:9 For you, O Lord, are the sovereign king 312 over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects 313 the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power 314 of the wicked.
97:11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy. 315
97:12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord!
Give thanks to his holy name. 316
Mazmur 102:1-28
KonteksThe prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 318
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 319
Listen to me! 320
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke, 321
and my bones are charred like a fireplace. 322
102:4 My heart is parched 323 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 324 to eat food. 325
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin. 326
102:6 I am like an owl 327 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 328 among the ruins. 329
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses. 331
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, 332
and mix my drink with my tears, 333
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, 334 you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 335
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, 336
and your reputation endures. 337
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 338
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 339 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 340 the dust of her ruins. 341
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 342
and all the kings of the earth will respect 343 his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, 344
and does not reject 345 their request. 346
102:18 The account of his intervention 347 will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; 348
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, 349
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die, 350
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 351 in Jerusalem, 352
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord. 353
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life; 354
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 355
You endure through all generations. 356
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure. 357
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. 358
your years do not come to an end.
102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants 360 will live securely in your presence.” 361
Mazmur 118:1--119:176
Konteks118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 363
118:2 Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:3 Let the family 364 of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord 365 say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:5 In my distress 366 I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 367
118:6 The Lord is on my side, 368 I am not afraid!
What can people do to me? 369
118:7 The Lord is on my side 370 as my helper. 371
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
118:8 It is better to take shelter 372 in the Lord
than to trust in people.
118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
118:10 All the nations surrounded me. 373
Indeed, in the name of the Lord 374 I pushed them away. 375
118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:12 They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly 376 as a fire among thorns. 377
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:13 “You aggressively attacked me 378 and tried to knock me down, 379
but the Lord helped me.
118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; 380
he has become my deliverer.” 381
118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. 382
The Lord’s right hand conquers, 383
118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory, 384
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
118:17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. 385
118:18 The Lord severely 386 punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! 387
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
118:20 This is the Lord’s gate –
the godly enter through it.
118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,
and have become my deliverer.
118:22 The stone which the builders discarded 388
has become the cornerstone. 389
118:23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing! 390
118:24 This is the day the Lord has brought about. 391
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
118:25 Please Lord, deliver!
Please Lord, grant us success! 392
118:26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord 393 be blessed!
We will pronounce blessings on you 394 in the Lord’s temple. 395
118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us. 396
Tie the offering 397 with ropes
to the horns of the altar! 398
118:28 You are my 399 God and I will give you thanks!
You are my God and I will praise you!
118:29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 400
א (Alef)
119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, 402
who obey 403 the law of the Lord.
119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
119:3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps. 404
119:4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept. 405
119:5 If only I were predisposed 406
to keep your statutes!
119:6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if 407 I were focused on 408 all your commands.
119:7 I will give you sincere thanks, 409
when I learn your just regulations.
119:8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me! 410
ב (Bet)
119:9 How can a young person 411 maintain a pure life? 412
By guarding it according to your instructions! 413
119:10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands!
119:11 In my heart I store up 414 your words, 415
so I might not sin against you.
119:12 You deserve praise, 416 O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
119:13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed. 417
119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules 418
as if 419 they were riches of all kinds. 420
119:15 I will meditate on 421 your precepts
and focus 422 on your behavior. 423
119:16 I find delight 424 in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions. 425
ג (Gimel)
119:17 Be kind to your servant!
Then I will live 426 and keep 427 your instructions. 428
119:18 Open 429 my eyes so I can truly see 430
the marvelous things in your law!
119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land. 431
Do not hide your commands from me!
119:20 I desperately long to know 432
your regulations at all times.
119:21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed. 433
119:22 Spare me 434 shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
119:23 Though rulers plot and slander me, 435
your servant meditates on your statutes.
119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance. 436
ד (Dalet)
119:25 I collapse in the dirt. 437
Revive me with your word! 438
119:26 I told you about my ways 439 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! 440
Then I can meditate 441 on your marvelous teachings. 442
119:28 I collapse 443 from grief.
Sustain me by your word! 444
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! 445
Graciously give me 446 your law!
119:30 I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to 447 your regulations.
119:31 I hold fast 448 to your rules.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed!
119:32 I run along the path of your commands,
for you enable me to do so. 449
ה (He)
119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, 450
so that I might observe it continually. 451
119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart. 452
119:35 Guide me 453 in the path of your commands,
for I delight to walk in it. 454
119:36 Give me a desire for your rules, 455
rather than for wealth gained unjustly. 456
119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! 457
Revive me with your word! 458
119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, 459
which you made to the one who honors you. 460
119:39 Take away the insults that I dread! 461
Indeed, 462 your regulations are good.
119:40 Look, I long for your precepts.
Revive me with your deliverance! 463
ו (Vav)
119:41 May I experience your loyal love, 464 O Lord,
and your deliverance, 465 as you promised. 466
119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, 467
for I trust in your word.
119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, 468
for I await your justice.
119:44 Then I will keep 469 your law continually
now and for all time. 470
for I seek your precepts.
119:46 I will speak 472 about your regulations before kings
and not be ashamed.
119:47 I will find delight in your commands,
which I love.
119:48 I will lift my hands to 473 your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
ז (Zayin)
119:49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
119:50 This 474 is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me. 475
119:51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me. 476
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
119:52 I remember your ancient regulations, 477
O Lord, and console myself. 478
119:53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
119:54 Your statutes have been my songs 479
in the house where I live. 480
119:55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep 481 your law.
