Mazmur 4:2

4:2 You men, ¹  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ² 

How long ³  will you love what is worthless ⁴ 

and search for what is deceptive? ⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 4:6

4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”

Smile upon us, Lord! ⁶ 

Mazmur 18:8

18:8 Smoke ascended from ⁷  his nose; ⁸ 

fire devoured as it came from his mouth; ⁹ 

he hurled down fiery coals. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 18:11

18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, ¹¹ 

in thick rain clouds. ¹² 

Mazmur 18:15

18:15 The depths ¹³  of the sea ¹⁴  were exposed;

the inner regions ¹⁵  of the world were uncovered

by ¹⁶  your battle cry, ¹⁷  Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose. ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 18:30

18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ¹⁹ 

the Lord’s promise ²⁰  is reliable; ²¹ 

he is a shield to all who take shelter ²²  in him.

Mazmur 18:35

18:35 You give me your protective shield; ²³ 

your right hand supports me; ²⁴ 

your willingness to help ²⁵  enables me to prevail. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 18:43

18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; ²⁷ 

you make me ²⁸  a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 18:48

18:48 He delivers me ³⁰  from my enemies;

you snatch me away ³¹  from those who attack me; ³² 

you rescue me from violent men.

Mazmur 18:50

18:50 He ³³  gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ³⁴ 

he is faithful ³⁵  to his chosen ruler, ³⁶ 

to David and his descendants ³⁷  forever.” ³⁸ 

Mazmur 19:10

19:10 They are of greater value ³⁹  than gold,

than even a great amount of pure gold;

they bring greater delight ⁴⁰  than honey,

than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.

Mazmur 19:13

19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant ⁴¹  sins;

do not allow such sins to control me. ⁴² 

Then I will be blameless,

and innocent of blatant ⁴³  rebellion.

Mazmur 20:6

20:6 Now I am sure ⁴⁴  that the Lord will deliver ⁴⁵  his chosen king; ⁴⁶ 

he will intervene for him ⁴⁷  from his holy heavenly temple, ⁴⁸ 

and display his mighty ability to deliver. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 22:23

22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, ⁵⁰  praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 22:25-27

22:25 You are the reason I offer praise ⁵²  in the great assembly;

I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. ⁵³ 

22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! ⁵⁴ 

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!

May you ⁵⁵  live forever!

22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! ⁵⁶ 

Let all the nations ⁵⁷  worship you! ⁵⁸ 

Mazmur 22:29

22:29 All of the thriving people ⁵⁹  of the earth will join the celebration and worship; ⁶⁰ 

all those who are descending into the grave ⁶¹  will bow before him,

including those who cannot preserve their lives. ⁶² 

Mazmur 30:12

30:12 So now ⁶³  my heart ⁶⁴  will sing to you and not be silent;

O Lord my God, I will always ⁶⁵  give thanks to you.

Mazmur 31:2

31:2 Listen to me! ⁶⁶ 

Quickly deliver me!

Be my protector and refuge, ⁶⁷ 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 31:19-20

31:19 How great is your favor, ⁶⁹ 

which you store up for your loyal followers! ⁷⁰ 

In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter ⁷¹  in you. ⁷² 

31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks ⁷³  of men; ⁷⁴ 

you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 31:22-23

31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, ⁷⁶ 

“I am cut off from your presence!” ⁷⁷ 

But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers ⁷⁸  of his!

The Lord protects those who have integrity,

but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 36:6

36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, ⁸⁰ 

your fairness like the deepest sea;

you preserve ⁸¹  mankind and the animal kingdom. ⁸² 

Mazmur 38:12

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; ⁸³ 

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

Mazmur 40:2-3

40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, ⁸⁴ 

out of the slimy mud. ⁸⁵ 

He placed my feet on a rock

and gave me secure footing. ⁸⁶ 

40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, ⁸⁷ 

praising our God. ⁸⁸ 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! ⁸⁹ 

Mazmur 40:14

40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ⁹⁰ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ⁹¹ 

Mazmur 40:16-17

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ⁹²  your deliverance say continually, ⁹³ 

“May the Lord be praised!” ⁹⁴ 

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ⁹⁵ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ⁹⁶ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Mazmur 42:8

42:8 By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, ⁹⁷ 

and by night he gives me a song, ⁹⁸ 

a prayer ⁹⁹  to the living God.

