Mazmur 3:7

3:7 Rise up, ¹  Lord!

Deliver me, my God!

Yes, ²  you will strike ³  all my enemies on the jaw;

you will break the teeth ⁴  of the wicked. ⁵ 

Mazmur 5:5

5:5 Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; ⁶ 

you hate ⁷  all who behave wickedly. ⁸ 

Mazmur 9:9

9:9 Consequently ⁹  the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; ¹⁰ 

he provides safety in times of trouble. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 9:16

9:16 The Lord revealed himself;

he accomplished justice;

the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. ¹²  (Higgaion. ¹³  Selah)

Mazmur 10:4

10:4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,

“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.” ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 10:8

10:8 He waits in ambush near the villages; ¹⁵ 

in hidden places he kills the innocent.

His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 18:29

18:29 Indeed, ¹⁷  with your help ¹⁸  I can charge against ¹⁹  an army; ²⁰ 

by my God’s power ²¹  I can jump over a wall. ²² 

Mazmur 22:30

22:30 A whole generation ²³  will serve him;

they will tell the next generation about the sovereign Lord. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 25:2

25:2 My God, I trust in you.

Please do not let me be humiliated;

do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!

Mazmur 25:9

25:9 May he show ²⁵  the humble what is right! ²⁶ 

May he teach ²⁷  the humble his way!

Mazmur 30:3

30:3 O Lord, you pulled me ²⁸  up from Sheol;

you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 31:18

31:18 May lying lips be silenced –

lips ³⁰  that speak defiantly against the innocent ³¹ 

with arrogance and contempt!

Mazmur 35:3

35:3 Use your spear and lance ³²  against ³³  those who chase me!

Assure me with these words: ³⁴  “I am your deliverer!”

Mazmur 35:14

35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. ³⁵ 

I bowed down ³⁶  in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 35:18

35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; ³⁸ 

I will praise you before a large crowd of people! ³⁹ 

Mazmur 36:11

36:11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,

or let evil men make me homeless! ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 41:1

Psalm 41 ⁴¹ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

41:1 How blessed ⁴²  is the one who treats the poor properly! ⁴³ 

When trouble comes, ⁴⁴  the Lord delivers him. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 44:13

44:13 You made us ⁴⁶  an object of disdain to our neighbors;

those who live on our borders taunt and insult us. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 45:5

45:5 Your arrows are sharp

and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.

Nations fall at your feet. ⁴⁸ 

Mazmur 45:8-9

45:8 All your garments are perfumed with ⁴⁹  myrrh, aloes, and cassia.

From the luxurious palaces ⁵⁰  comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. ⁵¹ 

45:9 Princesses ⁵²  are among your honored guests, ⁵³ 

your bride ⁵⁴  stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 45:14

45:14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king.

Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her,

are led before you. ⁵⁶ 

Mazmur 48:11

48:11 Mount Zion rejoices;

the towns ⁵⁷  of Judah are happy, ⁵⁸ 

because of your acts of judgment. ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 49:8

49:8 (the ransom price for a human life ⁶⁰  is too high,

and people go to their final destiny), ⁶¹ 

Mazmur 55:18

55:18 He will rescue ⁶²  me and protect me from those who attack me, ⁶³ 

even though ⁶⁴  they greatly outnumber me. ⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 64:10

64:10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord

and take shelter in him.

All the morally upright ⁶⁶  will boast. ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 68:9

68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall ⁶⁸  on your chosen people. ⁶⁹ 

When they ⁷⁰  are tired, you sustain them, ⁷¹ 

Mazmur 68:14

68:14 When the sovereign judge ⁷²  scatters kings, ⁷³ 

let it snow ⁷⁴  on Zalmon!

Mazmur 68:21

68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,

the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 68:24

68:24 They ⁷⁶  see your processions, O God –

the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor. ⁷⁷ 

Mazmur 68:26

68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,

the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel! ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 69:33

69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;

he does not despise his captive people. ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 69:36

69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,

and those who are loyal to him ⁸⁰  will live in it. ⁸¹ 

Mazmur 75:4

75:4 ⁸² I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,”

and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory! ⁸³ 

Mazmur 76:6

76:6 At the sound of your battle cry, ⁸⁴  O God of Jacob,

both rider ⁸⁵  and horse “fell asleep.” ⁸⁶ 

Mazmur 77:20

77:20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,

by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Mazmur 80:6

80:6 You have made our neighbors dislike us, ⁸⁷ 

and our enemies insult us.

