Mazmur 93:1--111:10
Konteks93:1 The Lord reigns!
He is robed in majesty,
the Lord is robed,
he wears strength around his waist. 2
Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.
93:2 Your throne has been secure from ancient times;
you have always been king. 3
93:3 The waves 4 roar, O Lord,
the waves roar,
the waves roar and crash. 5
93:4 Above the sound of the surging water, 6
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty. 7
93:5 The rules you set down 8 are completely reliable. 9
Holiness 10 aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever. 11
94:1 O Lord, the God who avenges!
O God who avenges, reveal your splendor! 13
94:2 Rise up, O judge of the earth!
Pay back the proud!
94:3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate? 14
94:4 They spew out threats 15 and speak defiantly;
all the evildoers boast. 16
94:5 O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you. 17
94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,
and they murder the fatherless. 18
94:7 Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.” 19
94:8 Take notice of this, 20 you ignorant people! 21
You fools, when will you ever understand?
94:9 Does the one who makes the human ear not hear?
Does the one who forms the human eye not see? 22
94:10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?
He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!
94:11 The Lord knows that
peoples’ thoughts are morally bankrupt. 23
94:12 How blessed is the one 24 whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
94:13 in order to protect him from times of trouble, 25
until the wicked are destroyed. 26
94:14 Certainly 27 the Lord does not forsake his people;
he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him. 28
94:15 For justice will prevail, 29
and all the morally upright 30 will be vindicated. 31
94:16 Who will rise up to defend me 32 against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers? 33
94:17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have laid down in the silence of death. 34
94:18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
94:19 When worries threaten to overwhelm me, 35
your soothing touch makes me happy. 36
94:20 Cruel rulers 37 are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws. 38
94:21 They conspire against 39 the blameless, 40
and condemn to death the innocent. 41
94:22 But the Lord will protect me, 42
and my God will shelter me. 43
94:23 He will pay them back for their sin. 44
He will destroy them because of 45 their evil;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
95:1 Come! Let’s sing for joy to the Lord!
Let’s shout out praises to our protector who delivers us! 47
95:2 Let’s enter his presence 48 with thanksgiving!
Let’s shout out to him in celebration! 49
95:3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great king who is superior to 50 all gods.
95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, 51
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
95:6 Come! Let’s bow down and worship! 52
Let’s kneel before the Lord, our creator!
95:7 For he is our God;
we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep he owns. 53
Today, if only you would obey him! 54
95:8 He says, 55 “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, 56
like they were that day at Massah 57 in the wilderness, 58
95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, 59
and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.
95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted 60 with that generation,
and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; 61
they do not obey my commands.’ 62
95:11 So I made a vow in my anger,
‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’” 63
96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! 65
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
96:2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!
Announce every day how he delivers! 66
96:3 Tell the nations about his splendor!
Tell 67 all the nations about his amazing deeds!
96:4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods. 68
96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, 69
but the Lord made the sky.
96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; 70
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. 71
96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! 72
Bring an offering and enter his courts!
96:9 Worship the Lord in holy attire! 73
Tremble before him, all the earth!
96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
96:11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the sea and everything in it shout!
96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy
96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly, 74
and the nations in accordance with his justice. 75
97:1 The Lord reigns!
Let the earth be happy!
Let the many coastlands rejoice!
97:2 Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne. 77
97:3 Fire goes before him;
on every side 78 it burns up his enemies.
97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
97:5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
97:6 The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
97:7 All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him. 79
97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns 80 of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
97:9 For you, O Lord, are the sovereign king 81 over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects 82 the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power 83 of the wicked.
97:11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy. 84
97:12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord!
Give thanks to his holy name. 85
A psalm.
98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, 87
for he performs 88 amazing deeds!
His right hand and his mighty arm
accomplish deliverance. 89
98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; 90
in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.
98:3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. 91
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us. 92
98:4 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
Break out in a joyful shout and sing!
98:5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music!
98:6 With trumpets and the blaring of the ram’s horn,
shout out praises before the king, the Lord!
98:7 Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it!
98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
98:9 before the Lord!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly, 93
and the nations in a just manner.
99:1 The Lord reigns!
The nations tremble. 95
He sits enthroned above the winged angels; 96
the earth shakes. 97
99:2 The Lord is elevated 98 in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!
He 99 is holy!
99:4 The king is strong;
he loves justice. 100
You ensure that legal decisions will be made fairly; 101
you promote justice and equity in Jacob.
99:5 Praise 102 the Lord our God!
Worship 103 before his footstool!
He is holy!
99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel was one of those who prayed to him. 104
They 105 prayed to the Lord and he answered them.
99:7 He spoke to them from a pillar of cloud; 106
they obeyed his regulations and the ordinance he gave them.
99:8 O Lord our God, you answered them.
They found you to be a forgiving God,
but also one who punished their sinful deeds. 107
99:9 Praise 108 the Lord our God!
Worship on his holy hill,
for the Lord our God is holy!
A thanksgiving psalm.
100:1 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
100:2 Worship 110 the Lord with joy!
Enter his presence with joyful singing!
100:3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us and we belong to him; 111
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give him thanks!
Praise his name!
100:5 For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures, 112
and he is faithful through all generations. 113
A psalm of David.
101:1 I will sing about loyalty and justice!
To you, O Lord, I will sing praises!
101:2 I will walk in 115 the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. 116
101:3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest. 117
I hate doing evil; 118
I will have no part of it. 119
101:4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person; 120
I will not permit 121 evil.
101:5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.
I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude. 122
101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land, 123
and allow them to live with me. 124
Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me. 125
101:7 Deceitful people will not live in my palace. 126
Liars will not be welcome in my presence. 127
101:8 Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,
and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 129
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 130
Listen to me! 131
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:3 For my days go up in smoke, 132
and my bones are charred like a fireplace. 133
102:4 My heart is parched 134 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 135 to eat food. 136
102:5 Because of the anxiety that makes me groan,
my bones protrude from my skin. 137
102:6 I am like an owl 138 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 139 among the ruins. 140
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who mock me use my name in their curses. 142
102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, 143
and mix my drink with my tears, 144
102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.