119:56 This 482 has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
ח (Khet)
119:57 The Lord is my source of security. 483
I have determined 484 to follow your instructions. 485
119:58 I seek your favor 486 with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised! 487
119:59 I consider my actions 488
and follow 489 your rules.
119:60 I keep your commands
eagerly and without delay. 490
119:61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around 491 me,
but I do not forget your law.
119:62 In the middle of the night I arise 492 to thank you
for your just regulations.
119:63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers, 493
and to those who keep your precepts.
119:64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes!
ט (Tet)
119:65 You are good 494 to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised. 495
119:66 Teach me proper discernment 496 and understanding!
For I consider your commands to be reliable. 497
119:67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off, 498
but now I keep your instructions. 499
119:68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes!
119:69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies, 500
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
119:70 Their hearts are calloused, 501
but I find delight in your law.
119:71 It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
119:72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. 502
י (Yod)
119:73 Your hands made me and formed me. 503
Give me understanding so that I might learn 504 your commands.
119:74 Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me, 505
for I find hope in your word.
119:75 I know, Lord, that your regulations 506 are just.
You disciplined me because of your faithful devotion to me. 507
119:76 May your loyal love console me,
as you promised your servant. 508
119:77 May I experience your compassion, 509 so I might live!
For I find delight in your law.
119:78 May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me! 510
But I meditate on your precepts.
119:79 May your loyal followers 511 turn to me,
those who know your rules.
119:80 May I be fully committed to your statutes, 512
so that I might not be ashamed.
כ (Kaf)
119:81 I desperately long for 513 your deliverance.
I find hope in your word.
119:82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled. 514
I say, 515 “When will you comfort me?”
119:83 For 516 I am like a wineskin 517 dried up in smoke. 518
I do not forget your statutes.
119:84 How long must your servant endure this? 519
When will you judge those who pursue me?
119:85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, 520
which violates your law. 521
119:86 All your commands are reliable.
I am pursued without reason. 522 Help me!
119:87 They have almost destroyed me here on the earth,
but I do not reject your precepts.
119:88 Revive me with 523 your loyal love,
that I might keep 524 the rules you have revealed. 525
ל (Lamed)
119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven. 526
119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. 527
You established the earth and it stood firm.
119:91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,
for all things are your servants.
119:92 If I had not found encouragement in your law, 528
I would have died in my sorrow. 529
119:93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have revived me.
119:94 I belong to you. Deliver me!
For I seek your precepts.
119:95 The wicked prepare to kill me, 530
yet I concentrate on your rules.
119:96 I realize that everything has its limits,
but your commands are beyond full comprehension. 531
מ (Mem)
119:97 O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it.
119:98 Your commandments 532 make me wiser than my enemies,
for I am always aware of them.
119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your rules.
119:100 I am more discerning than those older than I,
for I observe your precepts.
119:101 I stay away 533 from the evil path,
so that I might keep your instructions. 534
119:102 I do not turn aside from your regulations,
for you teach me.
119:103 Your words are sweeter
in my mouth than honey! 535
119:104 Your precepts give me discernment.
Therefore I hate all deceitful actions. 536
נ (Nun)
119:105 Your word 537 is a lamp to walk by,
and a light to illumine my path. 538
119:106 I have vowed and solemnly sworn
to keep your just regulations.
119:107 I am suffering terribly.
O Lord, revive me with your word! 539
119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise! 540
Teach me your regulations!
119:109 My life is in continual danger, 541
but I do not forget your law.
119:110 The wicked lay a trap for me,
but I do not wander from your precepts.
119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy. 542
119:112 I am determined to obey 543 your statutes
at all times, to the very end.
ס (Samek)
119:113 I hate people with divided loyalties, 544
but I love your law.
119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield.
I find hope in your word.
119:115 Turn away from me, you evil men,
so that I can observe 545 the commands of my God. 546
119:116 Sustain me as you promised, 547 so that I will live. 548
Do not disappoint me! 549
119:117 Support me, so that I will be delivered.
Then I will focus 550 on your statutes continually.
119:118 You despise 551 all who stray from your statutes,
for they are deceptive and unreliable. 552
119:119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag. 553
Therefore I love your rules. 554
119:120 My body 555 trembles 556 because I fear you; 557
I am afraid of your judgments.
ע (Ayin)
119:121 I do what is fair and right. 558
Do not abandon me to my oppressors!
119:122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant! 559
Do not let the arrogant oppress me!
119:123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, 560
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled. 561
119:124 Show your servant your loyal love! 562
Teach me your statutes!
119:125 I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand 563 your rules.
119:126 It is time for the Lord to act –
they break your law!
119:127 For this reason 564 I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
119:128 For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts. 565
I hate all deceitful actions. 566
פ (Pe)
119:129 Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
119:130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. 567
They give 568 insight to the untrained. 569
119:131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long 570 for your commands.
119:132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers. 571
119:133 Direct my steps by your word! 572
Do not let any sin dominate me!
119:134 Deliver me 573 from oppressive men,
so that I can keep 574 your precepts.
119:135 Smile 575 on your servant!
Teach me your statutes!
119:136 Tears stream down from my eyes, 576
because people 577 do not keep your law.
צ (Tsade)
119:137 You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
119:138 The rules you impose are just, 578
and absolutely reliable.
119:139 My zeal 579 consumes 580 me,
for my enemies forget your instructions. 581
119:140 Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it!
