Mazmur 132:10

132:10 For the sake of David, your servant,

do not reject your chosen king! ¹ 

Mazmur 116:16

116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;

I am your lowest slave. ² 

You saved me from death. ³ 

Mazmur 105:42

105:42 Yes, ⁴  he remembered the sacred promise ⁵ 

he made to Abraham his servant.

Mazmur 119:125

119:125 I am your servant. Give me insight,

so that I can understand ⁶  your rules.

Mazmur 144:10

144:10 the one who delivers ⁷  kings,

and rescued David his servant from a deadly ⁸  sword.

Mazmur 113:1

Psalm 113 ⁹ 

113:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise, you servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

Mazmur 135:1

Psalm 135 ¹⁰ 

135:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord!

Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,

Mazmur 19:11

19:11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; ¹¹ 

those who obey them receive a rich reward. ¹² 

Mazmur 86:4

86:4 Make your servant ¹³  glad,

for to you, O Lord, I pray! ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 119:23

119:23 Though rulers plot and slander me, ¹⁵ 

your servant meditates on your statutes.

Mazmur 119:38

119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, ¹⁶ 

which you made to the one who honors you. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 119:65

ט (Tet)

119:65 You are good ¹⁸  to your servant,

O Lord, just as you promised. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 119:76

119:76 May your loyal love console me,

as you promised your servant. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 119:84

119:84 How long must your servant endure this? ²¹ 

When will you judge those who pursue me?

Mazmur 119:91

119:91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,

for all things are your servants.

Mazmur 119:124

119:124 Show your servant your loyal love! ²² 

Teach me your statutes!

Mazmur 136:22

136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant,

for his loyal love endures,

Mazmur 105:6

105:6 O children ²³  of Abraham, ²⁴  God’s ²⁵  servant,

you descendants ²⁶  of Jacob, God’s ²⁷  chosen ones!

Mazmur 78:70

78:70 He chose David, his servant,

and took him from the sheepfolds.

Mazmur 119:49

ז (Zayin)

119:49 Remember your word to your servant,

for you have given me hope.

Mazmur 119:135

119:135 Smile ²⁸  on your servant!

Teach me your statutes!

Mazmur 119:140

119:140 Your word is absolutely pure,

and your servant loves it!

Mazmur 86:2

86:2 Protect me, ²⁹  for I am loyal!

O my God, deliver your servant, who trusts in you!

Mazmur 89:39

89:39 You have repudiated ³⁰  your covenant with your servant; ³¹ 

you have thrown his crown to the ground. ³² 

Mazmur 143:2

143:2 Do not sit in judgment on ³³  your servant,

for no one alive is innocent before you. ³⁴ 

Mazmur 79:2

79:2 They have given the corpses of your servants

to the birds of the sky; ³⁵ 

the flesh of your loyal followers

to the beasts of the earth.

Mazmur 135:14

135:14 For the Lord vindicates ³⁶  his people,

and has compassion on his servants. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 86:16

86:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me!

Give your servant your strength!

Deliver your slave! ³⁸ 

Mazmur 105:26

105:26 He sent his servant Moses,

and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

Mazmur 119:17

ג (Gimel)

119:17 Be kind to your servant!

Then I will live ³⁹  and keep ⁴⁰  your instructions. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 31:16

31:16 Smile ⁴²  on your servant!

Deliver me because of your faithfulness!

Mazmur 89:20

89:20 I have discovered David, my servant.

With my holy oil I have anointed him as king. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 143:12

143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, ⁴⁴  destroy my enemies!

Annihilate ⁴⁵  all who threaten my life, ⁴⁶ 

for I am your servant.

Mazmur 90:13

90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!

How long must this suffering last? ⁴⁷ 

Have pity on your servants! ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 119:122

119:122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant! ⁴⁹ 

Do not let the arrogant oppress me!

Mazmur 69:17

69:17 Do not ignore ⁵⁰  your servant,

for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 109:28

109:28 They curse, but you will bless. ⁵² 

When they attack, they will be humiliated, ⁵³ 

but your servant will rejoice.

Mazmur 119:176

119:176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep. ⁵⁴ 

Come looking for your servant,

for I do not forget your commands.