Indeed, 145 you pick me up and throw me away.
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 146
and I am withered like grass.
102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, 147
and your reputation endures. 148
102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. 149
For it is time to have mercy on her,
for the appointed time has come.
102:14 Indeed, 150 your servants take delight in her stones,
and feel compassion for 151 the dust of her ruins. 152
102:15 The nations will respect the reputation of the Lord, 153
and all the kings of the earth will respect 154 his splendor,
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, 155
and does not reject 156 their request. 157
102:18 The account of his intervention 158 will be recorded for future generations;
people yet to be born will praise the Lord.
102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; 159
from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, 160
102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,
and to set free those condemned to die, 161
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 162 in Jerusalem, 163
102:22 when the nations gather together,
and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord. 164
102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life; 165
he has cut short my days.
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 166
You endure through all generations. 167
102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;
the skies are your handiwork.
102:26 They will perish,
but you will endure. 168
They will wear out like a garment;
like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear. 169
your years do not come to an end.
102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,
and their descendants 171 will live securely in your presence.” 172
By David.
103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise 174 his holy name!
103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Do not forget all his kind deeds! 175
103:3 He is the one who forgives all your sins,
who heals all your diseases, 176
103:4 who delivers 177 your life from the Pit, 178
who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
103:5 who satisfies your life with good things, 179
so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. 180
103:6 The Lord does what is fair,
and executes justice for all the oppressed. 181
103:7 The Lord revealed his faithful acts 182 to Moses,
his deeds to the Israelites.
103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he is patient 183 and demonstrates great loyal love. 184
103:9 He does not always accuse,
and does not stay angry. 185
103:10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; 186
he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. 187
103:11 For as the skies are high above the earth,
so his loyal love towers 188 over his faithful followers. 189
103:12 As far as the eastern horizon 190 is from the west, 191
so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions 192 from us.
103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, 193
so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. 194
103:14 For he knows what we are made of; 195
he realizes 196 we are made of clay. 197
103:15 A person’s life is like grass. 198
Like a flower in the field it flourishes,
103:16 but when the hot wind 199 blows by, it disappears,
and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.
103:17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, 200
and is faithful to their descendants, 201
103:18 to those who keep his covenant,
who are careful to obey his commands. 202
103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven;
his kingdom extends over everything. 203
103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,
you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees
and obey his orders! 204
103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, 205
you servants of his who carry out his desires! 206
103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, 207
in all the regions 208 of his kingdom!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
104:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent. 210
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
104:2 He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds. 211
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels along on the wings of the wind. 212
104:4 He makes the winds his messengers,
and the flaming fire his attendant. 213
104:5 He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be upended.
104:6 The watery deep covered it 214 like a garment;
the waters reached 215 above the mountains. 216
104:7 Your shout made the waters retreat;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off –
104:8 as the mountains rose up,
and the valleys went down –
to the place you appointed for them. 217
104:9 You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,
so that they would not cover the earth again. 218
104:10 He turns springs into streams; 219
they flow between the mountains.
104:11 They provide water for all the animals in the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
104:12 The birds of the sky live beside them;
they chirp among the bushes. 220
104:13 He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace; 221
the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow. 222
104:14 He provides grass 223 for the cattle,
and crops for people to cultivate, 224
so they can produce food from the ground, 225
104:15 as well as wine that makes people feel so good, 226
and so they can have oil to make their faces shine, 227
as well as food that sustains people’s lives. 228
104:16 The trees of the Lord 229 receive all the rain they need, 230
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
104:17 where the birds make nests,
near the evergreens in which the herons live. 231
104:18 The wild goats live in the high mountains; 232
the rock badgers find safety in the cliffs.
104:19 He made the moon to mark the months, 233
and the sun sets according to a regular schedule. 234
104:20 You make it dark and night comes, 235
during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.
104:21 The lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God. 236
104:22 When the sun rises, they withdraw
and sleep 237 in their dens.
104:23 Men then go out to do their work,
and labor away until evening. 238
104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! 239
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; 240
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, 241
which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, 242
living things both small and large.
104:26 The ships travel there,
and over here swims the whale 243 you made to play in it.
104:27 All of your creatures 244 wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis. 245
104:28 You give food to them and they receive it;
you open your hand and they are filled with food. 246
104:29 When you ignore them, they panic. 247
When you take away their life’s breath, they die
and return to dust.
104:30 When you send your life-giving breath, they are created,
and you replenish the surface of the ground.
104:31 May the splendor of the Lord endure! 248
May the Lord find pleasure in the living things he has made! 249
104:32 He looks down on the earth and it shakes;
he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.
104:33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I exist! 250
104:34 May my thoughts 251 be pleasing to him!
I will rejoice in the Lord.
104:35 May sinners disappear 252 from the earth,
and the wicked vanish!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
105:1 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
105:2 Sing to him!
Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
105:3 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence continually!
105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 254
105:6 O children 255 of Abraham, 256 God’s 257 servant,
you descendants 258 of Jacob, God’s 259 chosen ones!
105:7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 260
105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 261 to a thousand generations –
105:9 the promise 262 he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac!
105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 263
105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
105:12 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and resident aliens within it,
105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another. 264
105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
105:15 saying, 265 “Don’t touch my chosen 266 ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply. 267
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them 268 –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; 269
his neck was placed in an iron collar, 270
105:19 until the time when his prediction 271 came true.
The Lord’s word 272 proved him right. 273
105:20 The king authorized his release; 274
the ruler of nations set him free.
105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, 275
and made him manager of all his property,
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials 276
and to teach his advisers. 277
105:23 Israel moved to 278 Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time 279 in the land of Ham.
105:24 The Lord 280 made his people very fruitful,
and made them 281 more numerous than their 282 enemies.
105:25 He caused them 283 to hate his people,
and to mistreat 284 his servants.
105:26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, 285
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
they did not disobey his orders. 287
105:29 He turned their water into blood,
and killed their fish.
