Mazmur 94:2

94:2 Rise up, O judge of the earth!

Pay back the proud!

Mazmur 82:8

82:8 Rise up, O God, and execute judgment on the earth!

For you own ¹  all the nations.

Mazmur 7:11

7:11 God is a just judge;

he is angry throughout the day. ² 

Mazmur 50:6

50:6 The heavens declare his fairness, ³ 

for God is judge. ⁴  (Selah)

Mazmur 98:9

98:9 before the Lord!

For he comes to judge the earth!

He judges the world fairly, ⁵ 

and the nations in a just manner.

Mazmur 96:13

96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!

For he comes to judge the earth!

He judges the world fairly, ⁶ 

and the nations in accordance with his justice. ⁷ 

Mazmur 96:10

96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

He judges the nations fairly.”

Mazmur 75:7

75:7 For God is the judge! ⁸ 

He brings one down and exalts another. ⁹ 

Mazmur 9:4

9:4 For you defended my just cause; ¹⁰ 

from your throne you pronounced a just decision. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 9:8

9:8 He judges the world fairly;

he makes just legal decisions for the nations. ¹² 

Mazmur 75:2

75:2 God says, ¹³ 

“At the appointed times, ¹⁴ 

I judge ¹⁵  fairly.

Mazmur 82:2

82:2 He says, ¹⁶  “How long will you make unjust legal decisions

and show favoritism to the wicked? ¹⁷  (Selah)

Mazmur 7:8

7:8 The Lord judges the nations. ¹⁸ 

Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, ¹⁹ 

because I am blameless, ²⁰  O Exalted One! ²¹ 

Mazmur 35:24

35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!

Do not let them gloat ²²  over me!

Mazmur 58:1

Psalm 58 ²³ 

For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ²⁴  a prayer ²⁵  of David.

58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? ²⁶ 

Do you judge people ²⁷  fairly?

Mazmur 72:4

72:4 He will defend ²⁸  the oppressed among the people;

he will deliver ²⁹  the children ³⁰  of the poor

and crush the oppressor.

Mazmur 82:3

82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! ³¹ 

Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!

Mazmur 109:31

109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,

to deliver him from those who threaten ³²  his life.

Mazmur 43:1

Psalm 43 ³³ 

43:1 Vindicate me, O God!

Fight for me ³⁴  against an ungodly nation!

Deliver me ³⁵  from deceitful and evil men! ³⁶ 

Mazmur 110:6

110:6 He executes judgment ³⁷  against ³⁸  the nations;

he fills the valleys with corpses; ³⁹ 

he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. ⁴⁰ 

Mazmur 82:1

Psalm 82 ⁴¹ 

A psalm of Asaph.

82:1 God stands in ⁴²  the assembly of El; ⁴³ 

in the midst of the gods ⁴⁴  he renders judgment. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 2:10

2:10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; ⁴⁶ 

you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! ⁴⁷ 

Mazmur 1:5

1:5 For this reason ⁴⁸  the wicked cannot withstand ⁴⁹  judgment, ⁵⁰ 

nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 9:19

9:19 Rise up, Lord! ⁵² 

Don’t let men be defiant! ⁵³ 

May the nations be judged in your presence!

Mazmur 148:11

148:11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,

you princes and all you leaders ⁵⁴  on the earth,

Mazmur 9:7

9:7 But the Lord ⁵⁵  rules ⁵⁶  forever;

he reigns in a just manner. ⁵⁷ 

Mazmur 122:5

122:5 Indeed, ⁵⁸  the leaders sit ⁵⁹  there on thrones and make legal decisions,

on the thrones of the house of David. ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 58:11

58:11 Then ⁶¹  observers ⁶²  will say,

“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! ⁶³ 

Yes indeed, there is a God who judges ⁶⁴  in the earth!”

