Psalms 19:1--21:13 
ContextFor the music director; a psalm of David.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; 2
the sky displays his handiwork. 3
19:2 Day after day it speaks out; 4
night after night it reveals his greatness. 5
19:3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its 6 voice literally heard.
19:4 Yet its voice 7 echoes 8 throughout the earth;
its 9 words carry 10 to the distant horizon. 11
In the sky 12 he has pitched a tent for the sun. 13
19:5 Like a bridegroom it emerges 14 from its chamber; 15
like a strong man it enjoys 16 running its course. 17
19:6 It emerges from the distant horizon, 18
and goes from one end of the sky to the other; 19
nothing can escape 20 its heat.
19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life. 21
The rules set down by the Lord 22 are reliable 23
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced. 24
19:8 The Lord’s precepts are fair 25
and make one joyful. 26
The Lord’s commands 27 are pure 28
and give insight for life. 29
19:9 The commands to fear the Lord are right 30
and endure forever. 31
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just. 32
19:10 They are of greater value 33 than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight 34 than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
19:11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; 35
those who obey them receive a rich reward. 36
19:12 Who can know all his errors? 37
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 38
19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant 39 sins;
do not allow such sins to control me. 40
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant 41 rebellion.
19:14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight, 42
O Lord, my sheltering rock 43 and my redeemer. 44
For the music director; a psalm of David.
20:1 May the Lord answer 46 you 47 when you are in trouble; 48
may the God of Jacob 49 make you secure!
20:2 May he send you help from his temple; 50
from Zion may he give you support!
20:3 May he take notice 51 of your offerings;
may he accept 52 your burnt sacrifice! (Selah)
20:4 May he grant your heart’s desire; 53
may he bring all your plans to pass! 54
20:5 Then we will shout for joy over your 55 victory;
we will rejoice 56 in the name of our God!
May the Lord grant all your requests!
20:6 Now I am sure 57 that the Lord will deliver 58 his chosen king; 59
he will intervene for him 60 from his holy heavenly temple, 61
and display his mighty ability to deliver. 62
20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, 63
but we 64 depend on 65 the Lord our God.
20:9 The Lord will deliver the king; 69
he will answer us 70 when we call to him for help! 71
For the music director; a psalm of David.
21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give; 73
he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide. 74
21:2 You grant 75 him his heart’s desire;
you do not refuse his request. 76 (Selah)
21:3 For you bring him 77 rich 78 blessings; 79
you place a golden crown on his head.
21:4 He asked you to sustain his life, 80
and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty. 81
21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor; 82
you give him majestic splendor. 83
21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence. 84
21:7 For the king trusts 85 in the Lord,
and because of the sovereign Lord’s 86 faithfulness he is not upended. 87
21:8 You 88 prevail over 89 all your enemies;
your power is too great for those who hate you. 90
21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace 91 when you appear; 92
the Lord angrily devours them; 93
the fire consumes them.
21:10 You destroy their offspring 94 from the earth,
their descendants 95 from among the human race. 96
21:11 Yes, 97 they intend to do you harm; 98
they dream up a scheme, 99 but they do not succeed. 100
21:12 For you make them retreat 101
when you shoot your arrows at them. 102
21:13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength! 103
We will sing and praise 104 your power!
1 sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.
2 sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.
3 tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.
4 tn Heb “it gushes forth a word.” The “sky” (see v. 1b) is the subject of the verb. Though not literally speaking (see v. 3), it clearly reveals God’s royal majesty. The sun’s splendor and its movement across the sky is in view (see vv. 4-6).
5 tn Heb “it [i.e., the sky] declares knowledge,” i.e., knowledge about God’s royal majesty and power (see v. 1). This apparently refers to the splendor and movements of the stars. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 2, like the participles in the preceding verse, combine with the temporal phrases (“day after day” and “night after night”) to emphasize the ongoing testimony of the sky.
6 tn Heb “their.” The antecedent of the plural pronoun is “heavens” (v. 1).
7 tc The MT reads, “their measuring line” (קוּם, qum). The noun קַו (qav, “measuring line”) makes no sense in this context. The reading קוֹלָם (qolam, “their voice”) which is supported by the LXX, is preferable.
