2:8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, 1
the ends of the earth as your personal property.
For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; 3 a psalm of David.
5:1 Listen to what I say, 4 Lord!
Carefully consider my complaint! 5
5:3 Lord, in the morning 6 you will hear 7 me; 8
in the morning I will present my case to you 9 and then wait expectantly for an answer. 10
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, 11
For the music director; by David.
11:1 In the Lord I have taken shelter. 13
How can you say to me, 14
“Flee to a mountain like a bird! 15
14:7 I wish the deliverance 16 of Israel would come from Zion!
When the Lord restores the well-being of his people, 17
may Jacob rejoice, 18
may Israel be happy! 19
16:11 You lead me in 20 the path of life; 21
I experience absolute joy in your presence; 22
you always give me sheer delight. 23
A prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 25
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 26
17:4 As for the actions of people 27 –
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men. 28
19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant 29 sins;
do not allow such sins to control me. 30
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant 31 rebellion.
22:2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up. 32
23:6 Surely your goodness and faithfulness 33 will pursue 34 me all my days, 35
and I will live in 36 the Lord’s house 37 for the rest of my life. 38
25:2 My God, I trust in you.
Please do not let me be humiliated;
do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!
25:5 Guide me into your truth 39 and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
30:12 So now 40 my heart 41 will sing to you and not be silent;
O Lord my God, I will always 42 give thanks to you.
For the music director; a psalm of David.
31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
Vindicate me by rescuing me! 44
31:17 O Lord, do not let me be humiliated,
for I call out to you!
May evil men be humiliated!
May they go wailing to the grave! 45
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me. 46
They tore at me without stopping to rest. 47
38:16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me; 48
when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me. 49
For the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 51 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:12 For innumerable dangers 52 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 53
40:17 I am oppressed and needy! 54
May the Lord pay attention to me! 55
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O my God, do not delay!
Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)
For the music director; a well-written song 57 by the Korahites.
42:1 As a deer 58 longs 59 for streams of water,
so I long 60 for you, O God!
42:5 Why are you depressed, 61 O my soul? 62
Why are you upset? 63
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 64
42:11 Why are you depressed, 65 O my soul? 66
Why are you upset? 67
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 68
43:2 For you are the God who shelters me. 69
Why do you reject me? 70
Why must I walk around 71 mourning 72
because my enemies oppress me?
43:5 Why are you depressed, 73 O my soul? 74
Why are you upset? 75
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. 76
50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God! 77
Otherwise I will rip you to shreds 78
and no one will be able to rescue you.
53:6 I wish the deliverance 79 of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people, 80
may Jacob rejoice, 81
may Israel be happy! 82
57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; 83
I am discouraged. 84
They have dug a pit for me. 85
They will fall 86 into it! (Selah)
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 87
powerful men stalk 88 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 89
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 90 they are anxious to attack. 91
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 92
59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! 93
For God is my refuge, 94 the God who loves me. 95
61:2 From the most remote place on earth 96
I call out to you in my despair. 97
Lead me 98 up to an inaccessible rocky summit! 99
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.
62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; 101
he is the one who delivers me. 102
For the music director; a psalm of David.
64:1 Listen to me, 104 O God, as I offer my lament!
Protect 105 my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. 106
69:20 Their insults are painful 107 and make me lose heart; 108
I look 109 for sympathy, but receive none, 110
for comforters, but find none.
70:5 I am oppressed and needy! 111
O God, hurry to me! 112
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O Lord, 113 do not delay!
71:3 Be my protector and refuge, 114
a stronghold where I can be safe! 115
For you are my high ridge 116 and my stronghold.
84:2 I desperately want to be 117
in the courts of the Lord’s temple. 118
My heart and my entire being 119 shout for joy
to the living God.
86:11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live! 120
Then I will obey your commands. 121
Make me wholeheartedly committed to you! 122
87:4 I mention Rahab 123 and Babylon to my followers. 124
Here are 125 Philistia and Tyre, 126 along with Ethiopia. 127
It is said of them, “This one was born there.” 128
88:8 You cause those who know me to keep their distance;
you make me an appalling sight to them.
I am trapped and cannot get free. 129
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
92:4 For you, O Lord, have made me happy by your work.
I will sing for joy because of what you have done. 133
101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land, 134
and allow them to live with me. 135
Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me. 136
101:8 Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,
and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.
102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! 137
Listen to me! 138
When I call out to you, quickly answer me!
102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! 139
You endure through all generations. 140
106:5 so I may see the prosperity 141 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 142
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 143
A psalm of David.
110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation 145 to my lord: 146
“Sit down at my right hand 147 until I make your enemies your footstool!” 148
111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.
118:5 In my distress 150 I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 151
118:12 They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly 152 as a fire among thorns. 153
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! 154
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions. 155
A song of ascents, 157 by David.
122:1 I was glad because 158 they said to me,
“We will go to the Lord’s temple.”
