2:7 The king says, 1 “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: 2
‘You are my son! 3 This very day I have become your father!
5:8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness 4
because of those who wait to ambush me, 5
remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! 6
8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, 7
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 8
8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 9
16:11 You lead me in 10 the path of life; 11
I experience absolute joy in your presence; 12
you always give me sheer delight. 13
17:15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; 14
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me. 15
18:29 Indeed, 16 with your help 17 I can charge against 18 an army; 19
by my God’s power 20 I can jump over a wall. 21
23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness 22 will pursue 23 me all my days, 24
and I will live in 25 the Lord’s house 26 for the rest of my life. 27
25:5 Guide me into your truth 28 and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
25:7 Do not hold against me 29 the sins of my youth 30 or my rebellious acts!
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord! 31
27:9 Do not reject me! 32
Do not push your servant away in anger!
You are my deliverer! 33
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me!
28:2 Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,
when I lift my hands 34 toward your holy temple! 35
30:9 “What 36 profit is there in taking my life, 37
in my descending into the Pit? 38
Can the dust of the grave 39 praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty? 40
31:3 For you are my high ridge 41 and my stronghold;
for the sake of your own reputation 42 you lead me and guide me. 43
31:7 I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness,
because you notice my pain
and you are aware of how distressed I am. 44
31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, 45
“I am cut off from your presence!” 46
But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 47
You make that quite clear to me! 48
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
40:9 I have told the great assembly 49 about your justice. 50
Look! I spare no words! 51
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 52 your deliverance say continually, 53
“May the Lord be praised!” 54
42:10 My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone, 55
as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 56
44:2 You, by your power, 57 defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land; 58
you crushed 59 the people living there 60 and enabled our ancestors to occupy it. 61
45:8 All your garments are perfumed with 62 myrrh, aloes, and cassia.
From the luxurious palaces 63 comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. 64
46:10 He says, 65 “Stop your striving and recognize 66 that I am God!
I will be exalted 67 over 68 the nations! I will be exalted over 69 the earth!”
For the music director; by the Korahites; a psalm.
47:1 All you nations, clap your hands!
Shout out to God in celebration! 71
48:10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth
is worthy of your reputation, O God. 72
You execute justice! 73
51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, 74 O God, the God who delivers me!
Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. 75
52:9 I will continually 76 thank you when 77 you execute judgment; 78
I will rely 79 on you, 80 for your loyal followers know you are good. 81
54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice 82 to you!
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!
58:9 Before the kindling is even placed under your pots, 83
he 84 will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat. 85
65:8 Even those living in the most remote areas are awestruck by your acts; 86
you cause those living in the east and west to praise you. 87
70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 88 your deliverance say continually, 89
“May God 90 be praised!” 91
71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; 92
you have done great things. 93
O God, who can compare to you? 94
71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,
for those who want to harm me 95 will be embarrassed and ashamed. 96
76:11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them!
Let all those who surround him 97 bring tribute to the awesome one!
79:5 How long will this go on, O Lord? 98
Will you stay angry forever?
How long will your rage 99 burn like fire?
79:6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you, 100
on the kingdoms that do not pray to you! 101
79:8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations! 102
Quickly send your compassion our way, 103
for we are in serious trouble! 104
79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations! 105
81:7 In your distress you called out and I rescued you.
I answered you from a dark thundercloud. 106
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. 107 (Selah)
84:5 How blessed are those who 108 find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple! 109
For the music director; written by the Korahites, a psalm.
85:1 O Lord, you showed favor to your land;
you restored the well-being of Jacob. 111
86:11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live! 112
Then I will obey your commands. 113
Make me wholeheartedly committed to you! 114
86:17 Show me evidence of your favor! 115
Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, 116
for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me. 117
88:5 adrift 118 among the dead,
like corpses lying in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
and who are cut off from your power. 119
88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. 120
I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain. 121
A well-written song 123 by Ethan the Ezrachite.
89:1 I will sing continually 124 about the Lord’s faithful deeds;
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness. 125
89:19 Then you 126 spoke through a vision to your faithful followers 127 and said:
“I have energized a warrior; 128
I have raised up a young man 129 from the people.