8 tn Heb “goes out,” or “proceeds forth.”
9 tn Heb “their” (see the note on the word “its” in v. 3).
10 tn The verb is supplied in the translation. The Hebrew text has no verb; יָצָא (yatsa’, “goes out”) is understood by ellipsis.
11 tn Heb “to the end of the world.”
12 tn Heb “in them” (i.e., the heavens).
13 sn He has pitched a tent for the sun. The personified sun emerges from this “tent” in order to make its daytime journey across the sky. So the “tent” must refer metaphorically to the place where the sun goes to rest during the night.
14 tn The participle expresses the repeated or regular nature of the action.
15 tn The Hebrew noun חֻפָּה (khufah, “chamber”) occurs elsewhere only in Isa 4:5 and Joel 2:16 (where it refers to the bedroom of a bride and groom).
sn Like a bridegroom. The metaphor likens the sun to a bridegroom who rejoices on his wedding night.
16 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the regularity of the action.
17 tn Heb “[on] a path.”
sn Like a strong man. The metaphorical language reflects the brilliance of the sunrise, which attests to the sun’s vigor.
18 tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”
19 tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”
20 tn Heb “is hidden from.”
21 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
22 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the
23 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
24 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
25 tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.
26 tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.
27 tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.
28 tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.
29 tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.
30 tn Heb “the fear of the
31 tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”
32 sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.
33 tn Heb “more desirable.”
34 tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).
35 tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”
36 tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”
37 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
38 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
39 tn Or “presumptuous.”
40 tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”
41 tn Heb “great.”
42 tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”
43 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
44 tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.
45 sn Psalm 20. The people pray for the king’s success in battle. When the king declares his assurance that the Lord will answer the people’s prayer, they affirm their confidence in God’s enablement.
46 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in vv. 1b-5 are interpreted as jussives of prayer (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). Another option is to understand them as imperfects, “the
47 sn May the
48 tn Heb “in a day of trouble.”
49 tn Heb “the name of the God of Jacob.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his very person and to the divine characteristics suggested by his name, in this case “God of Jacob,” which highlights his relationship to Israel.
50 tc Heb “from [the] temple.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix (ן, nun) has probably been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word begins with a prefixed vav (ו). See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 184.
51 tn Or “remember.” For other examples of the verb זָכַר (zakhar) carrying the nuance “take notice of,” see Pss 8:4 and 9:12.
52 tc Heb “consider as fat.” The verbal form should probably be emended to יְדַשְּׁנֶהָ (yÿdashÿneha), the final he (ה) being understood as a third feminine singular pronominal suffix referring back to the feminine noun “burnt sacrifice.”
53 tn Heb “may he give to you according to your heart.” This probably refers to the king’s prayer for protection and victory in battle. See vv. 5-6.
54 sn May he bring all your plans to pass. This probably refers to the king’s strategy for battle.
55 sn Your victory. Here the king is addressed (see v. 1).
56 tc The Hebrew verb דָּגַל (dagal) occurs only here in the Qal. If accepted as original, it may carry the nuance “raise a banner,” but it is preferable to emend the form to נגיל (“we will rejoice”) which provides better parallelism with “shout for joy” and fits well with the prepositional phrase “in the name of our God” (see Ps 89:16).
57 tn Or “know.”
sn Now I am sure. The speaker is not identified. It is likely that the king, referring to himself in the third person (note “his chosen king”), responds to the people’s prayer. Perhaps his confidence is due to the reception of a divine oracle of salvation.
58 tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the
59 tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.
60 tn Heb “he will answer him.”
61 tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”
62 tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).
63 tn Heb “these in chariots and these in horses.” No verb appears; perhaps the verb “invoke” is to be supplied from the following line. In this case the idea would be that some “invoke” (i.e., trust in) their military might for victory (cf. NEB “boast”; NIV “trust”; NRSV “take pride”). Verse 8 suggests that the “some/others” mentioned here are the nation’s enemies.
64 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s faithful people and the others mentioned in the previous line.
65 tn Heb “we invoke the name of.” The Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar), when combined with the phrase “in the name,” means “to invoke” (see Josh 23:7; Isa 48:1; Amos 6:10). By invoking the
66 tn Or “stumble and fall down.”