Mazmur 80:8

80:8 You uprooted a vine ⁸⁸  from Egypt;

you drove out nations and transplanted it.

Mazmur 81:13

81:13 If only my people would obey me! ⁸⁹ 

If only Israel would keep my commands! ⁹⁰ 

Mazmur 85:3

85:3 You withdrew all your fury;

you turned back from your raging anger. ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 86:8-9

86:8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord!

Your exploits are incomparable! ⁹² 

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ⁹³  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

Mazmur 88:10-11

88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?

Do the departed spirits ⁹⁴  rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)

88:11 Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave,

or your faithfulness in the place of the dead? ⁹⁵ 

Mazmur 89:12

89:12 You created the north and the south.

Tabor and Hermon ⁹⁶  rejoice in your name.

Mazmur 90:16

90:16 May your servants see your work! ⁹⁷ 

May their sons see your majesty! ⁹⁸ 

Mazmur 91:13

91:13 You will subdue ⁹⁹  a lion and a snake; ¹⁰⁰ 

you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.

Mazmur 92:15

92:15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector,

is just and never unfair. ¹⁰¹ 

Mazmur 94:14

94:14 Certainly ¹⁰²  the Lord does not forsake his people;

he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him. ¹⁰³ 

Mazmur 97:8

97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,

the towns ¹⁰⁴  of Judah are happy,

because of your judgments, O Lord.

Mazmur 101:3

101:3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest. ¹⁰⁵ 

I hate doing evil; ¹⁰⁶ 

I will have no part of it. ¹⁰⁷ 

Mazmur 101:8

101:8 Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,

and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.

Mazmur 102:19-20

102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; ¹⁰⁸ 

from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, ¹⁰⁹ 

102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,

and to set free those condemned to die, ¹¹⁰ 

Mazmur 105:43

105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;

his chosen ones shouted with joy. ¹¹¹ 

Mazmur 106:4

106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!

Pay attention to me, when you deliver,

Mazmur 109:12

109:12 May no one show him kindness! ¹¹² 

May no one have compassion ¹¹³  on his fatherless children!

Mazmur 110:1

Psalm 110 ¹¹⁴ 

A psalm of David.

110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation ¹¹⁵  to my lord: ¹¹⁶ 

“Sit down at my right hand ¹¹⁷  until I make your enemies your footstool!” ¹¹⁸ 

Mazmur 119:85

119:85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, ¹¹⁹ 

which violates your law. ¹²⁰ 

Mazmur 127:5

127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

They will not be put to shame ¹²¹  when they confront ¹²²  enemies at the city gate.

Mazmur 129:8

129:8 Those who pass by will not say, ¹²³ 

“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!

We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”

Mazmur 134:1

Psalm 134 ¹²⁴ 

A song of ascents. ¹²⁵ 

134:1 Attention! ¹²⁶  Praise the Lord,

all you servants of the Lord,

who serve ¹²⁷  in the Lord’s temple during the night.

Mazmur 139:21

139:21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,

and despise those who oppose you? ¹²⁸ 

Mazmur 140:6

140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”

O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!

Mazmur 140:11-12

140:11 A slanderer ¹²⁹  will not endure on ¹³⁰  the earth;

calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down. ¹³¹ 

140:12 I know ¹³²  that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed

and vindicates the poor. ¹³³ 

Mazmur 141:8

141:8 Surely I am looking to you, ¹³⁴  O sovereign Lord.

In you I take shelter.

Do not expose me to danger! ¹³⁵ 

Mazmur 143:12

143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, ¹³⁶  destroy my enemies!

Annihilate ¹³⁷  all who threaten my life, ¹³⁸ 

for I am your servant.

Mazmur 145:12

145:12 so that mankind ¹³⁹  might acknowledge your mighty acts,

and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.

[3:7]  ¹ tn In v. 2 the psalmist describes his enemies as those who “confront” him (קָמִים [qamim], literally, “rise up against him”). Now, using the same verbal root (קוּם, qum) he asks the Lord to rise up (קוּמָה, qumah) in his defense.

