Psalms 88:1--90:17 
ContextA song, a psalm written by the Korahites; for the music director; according to the machalath-leannoth style; 2 a well-written song 3 by Heman the Ezrachite.
88:1 O Lord God who delivers me! 4
By day I cry out
and at night I pray before you. 5
Pay attention 7 to my cry for help!
88:3 For my life 8 is filled with troubles
and I am ready to enter Sheol. 9
88:4 They treat me like 10 those who descend into the grave. 11
I am like a helpless man, 12
88:5 adrift 13 among the dead,
like corpses lying in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
and who are cut off from your power. 14
88:6 You place me in the lowest regions of the pit, 15
in the dark places, in the watery depths.
88:7 Your anger bears down on me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Selah)
88:8 You cause those who know me to keep their distance;
you make me an appalling sight to them.
I am trapped and cannot get free. 16
88:9 My eyes grow weak because of oppression.
I call out to you, O Lord, all day long;
I spread out my hands in prayer to you. 17
88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?
Do the departed spirits 18 rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)
88:11 Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave,
or your faithfulness in the place of the dead? 19
88:12 Are your amazing deeds experienced 20 in the dark region, 21
or your deliverance in the land of oblivion? 22
88:13 As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord;
in the morning my prayer confronts you.
88:14 O Lord, why do you reject me,
and pay no attention to me? 23
88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. 24
I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain. 25
88:16 Your anger overwhelms me; 26
your terrors destroy me.
88:17 They surround me like water all day long;
they join forces and encircle me. 27
88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance; 28
those who know me leave me alone in the darkness. 29
A well-written song 31 by Ethan the Ezrachite.
89:1 I will sing continually 32 about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness. 33
89:2 For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established; 34
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.” 35
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
89:4 ‘I will give you an eternal dynasty 37
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” 38 (Selah)
89:5 O Lord, the heavens 39 praise your amazing deeds,
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. 40
89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, 41
89:7 a God who is honored 42 in the great angelic assembly, 43
and more awesome than 44 all who surround him?
89:8 O Lord, sovereign God! 45
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
89:9 You rule over the proud sea. 46
When its waves surge, 47 you calm them.
89:10 You crushed the Proud One 48 and killed it; 49
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains. 50
89:12 You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon 51 rejoice in your name.
89:13 Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand 52 victorious. 53
89:14 Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. 54
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule. 55
89:15 How blessed are the people who worship you! 56
O Lord, they experience your favor. 57
89:16 They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated 58 by your justice.
89:17 For you give them splendor and strength. 59
By your favor we are victorious. 60
89:18 For our shield 61 belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel. 62
89:19 Then you 63 spoke through a vision to your faithful followers 64 and said:
“I have energized a warrior; 65
I have raised up a young man 66 from the people.
89:20 I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king. 67
89:21 My hand will support him, 68
and my arm will strengthen him.
89:22 No enemy will be able to exact tribute 69 from him; 70
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him. 71
89:23 I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, 72
and by my name he will win victories. 73
89:25 I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers. 74
89:26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my father, 75 my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ 76
89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, 77
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
89:28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure. 78
89:29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, 79
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. 80
89:30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
89:31 if they break 81 my rules
and do not keep my commandments,
89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, 82
their sin by inflicting them with bruises. 83
89:33 But I will not remove 84 my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise. 85
89:34 I will not break 86 my covenant
or go back on what I promised. 87
89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive 88 David.
89:36 His dynasty will last forever. 89
His throne will endure before me, like the sun, 90
89:37 it will remain stable, like the moon, 91
his throne will endure like the skies.” 92 (Selah)
89:38 But you have spurned 93 and rejected him;
you are angry with your chosen king. 94
89:39 You have repudiated 95 your covenant with your servant; 96
you have thrown his crown to the ground. 97
89:40 You have broken down all his 98 walls;
you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.
89:41 All who pass by 99 have robbed him;
he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.
89:42 You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious, 100
and all his enemies to rejoice.
89:43 You turn back 101 his sword from the adversary, 102
and have not sustained him in battle. 103
89:44 You have brought to an end his splendor, 104
and have knocked 105 his throne to the ground.
89:45 You have cut short his youth, 106
and have covered him with shame. (Selah)
89:46 How long, O Lord, will this last?
Will you remain hidden forever? 107
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! 108
Why do you make all people so mortal? 109
89:48 No man can live on without experiencing death,
or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. 110 (Selah)
89:49 Where are your earlier faithful deeds, 111 O Lord, 112
the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David? 113
89:50 Take note, O Lord, 114 of the way your servants are taunted, 115
and of how I must bear so many insults from people! 116
89:51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults;
they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. 117
89:52 118 The Lord deserves praise 119 forevermore!
We agree! We agree! 120
Book 4
(Psalms 90-106)
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90:1 O Lord, you have been our protector 122 through all generations!