132:11 The Lord made a reliable promise to David; 159
he will not go back on his word. 160
He said, 161 “I will place one of your descendants 162 on your throne.
132:12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the rules I teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”
138:7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, 163 you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies, 164
and your right hand delivers me.
139:9 If I were to fly away 165 on the wings of the dawn, 166
and settle down on the other side 167 of the sea,
139:11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, 168
and the light will turn to night all around me,” 169
139:15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when 170 I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth. 171
141:4 Do not let me have evil desires, 172
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly. 173
I will not eat their delicacies. 174
142:3 Even when my strength leaves me, 175
you watch my footsteps. 176
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
142:4 Look to the right and see!
No one cares about me. 177
I have nowhere to run; 178
no one is concerned about my life. 179
142:7 Free me 180 from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble, 181
for you will vindicate me. 182
143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!
My strength is fading. 183
Do not reject me, 184
or I will join 185 those descending into the grave. 186
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 187 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 188 all who threaten my life, 189
for I am your servant.
144:2 who loves me 190 and is my stronghold,
my refuge 191 and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me. 192
1 sn I will give you the nations. The
2 sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.
3 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).
4 tn Heb “my words.”
5 tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.
6 sn In the morning is here viewed as the time of prayer (Pss 59:16; 88:13) and/or of deliverance (Ps 30:5).
7 tn The imperfect is here understood in a specific future sense; the psalmist is expressing his confidence that God will be willing to hear his request. Another option is to understand the imperfect as expressing the psalmist’s wish or request. In this case one could translate, “
8 tn Heb “my voice.”
9 tn Heb “I will arrange for you.” Some understand a sacrifice or offering as the implied object (cf. NEB “I set out my morning sacrifice”). The present translation assumes that the implied object is the psalmist’s case/request. See Isa 44:7.
10 tn Heb “and I will watch.”
11 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.
12 sn Psalm 11. The psalmist rejects the advice to flee from his dangerous enemies. Instead he affirms his confidence in God’s just character and calls down judgment on evildoers.
13 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
14 tn The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
15 tc The MT is corrupt here. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads: “flee [masculine plural!] to your [masculine plural!] mountain, bird.” The Qere (marginal reading) has “flee” in a feminine singular form, agreeing grammatically with the addressee, the feminine noun “bird.” Rather than being a second masculine plural pronominal suffix, the ending כֶם- (-khem) attached to “mountain” is better interpreted as a second feminine singular pronominal suffix followed by an enclitic mem (ם). “Bird” may be taken as vocative (“O bird”) or as an adverbial accusative of manner (“like a bird”). Either way, the psalmist’s advisers compare him to a helpless bird whose only option in the face of danger is to fly away to an inaccessible place.
16 sn The deliverance of Israel. This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
17 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
18 tn The verb form is jussive.
19 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
20 tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”
21 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.
22 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.
23 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).
24 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
25 tn Heb “hear,
26 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
27 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
28 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
29 tn Or “presumptuous.”
30 tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”
31 tn Heb “great.”
32 tn Heb “there is no silence to me.”
33 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.”
34 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.
35 tn Heb “all the days of my life.”
36 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
37 tn Heb “the house of the
38 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
39 sn The
40 tn Heb “so that”; or “in order that.”
41 tn Heb “glory.” Some view כָבוֹד (khavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.” “Heart” is used in the translation above for the sake of English idiom; the expression “my liver sings” would seem odd indeed to the modern reader.
42 tn Or “forever.”
43 sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.
44 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”
45 tn The verb יִדְּמוּ (yiddÿmu) is understood as a form of דָּמַם (damam, “wail, lament”). Another option is to take the verb from דָּמַם (“be quiet”; see BDB 198-99 s.v. I דָּמַם), in which case one might translate, “May they lie silent in the grave.”
46 tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).
47 tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.
48 tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).
49 tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.
50 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
51 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
52 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
53 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
54 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
55 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The
56 sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew
57 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
58 tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.
59 tn Or “pants [with thirst].”
60 tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
61 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
62 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
63 tn Heb “and [why] are you in turmoil upon me?” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the descriptive present nuance of the preceding imperfect. See GKC 329 §111.t.
64 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of his face.” The verse division in the Hebrew text is incorrect. אֱלֹהַי (’elohay, “my God”) at the beginning of v. 7 belongs with the end of v. 6 (see the corresponding refrains in 42:11 and 43:5, both of which end with “my God” after “saving acts of my face”). The Hebrew term פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”) should be emended to פְּנֵי (pÿney, “face of”). The emended text reads, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention.
65 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
66 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
67 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
68 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God”), that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is almost identical to the one in v. 5. See also Ps 43:5.
69 tn Heb “God of my place of refuge,” that is, “God who is my place of refuge.” See Ps 31:4.
70 tn The question is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but זָנַח (zanakh, “reject”) is a stronger verb than שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”).
