Mazmur 18:4

18:4 The waves ¹  of death engulfed me,

the currents ²  of chaos ³  overwhelmed me. ⁴ 

Mazmur 18:20

18:20 The Lord repaid ⁵  me for my godly deeds; ⁶ 

he rewarded ⁷  my blameless behavior. ⁸ 

Mazmur 22:19

22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!

You are my source of strength! ⁹  Hurry and help me! ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 38:5

38:5 My wounds ¹¹  are infected and starting to smell, ¹² 

because of my foolish sins. ¹³ 

Mazmur 38:8

38:8 I am numb with pain and severely battered; ¹⁴ 

I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 38:21

38:21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!

My God, do not remain far away from me!

Mazmur 39:7

39:7 But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?

You are my only hope! ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 44:14

44:14 You made us ¹⁷  an object of ridicule ¹⁸  among the nations;

foreigners treat us with contempt. ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 44:21

44:21 would not God discover it,

for he knows ²⁰  one’s thoughts? ²¹ 

Mazmur 49:6

49:6 They trust ²²  in their wealth

and boast ²³  in their great riches.

Mazmur 49:16

49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich ²⁴ 

and his wealth multiplies! ²⁵ 

Mazmur 89:42

89:42 You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious, ²⁶ 

and all his enemies to rejoice.

[18:4]  ¹ tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.

[18:4]  ² tn The Hebrew noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).

[18:4]  ³ tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (vÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness.” It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.

[18:4]  ⁴ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (see “engulfed”) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.

[18:20]  ⁵ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.

[18:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-24 make clear, the psalmist refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. In these verses the psalmist explains that the Lord was pleased with him and willing to deliver him because he had been loyal to God and obedient to his commandments. Ancient Near Eastern literature contains numerous parallels. A superior (a god or king) would typically reward a subject (a king or the servant of a king, respectively) for loyalty and obedience. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 211-13.

[18:20]  ⁷ tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 24) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.

[18:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” “Hands” suggest activity and behavior.

[22:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “O my strength.”

[22:19]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hurry to my help.”

[38:5]  ¹¹ sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows.

[38:5]  ¹² tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).

[38:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”

[38:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I am numb and crushed to excess.”

[38:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I roar because of the moaning of my heart.”

[39:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”

[44:14]  ¹⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[44:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”

[44:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).

[44:21]  ²⁰ tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.

[44:21]  ²¹ tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.

[49:6]  ²² tn Heb “the ones who trust.” The substantival participle stands in apposition to “those who deceive me” (v. 5).

[49:6]  ²³ tn The imperfect verbal form emphasizes their characteristic behavior.

[49:16]  ²⁴ sn When a man becomes rich. Why would people fear such a development? The acquisition of wealth makes individuals powerful and enables them to oppress others (see vv. 5-6).

[49:16]  ²⁵ tn Heb “when the glory of his house grows great.”

[89:42]  ²⁶ tn Heb “you have lifted up the right hand of his adversaries.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:13; 118:16).