89:50 Take note, O Lord, 130 of the way your servants are taunted, 131
and of how I must bear so many insults from people! 132
90:4 Yes, 133 in your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday that quickly passes,
or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. 134
90:14 Satisfy us in the morning 135 with your loyal love!
Then we will shout for joy and be happy 136 all our days!
A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day.
92:1 It is fitting 138 to thank the Lord,
and to sing praises to your name, O sovereign One! 139
92:4 For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work.
I will sing for joy because of what you have done. 140
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions. 141
138:7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, 142 you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies, 143
and your right hand delivers me.
142:7 Free me 144 from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble, 145
for you will vindicate me. 146
A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, 148
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, 149
because I long for you. 150
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, 151
for you are my God.
May your kind presence 152
lead me 153 into a level land. 154
1 tn The words “the king says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The speaker is the Lord’s chosen king.
2 tn Or “I will relate the decree. The
3 sn ‘You are my son!’ The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 89:26-27). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.
4 tn God’s providential leading is in view. His צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) includes here the deliverance that originates in his righteousness; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 842 s.v.
5 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 27:11; 56:2.
6 tn Heb “make level before me your way.” The imperative “make level” is Hiphil in the Kethib (consonantal text); Piel in the Qere (marginal reading). God’s “way” is here the way in which he leads the psalmist providentially (see the preceding line, where the psalmist asks the Lord to lead him).
7 tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.
8 tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.
9 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
10 tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”
11 tn This is a metaphorical way of saying, “you preserve my life.” The phrase “path of life” stands in contrast to death/Sheol in Prov 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 15:24.
12 tn Heb “abundance of joy [is] with your face.” The plural form of the noun שִׂמְחָה (simkhah, “joy”) occurs only here and in Ps 45:15. It may emphasize the degree of joy experienced.
13 tn Heb “delight [is] in your right hand forever.” The plural form of the adjective נָעִים (na’im, “pleasant, delightful”) may here emphasize the degree of delight experienced (see Job 36:11).
14 tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”
15 tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (tÿmunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see v. 15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.
sn When I awake you will reveal yourself to me. Some see in this verse an allusion to resurrection. According to this view, when the psalmist awakens from the sleep of death, he will see God. It is unlikely that the psalmist had such a highly developed personal eschatology. As noted above, it is more likely that he is anticipating a divine visitation and mystical encounter as a prelude to his deliverance from his enemies.
16 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
17 tn Heb “by you.”
18 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”
19 tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.
sn I can charge against an army. The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.
20 tn Heb “and by my God.”
21 sn I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
22 tn The noun חֶסֶד (khesed; v. 6) has been the subject of several monographs. G. R. Clark concludes that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient.” He explains that an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him- or herself.” (See G. R. Clark, The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267.) HALOT 336-37 s.v. defines the word as “loyalty,” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate meanings might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
23 tn The use of רָדַף (radaf, “pursue, chase”) with טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov vakhesed, “goodness and faithfulness”) as subject is ironic. This is the only place in the entire OT where either of these nouns appears as the subject of this verb רָדַף (radaf, “pursue”). This verb is often used to describe the hostile actions of enemies. One might expect the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 5) to chase him, but ironically God’s “goodness and faithfulness” (which are personified and stand by metonymy for God himself) pursue him instead. The word “pursue” is used outside of its normal context in an ironic manner and creates a unique, but pleasant word picture of God’s favor (or a kind God) “chasing down” the one whom he loves.
24 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
25 tn The verb form וְשַׁבְתִּי (vÿshavtiy) is a Qal perfect (with vav [ו] consecutive), first common singular, from שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) and should be translated, “and I will return.” But this makes no sense when construed with the following phrase, “in the house of the
26 tn Heb “the house of the
27 tn The phrase אֹרֶךְ יָמִים (’orekh yamim, “length of days”) is traditionally translated “forever.” However, this phrase, when used elsewhere of people, usually refers to a lengthy period of time, such as one’s lifetime, and does not mean “forever” in the sense of eternity. (Cf. Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20.) Furthermore, the parallel phrase “all the days of my life” suggests this more limited meaning. Psalm 21:4, where the phrase is followed by “forever and ever,” may be an exception, though the juxtaposition of the phrases may be an example of intensification, where the second phrase goes beyond the limits of the first, rather than synonymity. Even if one takes both expressions as referring to eternal life, the language is part of the king’s hyperbolic description of the
28 sn The
29 tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.
