Mazmur 4:6

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

Smile upon us, Lord! ¹ 

Mazmur 7:9

7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked ²  come to an end! ³ 

But make the innocent ⁴  secure, ⁵ 

O righteous God,

you who examine ⁶  inner thoughts and motives! ⁷ 

Mazmur 8:2

8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies

you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, ⁸ 

so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ⁹ 

Mazmur 11:4

11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; ¹⁰ 

the Lord’s throne is in heaven. ¹¹ 

His eyes ¹²  watch; ¹³ 

his eyes ¹⁴  examine ¹⁵  all people. ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 14:7

14:7 I wish the deliverance ¹⁷  of Israel would come from Zion!

When the Lord restores the well-being of his people, ¹⁸ 

may Jacob rejoice, ¹⁹ 

may Israel be happy! ²⁰ 

Mazmur 17:7

17:7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds, ²¹ 

you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies. ²² 

Mazmur 19:13

19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant ²³  sins;

do not allow such sins to control me. ²⁴ 

Then I will be blameless,

and innocent of blatant ²⁵  rebellion.

Mazmur 30:1

Psalm 30 ²⁶ 

A psalm – a song used at the dedication of the temple; ²⁷  by David.

30:1 I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up, ²⁸ 

and did not allow my enemies to gloat ²⁹  over me.

Mazmur 40:3

40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, ³⁰ 

praising our God. ³¹ 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! ³² 

Mazmur 51:19

51:19 Then you will accept ³³  the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;

then bulls will be sacrificed ³⁴  on your altar. ³⁵ 

Mazmur 59:5

59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, ³⁶  the God of Israel,

rouse yourself and punish ³⁷  all the nations!

Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)

Mazmur 68:1

Psalm 68 ³⁸ 

For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.

68:1 God springs into action! ³⁹ 

His enemies scatter;

his adversaries ⁴⁰  run from him. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 69:20

69:20 Their insults are painful ⁴²  and make me lose heart; ⁴³ 

I look ⁴⁴  for sympathy, but receive none, ⁴⁵ 

for comforters, but find none.

Mazmur 71:18

71:18 Even when I am old and gray, ⁴⁶ 

O God, do not abandon me,

until I tell the next generation about your strength,

and those coming after me about your power. ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 74:9

74:9 We do not see any signs of God’s presence; ⁴⁸ 

there are no longer any prophets ⁴⁹ 

and we have no one to tell us how long this will last. ⁵⁰ 

Mazmur 81:5

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

when he attacked the land of Egypt. ⁵¹ 

I heard a voice I did not recognize. ⁵² 

Mazmur 84:3

84:3 Even the birds find a home there,

and the swallow ⁵³  builds a nest,

where she can protect her young ⁵⁴ 

near your altars, O Lord who rules over all,

my king and my God.

Mazmur 89:14

89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. ⁵⁵ 

Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule. ⁵⁶ 

Mazmur 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ⁵⁷ 

Do not reject me, ⁵⁸ 

or I will join ⁵⁹  those descending into the grave. ⁶⁰ 

[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.

[7:9]  ² 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]  ³ tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

[7:9]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

[7:9]  ⁶ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

[7:9]  ⁷ 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.

[8:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.

[8:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.

[11:4]  ¹⁰ tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The Lord’s heavenly temple is in view here (see Mic 1:2-4).

[11:4]  ¹¹ sn The Lord’s throne is in heaven. The psalmist is confident that the Lord reigns as sovereign king, “keeps an eye on” all people, and responds in a just manner to the godly and wicked.

[11:4]  ¹² sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.

[11:4]  ¹³ tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the Lord’s characteristic activity.

[11:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “eyelids.”

[11:4]  ¹⁵ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.

[11:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “test the sons of men.”

[14:7]  ¹⁷ sn The deliverance of Israel. This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.

[14:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).

[14:7]  ¹⁹ tn The verb form is jussive.

[14:7]  ²⁰ tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.

[17:7]  ²¹ tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”

[17:7]  ²² tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.

[17:7]  sn Those who look to you for protection from their enemies. “Seeking 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 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[19:13]  ²³ tn Or “presumptuous.”

[19:13]  ²⁴ tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”

[19:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “great.”

[30:1]  ²⁶ sn Psalm 30. The author thanks the Lord for delivering him from death and urges others to join him in praise. The psalmist experienced divine discipline for a brief time, but when he cried out for help the Lord intervened and restored his favor.

[30:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “a song of the dedication of the house.” The referent of “house” is unclear. It is possible that David wrote this psalm for the dedication ceremony of Solomon’s temple. Another possibility is that the psalm was used on the occasion of the dedication of the second temple following the return from exile, or on the occasion of the rededication of the temple in Maccabean times.

[30:1]  ²⁸ tn Elsewhere the verb דָּלָה (dalah) is used of drawing water from a well (Exod 2:16, 19; Prov 20:5). The psalmist was trapped in the pit leading to Sheol (see v. 3), but the Lord hoisted him up. The Piel stem is used here, perhaps suggesting special exertion on the Lord’s part.

[30:1]  ²⁹ tn Or “rejoice.”

[40:3]  ³⁰ sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.

[40:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”

[40:3]  ³² 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.

[51:19]  ³³ tn Or “desire, take delight in.”

[51:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.

[51:19]  ³⁵ 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.

[59:5]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).

[68:1]  ³⁸ sn Psalm 68. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.

[68:1]  ³⁹ tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.

[68:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “those who hate him.”

[68:1]  ⁴¹ sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action, Lord! Then your enemies will be scattered and your adversaries will run from you.”

[69:20]  ⁴² tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.

[69:20]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “wait.”

[69:20]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[71:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”

[71:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.

[74:9]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).

[74:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”

[74:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”

[81:5]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² 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.

[84:3]  ⁵³ tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.

[84:3]  ⁵⁴ 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.

[89:14]  ⁵⁵ sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.

[89:14]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “are in front of your face.” The idiom can mean “confront” (Ps 17:13) or “meet, enter the presence of” (Ps 95:2).

[143:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ⁶⁰ 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.