105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
105:31 He ordered flies to come; 288
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; 289
there was lightning in their land. 290
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come, 291
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 292
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 293
105:37 He brought his people 294 out enriched 295 with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them. 296
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, 297
and provided a fire to light up the night.
105:40 They asked for food, 298 and he sent quails;
he satisfied them with food from the sky. 299
105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
105:42 Yes, 300 he remembered the sacred promise 301
he made to Abraham his servant.
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 302
105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, 303
105:45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey 304 his laws.
Praise the Lord!
106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 306
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? 307
106:3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time!
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
106:5 so I may see the prosperity 308 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 309
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 310
106:6 We have sinned like 311 our ancestors; 312
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds,
they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea. 313
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation, 314
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at 315 the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
106:10 He delivered them from the power 316 of the one who hated them,
and rescued 317 them from the power 318 of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived. 319
106:12 They believed his promises; 320
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; 321
they did not wait for his instructions. 322
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving 323 for meat; 324
they challenged God 325 in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease. 326
106:16 In the camp they resented 327 Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. 328
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed 329 the group led by Abiram. 330
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked. 331
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God 332
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected 333 the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 334 acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened 335 to destroy them,
but 336 Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him 337
and turned back his destructive anger. 338
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 339
they did not believe his promise. 340
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 341
they did not obey 342 the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow 343
that he would make them die 344 in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants 345 die 346 among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands. 347
106:28 They worshiped 348 Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 349
106:29 They made the Lord angry 350 by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened, 351
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 352
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 353 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 354 his temper, 355
and he spoke rashly. 356
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 357
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 358
106:36 They worshiped 359 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 360
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 361
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed. 362
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 363
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 364
and despised the people who belong to him. 365
106:41 He handed them over to 366 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 367
106:43 Many times he delivered 368 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 369
and degraded themselves 370 by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 371 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 372
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 373 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 374
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 375
in the future and forevermore. 376
Let all the people say, “We agree! 377 Praise the Lord!” 378
Book 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 380
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 381
those whom he delivered 382 from the power 383 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 384
from east and west,
from north and south.
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion. 385
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:7 He led them on a level road, 386
that they might find a city in which to live.
107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 387
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 388
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 389
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 390
bound in painful iron chains, 391
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 392
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 393
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 394
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness, 395
and tore off their shackles.
107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 396
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 397
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 398
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 399
and they drew near the gates of death.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:20 He sent them an assuring word 400 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 401
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 402
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 403
107:23 404 Some traveled on 405 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 406
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm, 407
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 408
107:26 They 409 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 410 left them 411 because the danger was so great. 412
107:27 They swayed 413 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 414
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 415
and the waves 416 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 417 rejoiced because the waves 418 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 419 they desired.
107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 420
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 421
107:33 He turned 422 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 423
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 424 he turned 425 a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
107:36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
107:37 They cultivated 426 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 427
107:38 He blessed 428 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 429
107:39 As for their enemies, 430 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 431 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 432 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 433 the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner 434 shuts his mouth.
107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
A song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, 436 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 437
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 438
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 439
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 440
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 441 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 442
108:6 Deliver by your power 443 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 444
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 445
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 446
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 447
Ephraim is my helmet, 448
Judah my royal scepter. 449
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 450
I will make Edom serve me. 451
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 452
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 453
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 454
he will trample down 455 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 457
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 458
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 459
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 460
but I continue to pray. 461
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 462
and hate for love.
109:6 463 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 464
May an accuser stand 465 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 466 guilty! 467
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few! 468
May another take his job! 469
109:9 May his children 470 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 471 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 472
109:11 May the creditor seize 473 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 474
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 475
May no one have compassion 476 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 477 be cut off! 478
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 479
109:14 May his ancestors’ 480 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 481
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 482
and cut off the memory of his children 483 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 484
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 485
109:17 He loved to curse 486 others, so those curses have come upon him. 487
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 488
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 489
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 490
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 491
or a belt 492 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 493
those who say evil things about 494 me! 495
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 496
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 497
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 498
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 499
I have turned into skin and bones. 500
109:25 I am disdained by them. 501
When they see me, they shake their heads. 502
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 503
109:27 Then they will realize 504 this is your work, 505
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 506
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 507
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 508 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 509
in the middle of a crowd 510 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 511 his life.
A psalm of David.
110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation 513 to my lord: 514
“Sit down at my right hand 515 until I make your enemies your footstool!” 516
110:2 The Lord 517 extends 518 your dominion 519 from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
110:3 Your people willingly follow you 520 when you go into battle. 521
On the holy hills 522 at sunrise 523 the dew of your youth 524 belongs to you. 525
110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath 526 and will not revoke it: 527
“You are an eternal priest 528 after the pattern of 529 Melchizedek.” 530
110:5 O sovereign Lord, 531 at your right hand
he strikes down 532 kings in the day he unleashes his anger. 533
110:6 He executes judgment 534 against 535 the nations;
he fills the valleys with corpses; 536
he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. 537
110:7 From the stream along the road he drinks;
then he lifts up his head. 538
111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.
111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,
eagerly awaited 540 by all who desire them.
111:3 His work is majestic and glorious, 541
and his faithfulness endures 542 forever.
111:4 He does 543 amazing things that will be remembered; 544
the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
111:5 He gives 545 food to his faithful followers; 546
he always remembers his covenant. 547
111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,
giving them a land that belonged to other nations. 548
111:7 His acts are characterized by 549 faithfulness and justice;
all his precepts are reliable. 550
111:8 They are forever firm,
and should be faithfully and properly carried out. 551
111:9 He delivered his people; 552
he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. 553
His name is holy and awesome.
111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; 554
all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. 555
He will receive praise forever. 556
[93:1] 1 sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the
[93:1] 2 sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.
[93:2] 3 tn Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.
[93:3] 4 tn The Hebrew noun translated “waves” often refers to rivers or streams, but here it appears to refer to the surging waves of the sea (see v. 4, Ps 24:2).
