Mazmur 16:1

Psalm 16 ¹ 

A prayer ²  of David.

16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. ³ 

Mazmur 33:17

33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; ⁴ 

despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

Mazmur 107:5

107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;

they fainted from exhaustion. ⁵ 

Mazmur 119:131

119:131 I open my mouth and pant,

because I long ⁶  for your commands.

Mazmur 143:4

143:4 My strength leaves me; ⁷ 

I am absolutely shocked. ⁸ 

[16:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.

[16:1]  ² tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[16:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).

[16:1]  sn Taken shelter. “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 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[33:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”

[107:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”

[119:131]  ⁶ tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.

[143:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”

[143:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.