Mazmur 89:3

89:3 The Lord said, ⁵⁵ 

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;

I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:

Mazmur 34:22

34:22 The Lord rescues his servants; ⁵⁶ 

all who take shelter in him escape punishment. ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 105:25

105:25 He caused them ⁵⁸  to hate his people,

and to mistreat ⁵⁹  his servants.

Mazmur 134:1

Psalm 134 ⁶⁰ 

A song of ascents. ⁶¹ 

134:1 Attention! ⁶²  Praise the Lord,

all you servants of the Lord,

who serve ⁶³  in the Lord’s temple during the night.

Mazmur 90:16

90:16 May your servants see your work! ⁶⁴ 

May their sons see your majesty! ⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 79:10

79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants

be avenged among the nations! ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 27:9

27:9 Do not reject me! ⁶⁷ 

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer! ⁶⁸ 

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

Mazmur 105:17

105:17 He sent a man ahead of them ⁶⁹  –

Joseph was sold as a servant.

Mazmur 89:50

89:50 Take note, O Lord, ⁷⁰  of the way your servants are taunted, ⁷¹ 

and of how I must bear so many insults from people! ⁷² 

Mazmur 102:14

102:14 Indeed, ⁷³  your servants take delight in her stones,

and feel compassion for ⁷⁴  the dust of her ruins. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 35:27

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

May they continually say, ⁷⁶  “May the Lord be praised, ⁷⁷  for he wants his servant to be secure.” ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 69:36

69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,

and those who are loyal to him ⁷⁹  will live in it. ⁸⁰ 

Mazmur 102:28

102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,

and their descendants ⁸¹  will live securely in your presence.” ⁸² 

Mazmur 19:13

19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant ⁸³  sins;

do not allow such sins to control me. ⁸⁴ 

Then I will be blameless,

and innocent of blatant ⁸⁵  rebellion.

Mazmur 123:2

123:2 Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, ⁸⁶ 

so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.

Mazmur 135:9

135:9 He performed awesome deeds ⁸⁷  and acts of judgment ⁸⁸ 

in your midst, O Egypt,

against Pharaoh and all his servants.

Mazmur 101:6

101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land, ⁸⁹ 

and allow them to live with me. ⁹⁰ 

Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me. ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 72:11

72:11 All kings will bow down to him;

all nations will serve him.

Mazmur 72:2

72:2 Then he will judge ⁹²  your people fairly,

and your oppressed ones ⁹³  equitably.

Mazmur 36:1

Psalm 36 ⁹⁴ 

For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. ⁹⁵ 

36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. ⁹⁶ 

He does not fear God, ⁹⁷ 

Mazmur 104:4

104:4 He makes the winds his messengers,

and the flaming fire his attendant. ⁹⁸ 

Mazmur 18:43

18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; ⁹⁹ 

you make me ¹⁰⁰  a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 18:1

Psalm 18 ¹⁰² 

For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang ¹⁰³  to the Lord the words of this song when ¹⁰⁴  the Lord rescued him from the power ¹⁰⁵  of all his enemies, including Saul. ¹⁰⁶ 

18:1 He said: ¹⁰⁷ 

“I love ¹⁰⁸  you, Lord, my source of strength! ¹⁰⁹ 

Mazmur 105:5

105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,

his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 90:1

Book 4
(Psalms 90-106)

Psalm 90 ¹¹¹ 

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90:1 O Lord, you have been our protector ¹¹²  through all generations!

Mazmur 103:21

103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, ¹¹³ 

you servants of his who carry out his desires! ¹¹⁴ 

Mazmur 106:16

106:16 In the camp they resented ¹¹⁵  Moses,

and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. ¹¹⁶ 

Mazmur 106:41

106:41 He handed them over to ¹¹⁷  the nations,

and those who hated them ruled over them.

Mazmur 119:133

119:133 Direct my steps by your word! ¹¹⁸ 

Do not let any sin dominate me!

Mazmur 60:8

60:8 Moab is my washbasin. ¹¹⁹ 

I will make Edom serve me. ¹²⁰ 

I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 89:19

89:19 Then you ¹²²  spoke through a vision to your faithful followers ¹²³  and said:

“I have energized a warrior; ¹²⁴ 

I have raised up a young man ¹²⁵  from the people.