Mazmur 68:5

68:5 He is a father to the fatherless

and an advocate for widows. ⁶⁵ 

God rules from his holy palace. ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 141:6

141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. ⁶⁷ 

They ⁶⁸  will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

Mazmur 94:20

94:20 Cruel rulers ⁶⁹  are not your allies,

those who make oppressive laws. ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 98:8

98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands!

Let the mountains sing in unison

Mazmur 109:7

109:7 When he is judged, he will be found ⁷¹  guilty! ⁷² 

Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.

Mazmur 17:2

17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! ⁷³ 

Decide what is right! ⁷⁴ 

Mazmur 37:12

37:12 Evil men plot against the godly ⁷⁵ 

and viciously attack them. ⁷⁶ 

Mazmur 50:4

50:4 He summons the heavens above,

as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people. ⁷⁷ 

Mazmur 72:1-2

Psalm 72 ⁷⁸ 

For ⁷⁹  Solomon.

72:1 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions! ⁸⁰ 

Grant the king’s son ⁸¹  the ability to make fair decisions! ⁸² 

72:2 Then he will judge ⁸³  your people fairly,

and your oppressed ones ⁸⁴  equitably.

Mazmur 94:1

Psalm 94 ⁸⁵ 

94:1 O Lord, the God who avenges!

O God who avenges, reveal your splendor! ⁸⁶ 

Mazmur 94:15

94:15 For justice will prevail, ⁸⁷ 

and all the morally upright ⁸⁸  will be vindicated. ⁸⁹ 

Mazmur 109:6

109:6 ⁹⁰ Appoint an evil man to testify against him! ⁹¹ 

May an accuser stand ⁹²  at his right side!

Mazmur 7:7

7:7 The countries are assembled all around you; ⁹³ 

take once more your rightful place over them! ⁹⁴ 

Mazmur 9:16

9:16 The Lord revealed himself;

he accomplished justice;

the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. ⁹⁵  (Higgaion. ⁹⁶  Selah)

Mazmur 38:19

38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; ⁹⁷ 

those who hate me without cause outnumber me. ⁹⁸ 

Mazmur 75:6

75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,

or from the wilderness. ⁹⁹ 

Mazmur 7:6

7:6 Stand up angrily, ¹⁰⁰  Lord!

Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! ¹⁰¹ 

Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! ¹⁰² 

[82:8]  ¹ tn The translation assumes that the Qal of נָחַל (nakhal) here means “to own; to possess,” and that the imperfect emphasizes a general truth. Another option is to translate the verb as future, “for you will take possession of all the nations” (cf. NIV “all the nations are your inheritance”).

[7:11]  ² tn Heb “God (the divine name אֵל [’el] is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb זֹעֵם (zo’em) means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice leads him to prepare to execute judgment as described in the following verses.

[50:6]  ³ tn Or “justice.”

[50:6]  ⁴ tn Or “for God, he is about to judge.” The participle may be taken as substantival (as in the translation above) or as a predicate (indicating imminent future action in this context).

[98:9]  ⁵ 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…”).

[96:13]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”

[75:7]  ⁸ tn Or “judges.”

[75:7]  ⁹ tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”

[9:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).

[9:8]  ¹² tn Heb “the peoples.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 8 either describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).

[75:2]  ¹³ tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in vv. 2-3.

[75:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”

[75:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I, [in] fairness, I judge.” The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically executes fair judgment as he governs the world. One could take this as referring to an anticipated (future) judgment, “I will judge.”

[82:2]  ¹⁶ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision (see v. 1).

[82:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”

[7:8]  ¹⁸ sn The Lord judges the nations. In hyperbolic fashion the psalmist pictures the nations assembled around the divine throne (v. 7a). He urges God to take his rightful place on the throne (v. 7b) and then pictures him making judicial decisions that vindicate the innocent (see vv. 8-16).

[7:8]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “judge me, O Lord, according to my innocence.”

[7:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “according to my blamelessness.” The imperative verb translated “vindicate” governs the second line as well.