Mazmur 48:8

48:8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds, now we have seen them, ¹⁰⁰ 

in the city of the Lord, the invincible Warrior, ¹⁰¹ 

in the city of our God.

God makes it permanently secure. ¹⁰²  (Selah)

Mazmur 48:10

48:10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth

is worthy of your reputation, O God. ¹⁰³ 

You execute justice! ¹⁰⁴ 

Mazmur 49:10

49:10 Surely ¹⁰⁵  one sees ¹⁰⁶  that even wise people die; ¹⁰⁷ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ¹⁰⁸ 

and leave their wealth to others. ¹⁰⁹ 

Mazmur 51:19

51:19 Then you will accept ¹¹⁰  the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;

then bulls will be sacrificed ¹¹¹  on your altar. ¹¹² 

Mazmur 52:7

52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make ¹¹³  God his protector!

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” ¹¹⁴ 

Mazmur 55:12

55:12 Indeed, ¹¹⁵  it is not an enemy who insults me,

or else I could bear it;

it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, ¹¹⁶ 

or else I could hide from him.

Mazmur 57:3-4

57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me ¹¹⁷ 

from my enemies who hurl insults! ¹¹⁸  (Selah)

May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!

57:4 I am surrounded by lions;

I lie down ¹¹⁹  among those who want to devour me; ¹²⁰ 

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are a sharp sword. ¹²¹ 

Mazmur 57:6

57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; ¹²² 

I am discouraged. ¹²³ 

They have dug a pit for me. ¹²⁴ 

They will fall ¹²⁵  into it! (Selah)

Mazmur 59:5

59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, ¹²⁶  the God of Israel,

rouse yourself and punish ¹²⁷  all the nations!

Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)

Mazmur 59:11

59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,

because then my people might forget the lesson. ¹²⁸ 

Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,

O Lord who shields us! ¹²⁹ 

Mazmur 60:4

60:4 You have given your loyal followers ¹³⁰  a rallying flag,

so that they might seek safety from the bow. ¹³¹  (Selah)

Mazmur 62:3

62:3 How long will you threaten ¹³²  a man?

All of you are murderers, ¹³³ 

as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ¹³⁴ 

Mazmur 62:9

62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;

human beings are unreliable. ¹³⁵ 

When they are weighed in the scales,

all of them together are lighter than air. ¹³⁶ 

Mazmur 63:11

63:11 But the king ¹³⁷  will rejoice in God;

everyone who takes oaths in his name ¹³⁸  will boast,

for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up. ¹³⁹ 

Mazmur 65:5

65:5 You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance,

O God, our savior. ¹⁴⁰ 

All the ends of the earth trust in you, ¹⁴¹ 

as well as those living across the wide seas. ¹⁴² 

Mazmur 65:9

65:9 You visit the earth and give it rain; ¹⁴³ 

you make it rich and fertile ¹⁴⁴ 

with overflowing streams full of water. ¹⁴⁵ 

You provide grain for them, ¹⁴⁶ 

for you prepare the earth to yield its crops. ¹⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 68:30

68:30 Sound your battle cry ¹⁴⁸  against the wild beast of the reeds, ¹⁴⁹ 

and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! ¹⁵⁰ 

They humble themselves ¹⁵¹  and offer gold and silver as tribute. ¹⁵² 

God ¹⁵³  scatters ¹⁵⁴  the nations that like to do battle.

Mazmur 68:35

68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! ¹⁵⁵ 

It is the God of Israel ¹⁵⁶  who gives the people power and strength.

God deserves praise! ¹⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 69:14

69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!

Deliver me ¹⁵⁸  from those who hate me,

from the deep water!

Mazmur 69:20

69:20 Their insults are painful ¹⁵⁹  and make me lose heart; ¹⁶⁰ 

I look ¹⁶¹  for sympathy, but receive none, ¹⁶² 

for comforters, but find none.

Mazmur 70:2

70:2 May those who are trying to take my life

be embarrassed and ashamed! ¹⁶³ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ¹⁶⁴ 

Mazmur 70:4

70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ¹⁶⁵  your deliverance say continually, ¹⁶⁶ 

“May God ¹⁶⁷  be praised!” ¹⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 81:5

81:5 He decreed it as a regulation in Joseph,

when he attacked the land of Egypt. ¹⁶⁹ 

I heard a voice I did not recognize. ¹⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 81:7

81:7 In your distress you called out and I rescued you.

I answered you from a dark thundercloud. ¹⁷¹ 

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. ¹⁷²  (Selah)

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ¹⁷³  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ¹⁷⁴ 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 92:7

92:7 When the wicked sprout up like grass,

and all the evildoers glisten, ¹⁷⁵ 

it is so that they may be annihilated. ¹⁷⁶ 

Mazmur 102:2

102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! ¹⁷⁷ 

Listen to me! ¹⁷⁸ 

When I call out to you, quickly answer me!

Mazmur 108:8

108:8 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ¹⁷⁹ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ¹⁸⁰ 

Judah my royal scepter. ¹⁸¹ 

Mazmur 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ¹⁸²  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ¹⁸³ 

Mazmur 142:4

142:4 Look to the right and see!

No one cares about me. ¹⁸⁴ 

I have nowhere to run; ¹⁸⁵ 

no one is concerned about my life. ¹⁸⁶ 

[4:2]  ¹ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ² tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ³ tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.

[4:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face, Lord.” The verb נסה is apparently an alternate form of נשׂא, “lift up.” See GKC 217 §76.b. The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[4:6]  sn Smile upon us. Though many are discouraged, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and transform the situation.

[18:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “within”; or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition -בְּ (bÿ) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.

[18:8]  ⁸ tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here. See also v. 15, “the powerful breath of your nose.”

[18:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.

[18:8]  sn Fire devoured as it came from his mouth. For other examples of fire as a weapon in OT theophanies and ancient Near Eastern portrayals of warring gods and kings, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 165-67.

[18:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (cf. Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (cf. Ps 120:4).

[18:11]  ¹¹ tc Heb “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 reads, “he made darkness around him coverings,” omitting “his hiding place” and pluralizing “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering”) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the Hebrew letter samek: סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvivotayv sukkato).

[18:11]  ¹² tc Heb “darkness of water, clouds of clouds.” The noun “darkness” (חֶשְׁכַת, kheshkhat) is probably a corruption of an original reading חשׁרת, a form that is preserved in 2 Sam 22:12. The latter is a construct form of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”) which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חָשַׁר (khashar, “to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The phrase חַשְׁרַת מַיִם (khashrat mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground (see F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry [SBLDS], 146, n. 33).

[18:15]  ¹³ tn Or “channels.”

[18:15]  ¹⁴ tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.

[18:15]  ¹⁵ tn Or “foundations.”

[18:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.

[18:15]  ¹⁷ tn The noun is derived from the 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; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[18:15]  ¹⁸ tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the Lord, by the blast of the breath of his nose.” The phrase “blast of the breath” (Heb “breath of breath”) 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.

[18:30]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).

[18:30]  ²⁰ sn The Lord’s promise. In the ancient Near East kings would typically seek and receive oracles from their god(s) prior to battle. For examples, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 241-42.

[18:30]  ²¹ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is purified.” The Lord’s “word” probably refers here to his oracle(s) of victory delivered to the psalmist before the battle(s) described in the following context. See also Pss 12:5-7 and 138:2-3. David frequently received such oracles before going into battle (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4-5, 10-12; 30:8; 2 Sam 5:19). The Lord’s word of promise is absolutely reliable; it is compared to metal that has been refined in fire and cleansed of impurities. See Ps 12:6.

[18:30]  ²² sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.

[18:35]  ²³ tn Heb “and you give to me the shield of your deliverance.”

[18:35]  sn You give me your protective shield. Ancient Near Eastern literature often refers to a god giving a king special weapons. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 260-61.

[18:35]  ²⁴ tc 2 Sam 22:36 omits this line, perhaps due to homoioarcton. A scribe’s eye may have jumped from the vav (ו) prefixed to “your right hand” to the vav prefixed to the following “and your answer,” causing the copyist to omit by accident the intervening words (“your right hand supports me and”).

[18:35]  ²⁵ tn The MT of Ps 18:35 appears to read, “your condescension,” apparently referring to God’s willingness to intervene (cf. NIV “you stoop down”). However, the noun עֲנָוָה (’anavah) elsewhere means “humility” and is used only here of God. The form עַנְוַתְךָ (’anvatÿkha) may be a fully written form of the suffixed infinitive construct of עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”; a defectively written form of the infinitive appears in 2 Sam 22:36). In this case the psalmist refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer; one might translate, “your favorable response.”

[18:35]  ²⁶ tn Heb “makes me great.”

[18:43]  ²⁷ tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.

[18:43]  ²⁸ tn 2 Sam 22:44 reads, “you keep me.”

[18:43]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 44-45). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.

[18:48]  ³⁰ tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”

[18:48]  ³¹ tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the Lord has given the psalmist victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[18:48]  ³² tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”

[18:50]  ³³ tn Or “the one who.”

[18:50]  ³⁴ tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.

[18:50]  ³⁵ tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”

[18:50]  ³⁶ tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.

[18:50]  ³⁷ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[18:50]  ³⁸ sn If David is the author of the psalm (see the superscription), then he here anticipates that God will continue to demonstrate loyalty to his descendants who succeed him. If the author is a later Davidic king, then he views the divine favor he has experienced as the outworking of God’s faithful promises to David his ancestor.

[19:10]  ³⁹ tn Heb “more desirable.”

[19:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).

[19:13]  ⁴¹ tn Or “presumptuous.”

[19:13]  ⁴² tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”

[19:13]  ⁴³ tn Heb “great.”

[20:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “know.”

[20:6]  sn Now I am sure. The speaker is not identified. It is likely that the king, referring to himself in the third person (note “his chosen king”), responds to the people’s prayer. Perhaps his confidence is due to the reception of a divine oracle of salvation.

[20:6]  ⁴⁵ tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the Lord typically delivers the king.

[20:6]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.

[20:6]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “he will answer him.”

[20:6]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”

[20:6]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).

[22:23]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[22:23]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “fear him.”

[22:25]  ⁵² tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”

[22:25]  ⁵³ tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the Lord for help, the psalmists would typically promise to praise the Lord publicly if he intervened and delivered them.

[22:26]  ⁵⁴ sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.

[22:26]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “may your heart[s].”

[22:27]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27 are understood as jussives (cf. NEB). Another option (cf. NIV, NRSV) is to take the forms as imperfects and translate, “all the people of the earth will acknowledge and turn…and worship.” See vv. 29-32.

[22:27]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “families of the nations.”

[22:27]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “before you.”

[22:29]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “fat [ones].” This apparently refers to those who are healthy and robust, i.e., thriving. In light of the parallelism, some prefer to emend the form to יְשֵׁנֵי (yÿsheney, “those who sleep [in the earth]”; cf. NAB, NRSV), but דִּשְׁנֵי (dishney, “fat [ones]”) seems to form a merism with “all who descend into the grave” in the following line. The psalmist envisions all people, whether healthy or dying, joining in worship of the Lord.

[22:29]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “eat and worship.” The verb forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) are normally used in narrative to relate completed actions. Here the psalmist uses the forms rhetorically as he envisions a time when the Lord will receive universal worship. The mood is one of wishful thinking and anticipation; this is not prophecy in the strict sense.

[22:29]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “all of the ones going down [into] the dust.” This group stands in contrast to those mentioned in the previous line. Together the two form a merism encompassing all human beings – the healthy, the dying, and everyone in between.

[22:29]  ⁶² tn Heb “and his life he does not revive.”

[30:12]  ⁶³ tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”

[30:12]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.

[30:12]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “forever.”

[31:2]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[31:2]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”

[31:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”

[31:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”

[31:19]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “for those who fear you.”

[31:19]  ⁷¹ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 34:21-22).

[31:19]  ⁷² tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”

[31:20]  ⁷³ tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”

[31:20]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.

[31:20]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”

[31:22]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”

[31:22]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “from before your eyes.”

[31:23]  ⁷⁸ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[31:23]  ⁷⁹ tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.

[36:6]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[36:6]  ⁸¹ tn Or “deliver.”

[36:6]  ⁸² sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.

[38:12]  ⁸³ tn Heb “lay snares.”

[40:2]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).

[40:2]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two 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.

[40:2]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”

[40:3]  ⁸⁷ sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.

[40:3]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”

[40:3]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the Lord.” The translation assumes that the initial prefixed verbal form is a jussive (“may many see”), rather than an imperfect (“many will see”). The following prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive are taken as indicating purpose or result (“so that they might swear allegiance…and trust”) after the introductory jussive.

[40:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”

[40:14]  ⁹¹ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[40:14]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[40:16]  ⁹² tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

[40:16]  ⁹³ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

[40:16]  ⁹⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.

[40:17]  ⁹⁵ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ⁹⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

[42:8]  ⁹⁷ sn The psalmist believes that the Lord has not abandoned him, but continues to extend his loyal love. To this point in the psalm, the author has used the name “God,” but now, as he mentions the divine characteristic of loyal love, he switches to the more personal divine name Yahweh (rendered in the translation as “the Lord”).

[42:8]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “his song [is] with me.”

[42:8]  ⁹⁹ tc A few medieval Hebrew mss read תְּהִלָּה (tÿhillah, “praise”) instead of תְּפִלָּה (tÿfillah, “prayer”).

[48:8]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “As we have heard, so we have seen.” The community had heard about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history. Having personally witnessed his saving power with their own eyes, they could now affirm that the tradition was not exaggerated or inaccurate.

[48:8]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Pss 24:10; 46:7, 11).

[48:8]  ¹⁰² tn Or “God makes it secure forever.” The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[48:10]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “like your name, O God, so [is] your praise to the ends of the earth.” Here “name” refers to God’s reputation and revealed character.

[48:10]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “your right hand is full of justice.” The “right hand” suggests activity and power.

[49:10]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ¹⁰⁹ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[51:19]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “desire, take delight in.”

[51:19]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.

[51:19]  ¹¹² sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.

[52:7]  ¹¹³ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”

[52:7]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).

[55:12]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “for.”

[55:12]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.

[57:3]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).

[57:3]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”

[57:4]  ¹¹⁹ tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).

[57:4]  ¹²⁰ tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).

[57:4]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”

[57:6]  ¹²² tn Heb “for my feet.”

[57:6]  ¹²³ tn Heb “my life bends low.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[57:6]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “before me.”

[57:6]  ¹²⁵ tn The perfect form is used rhetorically here to express the psalmist’s certitude. The demise of the enemies is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished.

[59:5]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “Lord, God, Hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי (’elohey) before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”). See Ps 89:9, but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yÿhvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 80:4, 19; 84:8 as well.

[59:5]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).

[59:11]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”

[59:11]  sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.

[59:11]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”

[60:4]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “those who fear you.”

[60:4]  ¹³¹ tn There is a ray of hope in that God has allowed his loyal followers to rally under a battle flag. The translation assumes the verb is from the root נוּס (nus, “flee”) used here in the Hitpolel in the sense of “find safety for oneself” (HALOT 681 s.v. נוס) or “take flight for oneself” (BDB 630-31 s.v. נוּס). Another option is to take the verb as a denominative from נֵס (nes, “flag”) and translate “that it may be displayed” (BDB 651 s.v. II נסס) or “that they may assemble under the banner” (HALOT 704 s.v. II נסס). Here קֹשֶׁט (qoshet) is taken as an Aramaized form of קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”; BDB 905-6 s.v. קֶשֶׁת), though some understand the homonymic קֹשְׁטְ (qosht, “truth”) here (see Prov 22:21; cf. NASB). If one follows the latter interpretation, the line may be translated, “so that they might assemble under the banner for the sake of truth.”

[62:3]  ¹³² tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”

[62:3]  ¹³³ tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.

[62:3]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).

[62:9]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “only a breath [are] the sons of mankind, a lie [are] the sons of man.” The phrases “sons of mankind” and “sons of man” also appear together in Ps 49:2. Because of the parallel line there, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, a number of interpreters and translators treat these expressions as polar opposites, בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes. But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand the phrases as synonymous expressions.

[62:9]  ¹³⁶ tn The noun הֶבֶל (hevel), translated “a breath” earlier in the verse, appears again here.

[63:11]  ¹³⁷ sn The psalmist probably refers to himself in the third person here.

[63:11]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “who swears [an oath] by him.”

[63:11]  ¹³⁹ tn The Niphal of this verb occurs only here and in Gen 8:2, where it is used of God “stopping” or “damming up” the great deep as he brought the flood to an end.

[65:5]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “[with] awesome acts in deliverance you answer us, O God of our salvation.”

[65:5]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “a source of confidence [for] all the ends of the earth.”

[65:5]  sn All the ends of the earth trust in you. This idealistic portrayal of universal worship is typical hymnic hyperbole, though it does anticipate eschatological reality.

[65:5]  ¹⁴² tc Heb “and [the] distant sea.” The plural adjective is problematic after the singular form “sea.” One could emend יָם (yam, “sea”) to יָמִים (yamim, “seas”), or emend the plural form רְחֹקִים (rÿkhoqim, “far”) to the singular רָחֹק (rakhoq). In this case the final mem (ם) could be treated as dittographic; note the mem on the beginning of the first word in v. 6.

[65:9]  ¹⁴³ tn The verb form is a Polel from שׁוּק (shuq, “be abundant”), a verb which appears only here and in Joel 2:24 and 3:13, where it is used in the Hiphil stem and means “overflow.”

[65:9]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “you greatly enrich it.”

[65:9]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “[with] a channel of God full of water.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very deep stream (“a stream fit for God,” as it were).

[65:9]  ¹⁴⁶ tn The pronoun apparently refers to the people of the earth, mentioned in v. 8.

[65:9]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “for thus [referring to the provision of rain described in the first half of the verse] you prepare it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix attached to the verb “prepare” refers back to the “earth,” which is a feminine noun with regard to grammatical form.

[68:30]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) 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 such as Ps 68 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 Ps 106:9 and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.

[68:30]  ¹⁴⁹ sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.

[68:30]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”

[68:30]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “humbling himself.” The verb form is a Hitpael participle from the root רָפַס (rafas, “to trample”). The Hitpael of this verb appears only here and in Prov 6:3, where it seems to mean, “humble oneself,” a nuance that fits nicely in this context. The apparent subject is “wild beast” or “assembly,” though both of these nouns are grammatically feminine, while the participle is a masculine form. Perhaps one should emend the participial form to a masculine plural (מִתְרַפִּם, mitrapim) and understand “bulls” or “calves” as the subject.

[68:30]  ¹⁵² tc Heb “with pieces [?] of silver.” The meaning of the Hebrew term רַצֵּי (ratsey) is unclear. It is probably best to emend the text to בֶּצֶר וְכָסֶף (betser vÿkhasef, “[with] gold and silver”).

[68:30]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[68:30]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).

[68:35]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).

[68:35]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”

[68:35]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”

[69:14]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “let me be delivered.”

[69:20]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.

[69:20]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.

[69:20]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “wait.”

[69:20]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.

[70:2]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”

[70:2]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[70:2]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[70:4]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.

[70:4]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.

[70:4]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”

[70:4]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.

[81:5]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “in his going out against the land of Egypt.” This apparently refers to the general time period of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The LXX reads, “from Egypt,” in which case “Joseph” (see the preceding line) would be the subject of the verb, “when he [Joseph = Israel] left Egypt.”

[81:5]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “a lip I did not know, I heard.” Here the term “lip” probably stands for speech or a voice. Apparently the psalmist speaks here and refers to God’s voice, whose speech is recorded in the following verses.

[81:7]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “I answered you in the hidden place of thunder.” This may allude to God’s self-revelation at Mount Sinai, where he appeared in a dark cloud accompanied by thunder (see Exod 19:16).

[81:7]  ¹⁷² sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at the place called Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.

[84:3]  ¹⁷³ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”

[84:3]  sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.

[92:7]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “flourish.”

[92:7]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “in order that they might be destroyed permanently.”

[92:7]  sn God allows the wicked to prosper temporarily so that he might reveal his justice. When the wicked are annihilated, God demonstrates that wickedness does not pay off.

[102:2]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).

[102:2]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[108:8]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.

[108:8]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “the protection of my head.”

[108:8]  sn Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan River. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.

[108:8]  ¹⁸¹ sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.

[140:4]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”

[142:4]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”

[142:4]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”

[142:4]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”