17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 1
from the murderers of this world! 2
They enjoy prosperity; 3
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 4
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 5
20:4 May he grant your heart’s desire; 6
may he bring all your plans to pass! 7
21:2 You grant 8 him his heart’s desire;
you do not refuse his request. 9 (Selah)
38:9 O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire; 10
my groaning is not hidden from you.
51:6 Look, 11 you desire 12 integrity in the inner man; 13
you want me to possess wisdom. 14
73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
I desire no one but you on earth. 15
111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,
eagerly awaited 16 by all who desire them.
119:36 Give me a desire for your rules, 17
rather than for wealth gained unjustly. 18
145:16 You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food they desire. 19
1 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
2 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
3 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
4 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.
5 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
6 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.
7 sn May he bring all your plans to pass. This probably refers to the king’s strategy for battle.
8 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.
9 tn Heb “and the request of his lips you do not refuse.”
10 tn Heb “O Lord, before you [is] all my desire.”
11 sn The juxtaposition of two occurrences of “look” in vv. 5-6 draws attention to the sharp contrast between the sinful reality of the psalmist’s condition and the lofty ideal God has for him.
12 tn The perfect is used in a generalizing sense here.
13 tn Heb “in the covered [places],” i.e., in the inner man.
14 tn Heb “in the secret [place] wisdom you cause me to know.” The Hiphil verbal form is causative, while the imperfect is used in a modal sense to indicate God’s desire (note the parallel verb “desire”).
sn You want me to possess wisdom. Here “wisdom” does not mean “intelligence” or “learning,” but refers to moral insight and skill.
15 tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.
16 tn Heb “sought out.”
17 tn Heb “turn my heart to your rules.”
18 tn Heb “and not unjust gain.”
19 tn Heb “[with what they] desire.”