Mazmur 18:25

18:25 You prove to be loyal ¹  to one who is faithful; ² 

you prove to be trustworthy ³  to one who is innocent. ⁴ 

Mazmur 36:10

36:10 Extend ⁵  your loyal love to your faithful followers, ⁶ 

and vindicate ⁷  the morally upright! ⁸ 

Mazmur 37:37

37:37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly! ⁹ 

For the one who promotes peace has a future. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 64:4

64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent ¹¹  in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. ¹² 

[18:25]  ¹ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.

[18:25]  ² tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[18:25]  ³ tn Or “innocent.”

[18:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “a man of innocence.”

[36:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “draw out to full length.”

[36:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “to those who know you.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “know”) is used here of those who “know” the Lord in the sense that they recognize his royal authority and obey his will (see Jer 22:16).

[36:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “and your justice to.” The verb “extend” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).

[36:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[37:37]  ⁹ tn Or “upright.”

[37:37]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).

[64:4]  ¹¹ tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.

[64:4]  ¹² tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.