119:141 I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
119:142 Your justice endures, 582
and your law is reliable. 583
119:143 Distress and hardship confront 584 me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
119:144 Your rules remain just. 585
Give me insight so that I can live. 586
ק (Qof)
119:145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
119:146 I cried out to you, “Deliver me,
so that I can keep 587 your rules.”
119:147 I am up before dawn crying for help.
I find hope in your word.
119:148 My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
119:149 Listen to me 588 because of 589 your loyal love!
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do! 590
119:150 Those who are eager to do 591 wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
119:151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable. 592
119:152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last. 593
ר (Resh)
119:153 See my pain and rescue me!
For I do not forget your law.
119:154 Fight for me 594 and defend me! 595
Revive me with your word!
119:155 The wicked have no chance for deliverance, 596
for they do not seek your statutes.
119:156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do! 597
119:157 The enemies who chase me are numerous. 598
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
119:158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions. 599
119:159 See how I love your precepts!
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love!
119:160 Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure. 600
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions. 601
119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder. 602
119:163 I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
119:164 Seven 603 times a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
119:165 Those who love your law are completely secure; 604
nothing causes them to stumble. 605
119:166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey 606 your commands.
119:167 I keep your rules;
I love them greatly.
119:168 I keep your precepts and rules,
for you are aware of everything I do. 607
ת (Tav)
119:169 Listen to my cry for help, 608 O Lord!
Give me insight by your word!
119:170 Listen to my appeal for mercy! 609
Deliver me, as you promised. 610
119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions, 611
for all your commands are just.
119:173 May your hand help me,
for I choose to obey 612 your precepts.
119:174 I long for your deliverance, O Lord;
I find delight in your law.
119:175 May I 613 live and praise you!
May your regulations help me! 614
119:176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep. 615
Come looking for your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.
[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.”
[8:9] 22 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:9] 23 tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
[8:9] 24 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:9] 25 sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.
[35:1] 26 sn Psalm 35. The author, who faces ruthless enemies who seek his life for no reason, begs the Lord to fight his battles for him and to vindicate him by annihilating his adversaries.
[35:2] 28 tn Two different types of shields are mentioned here. See also Ezek 38:4. Many modern translations render the first term (translated here “small shield”) as “buckler” (cf. NASB “buckler and shield”; the order is often reversed in the translation, apparently for stylistic reasons: cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “shield and buckler”). The English term “buckler,” referring to a small round shield held on the arm to protect the upper body, is unfamiliar to many modern readers, so the term “small shield” was used in the present translation for clarity.
[35:3] 29 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] 30 tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”
[35:3] 31 tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”
[35:4] 32 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.
[35:5] 33 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.
[35:5] 34 sn See the mention of the
[35:5] 35 tn Heb “as the
[35:6] 36 tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[35:7] 37 tc Heb “for without cause they hid for me a pit of their net, without cause they dug for my life.” It appears that the words “pit” and “net” have been transposed. “Net” goes with the verb “hid” in the first line (see v. 8, as well as Pss 9:15; 31:4), while “pit” goes with the verb “dug” in the second line (see Ps 7:15).
[35:8] 38 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] 39 tn The psalmist’s prayer for his enemies’ demise continues. See vv. 4-6.
[35:9] 40 tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the
[35:10] 41 tn Heb “all my bones will say.”
[35:10] 42 tn Heb “[the one who] rescues.” The substantival participle in the Hebrew text characterizes God as one who typically rescues the oppressed.
[35:10] 43 tn Heb “from [the one who is] too strong for him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense. The typical oppressed individual and typical oppressor are in view.
[35:10] 44 tn Heb “the oppressed [one] and needy [one] from [the one who] robs him.” As in the previous line, the singular forms are used in a representative sense.
[35:11] 45 tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”
[35:11] 46 tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”
[35:12] 47 tn Heb “they repay me evil instead of good.”
[35:12] 48 tn Heb “[there is] bereavement to my soul.”
[35:13] 49 tn Heb “as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.” Sackcloth was worn by mourners. When the psalmist’s enemies were sick, he was sorry for their misfortune and mourned for them.
[35:13] 50 sn Fasting was also a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities, such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[35:13] 51 tn Heb “and my prayer upon my chest will return.” One could translate, “but my prayer was returning upon my chest,” but the use of the imperfect verbal form sets this line apart from the preceding and following lines (vv. 13a, 14), which use the perfect to describe the psalmist’s past actions.
[35:14] 52 tn Heb “like a friend, like a brother to me I walked about.”
[35:14] 53 sn I bowed down. Bowing down was a posture for mourning. See Ps 38:6.
[35:14] 54 tn Heb “like mourning for a mother [in] sorrow I bowed down.”
[35:15] 55 tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).
[35:15] 56 tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.
[35:16] 57 tc The MT reads “as profane [ones] of mockers of food,” which is nonsensical. The present translation assumes (1) an emendation of בְּחַנְפֵי (bÿkhanfey, “as profane men”) to בְּחַנְפִי (bekhanfiy, “when I tripped”; preposition + Qal infinitive construct from II חָנַף [“limp”] + first common singular pronominal suffix) and (2) an emendation of לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג (la’agey ma’og, “mockers of food”) to עָגוּ[ם]לַעְגָּ (la’gam ’agu, “[with] taunting they taunted”; masculine plural noun with enclitic mem + Qal perfect third common plural from לַּעַג [la’ag, “taunt”]).
[35:16] 58 tn Heb “gnashing at me with their teeth.” The infinitive absolute adds a complementary action – they gnashed with their teeth as they taunted.
[35:17] 59 tn Heb “O Lord, how long will you see?”