[93:3] 5 tn Heb “the waves lift up, O
[93:4] 6 tn Heb “mighty waters.”
[93:4] sn The surging waters here symbolizes the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy the order he has established in the world (see Pss 18:17; 29:3; 32:6; 77:20; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). But the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over these raging waters.
[93:4] 7 tn Heb “mighty on high [is] the
[93:5] 8 tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.
[93:5] 9 sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
[93:5] 10 sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).
[93:5] 11 tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O
[94:1] 12 sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
[94:1] 13 tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).
[94:4] 15 tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”
[94:4] 16 tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (’amar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).
[94:5] 17 tn Or “your inheritance.”
[94:6] 18 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
[94:7] 19 tn Heb “does not understand.”
[94:8] 20 tn Heb “understand.” The verb used in v. 7 is repeated here for rhetorical effect. The people referred to here claim God is ignorant of their actions, but the psalmist corrects their faulty viewpoint.
[94:8] 21 tn Heb “[you] brutish among the people.”
[94:9] 22 tn Heb “The one who plants an ear, does he not hear? The one who forms an eye, does he not see?”
[94:11] 23 tn Heb “the
[94:12] 24 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.
[94:13] 25 tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”
[94:13] 26 tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”
[94:14] 28 tn Or “his inheritance.”
[94:15] 29 tn Heb “for judgment will return to justice.”
[94:15] 30 tn Heb “all the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the
[94:15] 31 tn Heb “and after it [are] the pure of heart.”
[94:16] 33 sn Who will stand up for me…? The questions anticipate the answer, “No one except God” (see v. 17).
[94:17] 34 tn Heb “If the
[94:19] 35 tn Heb “when my worries are many within me.”
[94:19] 36 tn Heb “your comforts cause my soul to delight.”
[94:20] 37 tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.
[94:20] 38 tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.
[94:21] 40 tn Heb “the life of the blameless.”
[94:21] 41 tn Heb “and the blood of the innocent they declare guilty.”
[94:22] 42 tn Heb “and the
[94:22] 43 tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”
[94:23] 44 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
[95:1] 46 sn Psalm 95. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God as the creator of the world and the nation’s protector, but he also reminds the people not to rebel against God.
[95:1] 47 tn Heb “to the rocky summit of our deliverance.”
[95:2] 48 tn Heb “meet his face.”
[95:2] 49 tn Heb “with songs of joy.”
[95:4] 51 tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.
[95:6] 52 tn Heb “kneel down.”
[95:7] 53 tn Heb “of his hand.”
[95:7] 54 tn Heb “if only you would listen to his voice.” The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (cf. Ps 81:8). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
[95:8] 55 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).
[95:8] 56 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
[95:8] 57 sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).
[95:8] 58 tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”
[95:9] 59 tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”
[95:10] 60 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.
[95:10] 61 tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”
[95:10] 62 tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the
[95:11] 63 tn Heb “my resting place.” The promised land of Canaan is here viewed metaphorically as a place of rest for God’s people, who are compared to sheep (see v. 7).
[96:1] 64 sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.
[96:1] 65 sn A new song is appropriate because the
[96:2] 66 tn Heb “announce from day to day his deliverance.”
[96:3] 67 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
[96:4] 68 tn Or perhaps “and feared by all gods.” See Ps 89:7.
[96:5] 69 tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.
[96:6] 70 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
[96:6] 71 tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”
[96:8] 72 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”
[96:9] 73 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
[96:13] 74 tn The verbal forms in v. 13 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions, in which case they could be translated “will judge the world.”
[96:13] 75 tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”
[97:1] 76 sn Psalm 97. The psalmist depicts the Lord as the sovereign, just king of the world who comes in power to vindicate his people.
[97:2] 77 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
[97:3] 78 tn Heb “all around.”
[97:7] 79 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verbal form in the first line is an imperfect (“are ashamed”) and that the ambiguous form in the third line is a perfect (“bow down”) because the psalmist appears to be describing the effect of the
[97:8] 80 tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
[97:9] 81 tn Traditionally “Most High.”
[97:10] 82 tn The participle may be verbal, though it might also be understood as substantival and appositional to “the
[97:11] 84 tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.
[97:12] 85 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the
[98:1] 86 sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.
[98:1] 87 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.
[98:1] 88 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.
[98:1] 89 tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.
[98:2] 90 tn Heb “makes known his deliverance.”
[98:3] 91 tn Heb “he remembers his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.”
[98:3] 92 tn Heb “the deliverance of our God,” with “God” being a subjective genitive (= God delivers).
[98:9] 93 tn The verbal forms in v. 9 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).
[99:1] 94 sn Psalm 99. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s just rule and recalls how he revealed himself to Israel’s leaders.
[99:1] 95 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 1 are understood here as indicating the nations’ characteristic response to the reality of the
[99:1] 96 sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.
[99:1] 97 tn The Hebrew verb נוּט (nut) occurs only here in the OT, but the meaning can be determined on the basis of the parallelism with רָגַז (ragaz, “tremble”) and evidence from the cognate languages (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 121).
[99:3] 99 tn The pronoun refers to the
[99:4] 100 tn Heb “and strength, a king, justice he loves.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult here. The translation assumes that two affirmations are made about the king, the
[99:4] 101 tn Heb “you establish fairness.”
[99:6] 104 tn Heb “among those who called on his name.”
[99:6] 105 tn Heb “those who.” The participle is in apposition to the phrase “those who called on his name” in the preceding line.
[99:7] 106 sn A pillar of cloud. The psalmist refers to the reality described in Exod 33:9-10; Num 12:5; and Deut 31:15.
[99:8] 107 tn Heb “a God of lifting up [i.e., forgiveness] you were to them, and an avenger concerning their deeds.” The present translation reflects the traditional interpretation, which understands the last line as qualifying the preceding one. God forgave Moses and Aaron, but he also disciplined them when they sinned (cf. NIV, NRSV). Another option is to take “their deeds” as referring to harmful deeds directed against Moses and Aaron. In this case the verse may be translated, “and one who avenged attacks against them.” Still another option is to emend the participial form נֹקֵם (noqem, “an avenger”) to נֹקָם (noqam), a rare Qal participial form of נָקַה (naqah, “purify”) with a suffixed pronoun. In this case one could translate, “and one who purified them from their [sinful] deeds” (cf. NEB “and held them innocent”).
