Mazmur 2:4

2:4 The one enthroned ¹  in heaven laughs in disgust; ² 

the Lord taunts ³  them.

Mazmur 17:5

17:5 I carefully obey your commands; ⁴ 

I do not deviate from them. ⁵ 

Mazmur 32:1

Psalm 32 ⁶ 

By David; a well-written song. ⁷ 

32:1 How blessed ⁸  is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, ⁹ 

whose sin is pardoned! ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 33:11

33:11 The Lord’s decisions stand forever;

his plans abide throughout the ages. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 34:20

34:20 He protects ¹²  all his bones; ¹³ 

not one of them is broken. ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 37:30

37:30 The godly speak wise words

and promote justice. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 37:36

37:36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared! ¹⁶ 

I looked for them, but they could not be found.

Mazmur 38:18

38:18 Yes, ¹⁷  I confess my wrongdoing,

and I am concerned about my sins.

Mazmur 40:15

40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be humiliated ¹⁸  and disgraced! ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 45:1

Psalm 45 ²⁰ 

For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” ²¹  by the Korahites, a well-written poem, ²²  a love song.

45:1 My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. ²³ 

I say, “I have composed this special song ²⁴  for the king;

my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.” ²⁵ 

Mazmur 49:3

49:3 I will declare a wise saying; ²⁶ 

I will share my profound thoughts. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 49:9

49:9 so that he might continue to live ²⁸  forever

and not experience death. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 50:19

50:19 You do damage with words, ³⁰ 

and use your tongue to deceive. ³¹ 

Mazmur 66:14

66:14 which my lips uttered

and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

Mazmur 70:3

70:3 May those who say, “Aha! Aha!”

be driven back ³²  and disgraced! ³³ 

Mazmur 72:11

72:11 All kings will bow down to him;

all nations will serve him.

Mazmur 73:19

73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!

Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! ³⁴ 

Mazmur 78:23

78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,

and opened the doors in the sky.

Mazmur 91:16

91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, ³⁵ 

and will let him see my salvation.

Mazmur 103:16

103:16 but when the hot wind ³⁶  blows by, it disappears,

and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.

Mazmur 104:12

104:12 The birds of the sky live beside them;

they chirp among the bushes. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 105:20

105:20 The king authorized his release; ³⁸ 

the ruler of nations set him free.

Mazmur 106:18

106:18 Fire burned their group;

the flames scorched the wicked. ³⁹ 

Mazmur 106:36

106:36 They worshiped ⁴⁰  their idols,

which became a snare to them. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 109:9

109:9 May his children ⁴²  be fatherless,

and his wife a widow!

Mazmur 109:24

109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; ⁴³ 

I have turned into skin and bones. ⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 118:20

118:20 This is the Lord’s gate –

the godly enter through it.

Mazmur 119:13-14

119:13 With my lips I proclaim

all the regulations you have revealed. ⁴⁵ 

119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules ⁴⁶ 

as if ⁴⁷  they were riches of all kinds. ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 119:18

119:18 Open ⁴⁹  my eyes so I can truly see ⁵⁰ 

the marvelous things in your law!

Mazmur 119:131

119:131 I open my mouth and pant,

because I long ⁵¹  for your commands.

Mazmur 119:171

119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,

for you teach me your statutes.

Mazmur 128:2

128:2 You ⁵²  will eat what you worked so hard to grow. ⁵³ 

You will be blessed and secure. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 128:6

128:6 and that you might see ⁵⁵  your grandchildren. ⁵⁶ 

May Israel experience peace! ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 129:4

129:4 The Lord is just;

he cut the ropes of the wicked.” ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 132:5

132:5 until I find a place for the Lord,

a fine dwelling place ⁵⁹  for the powerful ruler of Jacob.” ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 135:17

135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.

Indeed, they cannot breathe. ⁶¹ 

Mazmur 147:2

147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, ⁶² 

and gathers the exiles of Israel.

Mazmur 149:5

149:5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication! ⁶³ 

Let them shout for joy upon their beds! ⁶⁴ 

[2:4]  ¹ tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).

[2:4]  ² tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

[2:4]  ³ tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”

[17:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.

[17:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”

[32:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.

[32:1]  ⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[32:1]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.

[32:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “lifted up.”

[32:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “covered over.”

[33:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the thoughts of his heart for generation to generation.” The verb “abides” is supplied in the translation. The Lord’s “decisions” and “plans” here refer to his decrees and purposes.

[34:20]  ¹² tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.

[34:20]  ¹³ tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.

