Psalms 118:14-16

118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; 1 

he has become my deliverer.” 2 

118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. 3 

The Lord’s right hand conquers, 4 

118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory, 5 

the Lord’s right hand conquers.

1 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.”

2 tn Or “salvation.”

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

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

5 tn Heb “exalts.”