Psalms 118:14-15

118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me;

he has become my deliverer.”

118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly.

The Lord’s right hand conquers,

Psalms 118:21

118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,

and have become my deliverer.


tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the Lord.” The Hebrew term זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song” (“my strength and song [is] the Lord”) in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun זִמְרָת is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v.; cf. NEB “The Lord is my refuge and defence”; NRSV “my strength and my might.”

tn Or “salvation.”

tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”

tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).