90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence, 123
or you brought the world into being, 124
you were the eternal God. 125
90:3 You make mankind return 126 to the dust, 127
and say, “Return, O people!”
90:4 Yes, 128 in your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday that quickly passes,
or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. 129
90:5 You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.” 130
In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up;
90:6 in the morning it glistens 131 and sprouts up;
at evening time it withers 132 and dries up.
90:7 Yes, 133 we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.
90:8 You are aware of our sins; 134
you even know about our hidden sins. 135
90:9 Yes, 136 throughout all our days we experience your raging fury; 137
the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 138
90:10 The days of our lives add up to seventy years, 139
or eighty, if one is especially strong. 140
But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. 141
Yes, 142 they pass quickly 143 and we fly away. 144
90:11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? 145
Your raging fury causes people to fear you. 146
90:12 So teach us to consider our mortality, 147
so that we might live wisely. 148
90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!
How long must this suffering last? 149
Have pity on your servants! 150
90:14 Satisfy us in the morning 151 with your loyal love!
Then we will shout for joy and be happy 152 all our days!
90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,
in proportion to the years we have experienced 153 trouble!
90:16 May your servants see your work! 154
May their sons see your majesty! 155
90:17 May our sovereign God extend his favor to us! 156
Make our endeavors successful!
Yes, make them successful! 157
1 sn Psalm 88. The psalmist cries out in pain to the Lord, begging him for relief from his intense and constant suffering. The psalmist regards God as the ultimate cause of his distress, but nevertheless clings to God in hope.
2 tn The Hebrew phrase מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת (makhalat lÿ’annot) may mean “illness to afflict.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term מָחֲלַת also appears in the superscription of Ps 53.
3 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
4 tn Heb “O
5 tn Heb “[by] day I cry out, in the night before you.”
6 tn Heb “may my prayer come before you.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating the psalmist’s desire or prayer.
7 tn Heb “turn your ear.”
8 tn Or “my soul.”
9 tn Heb “and my life approaches Sheol.”
10 tn Heb “I am considered with.”
11 tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.
12 tn Heb “I am like a man [for whom] there is no help.”
13 tn Heb “set free.”
14 tn Heb “from your hand.”
15 tn The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See v. 4.
16 tn Heb “[I am] confined and I cannot go out.”
17 tn Heb “I spread out my hands to you.” Spreading out the hands toward God was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). The words “in prayer” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this.
18 tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).
19 tn Heb “in Abaddon,” a name for Sheol. The noun is derived from a verbal root meaning “to perish,” “to die.”
20 tn Heb “known.”
21 tn Heb “darkness,” here a title for Sheol.
22 tn Heb “forgetfulness.” The noun, which occurs only here in the OT, is derived from a verbal root meaning “to forget.”
sn The rhetorical questions in vv. 10-12 expect the answer, “Of course not!”
23 tn Heb “[why] do you hide your face from me?”
24 tn Heb “and am dying from youth.”
25 tn Heb “I carry your horrors [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew form אָפוּנָה (’afunah), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. It may be an adverb meaning “very much” (BDB 67 s.v.), though some prefer to emend the text to אָפוּגָה (’afugah, “I am numb”) from the verb פוּג (pug; see Pss 38:8; 77:2).
26 tn Heb “passes over me.”
27 tn Heb “they encircle me together.”
28 tn Heb “you cause to be far from me friend and neighbor.”
29 tn Heb “those known by me, darkness.”
30 sn Psalm 89. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign creator of the world. He recalls God’s covenant with David, but then laments that the promises of the covenant remain unrealized. The covenant promised the Davidic king military victories, but the king has now been subjected to humiliating defeat.
31 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 88.
32 tn Or “forever.”
33 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”
34 tn Heb “built.”
35 sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).
36 tn The words “the
37 tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”
38 tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”
39 tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.
40 tn Heb “in the assembly of the holy ones.” The phrase “holy ones” sometimes refers to God’s people (Ps 34:9) or to their priestly leaders (2 Chr 35:3), but here it refers to God’s heavenly assembly and the angels that surround his throne (see vv. 6-7).
41 tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (vÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the
42 tn Heb “feared.”
43 tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”
44 tn Or perhaps “feared by.”
45 tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the
46 tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”
47 tn Heb “rise up.”
48 tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.
49 tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”
50 tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”
51 sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.
52 sn The Lord’s arm, hand, and right hand all symbolize his activities, especially his exploits in war.
53 tn Heb “is lifted up.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:42; 118:16).
54 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
55 tn Heb “are in front of your face.” The idiom can mean “confront” (Ps 17:13) or “meet, enter the presence of” (Ps 95:2).
56 tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the
57 tn Heb “in the light of your face they walk.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; Dan 9:17).
58 tn Heb “are lifted up.”