[7:8]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew form עָלָי (’alay) has been traditionally understood as the preposition עַל (’al, “over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”). This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see HALOT 824-25 s.v. I עַל, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:44-45, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 98.

[35:24]  ²² tn Heb “rejoice.”

[58:1]  ²³ sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.

[58:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.

[58:1]  ²⁵ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[58:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.

[58:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)

[72:4]  ²⁸ tn Heb “judge [for].”

[72:4]  ²⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.

[72:4]  ³⁰ tn Heb “sons.”

[82:3]  ³¹ 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; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[109:31]  ³² tn Heb “judge.”

[43:1]  ³³ sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalm 43 and Psalm 42 into one psalm. Psalm 43 is the only psalm in Book 2 of the Psalter (Psalms 42-72) that does not have a heading, suggesting that it was originally the third and concluding section of Psalm 42. Ps 43:5 is identical to the refrain in Ps 42:11 and almost identical to the refrain in Ps 42:5.

[43:1]  ³⁴ tn Or “argue my case.”

[43:1]  ³⁵ tn The imperfect here expresses a request or wish. Note the imperatives in the first half of the verse. See also v. 3.

[43:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb “from the deceitful and evil man.” The Hebrew text uses the singular form “man” in a collective sense, as the reference to a “nation” in the parallel line indicates.

[110:6]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ tn Or “among.”

[110:6]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ 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).

[82:1]  ⁴¹ sn Psalm 82. The psalmist pictures God standing in the “assembly of El” where he accuses the “gods” of failing to promote justice on earth. God pronounces sentence upon them, announcing that they will die like men. Having witnessed the scene, the psalmist then asks God to establish his just rule over the earth.

[82:1]  ⁴² tn Or “presides over.”

[82:1]  ⁴³ tn The phrase עֲדַת אֵל (’adat ’el, “assembly of El”) appears only here in the OT. (1) Some understand “El” to refer to God himself. In this case he is pictured presiding over his own heavenly assembly. (2) Others take אֵל as a superlative here (“God stands in the great assembly”), as in Pss 36:6 and 80:10. (3) The present translation assumes this is a reference to the Canaanite high god El, who presided over the Canaanite divine assembly. (See Isa 14:13, where El’s assembly is called “the stars of El.”) In the Ugaritic myths the phrase ’dt ’ilm refers to the “assembly of the gods,” who congregate in King Kirtu’s house, where Baal asks El to bless Kirtu’s house (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). If the Canaanite divine assembly is referred to here in Ps 82:1, then the psalm must be understood as a bold polemic against Canaanite religion. Israel’s God invades El’s assembly, denounces its gods as failing to uphold justice, and announces their coming demise. For an interpretation of the psalm along these lines, see W. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:533-36.

[82:1]  ⁴⁴ sn The present translation assumes that the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”) here refers to the pagan gods who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Canaanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).

[82:1]  ⁴⁵ sn The picture of God rendering judgment among the gods clearly depicts his sovereign authority as universal king (see v. 8, where the psalmist boldly affirms this truth).

[2:10]  ⁴⁶ sn The speaker here is either the psalmist or the Davidic king, who now addresses the rebellious kings.

[2:10]  ⁴⁷ tn The Niphal has here a tolerative nuance; the kings are urged to submit themselves to the advice being offered.

[1:5]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “Therefore.”

[1:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “arise in,” but the verb is used metonymically here in the sense of “stand”; “endure,” as in 1 Sam 13:14 and Job 8:15. The negated Hebrew imperfect verbal form is here taken as indicating incapability or lack of potential, though one could understand the verb form as indicating what is typical (“do not withstand”) or what will happen (“will not withstand”).

[1:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the judgment.” The article indicates a judgment that is definite in the mind of the speaker. In the immediate context this probably does not refer to the “final judgment” described in later biblical revelation, but to a temporal/historical judgment which the author anticipates. Periodically during the OT period, God would come in judgment, removing the wicked from the scene, while preserving a godly remnant (see Gen 6-9; Ps 37; Hab 3).