Mazmur 49:14

49:14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, ¹²⁶ 

with death as their shepherd. ¹²⁷ 

The godly will rule ¹²⁸  over them when the day of vindication dawns; ¹²⁹ 

Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. ¹³⁰ 

[132:10]  ¹ tn Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed one.”

[116:16]  ² tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the Lord has such a secondary wife or concubine! It is used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant.

[116:16]  ³ tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).

[105:42]  ⁴ tn Or “for.”

[105:42]  ⁵ tn Heb “his holy word.”

[119:125]  ⁶ tn or “know.” The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[144:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “grants deliverance to.”

[144:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “harmful.”

[113:1]  ⁹ sn Psalm 113. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign king of the world who reaches down to help the needy.

[135:1]  ¹⁰ sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.

[19:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”

[19:11]  ¹² tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”

[86:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”

[86:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”

[119:23]  ¹⁵ 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.)

[119:38]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “word.”

[119:38]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.

[119:65]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “do good.”

[119:65]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “according to your word.”

[119:76]  ²⁰ tn Heb “according to your word to your servant.”

[119:84]  ²¹ tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”

[119:124]  ²² tn Heb “do with your servant according to your loyal love.”

[105:6]  ²³ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[105:6]  ²⁴ tc Some mss have “Israel,” which appears in the parallel version of this psalm in 1 Chr 16:13.

[105:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[105:6]  ²⁶ tn Heb “sons.”

[105:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[119:135]  ²⁸ tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”

[86:2]  ²⁹ tn Heb “my life.”

[89:39]  ³⁰ tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.

[89:39]  ³¹ tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”

[89:39]  ³² tn Heb “you dishonor [or “desecrate”] on the ground his crown.”

[143:2]  ³³ tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”

[143:2]  ³⁴ tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”

[79:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “[as] food for the birds of the sky.”

[135:14]  ³⁶ tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the Lord “judges on behalf of” his people. The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic actions.

[135:14]  ³⁷ sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.

[86:16]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 116:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the Lord has such a secondary wife or concubine! It is used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant.

[119:17]  ³⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:17]  ⁴⁰ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.

[119:17]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions read the plural here.

[31:16]  ⁴² tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”

[89:20]  ⁴³ tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.

[143:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”

[143:12]  ⁴⁵ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.

[143:12]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

[90:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “Return, O Lord! How long?”

[90:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.

[119:122]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “be surety for your servant for good.”

[69:17]  ⁵⁰ 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).

[69:17]  ⁵¹ tn Or “quickly.”

[109:28]  ⁵² tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).

[109:28]  ⁵³ tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.

[119:176]  ⁵⁴ 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).

[89:3]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “the Lord said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. It is clear that the words of vv. 3-4 are spoken by the Lord, in contrast to vv. 1-2, which are spoken by the psalmist.

[34:22]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.

[34:22]  ⁵⁷ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 31:19).

[105:25]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “their heart.”

[105:25]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.

[134:1]  ⁶⁰ sn Psalm 134. The psalmist calls on the temple servants to praise God (vv. 1-2). They in turn pronounce a blessing on the psalmist (v. 3).

[134:1]  ⁶¹ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[134:1]  ⁶² tn Heb “Look!”

[134:1]  ⁶³ tn Heb “stand.”

[90:16]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).

[90:16]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[79:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”

[27:9]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[27:9]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[105:17]  ⁶⁹ tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).

[89:50]  ⁷⁰ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read here יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”).

[89:50]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular here, “your servant” (that is, the psalmist).

[89:50]  ⁷² tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).

[102:14]  ⁷³ tn Or “for.”

[102:14]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.

[35:27]  ⁷⁶ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).

[35:27]  ⁷⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.”

[35:27]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”

[69:36]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ 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.

[102:28]  ⁸¹ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[102:28]  ⁸² tn Heb “before you will be established.”

[19:13]  ⁸³ tn Or “presumptuous.”

[19:13]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”

[19:13]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “great.”

[123:2]  ⁸⁶ sn Servants look to their master for food, shelter, and other basic needs.

[135:9]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).

[135:9]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.

[101:6]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”

[101:6]  ⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew text simply reads, “in order to live with me.”

[101:6]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “one who walks in the way of integrity, he will minister to me.”

[72:2]  ⁹² tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.

[72:2]  ⁹³ sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).

[36:1]  ⁹⁴ sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.