30 sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.
31 tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O
32 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
33 tn Or “[source of] help.”
34 sn I lift my hands. Lifting one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer.
35 tn The Hebrew term דְּבִיר (dÿvir, “temple”) actually refers to the most holy place within the sanctuary.
36 sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.
37 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
38 tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).
39 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
40 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”
sn According to the OT, those who descend into the realm of death/Sheol are cut off from God’s mighty deeds and from the worshiping covenant community that experiences divine intervention (Pss 6:5; 88:10-12; Isa 38:18). In his effort to elicit a positive divine response, the psalmist reminds God that he will receive no praise or glory if he allows the psalmist to die. Dead men do not praise God!
41 sn The metaphor of the high ridge pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
42 tn Heb “name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the
43 tn The present translation assumes that the imperfect verbal forms are generalizing, “you lead me and guide me.” Other options are to take them as an expression of confidence about the future, “you will lead me and guide me” (cf. NASB), or as expressing a prayer, “lead me and guide me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
44 tn Heb “you know the distresses of my life.”
45 tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”
46 tn Heb “from before your eyes.”
47 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
48 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
49 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
50 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
51 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
52 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
53 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
54 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
55 tc Heb “with a shattering in my bones my enemies taunt me.” A few medieval Hebrew
56 sn “Where is your God?” The enemies ask this same question in v. 3.
57 tn Heb “you, your hand.”
58 tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.
59 tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).
60 tn Or “peoples.”
61 tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.
62 tn The words “perfumed with” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
63 tn Heb “the palaces of ivory.” The phrase “palaces of ivory” refers to palaces that had ivory panels and furniture decorated with ivory inlays. Such decoration with ivory was characteristic of a high level of luxury. See 1 Kgs 22:39 and Amos 3:15.
64 tn Heb “from the palaces of ivory stringed instrument[s] make you happy.”
65 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
66 tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.
67 tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).
68 tn Or “among.”
69 tn Or “in.”
70 sn Psalm 47. In this hymn the covenant community praises the Lord as the exalted king of the earth who has given them victory over the nations and a land in which to live.
71 tn Heb “Shout to God with [the] sound of a ringing cry!”
72 tn Heb “like your name, O God, so [is] your praise to the ends of the earth.” Here “name” refers to God’s reputation and revealed character.
73 tn Heb “your right hand is full of justice.” The “right hand” suggests activity and power.
74 tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.
75 tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).
76 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
77 tn Or “for.”
78 tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.
79 tn Or “wait.”
80 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
81 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
82 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise.
83 tn Heb “before your pots perceive thorns.”
84 tn Apparently God (v. 6) is the subject of the verb here.
85 tn Heb “like living, like burning anger he will sweep it away.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The translation assumes that within the cooking metaphor (see the previous line) חַי (khay, “living”) refers here to raw meat (as in 1 Sam 2:15, where it modifies בָּשָׂר, basar, “flesh”) and that חָרוּן (kharun; which always refers to God’s “burning anger” elsewhere) here refers to food that is cooked. The pronominal suffix on the verb “sweep away” apparently refers back to the “thorns” of the preceding line. The image depicts swift and sudden judgment. Before the fire has been adequately kindled and all the meat cooked, the winds of judgment will sweep away everything in their path.
86 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the ends fear because of your signs.” God’s “signs” are the “awesome acts” (see v. 5) he performs in the earth.
87 tn Heb “the goings out of the morning and the evening you cause to shout for joy.” The phrase “goings out of the morning and evening” refers to the sunrise and sunset, that is, the east and the west.
88 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.
89 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.
90 tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “
91 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
92 tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.
sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.
93 tn Heb “you who have done great things.”
94 tn Or “Who is like you?”
95 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
96 tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.