[1:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and sinners in the assembly (or “circle”) of [the] godly.” The negative particle and verb from the preceding line are assumed by ellipsis here (“will not arise/stand”).

[1:5]  sn The assembly of the godly is insulated from divine judgment (Ps 37:12-17, 28-29).

[9:19]  ⁵² sn Rise up, Lord! …May the nations be judged. The psalm concludes with a petition that the Lord would continue to exercise his justice as he has done in the recent crisis.

[9:19]  ⁵³ tn Or “prevail.”

[148:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “judges.”

[9:7]  ⁵⁵ tn The construction vav (ו) + subject highlights the contrast between the exalted Lord and his defeated foes (see v. 6).

[9:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, see v. 4). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.

[9:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “he establishes for justice his throne.”

[122:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “for.”

[122:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “sat.”

[122:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “Indeed, there they sit [on] thrones for judgment, [on] thrones [belonging] to the house of David.”

[58:11]  ⁶¹ tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.

[58:11]  ⁶² tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.

[58:11]  ⁶³ tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”

[58:11]  ⁶⁴ tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.

[68:5]  ⁶⁵ sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by the fatherless and widows.

[68:5]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.

[141:6]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.

[141:6]  ⁶⁸ tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.

[94:20]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.

[94:20]  ⁷⁰ 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.

[109:7]  ⁷¹ 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]  ⁷² tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).

[17:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsa’) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.

[17:2]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)

[37:12]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.

[37:12]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.

[50:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Or perhaps “to testify against his people.”

[50:4]  sn The personified heavens and earth (see v. 1 as well) are summoned to God’s courtroom as witnesses against God’s covenant people (see Isa 1:2). Long before this Moses warned the people that the heavens and earth would be watching their actions (see Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1).

[72:1]  ⁷⁸ sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.

[72:1]  ⁷⁹ tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.

[72:1]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”

[72:1]  ⁸¹ sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.

[72:1]  ⁸² tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”

[72:2]  ⁸³ tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.

[72:2]  ⁸⁴ sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).

[94:1]  ⁸⁵ sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.

[94:1]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).

[94:15]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “for judgment will return to justice.”

[94:15]  ⁸⁸ 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 Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 97:11).

[94:15]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and after it [are] the pure of heart.”

[109:6]  ⁹⁰ 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 Lord repay my accusers in this way” in v. 20 most naturally appears to be a fitting conclusion to the prayer in vv. 6-19. But what about the use of the singular in vv. 6-19? Often in the psalms the psalmist will describe his enemies as a group, but then speak of them as an individual as well, as if viewing his adversaries collectively as one powerful foe. See, for example, Ps 7, where the psalmist uses both the plural (vv. 1, 6) and the singular (vv. 2, 4-5) in referring to enemies. Perhaps by using the singular in such cases, the psalmist wants to single out each enemy for individual attention, or perhaps he has one especially hostile enemy in mind who epitomizes the opposition of the whole group. This may well be the case in Ps 109. Perhaps we should understand the singular throughout vv. 6-19 in the sense of “each and every one.” For a lengthy and well-reasoned defense of the opposite view – that vv. 6-19 are a quotation of what the enemies said about the psalmist – see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 72-73.

[109:6]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”

[109:6]  ⁹² tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).

[7:7]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”

[7:7]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return”) to שֵׁבָה (shevah, “sit [in judgment]”) because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.

[9:16]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).

[9:16]  ⁹⁶ tn This is probably a technical musical term.

[38:19]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).

[38:19]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “are many.”

[75:6]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.

[7:6]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “in your anger.”

[7:6]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to עַבְרוֹת (’avrot, “angry outbursts”) as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “rise up against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.

[7:6]  ¹⁰² tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands אֵלִי (’eliy, “my God”) instead of אֵלַי (’elay, “to me”; the LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case צִוִּיתָ (tsivvita, “[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.