Mazmur 39:12

39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!

Listen to my cry for help!

Do not ignore my sobbing! ¹ 

For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;

I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were. ² 

Mazmur 49:3

49:3 I will declare a wise saying; ³ 

I will share my profound thoughts. ⁴ 

Mazmur 73:6

73:6 Arrogance is their necklace, ⁵ 

and violence their clothing. ⁶ 

Mazmur 73:16

73:16 When I tried to make sense of this,

it was troubling to me. ⁷ 

Mazmur 118:23

118:23 This is the Lord’s work.

We consider it amazing! ⁸ 

Mazmur 119:68

119:68 You are good and you do good.

Teach me your statutes!

Mazmur 139:4

139:4 Certainly ⁹  my tongue does not frame a word

without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. ¹⁰ 

[39:12]  ¹ tn Heb “do not be deaf to my tears.”

[39:12]  ² tn Heb “For a resident alien [am] I with you, a sojourner like all my fathers.”

[39:12]  sn Resident aliens were dependent on the mercy and goodwill of others. The Lord was concerned that resident aliens be treated properly. See Deut 24:17-22, Ps 146:9.

[49:3]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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).

[73:6]  ⁵ sn Arrogance is their necklace. The metaphor suggests that their arrogance is something the wicked “wear” proudly. It draws attention to them, just as a beautiful necklace does to its owner.

[73:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “a garment of violence covers them.” The metaphor suggests that violence is habitual for the wicked. They “wear” it like clothing; when one looks at them, violence is what one sees.

[73:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “and [when] I pondered to understand this, troubling it [was] in my eyes.”

[118:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “it is amazing in our eyes.” The use of the plural pronoun here and in vv. 24-27 suggests that the psalmist may be speaking for the entire nation. However, it is more likely that vv. 22-27 are the people’s response to the psalmist’s thanksgiving song (see especially v. 26). They rejoice with him because his deliverance on the battlefield (see vv. 10-12) had national repercussions.

[139:4]  ⁹ tn Or “for.”

[139:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “look, O Lord, you know all of it.”