[35:17] 60 tn Heb “bring back, restore.”
[35:17] 62 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone (see Ps 22:20). The verb “guard” is supplied in the translation, because the verb “rescue” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[35:18] 63 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.
[35:18] 64 tn Heb “among numerous people.”
[35:19] 65 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).
[35:19] 67 tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).
[35:20] 68 tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”
[35:20] 69 tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.
[35:21] 70 tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.
[35:21] 71 tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).
[35:22] 72 tn Heb “you see, O
[35:23] 73 sn Though he is confident that the Lord is aware of his situation (see v. 22a), the psalmist compares the Lord’s inactivity to sleep and urges him to wake up.
[35:23] 74 tn Heb “for my justice.”
[35:23] 75 tn Heb “for my cause.”
[35:25] 77 tn Heb “in their heart[s].”
[35:25] 78 tn Heb “Aha! Our desire!” The “desire” of the psalmist’s enemies is to triumph over him.
[35:26] 79 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”
[35:26] 80 tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.
[35:27] 81 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).
[35:27] 82 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[35:27] 83 tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”
[35:28] 84 tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”
[35:28] 85 tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
[40:1] 86 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
[40:1] 87 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:2] 88 tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).
[40:2] 89 tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two 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.
[40:2] 90 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
[40:3] 91 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
[40:3] 92 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
[40:3] 93 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the
[40:4] 94 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, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[40:4] 95 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
[40:4] 96 tn Heb “who has made the
[40:4] 97 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
[40:4] 98 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
[40:5] 99 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 100 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (’arakh ’el, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
[40:5] 101 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
[40:6] 102 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
[40:6] 103 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
[40:7] 104 tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.
[40:8] 106 tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.
[40:9] 107 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
[40:9] 108 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
[40:9] 109 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
[40:10] 110 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
[40:10] 111 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
[40:11] 112 tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).
[40:11] 113 tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.
[40:12] 114 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
[40:12] 115 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
[40:13] 116 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[40:14] 117 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
[40:14] 118 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[40:14] sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
[40:15] 119 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[40:15] 120 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
[40:16] 121 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
[40:16] 122 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] 123 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[40:17] 124 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[40:17] 125 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
[41:1] 126 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
[41:1] 127 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, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[41:1] 128 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
[41:1] 129 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
[41:1] 130 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the
[41:2] 131 tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.
[41:2] 132 tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
[41:2] 133 tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.
[41:2] 134 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
[41:3] 135 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
[41:3] 136 tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.
[41:4] 137 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
[41:5] 138 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
[41:5] 139 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
[41:6] 141 tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
[41:6] 142 tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
[41:6] 143 tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
[41:7] 144 tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
[41:8] 145 tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
[41:8] 146 tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
[41:8] 147 tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
[41:8] 148 tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
[41:9] 149 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
[41:9] 150 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.
[41:9] sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
[41:10] 151 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
[41:11] 152 sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.
[41:11] 153 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
[41:12] 155 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
[41:12] 156 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
[41:12] 157 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
[41:12] 158 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
[41:13] 159 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[41:13] 160 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
[41:13] 161 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
[68:1] 162 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] 163 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] 164 tn Heb “those who hate him.”
[68:1] 165 sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action,
[68:2] 166 tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”
[68:3] 167 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] 168 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] 169 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] 170 tc Heb “in the
[68:5] 171 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] 172 tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.
[68:6] 173 tn Heb “God causes the solitary ones to dwell in a house.” The participle suggests this is what God typically does.
[68:6] 174 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] 175 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] 176 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] 177 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] 178 tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the
[68:8] 179 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] 180 tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).
[68:9] 181 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] 182 tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:9] 183 tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
[68:10] 184 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] 185 tn Heb “gives a word.” Perhaps this refers to a divine royal decree or battle cry.
[68:11] 186 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] 187 tn The verbal repetition draws attention to the statement.
[68:12] 188 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] 190 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “sheepfolds” is uncertain. There may be an echo of Judg 5:16 here.
[68:13] 191 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] 192 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] 193 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] 194 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] 195 sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.
[68:15] 196 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] 197 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] 198 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] 199 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] 200 tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.
[68:16] 201 tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.
[68:16] 202 tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[68:17] 203 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] 204 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] 205 tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.
[68:18] 206 tn Heb “you have taken captives captive.”
[68:18] 209 tn Heb “so that the
[68:19] 210 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”
[68:19] 211 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] 212 tn Heb “and to the
[68:21] 213 tn Heb “the hairy forehead of the one who walks about in his guilt.” The singular is representative.
[68:22] 214 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] 215 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] 216 tn Heb “[and] the tongue of your dogs from [the] enemies [may eat] its portion.”
[68:24] 217 tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.
[68:24] 218 tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[68:25] 219 tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”
[68:25] 220 sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).
[68:26] 221 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] 222 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] 223 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] 224 tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).
[68:29] 225 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] 226 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] 227 sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.
[68:30] 228 tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”
[68:30] 229 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] 230 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] 231 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[68:30] 232 tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).
[68:31] 233 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] 235 tn Heb “causes its hands to run,” which must mean “quickly stretches out its hands” (to present tribute).
[68:33] 236 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] 237 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] 238 tn Heb “give strength to God.”
[68:34] 239 sn The language of v. 34 echoes that of Deut 33:26.
[68:35] 240 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] 241 tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”
[68:35] 242 tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”
[69:1] 243 sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.
[69:1] 244 tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.
[69:1] 245 tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.
[69:2] 246 tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”
[69:2] 247 tn Heb “have entered.”