[3:7]  ² tn Elsewhere in the psalms the particle כִּי (ki), when collocated with a perfect verbal form and subordinated to a preceding imperative directed to God, almost always has an explanatory or causal force (“for, because”) and introduces a motivating argument for why God should respond positively to the request (see Pss 5:10; 6:2; 12:1; 16:1; 41:4; 55:9; 56:1; 57:1; 60:2; 69:1; 74:20; 119:94; 123:3; 142:6; 143:8). (On three occasions the כִּי is recitative after a verb of perception [“see/know that,” see Pss 4:3; 25:19; 119:159]). If כִּי is taken as explanatory here, then the psalmist is arguing that God should deliver him now because that is what God characteristically does. However, such a motivating argument is not used in the passages cited above. The motivating argument usually focuses on the nature of the psalmist’s dilemma or the fact that he trusts in the Lord. For this reason it is unlikely that כִּי has its normal force here. Most scholars understand the particle כִּי as having an asseverative (emphasizing) function here (“indeed, yes”; NEB leaves the particle untranslated).

[3:7]  ³ tn If the particle כִּי (ki) is taken as explanatory, then the perfect verbal forms in v. 7b would describe God’s characteristic behavior. However, as pointed out in the preceding note on the word “yes,” the particle probably has an asseverative force here. If so, the perfects may be taken as indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s assault on his enemies as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm, as expressed before (vv. 3-6) and after this (v. 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“Strike all my enemies on the jaw, break the teeth of the wicked”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[3:7]  ⁴ sn The expression break the teeth may envision violent hand-to hand combat, though it is possible that the enemies are pictured here as a dangerous animal (see Job 29:17).

[3:7]  ⁵ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[5:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “before your eyes.”

[5:5]  ⁷ sn You hate. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 11:5.

[5:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”

[9:9]  ⁹ tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.

[9:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and the Lord is an elevated place for the oppressed.” The singular form דָּךְ (dakh, “oppressed”) is collective here.

[9:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).

[9:16]  ¹² tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).

[9:16]  ¹³ tn This is probably a technical musical term.

[10:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the wicked [one], according to the height of his nose, he does not seek, there is no God, all his thoughts.” The phrase “height of his nose” probably refers to an arrogant or snooty attitude; it likely pictures one with his nose turned upward toward the sky in pride. One could take the “wicked” as the subject of the negated verb “seek,” in which case the point is that the wicked do not “seek” God. The translation assumes that this statement, along with “there is no God,” is what the wicked man thinks to himself. In this case God is the subject of the verb “seek,” and the point is that God will not hold the wicked man accountable for his actions. Verse 13 strongly favors this interpretation. The statement “there is no God” is not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see v. 11).

[10:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he sits in the ambush of the villages.”

[10:8]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “his eyes for an unfortunate person lie hidden.” The language may picture a lion (see v. 9) peering out from its hiding place in anticipation that an unsuspecting victim will soon come strolling along.

[18:29]  ¹⁷ tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.

[18:29]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “by you.”

[18:29]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”

[18:29]  ²⁰ tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.

[18:29]  sn I can charge against an army. The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.

[18:29]  ²¹ tn Heb “and by my God.”

[18:29]  ²² sn I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.

[22:30]  ²³ tn Heb “offspring.”

[22:30]  ²⁴ tn Heb “it will be told concerning the Lord to the generation.” The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[25:9]  ²⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.

[25:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.

[25:9]  ²⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).

[30:3]  ²⁸ tn Or “my life.”

[30:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”

[31:18]  ³⁰ tn Heb “the [ones which].”

[31:18]  ³¹ tn Or “godly.”

[35:3]  ³² tn Or “javelin.” On the meaning of this word, which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, see M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:210-11.

[35:3]  ³³ tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”

[35:3]  ³⁴ tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”

[35:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “like a friend, like a brother to me I walked about.”

[35:14]  ³⁶ sn I bowed down. Bowing down was a posture for mourning. See Ps 38:6.

[35:14]  ³⁷ tn Heb “like mourning for a mother [in] sorrow I bowed down.”

[35:18]  ³⁸ sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.

[35:18]  ³⁹ tn Heb “among numerous people.”

[36:11]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “let not a foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the evil ones cause me to wander as a fugitive.”

[41:1]  ⁴¹ sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19, 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).

[41:1]  ⁴² 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; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[41:1]  ⁴³ sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.

[41:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).