67 tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s victorious people and the defeated enemies mentioned in the previous line. The perfect verbal forms either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle. They describe the demise of the enemy as being as good as done.
68 tn Or “rise up and remain upright.” On the meaning of the Hitpolel of עוּד (’ud), see HALOT 795 s.v. I עוד. The verbal forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle.
69 tc This translation assumes an emendation of the verbal form הוֹשִׁיעָה (hoshi’ah). As it stands, the form is an imperative. In this case the people return to the petitionary mood with which the psalm begins (“O
70 tn If the imperative is retained in the preceding line, then the prefixed verbal form is best taken as a jussive of prayer, “may he answer us.” However, if the imperative in the previous line is emended to a perfect, the prefixed form is best taken as imperfect, “he will answer us” (see the note on the word “king” at the end of the previous line).
71 tn Heb “in the day we call.”
72 sn Psalm 21. The psalmist praises the Lord for the way he protects and blesses the Davidic king.
73 tn Heb “in your strength.” The translation interprets the pronominal suffix as subjective, rather than merely descriptive (or attributive).
74 tn Heb “and in your deliverance, how greatly he rejoices.”
75 tn The translation assumes the perfect verbal forms in v. 2 are generalizing, stating factually what God typically does for the king. Another option is to take them as present perfects, “you have granted…you have not refused.” See v. 4, which mentions a specific request for a long reign.
76 tn Heb “and the request of his lips you do not refuse.”
77 tn Or “meet him [with].”
78 tn Heb “good.”
79 sn You bring him rich blessings. The following context indicates that God’s “blessings” include deliverance/protection, vindication, sustained life, and a long, stable reign (see also Pss 3:8; 24:5).
80 tn Heb “life he asked from you.” Another option is to translate the perfect verbal forms in v. 4 with the present tense, “he asks…you grant.”
81 tn Heb “you have granted him length of days forever and ever.” The phrase “length of days,” when used of human beings, usually refers to a lengthy period of time (such as one’s lifetime). See, for example, Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20. The additional phrase “forever and ever” is hyperbolic. While it seems to attribute eternal life to the king (see Pss 61:6-7; 72:5 as well), the underlying reality is the king’s enduring dynasty. He will live on, as it were, through his descendants, who will continue to rule over his kingdom long after he has passed off the scene.
82 tn Or “great glory.”
83 tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.
84 tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.
85 tn The active participle draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action.
86 tn Traditionally “the Most High’s.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. Note the focus of vv. 8-12 and see Ps 47:2.
87 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “he will not be upended” (cf. NRSV “he shall not be moved”). Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense.
88 tn The king is now addressed. One could argue that the
89 tn Heb “your hand finds.” The idiom pictures the king grabbing hold of his enemies and defeating them (see 1 Sam 23:17). The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 8-12 may be translated with the future tense, as long as the future is understood as generalizing.
90 tn Heb “your right hand finds those who hate you.”
91 tn Heb “you make them like a furnace of fire.” Although many modern translations retain the literal Hebrew, the statement is elliptical. The point is not that he makes them like a furnace, but like an object burned in a furnace (cf. NEB, “at your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace”).
92 tn Heb “at the time of your face.” The “face” of the king here refers to his angry presence. See Lam 4:16.
93 tn Heb “the
94 tn Heb “fruit.” The next line makes it clear that offspring is in view.
95 tn Heb “seed.”
96 tn Heb “sons of man.”
97 tn Or “for.”
98 tn Heb “they extend against you harm.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 11 are taken as generalizing, stating factually what the king’s enemies typically do. Another option is to translate with the past tense (“they intended…planned”).
100 tn Heb “they lack ability.”
101 tn Heb “you make them a shoulder,” i.e., “you make them turn and run, showing the back of their neck and shoulders.”
102 tn Heb “with your bowstrings you fix against their faces,” i.e., “you fix your arrows on the bowstrings to shoot at them.”
103 tn Heb “in your strength,” but English idiom does not require the pronoun.
sn The psalm concludes with a petition to the Lord, asking him to continue to intervene in strength for the king and nation.
104 tn Heb “sing praise.”