[69:3] 248 tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”
[69:3] 249 tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.
[69:4] 250 tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Pss 35:19; 38:19).
[69:4] 251 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority; note the parallel verb רָבַב (ravav, “be many”).
[69:4] 252 tn Heb “that which I did not steal, then I restore.” Apparently אָז (’az, “then”) is used here to emphasize the verb that follows.
[69:4] sn They make me repay what I did not steal. The psalmist’s enemies falsely accuse him and hold him accountable for alleged crimes he did not even commit.
[69:5] 253 tn Heb “you know my foolishness.”
[69:5] 254 sn The psalmist is the first to admit that he is not perfect. But even so, he is innocent of the allegations which his enemies bring against him (v. 5b). God, who is aware of his foolish sins and guilt, can testify to the truth of his claim.
[69:6] 255 tn Heb “O Master,
[69:7] 256 tn Heb “carry, bear.”
[69:7] 257 tn Heb “on account of you.”
[69:7] 258 tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”
[69:8] 259 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
[69:9] 260 tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.
[69:9] 261 tn Or “devotion to.”
[69:9] 262 sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.
[69:9] 263 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.
[69:10] 264 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
[69:10] 265 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
[69:11] 266 tn Heb “and I am an object of ridicule to them.”
[69:12] 267 tn Heb “the mocking songs of the drinkers of beer.”
[69:13] 268 tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O
[69:13] 269 tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”
[69:14] 270 tn Heb “let me be delivered.”
[69:15] 271 tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).
[69:15] 272 tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”
[69:16] 273 tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”
[69:17] 274 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).
[69:18] 276 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[69:19] 277 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
[69:20] 278 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
[69:20] 279 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
[69:20] 281 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
[69:21] 282 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
[69:21] 283 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
[69:22] 284 tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).
[69:23] 285 tn Heb “may their eyes be darkened from seeing.”
[69:23] 286 tn Heb “make their hips shake continually.”
[69:24] 287 tn Heb “anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger.
[69:24] 288 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.
[69:25] 289 tn Heb “in their tents may there not be one who dwells.”
[69:25] sn In Acts 1:20 Peter applies the language of this verse to Judas’ experience. By changing the pronouns from plural to singular, he is able to apply the ancient curse, pronounced against the psalmist’s enemies, to Judas in particular.
[69:26] 290 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
[69:26] 291 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
[69:26] 292 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
[69:26] sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
[69:27] 293 tn Heb “place sin upon their sin.”
[69:27] 294 tn Heb “let them not come into your vindication.”
[69:28] 295 tn Heb “let them be wiped out of the scroll of the living.”
[69:28] sn The phrase the scroll of the living occurs only here in the OT. It pictures a scroll or census list containing the names of the citizens of a community. When an individual died, that person’s name was removed from the list. So this curse is a very vivid way of asking that the enemies die.
[69:28] 296 tn Heb “and with the godly let them not be written.”
[69:28] sn Do not let their names be listed with the godly. This curse pictures a scroll in which God records the names of his loyal followers. The psalmist makes the point that his enemies have no right to be included in this list of the godly.
[69:29] 297 tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”
[69:30] 298 tn Heb “I will praise the name of God with a song.”
[69:30] 299 tn Heb “I will magnify him with thanks.”
[69:32] 300 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] 301 tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.
[69:33] 302 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
[69:35] 303 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:35] 304 tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[69:36] 305 tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.
[69:36] 306 sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.
[97:1] 307 sn Psalm 97. The psalmist depicts the Lord as the sovereign, just king of the world who comes in power to vindicate his people.
[97:2] 308 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
[97:3] 309 tn Heb “all around.”
[97:7] 310 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verbal form in the first line is an imperfect (“are ashamed”) and that the ambiguous form in the third line is a perfect (“bow down”) because the psalmist appears to be describing the effect of the
[97:8] 311 tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
[97:9] 312 tn Traditionally “Most High.”
[97:10] 313 tn The participle may be verbal, though it might also be understood as substantival and appositional to “the
[97:11] 315 tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.
[97:12] 316 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
[102:1] 317 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
[102:1] 318 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
[102:2] 319 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
[102:2] 320 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[102:3] 321 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
[102:3] 322 tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
[102:4] 323 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
[102:4] 324 tn Heb “I forget.”
[102:4] 325 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
[102:5] 326 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
[102:6] 327 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
[102:6] 328 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
[102:6] 329 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.
[102:7] 330 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the
[102:8] 331 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
[102:9] 332 sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
[102:11] 335 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
[102:12] 336 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[102:12] 337 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
[102:13] 338 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
[102:14] 340 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
[102:14] 341 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
[102:15] 342 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
[102:15] 343 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[102:17] 344 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
[102:17] 345 tn Heb “despise.”
[102:17] 346 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
[102:18] 347 tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[102:19] 348 tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
[102:19] 349 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.
[102:20] 350 tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
[102:21] 351 tn Heb “his praise.”
[102:21] 352 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[102:22] 353 tn “and the kingdoms to serve the
[102:23] 354 tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
[102:24] 355 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
[102:24] 356 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
[102:26] 358 tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
[102:27] 359 tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the
[102:28] 360 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[102:28] 361 tn Heb “before you will be established.”
[118:1] 362 sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.
[118:1] 363 tn Or “is forever.”
[118:4] 365 tn Heb “fearers of the
[118:5] 366 tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מצר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”).
[118:5] 367 tn Heb “the
[118:6] 369 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.
[118:7] 371 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.
