2:4 The one enthroned 1 in heaven laughs in disgust; 2
the Lord taunts 3 them.
8:9 O Lord, our Lord, 4
how magnificent 5 is your reputation 6 throughout the earth! 7
9:9 Consequently 8 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 9
he provides safety in times of trouble. 10
18:18 They confronted 11 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 12
18:23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning. 13
20:9 The Lord will deliver the king; 14
he will answer us 15 when we call to him for help! 16
22:28 For the Lord is king 17
and rules over the nations.
A psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, 19
I lack nothing. 20
24:3 Who is allowed to ascend 21 the mountain of the Lord? 22
Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?
24:8 Who is this majestic king? 23
The Lord who is strong and mighty!
The Lord who is mighty in battle!
24:10 Who is this majestic king?
The Lord who commands armies! 24
He is the majestic king! (Selah)
By David.
25:1 O Lord, I come before you in prayer. 26
25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; 27
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. 28
26:12 I am safe, 29
and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.
28:6 The Lord deserves praise, 30
for he has heard my plea for mercy! 31
29:8 The Lord’s shout shakes 32 the wilderness,
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 33
30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;
I begged the Lord for mercy: 34
33:13 The Lord watches 35 from heaven;
he sees all people. 36
34:21 Evil people self-destruct; 37
those who hate the godly are punished. 38
35:6 May their path be 39 dark and slippery,
as the Lord’s angel chases them!
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance. 40
37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust 41 at them,
for he knows that their day is coming. 42
37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day 43
and they possess a permanent inheritance. 44
46:8 Come! Witness the exploits 45 of the Lord,
who brings devastation to the earth! 46
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 47
65:6 You created the mountains by your power, 48
and demonstrated your strength. 49
68:29 as you come out of your temple in Jerusalem! 50
Kings bring tribute to you.
69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people. 51
78:23 He gave a command to the clouds above,
and opened the doors in the sky.
83:16 Cover 52 their faces with shame,
so they might seek 53 you, 54 O Lord.
84:12 O Lord who rules over all, 55
how blessed are those who trust in you! 56
Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.
87:1 The Lord’s city is in the holy hills. 58
92:5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your plans are very intricate! 59
94:3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate? 60
94:5 O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you. 61
94:11 The Lord knows that
peoples’ thoughts are morally bankrupt. 62
96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! 64
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
98:5 Sing to the Lord accompanied by a harp,
accompanied by a harp and the sound of music!
99:2 The Lord is elevated 65 in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
A thanksgiving psalm.
100:1 Shout out praises to the Lord, all the earth!
102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,
and reveals his splendor,
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 67 in Jerusalem, 68
103:6 The Lord does what is fair,
and executes justice for all the oppressed. 69
103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he is patient 70 and demonstrates great loyal love. 71
104:34 May my thoughts 72 be pleasing to him!
I will rejoice in the Lord.
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, 73
and provided a fire to light up the night.
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 74
they did not believe his promise. 75
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 76
they did not obey 77 the Lord.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 78
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 79
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:33 He turned 80 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
112:6 For he will never be upended;
others will always remember one who is just. 81
113:3 From east to west 82
the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.
115:4 Their 83 idols are made of silver and gold –
they are man-made. 84
115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 85 and protector. 86
115:14 May he increase your numbers,
yours and your children’s! 87
115:18 But we will praise the Lord
now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
116:6 The Lord protects 88 the untrained; 89
I was in serious trouble 90 and he delivered me.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
116:12 How can I repay the Lord
for all his acts of kindness to me?
116:17 I will present a thank offering to you,
and call on the name of the Lord.
118:8 It is better to take shelter 91 in the Lord
than to trust in people.
118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
118:13 “You aggressively attacked me 92 and tried to knock me down, 93
but the Lord helped me.
118:17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. 94
118:23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing! 95
119:12 You deserve praise, 96 O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
ל (Lamed)
119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven. 97
119:166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey 98 your commands.
A song of ascents. 100
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
120:2 I said, 101 “O Lord, rescue me 102
from those who lie with their lips 103
and those who deceive with their tongue. 104
121:2 My help comes from the Lord, 105
the Creator 106 of heaven and earth!
124:2 if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men attacked us, 107
126:3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
126:4 O Lord, restore our well-being,
just as the streams in the arid south are replenished. 108
127:3 Yes, 109 sons 110 are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
129:4 The Lord is just;
he cut the ropes of the wicked.” 111
A song of ascents. 113
130:1 From the deep water 114 I cry out to you, O Lord.
131:3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
now and forevermore!
134:2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary
and praise the Lord!
135:15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,
they are man-made. 115
135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion 116 –
he who dwells in Jerusalem. 117
Praise the Lord!
136:5 to the one who used wisdom to make the heavens,
for his loyal love endures,
136:7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his loyal love endures,
136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his loyal love endures,
137:4 How can we sing a song to the Lord
in a foreign land?
138:5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds, 118
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent. 119
145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient 120 and demonstrates great loyal love. 121
146:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, 123
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks 124 the wicked to the ground.
148:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the sky!
Praise him in the heavens!
148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
1 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).
2 tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
3 tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”
4 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
5 tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
6 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
7 sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.
8 tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.
9 tn Heb “and the
10 tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).
11 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 5. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
12 tn Heb “became my support.”
13 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way.
sn Kept myself from sinning. Leading a blameless life meant that the king would be loyal to God’s covenant, purge the government and society of evil and unjust officials, and reward loyalty to the Lord (see Ps 101).
14 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
15 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).
16 tn Heb “in the day we call.”
17 tn Heb “for to the
18 sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.
19 sn The LORD is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the LORD is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.
20 tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the LORD as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.
21 tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.
22 sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).
23 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.