59 tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”
60 tn Heb “you lift up our horn,” or if one follows the marginal reading (Qere), “our horn is lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
61 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king" here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.
62 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the
63 tn The pronoun “you” refers to the
64 tc Many medieval
65 tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”
66 tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”
67 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification, indicating that a royal anointing is in view.
68 tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”
69 tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.
70 tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nasha’) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yisa’), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (na’as, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).
71 tn Heb “and a son of violence will not oppress him.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential. The reference to a “son of violence” echoes the language of God’s promise to David in 2 Sam 7:10 (see also 1 Chr 17:9).
72 tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”
73 tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
74 tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).
75 sn You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
76 tn Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”
77 sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.
78 tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”
79 tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”
80 tn Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”
81 tn Or “desecrate.”
82 tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”
sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).
83 tn Heb “with blows their sin.”
84 tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.
85 tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”
86 tn Or “desecrate.”
87 tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”
88 tn Or “lie to.”
89 tn Heb “his offspring forever will be.”
90 tn Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”
91 tn Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”
92 tn Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (vÿ’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22-23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, shÿkhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.
93 tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.
94 tn Heb “your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 132:10, 17).
95 tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.
96 tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”
97 tn Heb “you dishonor [or “desecrate”] on the ground his crown.”
98 tn The king here represents the land and cities over which he rules.
99 tn Heb “all the passersby on the road.”
100 tn Heb “you have lifted up the right hand of his adversaries.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:13; 118:16).
101 tn The perfect verbal form predominates in vv. 38-45. The use of the imperfect in this one instance may be for rhetorical effect. The psalmist briefly lapses into dramatic mode, describing the king’s military defeat as if it were happening before his very eyes.
102 tc Heb “you turn back, rocky summit, his sword.” The Hebrew term צוּר (tsur, “rocky summit”) makes no sense here, unless it is a divine title understood as vocative, “you turn back, O Rocky Summit, his sword.” Some emend the form to צֹר (tsor, “flint”) on the basis of Josh 5:2, which uses the phrase חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים (kharvot tsurim, “flint knives”). The noun צֹר (tsor, “flint”) can then be taken as “flint-like edge,” indicating the sharpness of the sword. Others emend the form to אָחוֹר (’akhor, “backward”) or to מִצַּר (mitsar, “from the adversary”). The present translation reflects the latter, assuming an original reading תָּשִׁיב מִצָּר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv mitsar kharbo), which was corrupted to תָּשִׁיב צָר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv tsar kharbo) by virtual haplography (confusion of bet/mem is well-attested) with צָר (tsar, “adversary”) then being misinterpreted as צוּר in the later tradition.
103 tn Heb “and you have not caused him to stand in the battle.”
104 tc The Hebrew text appears to read, “you have brought to an end from his splendor,” but the form מִטְּהָרוֹ (mittÿharo) should be slightly emended (the daghesh should be removed from the tet [ת]) and read simply “his splendor” (the initial mem [מ] is not the preposition, but a nominal prefix).
105 tn The Hebrew verb מָגַר (magar) occurs only here and perhaps in Ezek 21:17.
106 tn Heb “the days of his youth” (see as well Job 33:25).
107 tn Heb “How long, O
108 tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).
109 tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).
110 tn Heb “Who [is] the man [who] can live and not see death, [who] can deliver his life from the hand of Sheol?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”
111 sn The Lord’s faithful deeds are also mentioned in Pss 17:7 and 25:6.
112 tc Many medieval Hebrew
113 tn Heb “[which] you swore on oath to David by your faithfulness.”
114 tc Many medieval Hebrew
115 tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew
116 tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).
117 tn Heb “[by] which your enemies, O
118 sn The final verse of Ps 89, v. 52, is a conclusion to this third “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 106:48, respectively).
119 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
120 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God; thus it has been translated “We agree! We agree!”
121 sn Psalm 90. In this communal lament the worship leader affirms that the eternal God and creator of the world has always been Israel’s protector. But God also causes men, who are as transient as grass, to die, and in his fierce anger he decimates his covenant community, whose brief lives are filled with suffering and end in weakness. The community asks for wisdom, the restoration of God’s favor, a fresh revelation of his power, and his blessing upon their labors.
122 tn Or “place of safety.” See Ps 71:3.
123 tn Heb “were born.”
124 tn Heb “and you gave birth to the earth and world.” The Polel verbal form in the Hebrew text pictures God giving birth to the world. The LXX and some other ancient textual witnesses assume a polal (passive) verbal form here. In this case the earth becomes the subject of the verb and the verb is understood as third feminine singular rather than second masculine singular.
125 tn Heb “and from everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.” Instead of אֵל (’el, “God”) the LXX reads אַל (’al, “not”) and joins the negative particle to the following verse, making the verb תָּשֵׁב (tashev) a jussive. In this case v. 3a reads as a prayer, “do not turn man back to a low place.” However, taking תָּשֵׁב as a jussive is problematic in light of the following following wayyiqtol form וַתֹּאמֶר (vato’mer, “and you said/say”).