[118:8] 372 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[118:10] 373 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
[118:10] 374 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the
[118:10] 375 tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.
[118:12] 376 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
[118:12] 377 tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.
[118:13] 378 tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”
[118:13] 379 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
[118:14] 380 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the
[118:14] 381 tn Or “salvation.”
[118:15] 382 tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”
[118:15] 383 tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).
[118:17] 385 tn Heb “the works of the
[118:18] 386 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.
[118:19] 387 tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the
[118:22] 388 tn Or “rejected.”
[118:22] 389 tn Heb “the head of the corner.”
[118:22] sn The metaphor of the stone…the builders discarded describes the way in which God’s deliverance reversed the psalmist’s circumstances. When he was in distress, he was like a stone which was discarded by builders as useless, but now that he has been vindicated by God, all can see that he is of special importance to God, like the cornerstone of the building.
[118:23] 390 tn Heb “it is amazing in our eyes.” The use of the plural pronoun here and in vv. 24-27 suggests that the psalmist may be speaking for the entire nation. However, it is more likely that vv. 22-27 are the people’s response to the psalmist’s thanksgiving song (see especially v. 26). They rejoice with him because his deliverance on the battlefield (see vv. 10-12) had national repercussions.
[118:24] 391 tn Heb “this is the day the
[118:25] 392 sn A petition for deliverance and success seems odd in a psalm thanking God for deliverance, but it is not unique (see Ps 9:19-20). The people ask God to continue to intervene for them as he has for the psalmist.
[118:26] 393 sn The people refer here to the psalmist, who enters the
[118:26] 394 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural, but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the following form) or enclitic, in which case the suffix may be taken as second masculine singular, referring to the psalmist.
[118:26] 395 tn Heb “from the house of the
[118:27] 396 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] 397 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] 398 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.
[118:28] 399 sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).
[118:29] 400 tn Or “is forever.”
[119:1] 401 sn Psalm 119. The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.
[119:1] 402 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”
[119:3] 404 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[119:4] 405 tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”
[119:5] 406 tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”
[119:6] 408 tn Heb “I gaze at.”
[119:7] 409 tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”
[119:8] 410 tn Heb “do not abandon me to excess.” For other uses of the phrase עַד מְאֹד (’ad mÿ’od, “to excess”), see Ps 38:6, 8.
[119:9] 411 tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”
[119:9] 412 tn Heb “purify his path.”
[119:9] 413 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:11] 415 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew
[119:12] 416 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
[119:13] 417 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
[119:14] 418 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
[119:14] 419 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
[119:14] 420 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
[119:15] 421 tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.
[119:15] 422 tn Heb “gaze [at].”
[119:15] 423 tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).
[119:16] 424 tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”
[119:16] 425 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:17] 426 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:17] 427 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.
[119:17] 428 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:18] 429 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
[119:18] 430 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:19] 431 tn Heb “I am a resident alien in the land.” Resident aliens were especially vulnerable and in need of help. They needed to know the social and legal customs of the land to avoid getting into trouble. The translation (note the addition of “like”) assumes the psalmist is speaking metaphorically, not literally.
[119:20] 432 tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”
[119:21] 433 tn Heb “accursed.” The traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text takes “accursed” with the previous line (“arrogant, accursed ones”), but it is preferable to take it with the second line as the predicate of the statement.
[119:22] 434 tn Heb “roll away from upon me.” Some derive the imperatival form גַּל (gal) from גָּלָה (galah, “uncover,” as in v. 18), but here the form is from גָּלַל (galal, “roll”; see Josh 5:9, where חֶרְפָּה [kherpah, “shame; reproach”] also appears as object of the verb). Some, following the lead of a Dead Sea scroll (11QPsa), emend the form to גֹּל (gol).
[119:23] 435 tn Heb “though rulers sit, about me they talk together.” (For another example of the Niphal of דָּבַר (davar) used with a suffixed form of the preposition ב, see Ezek 33:30.)
[119:24] 436 tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.
[119:25] 437 tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[119:25] 438 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:26] 439 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
[119:27] 440 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
[119:27] 441 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:27] 442 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
[119:28] 443 tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.
[119:28] 444 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:29] 445 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
[119:29] 446 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)
[119:30] 447 tn BDB 1000-1001 s.v. I שָׁוָה derives the verb from the first homonym listed, meaning “to agree with; to be like; to resemble.” It here means (in the Piel stem) “to be accounted suitable,” which in turn would mean by metonymy “to accept; to be committed to.” Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to place; to set,” but in this case an elliptical prepositional phrase must be understood, “I place your regulations [before me]” (see Ps 16:8).
[119:31] 448 tn Or “cling to.”
[119:32] 449 tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The
[119:33] 450 tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”
[119:33] 451 tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”
[119:34] 452 tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.
[119:35] 453 tn Or “make me walk.”
[119:35] 454 tn Heb “for in it I delight.”
[119:36] 455 tn Heb “turn my heart to your rules.”
[119:36] 456 tn Heb “and not unjust gain.”
[119:37] 457 tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”
[119:37] 458 tn Heb “by your word.”
[119:38] 460 tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.
[119:39] 461 tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”
[119:40] 463 tn Or “righteousness.”
[119:41] 464 tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”
[119:41] 465 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).
[119:41] 466 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:42] 467 tn Heb “and I will answer [the] one who insults me a word.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive (see v. 41).
[119:43] 468 tn Heb “do not snatch from my mouth a word of truth to excess.” The psalmist wants to be able to give a reliable testimony about the
[119:44] 469 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).
