Mazmur 18:15

18:15 The depths ¹  of the sea ²  were exposed;

the inner regions ³  of the world were uncovered

by ⁴  your battle cry, ⁵  Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose. ⁶ 

Mazmur 47:9

47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble,

along with the people of the God of Abraham, ⁷ 

for God has authority over the rulers ⁸  of the earth.

He is highly exalted! ⁹ 

Mazmur 61:2

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ¹⁰ 

I call out to you in my despair. ¹¹ 

Lead me ¹²  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ¹³ 

[18:15]  ¹ tn Or “channels.”

[18:15]  ² tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.

[18:15]  ³ tn Or “foundations.”

[18:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.

[18:15]  ⁵ tn The noun is derived from the verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which 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 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 Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[18:15]  ⁶ tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the Lord, by the blast of the breath of his nose.” The phrase “blast of the breath” (Heb “breath of breath”) 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.

[47:9]  ⁷ tc The words “along with” do not appear in the MT. However, the LXX has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the MT is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the LXX is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.

[47:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.

[47:9]  ⁹ tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.

[61:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).

[61:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “while my heart faints.”

[61:2]  ¹² tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[61:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”