71 tn The language is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but the Hitpael form of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh; as opposed to the Qal form in 42:9) expresses more forcefully the continuing nature of the psalmist’s distress.
72 sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar statement.
73 tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”
74 sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.
75 tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”
76 tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is identical to the one in Ps 42:11. See also 42:5, which differs only slightly.
77 tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.
78 sn Elsewhere in the psalms this verb is used (within a metaphorical framework) of a lion tearing its prey (see Pss 7:2; 17:12; 22:13).
79 tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
80 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
81 tn The verb form is jussive.
82 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
83 tn Heb “for my feet.”
84 tn Heb “my life bends low.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
85 tn Heb “before me.”
86 tn The perfect form is used rhetorically here to express the psalmist’s certitude. The demise of the enemies is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished.
87 tn Heb “my life.”
88 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.
89 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
90 tn Heb “without sin.”
91 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
92 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
93 tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”
94 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
95 tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”
96 tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).
97 tn Heb “while my heart faints.”
98 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
99 tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”
100 sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.
101 tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”
102 tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”
103 sn Psalm 64. The psalmist asks God to protect him from his dangerous enemies and then confidently affirms that God will destroy his enemies and demonstrate his justice in the sight of all observers.
104 tn Heb “my voice.”
105 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s request.
106 tn Heb “from the terror of [the] enemy.” “Terror” is used here metonymically for the enemy’s attacks that produce fear because they threaten the psalmist’s life.
107 tn Heb “break my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the origin of the psalmist’s emotions.
108 tn The verb form appears to be a Qal preterite from an otherwise unattested root נוּשׁ (nush), which some consider an alternate form of אָנַשׁ (’anash, “be weak; be sick”; see BDB 60 s.v. I אָנַשׁ). Perhaps the form should be emended to a Niphal, וָאֵאָנְשָׁה (va’e’onshah, “and I am sick”). The Niphal of אָנַשׁ occurs in 2 Sam 12:15, where it is used to describe David’s sick child.
109 tn Heb “wait.”
110 tn Heb “and I wait for sympathy, but there is none.” The form נוּד (nud) is an infinitive functioning as a verbal noun:, “sympathizing.” Some suggest emending the form to a participle נָד (nad, “one who shows sympathy”). The verb נוּד (nud) also has the nuance “show sympathy” in Job 2:11; 42:11 and Isa 51:19.
111 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
112 tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”
113 tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “
114 tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).
115 tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).
116 sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
117 tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”
118 tn Heb “the courts of the
119 tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.
120 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The
121 tn Heb “I will walk in your truth.” The
122 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).
123 sn “Rahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).
124 tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the
125 tn Heb “Look.”
126 map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
127 tn Heb “Cush.”
128 tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.
129 tn Heb “[I am] confined and I cannot go out.”
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 Heb “the works of your hands.”
134 tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”
135 tn The Hebrew text simply reads, “in order to live with me.”
136 tn Heb “one who walks in the way of integrity, he will minister to me.”
137 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).
138 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
139 tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”
140 tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”
141 tn Heb “good.”
142 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
143 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
144 sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.
145 tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.
146 sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).
147 tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.
sn The Lord’s invitation to the Davidic king to sit down at his right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.
148 sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).
149 sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
150 tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מצר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”).
151 tn Heb “the
152 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
153 tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.
154 tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the
155 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.
156 sn Psalm 122. The psalmist expresses his love for Jerusalem and promises to pray for the city’s security.
157 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.
158 tn Heb “in the ones saying to me.” After the verb שָׂמַח (samakh), the preposition בְּ (bet) usually introduces the reason for joy.
159 tn Heb “the
160 tn Heb “he will not turn back from it.”
161 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows are the
162 tn Heb “the fruit of your body.”
163 tn Or “distress.”
164 tn Heb “against the anger of my enemies you extend your hand.”
165 tn Heb “rise up.”
166 sn On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
167 tn Heb “at the end.”
168 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 251. Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (yesukkeniy), from the root שׂכך (“to cover,” an alternate form of סכך), a reading assumed in the present translation.
169 tn Heb “and night, light, around me.”
170 tc The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) should probably be emended to כֲּאַשֶׁר (ka’asher, “when”). The kaf (כ) may have been lost by haplography (note the kaf at the end of the preceding form).
171 sn The phrase depths of the earth may be metaphorical (euphemistic) or it may reflect a prescientific belief about the origins of the embryo deep beneath the earth’s surface (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 96-97). Job 1:21 also closely associates the mother’s womb with the earth.
172 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
173 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
174 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
175 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
176 tn Heb “you know my path.”
177 tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
178 tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
179 tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
180 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
181 tn Or “gather around.”
182 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
183 tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”
184 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
185 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
186 tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
187 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
188 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
189 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”
190 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
191 tn Or “my elevated place.”
192 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”