[41:1]  ⁴⁵ tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the Lord deliver,” see v. 2), but the preceding parallel line is a declaration of fact, not a prayer per se. The imperfect can be taken here as future (“will deliver,” cf. NEB, NASB) or as generalizing (“delivers,” cf. NIV, NRSV). The parallel line, which has a generalizing tone, favors the latter. At the same time, though the psalmist uses a generalizing style here, he clearly has himself primarily in view.

[44:13]  ⁴⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[44:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “an [object of] taunting and [of] mockery to those around us.”

[45:5]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “your arrows are sharp – peoples beneath you fall – in the heart of the enemies of the king.” The choppy style reflects the poet’s excitement.

[45:8]  ⁴⁹ tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[45:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the palaces of ivory.” The phrase “palaces of ivory” refers to palaces that had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. Such decoration with ivory was characteristic of a high level of luxury. See 1 Kgs 22:39 and Amos 3:15.

[45:8]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”

[45:9]  ⁵² tn Heb “daughters of kings.”

[45:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.

[45:9]  ⁵⁴ tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.

[45:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”

[45:9]  sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.

[45:14]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “virgins after her, her companions, are led to you.” Some emend לָךְ (lakh, “to you”) to לָהּ (lah, “to her,” i.e., the princess), because the princess is now being spoken of in the third person (vv. 13-14a), rather than being addressed directly (as in vv. 10-12). However, the ambiguous suffixed form לָךְ need not be taken as second feminine singular. The suffix can be understood as a pausal second masculine singular form, addressed to the king. The translation assumes this to be the case; note that the king is addressed once more in vv. 16-17, where the second person pronouns are masculine.

[48:11]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[48:11]  ⁵⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)

[48:11]  ⁵⁹ sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.

[49:8]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “their life.” Some emend the text to “his life,” understanding the antecedent of the pronoun as “brother” in v. 7. However, the man and brother of v. 7 are representative of the human race in general, perhaps explaining why a plural pronoun appears in v. 8. Of course, the plural pronoun could refer back to “the rich” mentioned in v. 6. Another option (the one assumed in the translation) is that the suffixed mem is enclitic. In this case the “ransom price for human life” is referred to an abstract, general way.

[49:8]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and one ceases forever.” The translation assumes an indefinite subject which in turn is representative of the entire human race (“one,” that refers to human beings without exception). The verb חָדַל (khadal, “cease”) is understood in the sense of “come to an end; fail” (i.e., die). Another option is to translate, “and one ceases/refrains forever.” In this case the idea is that the living, convinced of the reality of human mortality, give up all hope of “buying off” God and refrain from trying to do so.

[55:18]  ⁶² tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).

[55:18]  ⁶³ tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”

[55:18]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “for.”

[55:18]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (’immad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.

[64:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “upright in heart.”

[64:10]  ⁶⁷ tn That is, about the Lord’s accomplishments on their behalf.

[68:9]  ⁶⁸ tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).

[68:9]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.

[68:9]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[68:9]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”

[68:14]  ⁷² tn The divine name used here is שַׁדַּי (“Shaddai”). Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life, blesses and kills, and judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses (protects) and takes away life and/or happiness.

[68:14]  ⁷³ tn The Hebrew text adds “in it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix may refer back to God’s community/dwelling place (v. 10).

[68:14]  ⁷⁴ tn The verb form appears to be a Hiphil jussive from שָׁלַג (shalag), which is usually understood as a denominative verb from שֶׁלֶג (sheleg, “snow”) with an indefinite subject. The form could be taken as a preterite, in which case one might translate, “when the sovereign judge scattered kings, it snowed on Zalmon” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The point of the image is unclear. Perhaps “snow” suggests fertility and blessing (see v. 9 and Isa 55:10), or the image of a snow-capped mountain suggests grandeur.

[68:14]  sn Zalmon was apparently a mountain in the region, perhaps the one mentioned in Judg 9:46 as being in the vicinity of Shechem.

[68:21]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “the hairy forehead of the one who walks about in his guilt.” The singular is representative.

[68:24]  ⁷⁶ tn The subject is probably indefinite, referring to bystanders in general who witness the procession.

[68:24]  ⁷⁷ tn The Hebrew text has simply “in holiness.” The words “who marches along” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[68:26]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “from the fountain of Israel,” which makes little, if any, sense here. The translation assumes an emendation to בְּמִקְרָאֵי (bÿmiqra’ey, “in the assemblies of [Israel]”).

