Mazmur 8:5

8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? ¹ 

You grant mankind ²  honor and majesty; ³ 

Mazmur 45:2

45:2 You are the most handsome of all men! ⁴ 

You speak in an impressive and fitting manner! ⁵ 

For this reason ⁶  God grants you continual blessings. ⁷ 

Mazmur 57:10

57:10 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, ⁸ 

and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

Mazmur 73:25

73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?

I desire no one but you on earth. ⁹ 

Mazmur 78:31

78:31 when the anger of God flared up against them.

He killed some of the strongest of them;

he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.

Mazmur 89:27

89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, ¹⁰ 

the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

Mazmur 97:8

97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,

the towns ¹¹  of Judah are happy,

because of your judgments, O Lord.

Mazmur 106:43

106:43 Many times he delivered ¹²  them,

but they had a rebellious attitude, ¹³ 

and degraded themselves ¹⁴  by their sin.

Mazmur 108:5

108:5 Rise up ¹⁵  above the sky, O God!

May your splendor cover the whole earth! ¹⁶ 

Mazmur 119:71

119:71 It was good for me to suffer,

so that I might learn your statutes.

Mazmur 147:18

147:18 He then orders it all to melt; ¹⁷ 

he breathes on it, ¹⁸  and the water flows.

[8:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him…”) of the preceding statement (see GKC 328 §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him….” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26-27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26-27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26-27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).

[8:5]  ² tn Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.

[8:5]  ³ sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).

[45:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “you are handsome from the sons of man.” The preposition “from” is used in a comparative (“more than”) sense. The peculiar verb form יָפְיָפִיתָ (yafyafita) is probably the result of dittography of yod-pe (יפ) and should be emended to יָפִיתָ (yafita). See GKC 152 §55.e.

[45:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “favor is poured out on your lips.” “Lips” probably stands by metonymy for the king’s speech. Some interpret the Hebrew term חֵן (khen) as referring here to “gracious (i.e., kind and polite) speech”, but the word probably refers more generally to “attractive” speech that is impressively articulated and fitting for the occasion. For other instances of the term being used of speech, see Prov 22:11 and Eccl 10:12.

[45:2]  ⁶ tn Or “this demonstrates.” The construction עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore”) usually indicates what logically follows from a preceding statement. However, here it may infer the cause from the effect, indicating the underlying basis or reason for what precedes (see BDB 487 s.v. I כֵּן 3.f; C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 1:386).

[45:2]  ⁷ tn Or “blesses you forever.” Here “bless” means to “endue with the power and skill to rule effectively,” as the following verses indicate.

[57:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”

[73:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.

[89:27]  ¹⁰ sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.

[97:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

[106:43]  ¹² tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).

[106:43]  ¹³ tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).

[106:43]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.

[108:5]  ¹⁵ tn Or “be exalted.”

[108:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)

[147:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “he sends his word and melts them.”

[147:18]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “he blows his breath.”