[100:1] 109 sn Psalm 100. The psalmist celebrates the fact that Israel has a special relationship to God and summons worshipers to praise the Lord for his faithfulness.
[100:3] 111 tn The present translation (like most modern translations) follows the Qere (marginal reading), which reads literally, “and to him [are] we.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and not we.” The suffixed preposition לו (“to him”) was confused aurally with the negative particle לא because the two sound identical.
[100:5] 112 tn Or “is forever.”
[100:5] 113 tn Heb “and to a generation and a generation [is] his faithfulness.”
[101:1] 114 sn Psalm 101. The psalmist, who appears to be a king, promises to promote justice in his land and vows to rid his royal court of evildoers.
[101:2] 115 tn Heb “take notice of.”
[101:2] 116 tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”
[101:3] 117 tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”
[101:3] 118 tn Heb “the doing of swerving [deeds] I hate.” The Hebrew term סֵטִים (setim) is probably an alternate spelling of שֵׂטִים (setim), which appears in many medieval Hebrew
[101:3] 119 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doing of evil deeds] does not cling to me.”
[101:4] 120 tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).
[101:4] 121 tn Heb “know.” The king will not willingly allow perverse individuals to remain in his royal court.
[101:5] 122 tn Heb “[one who has] pride of eyes and wideness [i.e., arrogance] of heart, him I will not endure.”
[101:6] 123 tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”
[101:6] 124 tn The Hebrew text simply reads, “in order to live with me.”
[101:6] 125 tn Heb “one who walks in the way of integrity, he will minister to me.”
[101:7] 126 tn Heb “he will not live in the midst of my house, one who does deceit.”
[101:7] 127 tn Heb “one who speaks lies will not be established before my eyes.”
[102:1] 128 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
[102:1] 129 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
[102:2] 130 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] 131 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
[102:3] 132 tn Heb “for my days come to an end in smoke.”
[102:3] 133 tn The Hebrew noun מוֹ־קֵד (mo-qed, “fireplace”) occurs only here, in Isa 33:14 (where it refers to the fire itself), and perhaps in Lev 6:2.
[102:4] 134 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
[102:4] 135 tn Heb “I forget.”
[102:4] 136 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
[102:5] 137 tn Heb “from the sound of my groaning my bone[s] stick to my flesh.” The preposition at the beginning of the verse is causal; the phrase “sound of my groaning” is metonymic for the anxiety that causes the groaning. The point seems to be this: Anxiety (which causes the psalmist to groan) keeps him from eating (v. 4). This physical deprivation in turn makes him emaciated – he is turned to “skin and bones,” so to speak.
[102:6] 138 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] 139 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] 140 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.
[102:7] 141 tn This probably refers to the psalmist’s inability to sleep. Another option is to translate, “I keep watch,” in which case it might refer to watching for a response from the
[102:8] 142 tn Heb “by me they swear.” When the psalmist’s enemies call judgment down on others, they hold the psalmist up as a prime example of what they desire their enemies to become.
[102:9] 143 sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).
[102:11] 146 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
[102:12] 147 tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[102:12] 148 tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”
[102:13] 149 tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”
[102:14] 151 tn The Poel of חָנַן (khanan) occurs only here and in Prov 14:21, where it refers to having compassion on the poor.
[102:14] 152 tn Heb “her dust,” probably referring to the dust of the city’s rubble.
[102:15] 153 tn Heb “will fear the name of the
[102:15] 154 tn The verb “will fear” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[102:17] 155 tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).
[102:17] 156 tn Heb “despise.”
[102:17] 157 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.
[102:18] 158 tn The Hebrew text has simply “this,” referring to the anticipated divine intervention on behalf of Zion (vv. 13, 16-17). The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[102:19] 159 tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”
[102:19] 160 tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.
[102:20] 161 tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.
[102:21] 162 tn Heb “his praise.”
[102:21] 163 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[102:22] 164 tn “and the kingdoms to serve the
[102:23] 165 tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).
[102:24] 166 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
[102:24] 167 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
[102:26] 169 tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.
[102:27] 170 tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the
[102:28] 171 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[102:28] 172 tn Heb “before you will be established.”
[103:1] 173 sn Psalm 103. The psalmist praises God for his mercy and willingness to forgive his people.
[103:1] 174 tn The verb “praise” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[103:2] 175 tn Or “his benefits” (see 2 Chr 32:25, where the noun is also used of kind deeds performed by the
[103:3] 176 tn This relatively rare noun refers to deadly diseases (see Deut 29:22; Jer 14:18; 16:4; 2 Chr 21:19).
[103:4] 178 tn The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 55:24.
[103:5] 179 tc Heb “who satisfies with the good of your ornaments.” The text as it stands makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes an emendation of עֶדְיֵךְ (’ed’ekh, “your ornaments”) to עֹדֵכִי (’odekhiy, “your duration; your continuance”) that is, “your life” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 18).
[103:5] 180 sn The expression your youth is renewed like an eagle’s may allude to the phenomenon of molting, whereby the eagle grows new feathers.
[103:6] 181 tn Heb “the
[103:7] 182 tn Heb “made known his ways.” God’s “ways” in this context are his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 18:30; 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 138:5; 145:17).
[103:8] 183 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Ps 86:15).
[103:8] 184 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Ps 86:15).
[103:9] 185 tn The Hebrew verb נָטַר (natar) is usually taken to mean “to keep; to guard,” with “anger” being understood by ellipsis. The idiom “to guard anger” is then understood to mean “to remain angry” (see Lev 19:18; Jer 3:5, 12; Nah 1:2). However, it is possible that this is a homonymic root meaning “to be angry” (see HALOT 695 s.v. נטר).
[103:10] 186 tn Heb “not according to our sins does he do to us.”