[119:44] 470 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[119:45] 471 tn Heb “and I will walk about in a wide place.” The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive gives a further consequence of the anticipated positive divine response (see vv. 43-44). Another option is to take the cohortative as expressing the psalmist’s request. In this case one could translate, “and please give me security.”
[119:46] 472 tn The series of four cohortatives with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive in vv. 46-48 list further consequences of the anticipated positive divine response to the request made in v. 43.
[119:48] 473 tn Lifting the hands is often associated with prayer (Pss 28:2; 63:4; Lam 2:19). (1) Because praying to God’s law borders on the extreme, some prefer to emend the text to “I lift up my hands to you,” eliminating “your commands, which I love” as dittographic. In this view these words were accidentally repeated from the previous verse. (2) However, it is possible that the psalmist closely associates the law with God himself because he views the law as the expression of the divine will. (3) Another option is that “lifting the hands” does not refer to prayer here, but to the psalmist’s desire to receive and appropriate the law. (4) Still others understand this to be an action praising God’s commands (so NCV; cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
[119:50] 474 tn The demonstrative “this” refers back to the hope just mentioned or forward to the statement in the second line concerning the promise’s power to revive. See the note on the word “me” at the end of the verse for further discussion.
[119:50] 475 tn The hope generated by the promise (see v. 49b) brings comfort because (note “for” at the beginning of the line) the promise revives the psalmist’s spirits. Another option is to take כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line in the sense of “that,” in which case “this” refers to the promise’s power to revive.
[119:51] 476 tn Heb “scoff at me to excess.”
[119:52] 477 tn Heb “I remember your regulations from of old.” The prepositional phrase “from of old” apparently modifies “your regulations,” alluding to the fact that God revealed them to Israel in the distant past. Another option is to understand the prepositional phrase as modifying the verb, in which case one might translate, “I have long remembered your regulations.”
[119:52] 478 tn Or “find comfort.”
[119:54] 479 tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”
[119:54] 480 tn Heb “in the house of my dwelling place.” Some take the Hebrew noun מָגוֹר (magor) in the sense of “temporary abode,” and see this as a reference to the psalmist’s status as a resident alien (see v. 19). But the noun can refer to a dwelling place in general (see Ps 55:15).
[119:55] 481 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve to obey the law.
[119:56] 482 tn Heb “this has been to me.” The demonstrative “this” (1) refers back to the practices mentioned in vv. 54-55, or (2) looks forward to the statement in the second line, in which case the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line should be translated “that.”
[119:57] 483 tn Heb “my portion [is] the
[119:57] 485 tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).
[119:58] 486 tn Heb “I appease your face.”
[119:58] 487 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:59] 488 tn Heb “my ways.”
[119:59] 489 tn Heb “and I turn my feet toward.”
[119:60] 490 tn Heb “I hurry and I do not delay to keep your commands.”
[119:61] 491 tn Heb “surround.”
[119:62] 492 tn The psalmist uses an imperfect verbal form to emphasize that this is his continuing practice.
[119:63] 493 tn Heb “to all who fear you.”
[119:65] 494 tn Heb “do good.”
[119:65] 495 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:66] 496 tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.
[119:66] 497 tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”
[119:67] 498 tn Heb “before I suffered, I was straying off.”
[119:67] 499 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:69] 500 tn Heb “smear over me a lie.”
[119:70] 501 tn Heb “their heart is insensitive like fat.”
[119:72] 502 tn Heb “better to me [is] the law of your mouth than thousands of gold and silver.”
[119:73] 503 tn Heb “made me and established me.” The two verbs also appear together in Deut 32:6, where God, compared to a father, is said to have “made and established” Israel.
[119:73] 504 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:74] 505 tn Heb “those who fear you will see me and rejoice.”
[119:75] 506 tn In this context (note the second line) the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim), which so often refers to the regulations of God’s law elsewhere in this psalm, may refer instead to his decisions or disciplinary judgment.
[119:75] 507 tn Heb “and [in] faithfulness you afflicted me.”
[119:76] 508 tn Heb “according to your word to your servant.”
[119:77] 509 tn Heb “and may your compassion come to me.”
[119:78] 510 tn Heb “for [with] falsehood they have denied me justice.”
[119:79] 511 tn Heb “those who fear you.”
[119:80] 512 tn Heb “may my heart be complete in your statutes.”
[119:81] 513 tn Heb “my soul pines for.” See Ps 84:2.
[119:82] 514 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your word.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See Ps 69:3.
[119:83] 516 tn Or “even though.”
[119:83] 517 tn 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).
[119:83] 518 tn Heb “in the smoke.”
[119:84] 519 tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”
[119:85] 521 tn Heb “which [is] not according to your law.”
[119:86] 522 sn God’s commands are a reliable guide to right and wrong. By keeping them the psalmist is doing what is right, yet he is still persecuted.
[119:88] 523 tn Heb “according to.”
[119:88] 524 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:88] 525 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
[119:89] 526 tn Heb “Forever, O
[119:90] 527 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”
[119:92] 528 tn Heb “if your law had not been my delight.”
[119:92] 529 tn Or “my suffering.”
[119:95] 530 tn Heb “the wicked wait for me to kill me.”
[119:96] 531 tn Heb “to every perfection I have seen an end, your command is very wide.” God’s law is beyond full comprehension, which is why the psalmist continually studies it (vv. 95, 97).
[119:98] 532 tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The
[119:101] 533 tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”
[119:101] 534 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:103] 535 tn Heb “How smooth they are to my palate, your word, more than honey to my mouth.” A few medieval Hebrew
[119:104] 536 tn Heb “every false path.”