97 tn The phrase “all those who surround him” may refer to the surrounding nations (v. 12 may favor this), but in Ps 89:7 the phrase refers to God’s heavenly assembly.
98 tn Heb “How long, O
99 tn Or “jealous anger.”
100 tn Heb “which do not know you.” Here the Hebrew term “know” means “acknowledge the authority of.”
101 sn The kingdoms that do not pray to you. The people of these kingdoms pray to other gods, not the Lord, because they do not recognize his authority over them.
102 tn Heb “do not remember against us sins, former.” Some understand “former” as an attributive adjective modifying sins, “former [i.e., chronologically prior] sins” (see BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן). The present translation assumes that ראשׁנים (“former”) here refers to those who lived formerly, that is, the people’s ancestors (see Lam 5:7). The word is used in this way in Lev 26:45; Deut 19:14 and Eccl 1:11.
103 tn Heb “may your compassion quickly confront us.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating a tone of prayer.
104 tn Heb “for we are very low.”
105 tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”
106 tn Heb “I answered you in the hidden place of thunder.” This may allude to God’s self-revelation at Mount Sinai, where he appeared in a dark cloud accompanied by thunder (see Exod 19:16).
107 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at the place called Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
108 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here was 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 in v. 5a is representative of followers of God, as the use of plural forms in vv. 5b-7 indicates.
109 tn Heb “roads [are] in their heart[s].” The roads are here those that lead to Zion (see v. 7).
110 sn Psalm 85. God’s people recall how he forgave their sins in the past, pray that he might now restore them to his favor, and anticipate renewed blessings.
111 tn Heb “you turned with a turning [toward] Jacob.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv). See Pss 14:7; 53:6.
112 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
113 tn Heb “I will walk in your truth.” The
114 tn Heb “Bind my heart to the fearing of your name.” The verb translated “bind” occurs only here in the Piel stem. It appears twice in the Qal, meaning “be joined” in both cases (Gen 49:6; Isa 14:20). To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for him which in turn motivates one to obey his commands (see Pss 61:5; 102:15).
115 tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.
116 tn After the imperative in the preceding line (“work”), the prefixed verb forms with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose or result.
117 tn The perfect verbal forms are understood here as dramatic/rhetorical, expressing the psalmist’s certitude that such a sign from the
118 tn Heb “set free.”
119 tn Heb “from your hand.”
120 tn Heb “and am dying from youth.”
121 tn Heb “I carry your horrors [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew form אָפוּנָה (’afunah), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. It may be an adverb meaning “very much” (BDB 67 s.v.), though some prefer to emend the text to אָפוּגָה (’afugah, “I am numb”) from the verb פוּג (pug; see Pss 38:8; 77:2).
122 sn Psalm 89. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign creator of the world. He recalls God’s covenant with David, but then laments that the promises of the covenant remain unrealized. The covenant promised the Davidic king military victories, but the king has now been subjected to humiliating defeat.
123 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 88.
124 tn Or “forever.”
125 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth.”
126 tn The pronoun “you” refers to the
127 tc Many medieval
128 tn Heb “I have placed help upon a warrior.”
129 tn Or perhaps “a chosen one.”
130 tc Many medieval Hebrew
131 tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew
132 tn Heb “my lifting up in my arms [or “against my chest”] all of the many, peoples.” The term רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”) makes no apparent sense here. For this reason some emend the text to רִבֵי (rivey, “attacks by”), a defectively written plural construct form of רִיב (riv, “dispute; quarrel”).
133 tn Or “for.”
134 sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”
135 sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).
136 tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.
137 sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.
138 tn Or “good.”
139 tn Traditionally “O Most High.”
140 tn Heb “the works of your hands.”
141 tn Heb “and because of your instructions my heart trembles.” The psalmist’s healthy “fear” of the consequences of violating God’s instructions motivates him to obey them. See v. 120.
142 tn Or “distress.”
143 tn Heb “against the anger of my enemies you extend your hand.”
144 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
145 tn Or “gather around.”
146 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
147 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
148 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.
sn The morning is sometimes viewed as the time of divine intervention (see Pss 30:5; 59:16; 90:14).
149 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
150 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (na’as nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
151 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
152 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
153 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
154 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.