Mazmur 25:5

25:5 Guide me into your truth ¹  and teach me.

For you are the God who delivers me;

on you I rely all day long.

Mazmur 40:11

40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold ²  your compassion from me.

May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! ³ 

Mazmur 43:3

43:3 Reveal ⁴  your light ⁵  and your faithfulness!

They will lead me, ⁶ 

they will escort ⁷  me back to your holy hill, ⁸ 

and to the place where you live. ⁹ 

Mazmur 71:22

71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,

praising ¹⁰  your faithfulness, O my God!

I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,

O Holy One of Israel! ¹¹ 

[25:5]  ¹ sn The Lord’s commandments are referred to as truth here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will.

[40:11]  ² tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).

[40:11]  ³ tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.

[43:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “send.”

[43:3]  ⁵ sn God’s deliverance is compared here to a light which will lead the psalmist back home to the Lord’s temple. Divine deliverance will in turn demonstrate the Lord’s faithfulness to his people.

[43:3]  ⁶ tn Or “may they lead me.” The prefixed verbal forms here and in the next line may be taken as jussives.

[43:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “bring.”

[43:3]  ⁸ sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill is Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.

[43:3]  ⁹ tn Or “to your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the Lord’s special dwelling place (see Pss 46:4; 84:1; 132:5, 7).

[71:22]  ¹⁰ tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[71:22]  ¹¹ sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior.