2:6 “I myself 1 have installed 2 my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules 3 in Zion!
Tell the nations what he has done! 4
20:2 May he send you help from his temple; 5
from Zion may he give you support!
48:11 Mount Zion rejoices;
the towns 6 of Judah are happy, 7
because of your acts of judgment. 8
50:2 From Zion, the most beautiful of all places, 9
God comes in splendor. 10
51:18 Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her! 11
Fortify 12 the walls of Jerusalem! 13
78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah,
and Mount Zion, which he loves.
84:7 They are sustained as they travel along; 14
each one appears 15 before God in Zion.
87:2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
97:8 Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns 16 of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
99:2 The Lord is elevated 17 in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,
and praise him 18 in Jerusalem, 19
110:2 The Lord 20 extends 21 your dominion 22 from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
132:13 Certainly 23 the Lord has chosen Zion;
he decided to make it his home. 24
134:3 May the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth,
bless you 25 from Zion! 26
135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion 27 –
he who dwells in Jerusalem. 28
Praise the Lord!
137:1 By the rivers of Babylon
we sit down and weep 30
when we remember Zion.
146:10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come! 31
Praise the Lord!
149:2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator!
Let the people 32 of Zion delight in their king! 33
1 tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”
2 tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”
3 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, and therefore ruling – see v. 4). Another option is to translate as “lives” or “dwells.”
4 tn Heb “declare among the nations his deeds.”
5 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.
6 tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
7 tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)
8 sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.
9 tn Heb “the perfection of beauty.”
10 tn Or “shines forth.”
sn Comes in splendor. The psalmist may allude ironically to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.
11 tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”
12 tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
13 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
14 tn Heb “they go from strength to strength.” The phrase “from strength to strength” occurs only here in the OT. With a verb of motion, the expression “from [common noun] to [same common noun]” normally suggests movement from one point to another or through successive points (see Num 36:7; 1 Chr 16:20; 17:5; Ps 105:13; Jer 25:32). Ps 84:7 may be emphasizing that the pilgrims move successively from one “place of strength” to another as they travel toward Jerusalem. All along the way they find adequate provisions and renewed energy for the trip.
15 tn The psalmist returns to the singular (see v. 5a), which he uses in either a representative or distributive (“each one” ) sense.
16 tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
17 tn Heb “great.”
18 tn Heb “his praise.”
19 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
20 tn Since the
21 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.
22 tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.
23 tn Or “for.”
24 tn Heb “he desired it for his dwelling place.”
25 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine singular, suggesting that the servants addressed in vv. 1-2 are responding to the psalmist.
26 tn Heb “may the
27 tn Heb “praised be the
28 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
29 sn Psalm 137. The Babylonian exiles lament their condition, vow to remain loyal to Jerusalem, and appeal to God for revenge on their enemies.
30 tn Heb “there we sit down, also we weep.”
31 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”
32 tn Heb “sons.”
33 sn The