Mazmur 68:25

68:25 Singers walk in front;

musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, ¹ 

in the midst of young women playing tambourines. ² 

Mazmur 62:1

Psalm 62 ³ 

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; ⁴ 

he is the one who delivers me. ⁵ 

Mazmur 7:7

7:7 The countries are assembled all around you; ⁶ 

take once more your rightful place over them! ⁷ 

Mazmur 46:10

46:10 He says, ⁸  “Stop your striving and recognize ⁹  that I am God!

I will be exalted ¹⁰  over ¹¹  the nations! I will be exalted over ¹²  the earth!”

Mazmur 102:6

102:6 I am like an owl ¹³  in the wilderness;

I am like a screech owl ¹⁴  among the ruins. ¹⁵ 

Mazmur 67:2

67:2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;

all nations will know how you deliver your people. ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 68:8

68:8 the earth shakes,

yes, the heavens pour down rain

before God, the God of Sinai, ¹⁷ 

before God, the God of Israel. ¹⁸ 

Mazmur 45:9

45:9 Princesses ¹⁹  are among your honored guests, ²⁰ 

your bride ²¹  stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. ²² 

Mazmur 68:14

68:14 When the sovereign judge ²³  scatters kings, ²⁴ 

let it snow ²⁵  on Zalmon!

Mazmur 4:4

4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! ²⁶ 

Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! ²⁷  (Selah)

Mazmur 18:33

18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; ²⁸ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ²⁹ 

Mazmur 44:19

44:19 Yet you have battered us, leaving us a heap of ruins overrun by wild dogs; ³⁰ 

you have covered us with darkness. ³¹ 

Mazmur 46:5

46:5 God lives within it, ³²  it cannot be moved. ³³ 

God rescues it ³⁴  at the break of dawn. ³⁵ 

Mazmur 6:5

6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death, ³⁶ 

In Sheol who gives you thanks? ³⁷ 

Mazmur 18:38

18:38 I beat them ³⁸  to death; ³⁹ 

they fall at my feet. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 18:42

18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; ⁴¹ 

I beat them underfoot ⁴²  like clay ⁴³  in the streets.

Mazmur 22:22

22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! ⁴⁴ 

In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!

Mazmur 44:11

44:11 You handed us ⁴⁵  over like sheep to be eaten;

you scattered us among the nations.

Mazmur 45:5

45:5 Your arrows are sharp

and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.

Nations fall at your feet. ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 55:14

55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; ⁴⁷ 

in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.

Mazmur 69:34

69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,

along with the seas and everything that swims in them!

Mazmur 76:3

76:3 There he shattered the arrows, ⁴⁸ 

the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war. ⁴⁹  (Selah)

Mazmur 76:9

76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,

and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

Mazmur 89:27

89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, ⁵⁰ 

the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

[68:25]  ¹ tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”

[68:25]  ² sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).

[62:1]  ³ sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.

[62:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”

[62:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”

[7:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”

[7:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return”) to שֵׁבָה (shevah, “sit [in judgment]”) because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.

[46:10]  ⁸ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[46:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.

[46:10]  ¹⁰ tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).

[46:10]  ¹¹ tn Or “among.”

[46:10]  ¹² tn Or “in.”

[102:6]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).

[102:6]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).

[102:6]  ¹⁵ sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.

[67:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.

[68:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “this one of Sinai.” The phrase is a divine title, perhaps indicating that the Lord rules from Sinai.

[68:8]  ¹⁸ sn The language of vv. 7-8 is reminiscent of Judg 5:4-5, which tells how the God of Sinai came in the storm and annihilated the Canaanite forces led by Sisera. The presence of allusion does not mean, however, that this is a purely historical reference. The psalmist is describing God’s typical appearance as a warrior in terms of his prior self-revelation as ancient events are reactualized in the psalmist’s experience. (For a similar literary technique, see Hab 3.)

[45:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “daughters of kings.”

[45:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.

[45:9]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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.

[68:14]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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.

[4:4]  ²⁶ sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.

[4:4]  ²⁷ tn Heb “say in your heart(s) on your bed(s) and wail/lament.” The verb דֹמּוּ (dommu) is understood as a form of דָמָם (“wail, lament”) in sorrow and repentance. Another option is to take the verb from II דָמָם (damam, “be quiet”); cf. NIV, NRSV “be silent.”

[18:33]  ²⁸ tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”

[18:33]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.

[18:33]  sn Habakkuk uses similar language to describe his faith during difficult times. See Hab 3:19.

[44:19]  ³⁰ tn Heb “yet you have battered us in a place of jackals.”

[44:19]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל+מָוֶת [mavet + tsel]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other scholars prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness” (cf. NIV, NRSV). An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 44:19 darkness symbolizes defeat and humiliation.

[46:5]  ³² tn Heb “God [is] within her.” The feminine singular pronoun refers to the city mentioned in v. 4.

[46:5]  ³³ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “it will not be upended.” Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense. The verb מוֹט (mot), translated “upended” here, is used in v. 2 of the mountains “tumbling” into the seas and in v. 6 of nations being “upended.” By way of contrast, Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is secure and immune from such turmoil and destruction.

[46:5]  ³⁴ tn Or “helps her.” The imperfect draws attention to the generalizing character of the statement.

[46:5]  ³⁵ tn Heb “at the turning of morning.” (For other uses of the expression see Exod 14:27 and Judg 19:26).

[46:5]  sn At the break of dawn. The “morning” is viewed metaphorically as a time of deliverance and vindication after the dark “night” of trouble (see Ps 30:5; Isa 17:14). There may be an allusion here to Exod 14:27 (where the Lord destroyed the Egyptians at the “break of dawn”) or, more likely, to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege, when the people discovered the dead bodies of the Assyrian army in the morning (Isa 37:36).

[6:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “for there is not in death your remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זֵכֶר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 30:4; 97:12. “Death” here refers to the realm of death where the dead reside. See the reference to Sheol in the next line.

[6:5]  ³⁷ tn The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

[6:5]  sn In Sheol who gives you thanks? According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 30:9; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!

[18:38]  ³⁸ tn Or “smash them.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “and I wiped them out and smashed them.”

[18:38]  ³⁹ tn Heb “until they are unable to rise.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “until they do not rise.”

[18:38]  ⁴⁰ sn They fall at my feet. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 294-97.

[18:42]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “I pulverize them like dust upon the face of the wind.” The phrase “upon the face of” here means “before.” 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “like dust of the earth.”

[18:42]  ⁴² tc Ps 18:42 reads, “I empty them out” (Hiphil of ריק), while 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “I crush them, I stomp on them” (juxtaposing the synonyms דקק and רקע). It is likely that the latter is a conflation of variants. One, but not both, of the verbs in 2 Sam 22:43 is probably original; “empty out” does not form as good a parallel with “grind, pulverize” in the parallel line.

[18:42]  ⁴³ tn Or “mud.”

[22:22]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).

[44:11]  ⁴⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[45:5]  ⁴⁶ 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.

[55:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.

[76:3]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “flames of the bow,” i.e., arrows.

[76:3]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “shield and sword and battle.” “Battle” probably here stands by metonymy for the weapons of war in general.

[76:3]  sn This verse may allude to the miraculous defeat of the Assyrians in 701 b.c. (see Isa 36-37).

[89:27]  ⁵⁰ sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.