[34:20]  ¹⁴ sn Not one of them is broken. The author of the Gospel of John saw a fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ experience on the cross (see John 19:31-37), for the Roman soldiers, when they saw that Jesus was already dead, did not break his legs as was customarily done to speed the death of crucified individuals. John’s use of the psalm seems strange, for the statement in its original context suggests that the Lord protects the godly from physical harm. Jesus’ legs may have remained unbroken, but he was brutally and unjustly executed by his enemies. John seems to give the statement a literal sense that is foreign to its original literary context by applying a promise of divine protection to a man who was seemingly not saved by God. However, John saw in this incident a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate deliverance and vindication. His unbroken bones were a reminder of God’s commitment to the godly and a sign of things to come. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of the story; God vindicated him, as John goes on to explain in the following context (John 19:38-20:18).

[37:30]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.

[37:36]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).

[38:18]  ¹⁷ tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.

[40:15]  ¹⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.

[40:15]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”

[45:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 45. This is a romantic poem celebrating the Davidic king’s marriage to a lovely princess. The psalmist praises the king for his military prowess and commitment to justice, urges the bride to be loyal to the king, and anticipates that the marriage will be blessed with royal offspring.

[45:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “according to lilies.” “Lilies” may be a tune title or musical style, suggestive of romantic love. The imagery of a “lily” appears frequently in the Song of Solomon in a variety of contexts (see 2:1-2, 16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2-3; 7:2).

[45:1]  ²² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.

[45:1]  ²³ tn Heb “[with] a good word.” The “good word” probably refers here to the song that follows.

[45:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “my works [are] for a king.” The plural “works” may here indicate degree, referring to the special musical composition that follows.

[45:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “my tongue [is] a stylus of a skillful scribe.” Words flow from the psalmist’s tongue just as they do from a scribe’s stylus.

[49:3]  ²⁶ tn Heb “my mouth will speak wisdom.” According to BDB 315 s.v. חָכְמָה the plural חָכְמוֹת (khokhmot, “wisdom”) indicates degree or emphasis here.

[49:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and the meditation of my heart [i.e., mind] is understanding.” The Hebrew term הָגוּת (hagut, “meditation”), derived from הָגָה (hagah, “to recite quietly; to meditate”), here refers to thoughts that are verbalized (see the preceding line). The plural form תְבוּנוֹת (tÿvunot, “understanding”) indicates degree or emphasis (see GKC 397-98 §124.e).

[49:9]  ²⁸ tn The jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is taken as indicating purpose/result in relation to the statement made in v. 8. (On this use of the jussive after an imperfect, see GKC 322 §109.f.) In this case v. 8 is understood as a parenthetical comment.

[49:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “see the Pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 55:24; 103:4).

[50:19]  ³⁰ tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”

[50:19]  ³¹ tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”

[70:3]  ³² tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.

[70:3]  ³³ tn Heb “May they be turned back according to their shame, those who say, ‘Aha! Aha!’” Ps 40:15 has the verb “humiliated” instead of “turned back” and adds “to me” after “say.”

[73:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”

[91:16]  ³⁵ tn Heb “length of days.”

[103:16]  ³⁶ tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[104:12]  ³⁷ tn Heb “among the thick foliage they give a sound.”

[105:20]  ³⁸ tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”

[106:18]  ³⁹ sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.

[106:36]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “served.”

[106:36]  ⁴¹ sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.

[109:9]  ⁴² tn Or “sons.”

[109:24]  ⁴³ tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”

[109:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”

[119:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “of your mouth.”

[119:14]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”

[119:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).

[119:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.

[119:18]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).

[119:18]  ⁵⁰ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:131]  ⁵¹ tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.

[128:2]  ⁵² tn The psalmist addresses the representative God-fearing man, as indicated by the references to “your wife” (v. 3) and “the man” (v. 4), as well as the second masculine singular pronominal and verbal forms in vv. 2-6.

[128:2]  ⁵³ tn Heb “the work of your hands, indeed you will eat.”

[128:2]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “how blessed you [will be] and it will be good for you.”

[128:6]  ⁵⁵ tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive in v. 5a.

[128:6]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “sons to your sons.”

[128:6]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 125:5).

[129:4]  ⁵⁸ tn The background of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Perhaps the “ropes” are those used to harness the ox for plowing (see Job 39:10). Verse 3 pictures the wicked plowing God’s people as if they were a field. But when God “cut the ropes” of their ox, as it were, they could no longer plow. The point of the metaphor seems to be that God took away the enemies’ ability to oppress his people. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 187.

[132:5]  ⁵⁹ tn The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; David envisions a special dwelling place (see Pss 43:3; 46:4; 84:1).

[132:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.”

[135:17]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (’af ’en, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”

[147:2]  ⁶² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[149:5]  ⁶³ tn Heb “in glory.” Here “glory” probably refers to the “honor” that belongs to the Lord’s people as a result of their deliverance (see v. 4).

[149:5]  ⁶⁴ tn The significance of the reference to “beds” is unclear. Perhaps the point is that they should rejoice at all times, even when falling asleep or awaking.