Mazmur 19:14

19:14 May my words and my thoughts

be acceptable in your sight, ¹ 

O Lord, my sheltering rock ²  and my redeemer. ³ 

Mazmur 76:7

76:7 You are awesome! Yes, you!

Who can withstand your intense anger? ⁴ 

Mazmur 79:11

79:11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! ⁵ 

Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! ⁶ 

Mazmur 86:9

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ⁷  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

Mazmur 143:2

143:2 Do not sit in judgment on ⁸  your servant,

for no one alive is innocent before you. ⁹ 

[19:14]  ¹ tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”

[19:14]  ² tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”

[19:14]  ³ tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.

[76:7]  ⁴ tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (me’az, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (me’oz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).

[79:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”

[79:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.

[86:9]  ⁷ tn Or “bow down before you.”

[143:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”

[143:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”