Mazmur 97:2

97:2 Dark clouds surround him;

equity and justice are the foundation of his throne. ¹ 

Mazmur 105:39

105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, ² 

and provided a fire to light up the night.

Mazmur 104:13

104:13 He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace; ³ 

the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow. ⁴ 

Mazmur 18:12

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals. ⁵ 

Mazmur 104:3

104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds. ⁶ 

He makes the clouds his chariot,

and travels along on the wings of the wind. ⁷ 

Mazmur 147:8

147:8 He covers ⁸  the sky with clouds,

provides the earth with rain,

and causes grass to grow on the hillsides. ⁹ 

[97:2]  ¹ sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.

[105:39]  ² tn Or “curtain.”

[104:13]  ³ tn Heb “from his upper rooms.”

[104:13]  ⁴ 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).

[18:12]  ⁵ tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.

[104:3]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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.

[147:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “the one who covers.”

[147:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “hills.”