[69:33]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”

[69:36]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.

[69:36]  ⁸¹ sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.

[75:4]  ⁸² tn The identity of the speaker in vv. 4-6 is unclear. The present translation assumes that the psalmist, who also speaks in vv. 7-9 (where God/the Lord is spoken of in the third person) here addresses the proud and warns them of God’s judgment. The presence of כִּי (ki, “for”) at the beginning of both vv. 6-7 seems to indicate that vv. 4-9 are a unit. However, there is no formal indication of a new speaker in v. 4 (or in v. 10, where God appears to speak). Another option is to see God speaking in vv. 2-6 and v. 10 and to take only vv. 7-9 as the words of the psalmist. In this case one must interpret כִּי at the beginning of v. 7 in an asseverative or emphatic sense (“surely; indeed”).

[75:4]  ⁸³ tn Heb “do not lift up a horn.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Here the idiom seems to refer to an arrogant attitude that assumes victory has been achieved.

[76:6]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 18:15; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[76:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.

[76:6]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.

[80:6]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”

[80:8]  ⁸⁸ sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).

[81:13]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “if only my people were listening to me.” The Hebrew particle לוּ (lu, “if not”) introduces a purely hypothetical or contrary to fact condition (see 2 Sam 18:12).

[81:13]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “[and if only] Israel would walk in my ways.”

[85:3]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81. See Pss 69:24; 78:49.

[86:8]  ⁹² tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”

[86:9]  ⁹³ tn Or “bow down before you.”

[88:10]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).

[88:11]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “in Abaddon,” a name for Sheol. The noun is derived from a verbal root meaning “to perish,” “to die.”

[89:12]  ⁹⁶ sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.

[90:16]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).

[90:16]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[91:13]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “walk upon.”

[91:13]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or perhaps “cobra” (see Ps 58:4).

[92:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the Lord, my rocky summit, and there is no injustice in him.”

[94:14]  ¹⁰² tn Or “for.”

[94:14]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “his inheritance.”

[97:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[101:3]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”

[101:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “the doing of swerving [deeds] I hate.” The Hebrew term סֵטִים (setim) is probably an alternate spelling of שֵׂטִים (setim), which appears in many medieval Hebrew mss. The form appears to be derived from a verbal root שׂוּט (sut, “to fall away; to swerve”; see Ps 40:4).

[101:3]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “it [i.e., the doing of evil deeds] does not cling to me.”

[102:19]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”

[102:19]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.

[102:20]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.

[105:43]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”

[109:12]  ¹¹² tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”

[109:12]  ¹¹³ tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).

[110:1]  ¹¹⁴ sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.

[110:1]  ¹¹⁵ tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.

[110:1]  ¹¹⁶ sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).

[110:1]  ¹¹⁷ tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.

[110:1]  sn The Lord’s invitation to the Davidic king to sit down at his right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.

[110:1]  ¹¹⁸ sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).

[119:85]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “for me.”

[119:85]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “which [is] not according to your law.”

[127:5]  ¹²¹ tn Being “put to shame” is here metonymic for being defeated, probably in a legal context, as the reference to the city gate suggests. One could be humiliated (Ps 69:12) or deprived of justice (Amos 5:12) at the gate, but with strong sons to defend the family interests this was less likely to happen.

[127:5]  ¹²² tn Heb “speak with.”

[129:8]  ¹²³ tn The perfect verbal form is used for rhetorical effect; it describes an anticipated development as if it were already reality.

[134:1]  ¹²⁴ sn Psalm 134. The psalmist calls on the temple servants to praise God (vv. 1-2). They in turn pronounce a blessing on the psalmist (v. 3).

[134:1]  ¹²⁵ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[134:1]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “Look!”

[134:1]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “stand.”

[139:21]  ¹²⁸ tc Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqomÿmekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvÿmitqomÿmekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed mem [מ] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the MT, though a few medieval Hebrew mss have it).

[140:11]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”

[140:11]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “be established in.”

[140:11]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.

[140:12]  ¹³² tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.

[140:12]  ¹³³ tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”

[141:8]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”

[141:8]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”

[143:12]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”

[143:12]  ¹³⁷ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.

[143:12]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

[145:12]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “the sons of man.”