[103:10] 187 tn Heb “and not according to our misdeeds does he repay us.”
[103:11] 188 tn For this sense of the verb גָבַר (gavar), see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.
[103:11] 189 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[103:12] 190 tn Heb “sunrise.”
[103:12] 192 tn The Hebrew term פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, rebellious act”) is here used metonymically for the guilt such actions produce.
[103:13] 193 tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.
[103:13] 194 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[103:14] 195 tn Heb “our form.”
[103:14] 196 tn Heb “remembers.”
[103:14] 197 tn Heb “we [are] clay.”
[103:15] 198 tn Heb “[as for] mankind, like grass [are] his days.” The Hebrew noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here generically of human beings. What is said is true of all mankind.
[103:16] 199 tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[103:17] 200 tn Heb “but the loyal love of the
[103:17] 201 tn Heb “and his righteousness to sons of sons.”
[103:18] 202 tn Heb “to those who remember his precepts to do them.”
[103:19] 203 tn Heb “his kingdom rules over all.”
[103:20] 204 tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”
[103:21] 205 tn Heb “all his hosts.”
[103:21] 206 tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”
[103:22] 207 tn Heb “all his works,” which includes mankind.
[104:1] 209 sn Psalm 104. The psalmist praises God as the ruler of the world who sustains all life.
[104:1] 210 tn Heb “very great.”
[104:3] 211 tn Heb “one who lays the beams on water [in] his upper rooms.” The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 44-45.
[104:3] 212 sn Verse 3 may depict the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option is that the wind is personified as a cherub. See Ps 18:10 and the discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.
[104:4] 213 tc Heb “and his attendants a flaming fire.” The lack of agreement between the singular “fire” and plural “attendants” has prompted various emendations. Some read “fire and flame.” The present translation assumes an emendation to “his attendant” (יו in the Hebrew text being virtually dittographic).
[104:4] sn In Ugaritic mythology Yam’s messengers appear as flaming fire before the assembly of the gods. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 42.
[104:6] 214 tc Heb “you covered it.” The masculine suffix is problematic if the grammatically feminine noun “earth” is the antecedent. For this reason some emend the form to a feminine verb with feminine suffix, כִּסַּתָּה (kisattah, “[the watery deep] covered it [i.e., the earth]”), a reading assumed by the present translation.
[104:6] 216 sn Verse 6 refers to the condition described in Gen 1:2 (note the use of the Hebrew term תְּהוֹם [tÿhom, “watery deep”] in both texts).
[104:8] 217 tn Heb “from your shout they fled, from the sound of your thunder they hurried off.”
[104:8] sn Verses 7-8 poetically depict Gen 1:9-10.
[104:9] 218 tn Heb “a boundary you set up, they will not cross, they will not return to cover the earth.”
[104:10] 219 tn Heb “[the] one who sends springs into streams.” Another option is to translate, “he sends streams [i.e., streams that originate from springs] into the valleys” (cf. NIV).
[104:12] 220 tn Heb “among the thick foliage they give a sound.”
[104:13] 221 tn Heb “from his upper rooms.”
[104:13] 222 tn Heb “from the fruit of your works the earth is full.” The translation assumes that “fruit” is literal here. If “fruit” is understood more abstractly as “product; result,” then one could translate, “the earth flourishes as a result of your deeds” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB).
[104:14] 223 tn Heb “causes the grass to sprout up.”
[104:14] 224 tn Heb “for the service of man” (see Gen 2:5).
[104:14] 225 tn Heb “to cause food to come out from the earth.”
[104:15] 226 tn Heb “and wine [that] makes the heart of man happy.”
[104:15] 227 tn Heb “to make [the] face shine from oil.” The Hebrew verb צָהַל (tsahal, “to shine”) occurs only here in the OT. It appears to be an alternate form of צָהַר (tsahar), a derivative from צָהָרִים (tsaharim, “noon”).
[104:15] 228 tn Heb “and food [that] sustains the heart of man.”
[104:16] 229 sn The trees of the
[104:16] 230 tn Heb “are satisfied,” which means here that they receive abundant rain (see v. 13).
[104:17] 231 tn Heb “[the] heron [in the] evergreens [is] its home.”
[104:17] sn The cedars and evergreens of the Lebanon forest are frequently associated (see, for example, 2 Chr 2:8; Isa 14:8; 37:24; Ezek 31:8).
[104:18] 232 tn Heb “the high mountains [are] for the goats.”
[104:19] 233 tn Heb “he made [the] moon for appointed times.” The phrase “appointed times” probably refers to the months of the Hebrew lunar calendar.
[104:19] 234 tn Heb more metaphorically, “knows its setting.”
[104:20] 235 tn Heb “you make darkness, so that it might be night.”
[104:21] 236 sn The lions’ roaring is viewed as a request for food from God.
[104:22] 237 tn Heb “lie down.”
[104:23] 238 tn Heb “man goes out to his work, and to his labor until evening.”
[104:24] 239 tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O
[104:24] 240 tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”
[104:25] 241 tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”
[104:25] 242 tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”
[104:26] 243 tn Heb “[and] this Leviathan, [which] you formed to play in it.” Elsewhere Leviathan is a multiheaded sea monster that symbolizes forces hostile to God (see Ps 74:14; Isa 27:1), but here it appears to be an actual marine creature created by God, probably some type of whale.
[104:27] 244 tn Heb “All of them.” The pronoun “them” refers not just to the sea creatures mentioned in vv. 25-26, but to all living things (see v. 24). This has been specified in the translation as “all of your creatures” for clarity.
[104:27] 245 tn Heb “to give their food in its time.”
[104:28] 246 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] good.”
[104:29] 247 tn Heb “you hide your face, they are terrified.”
[104:31] 248 tn Heb “be forever.”
[104:31] 249 tn Or “rejoice in his works.”
[104:33] 250 tn Heb “in my duration.”
[104:34] 251 tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.
[104:35] 252 tn Or “be destroyed.”
[105:1] 253 sn Psalm 105. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God because he delivered his people from Egypt in fulfillment of his covenantal promises to Abraham. A parallel version of vv. 1-15 appears in 1 Chr 16:8-22.