24 tn Traditionally, “the
25 sn Psalm 25. The psalmist asks for divine protection, guidance and forgiveness as he affirms his loyalty to and trust in the Lord. This psalm is an acrostic; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except for v. 18, which, like v. 19, begins with ר (resh) instead of the expected ק (qof). The final verse, which begins with פ (pe), stands outside the acrostic scheme.
26 tn Heb “to you, O
27 tn Heb “good and just.”
28 tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”
29 tn Heb “my foot stands in a level place.”
30 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
31 sn He has heard my plea for mercy. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes at this point, because the Lord responded positively to his petition and assured him that he would deliver him.
32 tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms are descriptive in function; the psalmist depicts the action as underway.
33 sn Kadesh. The references to Lebanon and Sirion in v. 6 suggest this is a reference to the northern Kadesh, located north of Damascus, not the southern Kadesh mentioned so often in the OT. See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:178.
34 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.
35 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal forms in v. 13 state general facts.
36 tn Heb “all the sons of men.”
37 tn Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.
38 tn Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.
39 tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
40 tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the
41 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
42 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
43 tn Heb “the
44 tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”
45 sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).
46 tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.
47 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
48 tn Heb “[the] one who establishes [the] mountains by his power.”
49 tn Heb “one [who] is girded with strength”; or “one [who] girds himself with strength.”
50 tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”
map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
51 tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”
52 tn Heb “fill.”
53 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose or result (“then they will seek”).
54 tn Heb “your name,” which stands here for God’s person.
55 tn Traditionally “
56 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.
57 sn Psalm 87. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s presence in Zion and the special status of its citizens.
58 tn Heb “his foundation [is] in the hills of holiness.” The expression “his foundation” refers here by metonymy to the
59 tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15.
60 tn Or “exult.”
61 tn Or “your inheritance.”
62 tn Heb “the
63 sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.
64 sn A new song is appropriate because the
65 tn Heb “great.”
66 sn Psalm 100. The psalmist celebrates the fact that Israel has a special relationship to God and summons worshipers to praise the Lord for his faithfulness.
67 tn Heb “his praise.”
68 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
69 tn Heb “the
70 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Ps 86:15).
71 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Ps 86:15).
72 tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.
73 tn Or “curtain.”
74 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
75 tn Heb “his word.”
76 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
77 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
78 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant.
sn Brought him a reward. See Num 25:12-13.
79 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
80 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).
81 tn Heb “for an eternal memorial a just [one] will be.”
82 tn Heb “from the rising of the sun to its setting.” The extent is not temporal (“from sunrise to sunset”) but spatial (“from the place where the sun rises [the east] to the place where it sets [the west].” In the phenomenological language of OT cosmology, the sun was described as rising in the east and setting in the west.
83 tn The referent of the pronominal suffix is “the nations” (v. 2).
84 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
85 tn Or “[source of] help.”
86 tn Heb “and their shield.”
87 tn Heb “may he add to you, to you and your sons.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
88 tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the
89 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. See Ps 19:7.
90 tn Heb “I was low.”
91 tn “Taking shelter” in the
92 tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”
93 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
94 tn Heb “the works of the
95 tn Heb “it is amazing in our eyes.” The use of the plural pronoun here and in vv. 24-27 suggests that the psalmist may be speaking for the entire nation. However, it is more likely that vv. 22-27 are the people’s response to the psalmist’s thanksgiving song (see especially v. 26). They rejoice with him because his deliverance on the battlefield (see vv. 10-12) had national repercussions.
96 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
97 tn Heb “Forever, O
98 tn Heb “do.”
99 sn Psalm 120. The genre and structure of this psalm are uncertain. It begins like a thanksgiving psalm, with a brief notice that God has heard the psalmist’s prayer for help and has intervened. But v. 2 is a petition for help, followed by a taunt directed toward enemies (vv. 3-4) and a lament (vv. 5-7). Perhaps vv. 2-7 recall the psalmist’s prayer when he cried out to the Lord.
100 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
101 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the introductory note for this psalm.
102 tn Or “my life.”
103 tn Heb “from a lip of falsehood.”
104 tn Heb “from a tongue of deception.”
105 tn Heb “my help [is] from with the
106 tn Or “Maker.”
107 tn Heb “rose up against us.”
108 tn Heb “like the streams in the Negev.”
sn The streams in the arid south. Y. Aharoni writes of the streams in the Negev: “These usually dry wadis collect water on rainy days from vast areas. The situation is also aggravated by floods from the desert mountains and southern Judah. For a day or two or, more frequently, for only a few hours they turn into dangerous torrents” (Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 26). God’s people were experiencing a “dry season” after a time of past blessing; they pray here for a “flash flood” of his renewed blessing. This does not imply that they are requesting only a brief display of God’s blessing. Rather the point of comparison is the suddenness with which the wadis swell during a rain, as well as the depth and power of these raging waters. The community desires a sudden display of divine favor in which God overwhelms them with blessings.
109 tn or “look.”
110 tn Some prefer to translate this term with the gender neutral “children,” but “sons” are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the “arrows” that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled.
111 tn The background of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Perhaps the “ropes” are those used to harness the ox for plowing (see Job 39:10). Verse 3 pictures the wicked plowing God’s people as if they were a field. But when God “cut the ropes” of their ox, as it were, they could no longer plow. The point of the metaphor seems to be that God took away the enemies’ ability to oppress his people. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 187.
112 sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.
113 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
114 tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.
115 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
116 tn Heb “praised be the
117 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
118 tn Heb “ways.”
119 tn Heb “great.”
120 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).
121 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).
122 sn Psalm 146. The psalmist urges his audience not to trust in men, but in the
123 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
124 tn Heb “brings down.”
125 sn Psalm 148. The psalmist calls upon all creation to praise the Lord, for he is the creator and sovereign king of the world.