126 tn In this context the shortened prefix form does not function as a preterite, but indicates what is typical of the world.
127 tn The Hebrew term דַּכָּא (daka’) carries the basic sense of “crushed.” Elsewhere it refers to those who are “crushed” in spirit or contrite of heart (see Ps 34:18; Isa 57:15). If one understands this nuance here, then v. 3 is observing that God leads mankind to repentance (the term שׁוּב, shuv, “return,” which appears twice in this verse, is sometimes used of repentance.) However, the following context laments mankind’s mortality and the brevity of life, so it is doubtful if v. 3 should be understood so positively. It is more likely that דַּכָּא here refers to “crushed matter,” that is, the dust that fills the grave (see HALOT 221 s.v. s.v. I דַּכָּא; BDB 194 s.v. דַּכָּא). In this case one may hear an echo of Gen 3:19.
128 tn Or “for.”
129 sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”
130 tn Heb “you bring them to an end [with] sleep.” The Hebrew verb זָרַם (zaram) has traditionally been taken to mean “flood” or “overwhelm” (note the Polel form of a root זרם in Ps 77:17, where the verb is used of the clouds pouring down rain). However, the verb form here is Qal, not Polel, and is better understood as a homonym meaning “to make an end [of life].” The term שֵׁנָה (shenah, “sleep”) can be taken as an adverbial accusative; it is a euphemism here for death (see Ps 76:5-6).
131 tn Or “flourishes.” The verb is used of a crown shining in Ps 132:18. Perhaps here in Ps 90:6 it refers to the glistening of the grass in the morning dew.
132 tn The Polel form of this verb occurs only here. Perhaps the form should be emended to a Qal (which necessitates eliminating the final lamed [ל] as dittographic). See Ps 37:2.
133 tn Or “for.”
134 tn Heb “you set our sins in front of you.”
135 tn Heb “what we have hidden to the light of your face.” God’s face is compared to a light or lamp that exposes the darkness around it.
136 tn Or “for.”
137 tn Heb “all our days pass by in your anger.”
138 tn Heb “we finish our years like a sigh.” In Ezek 2:10 the word הֶגֶה (hegeh) elsewhere refers to a grumbling or moaning sound. Here a brief sigh or moan is probably in view. If so, the simile pictures one’s lifetime as transient. Another option is that the simile alludes to the weakness that characteristically overtakes a person at the end of one’s lifetime. In this case the phrase could be translated, “we end our lives with a painful moan.”
139 tn Heb “the days of our years, in them [are] seventy years.”
140 tn Heb “or if [there is] strength, eighty years.”
141 tn Heb “and their pride [is] destruction and wickedness.” The Hebrew noun רֹהַב (rohav) occurs only here. BDB 923 s.v. assigns the meaning “pride,” deriving the noun from the verbal root רהב (“to act stormily [boisterously, arrogantly]”). Here the “pride” of one’s days (see v. 9) probably refers to one’s most productive years in the prime of life. The words translated “destruction and wickedness” are also paired in Ps 10:7. They also appear in proximity in Pss 7:14 and 55:10. The oppressive and abusive actions of evil men are probably in view (see Job 4:8; 5:6; 15:35; Isa 10:1; 59:4).
142 tn or “for.”
143 tn Heb “it passes quickly.” The subject of the verb is probably “their pride” (see the preceding line). The verb גּוּז (guz) means “to pass” here; it occurs only here and in Num 11:31.
144 sn We fly away. The psalmist compares life to a bird that quickly flies off (see Job 20:8).
145 tn Heb “Who knows the strength of your anger?”
146 tn Heb “and like your fear [is] your raging fury.” Perhaps one should emend וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ (ukhyir’otekh, “and like your fear”) to יִרְאָתְךְ (yir’otkh, “your fear”), understanding a virtual dittography (אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ, ’apekha ukhyir’otekh) to have occurred. In this case the psalmist asserts “your fear [is] your raging fury,” that is, your raging fury is what causes others to fear you. The suffix on “fear” is understood as objective.
147 tn Heb “to number our days,” that is, to be aware of how few they really are.
148 tn Heb “and we will bring a heart of wisdom.” After the imperative of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates purpose/result. The Hebrew term “heart” here refers to the center of one’s thoughts, volition, and moral character.
149 tn Heb “Return, O
150 tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.
151 sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).
152 tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.
153 tn Heb “have seen.”
154 tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).
155 tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
156 tn Heb “and may the delight of the Master, our God, be on us.” The Hebrew term נֹעַם (no’am, “delight”) is used in Ps 27:4 of the
157 tn Heb “and the work of our hands establish over us, and the work of our hands, establish it.”