[105:5] 254 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
[105:6] 255 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[105:6] 256 tc Some
[105:6] 257 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:6] 259 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:7] 260 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
[105:8] 261 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.
[105:10] 263 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
[105:13] 264 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
[105:15] 265 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:15] 266 tn Heb “anointed.”
[105:16] 267 tn Heb “and every staff of food he broke.” The psalmist refers to the famine that occurred in Joseph’s time (see v. 17 and Gen 41:53-57).
[105:17] 268 tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).
[105:18] 269 tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”
[105:18] 270 tn Heb “his neck came [into] iron.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with the suffix could mean simply “he” or “his life.” But the nuance “neck” makes good sense here (note the reference to his “feet” in the preceding line). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 38.
[105:19] 271 tn Heb “word,” probably referring to Joseph’s prediction about the fate of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (see Gen 41:9-14).
[105:19] 272 tn This line may refer to Joseph’s prediction of the famine in response to Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph emphasized to Pharaoh that the interpretation of the dream came from God (see Gen 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39).
[105:19] 273 tn Heb “refined him.”
[105:20] 274 tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”
[105:21] 275 tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”
[105:22] 276 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
[105:22] 277 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
[105:23] 278 tn Heb “entered.”
[105:23] 279 tn Heb “lived as a resident alien.”
[105:24] 280 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[105:24] 281 tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”
[105:24] 282 tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”
[105:25] 283 tn Heb “their heart.”
[105:25] 284 tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.
[105:27] 285 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
[105:28] 286 tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”
[105:28] sn He made it dark. The psalmist begins with the ninth plague (see Exod 10:21-29).
[105:28] 287 tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.
[105:31] 288 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
[105:32] 289 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
[105:32] 290 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
[105:34] 291 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
[105:35] 292 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
[105:36] 293 tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).
[105:36] sn Verses 28-36 recall the plagues in a different order than the one presented in Exodus: v. 28 (plague 9), v. 29 (plague 1), v. 30 (plague 2), v. 31a (plague 4), v. 31b (plague 3), vv. 32-33 (plague 7), vv. 34-35 (plague 8), v. 36 (plague 10). No reference is made in Ps 105 to plagues 5 and 6.
[105:37] 294 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the
[105:37] 295 tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:38] 296 tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”
[105:40] 298 tn Heb “he [i.e., his people] asked.” The singular form should probably be emended to a plural שָׁאֲלוּ (sha’alu, “they asked”), the vav (ו) having fallen off by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the following form).
[105:40] 299 tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).
[105:42] 301 tn Heb “his holy word.”
[105:43] 302 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
[105:44] 303 tn Heb “and the [product of the] work of peoples they possessed.”
[106:1] 305 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
[106:1] 306 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[106:2] 307 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
[106:5] 309 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
[106:5] 310 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
[106:6] 312 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
[106:7] 313 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
[106:7] sn They rebelled. The psalmist recalls the people’s complaint recorded in Exod 14:12.
[106:8] 314 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[106:10] 317 tn Or “redeemed.”
[106:11] 319 tn Heb “remained.”
[106:12] 320 tn Heb “his words.”
[106:13] 321 tn Heb “his works.”
[106:13] 322 tn Heb “his counsel.”
[106:14] 323 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
[106:14] 324 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
[106:14] 325 tn Heb “they tested God.”
[106:15] 326 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”
[106:15] sn Disease. See Num 11:33-34, where this plague is described.
[106:16] 328 tn Heb “the holy one of the
[106:17] 330 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
[106:18] 331 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
[106:20] 332 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the
[106:22] 334 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
[106:23] 335 tn Heb “and he said.”
[106:23] 336 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
[106:23] 337 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
[106:23] 338 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”
[106:23] sn Verses 19-23 describe the events of Exod 32:1-35.
[106:24] 339 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
[106:24] 340 tn Heb “his word.”
[106:25] 341 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
[106:25] 342 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
[106:26] 343 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
[106:26] 344 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
[106:27] 345 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[106:27] 346 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
[106:27] 347 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[106:28] 348 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”
[106:28] sn They worshiped Baal of Peor. See Num 25:3, 5. Baal of Peor was a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal located at Peor.
[106:28] 349 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
[106:29] 350 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew
[106:30] 351 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
[106:31] 352 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant.
[106:31] sn Brought him a reward. See Num 25:12-13.
[106:32] 353 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 354 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
[106:33] 355 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 356 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[106:33] sn Verses 32-33 allude to the events of Num 20:1-13.
[106:34] 357 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 358 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 360 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 361 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
[106:38] 362 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 363 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 364 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 365 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 366 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 367 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 368 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] 369 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] 370 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 371 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 373 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 374 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 375 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 376 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 377 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 378 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
[107:1] 379 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 380 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 381 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 384 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 385 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 386 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 387 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 388 tn Heb “[the] longing throat.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), which frequently refers to one’s very being or soul, here probably refers to one’s parched “throat” (note the parallelism with נֶפֱשׁ רְעֵבָה, nefesh rÿ’evah, “hungry throat”).
[107:9] 389 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 390 tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” 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 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).
[107:10] 391 tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.
[107:11] 392 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 393 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 394 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 395 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 396 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 397 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 398 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 399 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 400 tn Heb “he sent his word.” This probably refers to an oracle of assurance which announced his intention to intervene (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 59).
[107:20] 401 tn Heb “he rescued from their traps.” The Hebrew word שְׁחִית (shekhit, “trap”) occurs only here and in Lam 4:20, where it refers to a trap or pit in which one is captured. Because of the rarity of the term and the absence of an object with the verb “rescued,” some prefer to emend the text of Ps 107:20, reading מִשַׁחַת חַיָּתָם (mishakhat khayyatam, “[he rescued] their lives from the pit”). Note also NIV “from the grave,” which interprets the “pit” as Sheol or the grave.
[107:21] 402 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 403 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 404 sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.