[36:1]  ⁹⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.

[36:1]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Hebrew text of Origen’s Hexapla, and the Syriac.

[36:1]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.

[104:4]  ⁹⁸ tc Heb “and his attendants a flaming fire.” The lack of agreement between the singular “fire” and plural “attendants” has prompted various emendations. Some read “fire and flame.” The present translation assumes an emendation to “his attendant” (יו in the Hebrew text being virtually dittographic).

[104:4]  sn In Ugaritic mythology Yam’s messengers appear as flaming fire before the assembly of the gods. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 42.

[18:43]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.

[18:43]  ¹⁰⁰ tn 2 Sam 22:44 reads, “you keep me.”

[18:43]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 44-45). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.

[18:1]  ¹⁰² sn Psalm 18. In this long song of thanks, the psalmist (a Davidic king, traditionally understood as David himself) affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. The psalmist’s experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the psalm appears in 2 Sam 22:1-51.

[18:1]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “spoke.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “hand.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁷ tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”

[105:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”

[90:1]  ¹¹¹ sn Psalm 90. In this communal lament the worship leader affirms that the eternal God and creator of the world has always been Israel’s protector. But God also causes men, who are as transient as grass, to die, and in his fierce anger he decimates his covenant community, whose brief lives are filled with suffering and end in weakness. The community asks for wisdom, the restoration of God’s favor, a fresh revelation of his power, and his blessing upon their labors.

[90:1]  ¹¹² tn Or “place of safety.” See Ps 71:3.

[103:21]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “all his hosts.”

[103:21]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”

[106:16]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “envied.”

[106:16]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “the holy one of the Lord.”

[106:41]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”

[119:133]  ¹¹⁸ tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).

[60:8]  ¹¹⁹ sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.

[60:8]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.

[60:8]  ¹²¹ tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.

[89:19]  ¹²² tn The pronoun “you” refers to the Lord, who is addressed here. The quotation that follows further develops the announcement of vv. 3-4.

[89:19]  ¹²³ tc Many medieval mss read the singular here, “your faithful follower.” In this case the statement refers directly to Nathan’s oracle to David (see 2 Sam 7:17).

[89:19]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”

[89:19]  ¹²⁵ tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”

[49:14]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “like sheep to Sheol they are appointed.” The verb form שַׁתּוּ (shatu) is apparently derived from שָׁתַת (shatat), which appears to be a variant of the more common שִׁית (shiyt, “to place; to set”; BDB 1060 s.v. שָׁתַת and GKC 183 §67.ee). Some scholars emend the text to שָׁחוּ (shakhu; from the verbal root שׁוּח [shukh, “sink down”]) and read “they descend.” The present translation assumes an emendation to שָׁטוּ (shatu; from the verbal root שׁוּט [shut, “go; wander”]), “they travel, wander.” (The letter tet [ט] and tav [ת] sound similar; a scribe transcribing from dictation could easily confuse them.) The perfect verbal form is used in a rhetorical manner to speak of their destiny as if it were already realized (the so-called perfect of certitude or prophetic perfect).

[49:14]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “death will shepherd them,” that is, death itself (personified here as a shepherd) will lead them like a flock of helpless, unsuspecting sheep to Sheol, the underworld, the land of the dead.

[49:14]  ¹²⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the perfect verbal form in v. 14a. The psalmist speaks of this coming event as if it were already accomplished.

[49:14]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “will rule over them in the morning.” “Morning” here is a metaphor for a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 59:16; 90:14; 143:8; Isa 17:14). In this context the psalmist confidently anticipates a day of vindication when the Lord will deliver the oppressed from the rich (see v. 15) and send the oppressors to Sheol.

[49:14]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “their form [will become an object] for the consuming of Sheol, from a lofty residence, to him.” The meaning of this syntactically difficult text is uncertain. The translation assumes that צוּר (tsur, “form”; this is the Qere [marginal] reading; the Kethib has צִירָם [tsiram, “their image”]) refers to their physical form or bodies. “Sheol” is taken as the subject of “consume” (on the implied “become” before the infinitive “to consume” see GKC 349 §114.k). The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “lofty residence” is understood as privative, “away from; so as not.” The preposition -ל (lamed) is possessive, while the third person pronominal suffix is understood as a representative singular.