Mazmur 4:6

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

Smile upon us, Lord! ¹ 

Mazmur 5:8

5:8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness ² 

because of those who wait to ambush me, ³ 

remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! ⁴ 

Mazmur 6:1

Psalm 6 ⁵ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; ⁶  a psalm of David.

6:1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger!

Do not discipline me in your raging fury! ⁷ 

Mazmur 7:1

Psalm 7 ⁸ 

A musical composition ⁹  by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning ¹⁰  a Benjaminite named Cush. ¹¹ 

7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. ¹² 

Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!

Mazmur 7:6

7:6 Stand up angrily, ¹³  Lord!

Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! ¹⁴ 

Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 7:9

7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked ¹⁶  come to an end! ¹⁷ 

But make the innocent ¹⁸  secure, ¹⁹ 

O righteous God,

you who examine ²⁰  inner thoughts and motives! ²¹ 

Mazmur 12:1

Psalm 12 ²² 

For the music director; according to the sheminith style; ²³  a psalm of David.

12:1 Deliver, Lord!

For the godly ²⁴  have disappeared; ²⁵ 

people of integrity ²⁶  have vanished. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 31:1-2

Psalm 31 ²⁸ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!

Never let me be humiliated!

Vindicate me by rescuing me! ²⁹ 

31:2 Listen to me! ³⁰ 

Quickly deliver me!

Be my protector and refuge, ³¹ 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ³² 

Mazmur 35:19

35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason ³³  gloat ³⁴  over me!

Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! ³⁵ 

Mazmur 35:27

35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!

May they continually say, ³⁶  “May the Lord be praised, ³⁷  for he wants his servant to be secure.” ³⁸ 

Mazmur 38:1

Psalm 38 ³⁹ 

A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention. ⁴⁰ 

38:1 O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger!

Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury! ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 59:11

59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,

because then my people might forget the lesson. ⁴² 

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

O Lord who shields us! ⁴³ 

Mazmur 67:4

67:4 Let foreigners ⁴⁴  rejoice and celebrate!

For you execute justice among the nations,

and govern the people living on earth. ⁴⁵  (Selah)

Mazmur 68:30

68:30 Sound your battle cry ⁴⁶  against the wild beast of the reeds, ⁴⁷ 

and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! ⁴⁸ 

They humble themselves ⁴⁹  and offer gold and silver as tribute. ⁵⁰ 

God ⁵¹  scatters ⁵²  the nations that like to do battle.

Mazmur 69:1

Psalm 69 ⁵³ 

For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” ⁵⁴  by David.

69:1 Deliver me, O God,

for the water has reached my neck. ⁵⁵ 

Mazmur 69:14

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

Deliver me ⁵⁶  from those who hate me,

from the deep water!

Mazmur 70:5

70:5 I am oppressed and needy! ⁵⁷ 

O God, hurry to me! ⁵⁸ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O Lord, ⁵⁹  do not delay!

Mazmur 71:3

71:3 Be my protector and refuge, ⁶⁰ 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ⁶¹ 

For you are my high ridge ⁶²  and my stronghold.

Mazmur 72:16-17

72:16 May there be ⁶³  an abundance ⁶⁴  of grain in the earth;

on the tops ⁶⁵  of the mountains may it ⁶⁶  sway! ⁶⁷ 

May its ⁶⁸  fruit trees ⁶⁹  flourish ⁷⁰  like the forests of Lebanon! ⁷¹ 

May its crops ⁷²  be as abundant ⁷³  as the grass of the earth! ⁷⁴ 

72:17 May his fame endure! ⁷⁵ 

May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! ⁷⁶ 

May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! ⁷⁷ 

May all nations consider him to be favored by God! ⁷⁸ 

Mazmur 74:2

74:2 Remember your people ⁷⁹  whom you acquired in ancient times,

whom you rescued ⁸⁰  so they could be your very own nation, ⁸¹ 

as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell!

Mazmur 79:6

79:6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you, ⁸² 

on the kingdoms that do not pray to you! ⁸³ 

Mazmur 142:7

142:7 Free me ⁸⁴  from prison,

that I may give thanks to your name.

Because of me the godly will assemble, ⁸⁵ 

for you will vindicate me. ⁸⁶ 

Mazmur 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ⁸⁷ 

Do not reject me, ⁸⁸ 

or I will join ⁸⁹  those descending into the grave. ⁹⁰ 

[4:6]  ¹ 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.

[5:8]  ² tn God’s providential leading is in view. His צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) includes here the deliverance that originates in his righteousness; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 842 s.v.

[5:8]  ³ tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 27:11; 56:2.

[5:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “make level before me your way.” The imperative “make level” is Hiphil in the Kethib (consonantal text); Piel in the Qere (marginal reading). God’s “way” is here the way in which he leads the psalmist providentially (see the preceding line, where the psalmist asks the Lord to lead him).

[6:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 6. The psalmist begs the Lord to withdraw his anger and spare his life. Having received a positive response to his prayer, the psalmist then confronts his enemies and describes how they retreat.

[6:1]  ⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit, “sheminith”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.

[6:1]  ⁷ sn The implication is that the psalmist has sinned, causing God to discipline him by bringing a life-threatening illness upon him (see vv. 2-7).

[7:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.

[7:1]  ⁹ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.

[7:1]  ¹⁰ tn Or “on account of.”

[7:1]  ¹¹ sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.

[7:1]  ¹² tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

[7:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “in your anger.”

[7:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to עַבְרוֹת (’avrot, “angry outbursts”) as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “rise up against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.

[7:6]  ¹⁵ tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands אֵלִי (’eliy, “my God”) instead of אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”; the LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case צִוִּיתָ (tsivvita, “[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[7:9]  ¹⁶ 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.

[7:9]  ¹⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

[7:9]  ¹⁸ tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.

[7:9]  ¹⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

[7:9]  ²⁰ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

[7:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

[12:1]  ²² sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.

[12:1]  ²³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.

[12:1]  ²⁴ tn The singular form is collective or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[12:1]  ²⁵ tn Or “have come to an end.”

[12:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”

[12:1]  ²⁷ tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”

[31:1]  ²⁸ sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.

[31:1]  ²⁹ tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”

[31:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

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

[31:2]  ³² tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”

[35:19]  ³³ tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).

[35:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “rejoice.”

[35:19]  ³⁵ tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).

[35:27]  ³⁶ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).

[35:27]  ³⁷ 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.”

[35:27]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”

[38:1]  ³⁹ sn Psalm 38. The author asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He confesses his sin and recognizes that the crisis he faces is the result of divine discipline. Yet he begs the Lord not to reject him.

[38:1]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “to cause to remember.” The same form, the Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the heading of Ps 70. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).

[38:1]  ⁴¹ tn The words “continue to” are supplied in the translation of both lines. The following verses make it clear that the psalmist is already experiencing divine rebuke/punishment. He asks that it might cease.

[38:1]  sn Compare Ps 38:1 with Ps 6:1, which has similar wording.

[59:11]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”

[67:4]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “peoples.”

[67:4]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).

[68:30]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ sn The wild beast of the reeds probably refers to a hippopotamus, which in turn symbolizes the nation of Egypt.

[68:30]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “an assembly of bulls, with calves of the nations.”

[68:30]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[68:30]  ⁵² tn The verb בָּזַר (bazar) is an alternative form of פָּזַר (pazar, “scatter”).

[69:1]  ⁵³ sn Psalm 69. The psalmist laments his oppressed condition and asks the Lord to deliver him by severely judging his enemies.

[69:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “according to lilies.” See the superscription to Ps 45.

[69:1]  ⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew term נפשׁ (nefesh) here refers to the psalmist’s throat or neck. The psalmist compares himself to a helpless, drowning man.

[69:14]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “let me be delivered.”

[70:5]  ⁵⁷ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[70:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”

[70:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “Lord.”

[71:3]  ⁶⁰ tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).

[71:3]  ⁶¹ tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).

[71:3]  ⁶² sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.

[72:16]  ⁶³ tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. The translation assumes the subject is impersonal (rather than the king).

[72:16]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew noun פִסַּה (pissah; which appears here in the construct form) occurs only here in the OT. Perhaps the noun is related to the verbal root פָּשָׂה (pasah, “to spread,” see BDB 832 s.v.; the root appears as פָּסָה [pasah] in postbiblical Hebrew), which is used in postbiblical Hebrew of the rising sun’s rays spreading over the horizon and a tree’s branches spreading out (see Jastrow 1194 s.v. פסי, פָּסָה, פָּשָׂה). In Ps 72:16 a “spreading of grain” would refer to grain fields extending out over the land. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:139) emend the form to סְפִיחַ (sÿfiakh, “second growth”).

[72:16]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “top” (singular).

[72:16]  ⁶⁶ tn That is, the grain.

[72:16]  ⁶⁷ tn According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the translator’s note at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse.

[72:16]  ⁶⁸ tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is unclear. It is unlikely that the antecedent is אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) because this noun is normally grammatically feminine. Perhaps רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “top [of the mountains]”) is the antecedent. Another option is to understand the pronoun as referring to the king, who would then be viewed as an instrument of divine agricultural blessing (see v. 6).

[72:16]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “fruit.”

[72:16]  ⁷⁰ tc According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the note on the word “earth” at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse. The present translation takes it with the preceding words, “like Lebanon its fruit” and emends the verb form from וְיָצִיצוּ (vÿyatsitsu; Qal imperfect third masculine plural with prefixed vav, [ו]) to יָצִיץ (yatsits; Qal imperfect third masculine singular). The initial vav is eliminated as dittographic (note the vav on the ending of the preceding form פִּרְיוֹ, piryo, “its/his fruit”) and the vav at the end of the form is placed on the following emended form (see the note on the word “crops”), yielding וַעֲמִיר (va’amir, “and [its] crops”).

[72:16]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “like Lebanon.”

[72:16]  ⁷² tc The MT has “from the city.” The translation assumes an emendation to עֲמִיר (’amir, “crops”).

[72:16]  ⁷³ tn The translation assumes that the verb צוץ (“flourish”) goes with the preceding line. The words “be as abundant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[72:16]  ⁷⁴ tc The traditional accentuation and vocalization of the MT differ from the text assumed by the present translation. The MT reads as follows: “May there be an abundance of grain in the earth, / and on the tops of the mountains! / May its [or “his”?] fruit [trees?] rustle like [the trees of] Lebanon! / May they flourish from the city, like the grass of the earth!” If one follows the MT, then it would appear that the “fruit” of the third line is a metaphorical reference to the king’s people, who flow out from the cities to populate the land (see line 4). Elsewhere in the OT people are sometimes compared to grass that sprouts up from the land (see v. 7, as well as Isa 27:6; Pss 92:7; 103:15). The translation understands a different poetic structural arrangement and, assuming the emendations mentioned in earlier notes, interprets each line of the verse to be a prayer for agricultural abundance.

[72:17]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.

[72:17]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.

[72:17]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ with truth, integrity, and honesty, then the nations will pronounce blessings by him and boast in him.” A passive nuance might work (“the nations will be blessed”), but the context refers to verbal pronouncements (swearing an oath, boasting), suggesting that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. The logic of the verse seems to be as follows: If Israel conducts its affairs with integrity, the nation will be favored by the Lord, which will in turn attract the surrounding nations to Israel’s God. To summarize, while the evidence might leave the door open for a passive interpretation, there is no clear cut passive use. Usage favors a reflexive or reciprocal understanding of the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ. In Ps 72:17 the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ is followed by the prepositional phrase בוֹ (vo, “by him”). The verb could theoretically be taken as passive, “may all the nations be blessed through him” (cf. NIV, NRSV), because the preceding context describes the positive effects of this king’s rule on the inhabitants of the earth. But the parallel line, which employs the Piel of אָשַׁר (’ashar) in a factitive/declarative sense, “regard as happy, fortunate,” suggests a reflexive or reciprocal nuance for the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ here. If the nations regard the ideal king as a prime example of one who is fortunate or blessed, it is understandable that they would use his name in their pronouncements of blessing.

[72:17]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).

[74:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.

[74:2]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).

[74:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).

[79:6]  ⁸² tn Heb “which do not know you.” Here the Hebrew term “know” means “acknowledge the authority of.”

[79:6]  ⁸³ sn The kingdoms that do not pray to you. The people of these kingdoms pray to other gods, not the Lord, because they do not recognize his authority over them.

[142:7]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “bring out my life.”

[142:7]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “gather around.”

[142:7]  ⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.

[143:7]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[143:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.