[107:23] 405 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 406 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 407 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 408 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 409 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 410 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 412 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 413 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 414 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
[107:29] 415 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 416 tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23.
[107:30] 417 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 418 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 419 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 420 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 421 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 422 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[107:34] 423 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 424 tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion.
[107:35] 425 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33.
[107:37] 426 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 427 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 428 tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).
[107:38] 429 tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).
[107:39] 430 tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people.
[107:39] 431 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 432 tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.
[107:41] 433 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 434 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
[108:1] 435 sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).
[108:1] 436 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[108:1] 437 tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“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 (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. 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.”
[108:2] 438 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[108:3] 439 tn Or “the peoples.”
[108:4] 440 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[108:5] 441 tn Or “be exalted.”
[108:5] 442 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.)
[108:6] 443 tn Heb “right hand.”
[108:6] 444 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[108:7] 445 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[108:7] 446 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
[108:8] 447 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] 448 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] 449 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.
[108:9] 450 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[108:9] 451 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[108:10] 452 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
[108:12] 453 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[108:13] 454 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 118:16-16).
[108:13] 455 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
[109:1] 456 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 457 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 458 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 459 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 460 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 461 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 462 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 463 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 464 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 465 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 466 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 467 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 468 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
[109:8] 469 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 472 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 473 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 474 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 475 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 476 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 477 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 478 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 479 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 480 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 481 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:14] sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
[109:15] 482 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 483 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 484 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 485 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 486 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 487 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 488 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 489 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 490 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 491 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 492 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 493 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 495 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 496 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 497 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
[109:23] 498 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 499 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 500 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 501 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 502 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 503 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 504 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 505 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 506 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 507 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 508 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 509 tn Heb “I will thank the
[110:1] 512 sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.
[110:1] 513 tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.
[110:1] 514 sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).
[110:1] 515 tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.
[110:1] sn The Lord’s invitation to the Davidic king to sit down at his right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.
[110:1] 516 sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).
[110:2] 517 tn Since the
[110:2] 518 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.
[110:2] 519 tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.
[110:3] 520 tn Heb “your people, free will offerings.” Perhaps the people, in their willingness to volunteer, are compared metaphorically to freewill offerings. Following the LXX, some revocalize the text and read “with you is nobility.”
[110:3] 521 tn Heb “in the day of your power.”
[110:3] 522 tc Heb “in splendor of holiness.” The plural construct form הַדְרֵי (hadrey, from הָדַר, hadar, “splendor”) occurs only here; it may indicate degree or perhaps refer by metonymy to garments (see Pss 29:2 and 96:9, where the phrase הַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ [hadrat qodesh] refers to “holy attire”). If one retains the reading of the MT, this phrase should probably be taken with the preceding line. However, because of the subsequent references to “dawn” and to “dew,” it is better to emend the text to הַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ (harrey qodesh, “mountains of holiness”), a reading found in many medieval Hebrew
[110:3] 523 tn Heb “from the womb of dawn.” The Hebrew noun רֶחֶם (rekhem, “womb”) is probably used here metonymically for “birth.” The form מִשְׁחָר (mishkhar) occurs only here and should be emended to שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”) with the mem (מ) being understood as dittographic (note the final mem [ם] on the preceding word). The phrase “womb [i.e., “birth”] of dawn” refers to sunrise.
[110:3] 524 sn The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. The dew may symbolize the king’s youthful vitality or, more likely (note the parallelism), may refer to his army of strong, youthful warriors.
[110:3] 525 tn Heb “to you [is].”
[110:4] 526 tn Or “swears, vows.”
[110:4] 527 tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
[110:4] 528 sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).
[110:4] 529 tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.
[110:4] 530 sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”
[110:5] 531 tn As pointed in the Hebrew text, this title refers to God (many medieval Hebrew
[110:5] 532 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 5-6 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing. Another option is to take them as rhetorical. In this case the psalmist describes anticipated events as if they had already taken place.
[110:5] 533 tn Heb “in the day of his anger.”
[110:6] 534 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 6-7 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though they could be taken as future.
[110:6] 536 tn Heb “he fills [with] corpses,” but one expects a double accusative here. The translation assumes an emendation to גְוִיּוֹת גֵאָיוֹת(בִּ) מִלֵּא or מִלֵּא גֵאָיוֹת גְּוִיוֹת (for a similar construction see Ezek 32:5). In the former case גֵאָיוֹת(ge’ayot) has accidentally dropped from the text due to homoioteleuton; in the latter case it has dropped out due to homoioarcton.
[110:6] 537 tn Heb “he strikes [the verb is מָחַץ (makhats), translated “strikes down” in v. 5] head[s] over a great land.” The Hebrew term רַבָּה (rabbah, “great”) is here used of distance or spatial measurement (see 1 Sam 26:13).
[110:7] 538 tn Here the expression “lifts up the head” refers to the renewed physical strength and emotional vigor (see Ps 3:3) provided by the refreshing water. For another example of a victorious warrior being energized by water in the aftermath of battle, see Judg 15:18-19 (see also 1 Sam 30:11-12, where the setting is different, however).
[111:1] 539 sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[111:2] 540 tn Heb “sought out.”
[111:3] 541 tn For other uses of the Hebrew phrase וְהָדָר-הוֹד (hod-vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 21:5; 96:6; 104:1.
[111:4] 543 tn Or “did,” if this refers primarily to the events of the exodus and conquest period (see vv. 6, 9).
[111:4] 544 tn Heb “a memorial he had made for his amazing deeds.”
[111:5] 545 tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.
[111:5] 546 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[111:5] 547 tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).
[111:6] 548 tn Heb “the strength of his deeds he proclaimed to his people, to give to them an inheritance of nations.”
[111:7] 549 tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”
[111:7] 550 tn That is, fair and for man’s good.
[111:8] 551 tn Heb “done in faithfulness and uprightness.” The passive participle probably has the force of a gerund. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 89.
[111:9] 552 tn Heb “redemption he sent for his people.”
[111:9] 553 tn Heb “he commanded forever his covenant.”
[111:10] 554 tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the
[111:10] 555 tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.