[119:105] 537 tn Many medieval Hebrew
[119:105] 538 tn Heb “[is] a lamp for my foot and a light for my path.”
[119:107] 539 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:108] 540 tn Heb “of my mouth.”
[119:109] 541 tn Heb “my life [is] in my hands continually.”
[119:111] 542 tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”
[119:112] 543 tn Heb “I turn my heart to do.”
[119:113] 544 tn Heb “divided ones.” The word occurs only here; it appears to be derived from a verbal root, attested in Arabic, meaning “to split” (see HALOT 762 s.v. *סֵעֵף). Since the psalmist is emphasizing his unswerving allegiance to God and his law, the term probably refers to those who lack such loyalty. The translation is similar to that suggested by L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 131.
[119:115] 545 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:115] 546 tn The psalmist has already declared that he observes God’s commands despite persecution, so here the idea must be “so that I might observe the commands of my God unhindered by threats.”
[119:116] 547 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:116] 548 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:116] 549 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.
[119:117] 550 tn Or “and that I might focus.” The two cohortatives with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the imperative at the beginning of the verse.
[119:118] 551 tn The Hebrew verb סָלָה (salah, “to disdain”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:15. Cognate usage in Aramaic and Akkadian, as well as Lam 1:15, suggest it may have a concrete nuance of “to throw away.”
[119:118] 552 tn Heb “for their deceit [is] falsehood.”
[119:119] 553 sn Traditionally “dross” (so KJV, ASV, NIV). The metaphor comes from metallurgy; “slag” is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
[119:119] 554 sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.
[119:120] 555 tn Heb “my flesh.”
[119:120] 556 tn The Hebrew verb סָמַר (samar, “to tremble”) occurs only here and in Job 4:15.
[119:120] 557 tn Heb “from fear of you.” The pronominal suffix on the noun is an objective genitive.
[119:121] 558 tn Heb “do justice and righteousness.”
[119:122] 559 tn Heb “be surety for your servant for good.”
[119:123] 560 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your deliverance.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See the similar phrase in v. 82.
[119:123] 561 tn Heb “and for the word of your faithfulness.”
[119:124] 562 tn Heb “do with your servant according to your loyal love.”
[119:125] 563 tn or “know.” The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:127] 564 tn “For this reason” connects logically with the statement made in v. 126. Because the judgment the psalmist fears (see vv. 119-120) is imminent, he remains loyal to God’s law.
[119:128] 565 tn Heb “for this reason all the precepts of everything I regard as right.” The phrase “precepts of everything” is odd. It is preferable to take the kaf (כ) on כֹּל (kol, “everything) with the preceding form as a pronominal suffix, “your precepts,” and the lamed (ל) with the following verb as an emphatic particle. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 138.
[119:128] 566 tn Heb “every false path.”
[119:130] 567 tn Heb “the doorway of your words gives light.” God’s “words” refer here to the instructions in his law (see vv. 9, 57).
[119:130] 568 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”
[119:130] 569 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Pss 19:7; 116:6.
[119:131] 570 tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.
[119:132] 571 tn Heb “according to custom toward the lovers of your name.” The “lovers of” God’s “name” are the
[119:133] 572 tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).
[119:134] 573 tn Or “redeem me.”
[119:134] 574 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:135] 575 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
[119:136] 576 tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”
[119:136] 577 tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[119:138] 578 tn Heb “you commanded [in] justice your rules.”
[119:139] 580 tn Heb “destroys,” in a hyperbolic sense.
[119:139] 581 tn Heb “your words.”
[119:142] 582 tn Heb “your justice [is] justice forever.”
[119:144] 585 tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”
[119:144] 586 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:146] 587 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:149] 588 tn Heb “my voice.”
[119:149] 589 tn Heb “according to.”
[119:149] 590 tn Heb “according to your custom.”
[119:150] 591 tn Heb “those who pursue.”
[119:152] 593 tn Heb “long ago I knew concerning your rules, that forever you established them.” See v. 89 for the same idea. The translation assumes that the preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “your rules” introduces the object of the verb יָדַע (yada’), as in 1 Sam 23:23. Another option is that the preposition indicates source, in which case one might translate, “Long ago I realized from your rules that forever you established them” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[119:154] 594 tn Or “argue my case.”
[119:154] 595 tn Heb “and redeem me.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[119:155] 596 tn Heb “far from the wicked [is] deliverance.”
[119:156] 597 tn Heb “according to your customs.”
[119:157] 598 tn Heb “many [are] those who chase me and my enemies.”
[119:158] 599 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:160] 600 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.
[119:161] 601 tn Heb “and because of your instructions my heart trembles.” The psalmist’s healthy “fear” of the consequences of violating God’s instructions motivates him to obey them. See v. 120.
[119:162] 602 tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.
[119:164] 603 tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.
[119:165] 604 tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”
[119:165] 605 tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”
[119:168] 607 tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”
[119:169] 608 tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”
[119:170] 609 tn Heb “may my appeal for mercy come before you.”
[119:170] 610 tn Heb “according to your speech.”
[119:172] 611 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:173] 612 tn The words “to obey” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
[119:175] 613 tn Heb “my life.”
[119:175] 614 tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.
[119:176] 615 tn Heb “I stray like a lost sheep.” It is possible that the point of the metaphor is vulnerability: The psalmist, who is threatened by his enemies, feels as vulnerable as a straying, lost sheep. This would not suggest, however, that he has wandered from God’s path (see the second half of the verse, as well as v. 110).
