2:9 You will break them 1 with an iron scepter; 2
you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” 3
3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; 4
you are my glory 5 and the one who restores me. 6
9:2 I will be happy and rejoice in you!
I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! 7
9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, 8
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. 9
10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble? 11
16:10 You will not abandon me 12 to Sheol; 13
you will not allow your faithful follower 14 to see 15 the Pit. 16
17:6 I call to you for you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me! 17
Hear what I say! 18
17:7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds, 19
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies. 20
18:25 You prove to be loyal 21 to one who is faithful; 22
you prove to be trustworthy 23 to one who is innocent. 24
18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, 25 O Lord!
I will sing praises to you! 26
21:4 He asked you to sustain his life, 27
and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty. 28
21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence. 29
21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace 30 when you appear; 31
the Lord angrily devours them; 32
the fire consumes them.
22:5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. 33
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 34 Hurry and help me! 35
30:3 O Lord, you pulled me 36 up from Sheol;
you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. 37
30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. 38
Then you rejected me 39 and I was terrified.
31:4 You will free me 40 from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
32:4 For day and night you tormented me; 41
you tried to destroy me 42 in the intense heat 43 of summer. 44 (Selah)
32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright! 45
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 46
I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 47
41:12 As for me, you uphold 48 me because of my integrity; 49
you allow 50 me permanent access to your presence. 51
49:18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:
“May men praise you, for you have done well!”
50:8 I am not condemning 52 you because of your sacrifices,
or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me. 53
51:16 Certainly 54 you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; 55
you do not desire a burnt sacrifice. 56
57:9 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Master!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 57
60:2 You made the earth quake; you split it open. 58
Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall. 59
60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;
you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. 60
66:4 All the earth worships 61 you
and sings praises to you!
They sing praises to your name!” (Selah)
67:2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;
all nations will know how you deliver your people. 62
68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall 63 on your chosen people. 64
When they 65 are tired, you sustain them, 66
68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. 67
O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,
69:26 For they harass 68 the one whom you discipline; 69
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 70
71:5 For you give me confidence, 71 O Lord;
O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young. 72
71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, 73 I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me! 74
73:20 They are like a dream after one wakes up. 75
O Lord, when you awake 76 you will despise them. 77
73:24 You guide 78 me by your wise advice,
and then you will lead me to a position of honor. 79
74:13 You destroyed 80 the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster 81 in the water.
74:14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; 82
you fed 83 him to the people who live along the coast. 84
74:17 You set up all the boundaries 85 of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter. 86
76:10 Certainly 87 your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise; 88
you reveal your anger in full measure. 89
80:4 O Lord God, invincible warrior! 90
How long will you remain angry at your people while they pray to you? 91
81:8 I said, 92 ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn 93 you!
O Israel, if only you would obey me! 94
83:9 Do to them as you did to Midian 95 –
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River! 96
86:5 Certainly 97 O Lord, you are kind 98 and forgiving,
and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.
86:9 All the nations, whom you created,
will come and worship you, 99 O Lord.
They will honor your name.
86:15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient 100 and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. 101
88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead?
Do the departed spirits 102 rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)
88:13 As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord;
in the morning my prayer confronts you.
89:11 The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains. 103
90:2 Even before the mountains came into existence, 104
or you brought the world into being, 105
you were the eternal God. 106
91:7 Though a thousand may fall beside you,
and a multitude on your right side,
it 107 will not reach you.
91:8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes –
you will see the wicked paid back. 108
91:12 They will lift you up in their hands,
so you will not slip and fall on a stone. 109
91:13 You will subdue 110 a lion and a snake; 111
you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.
94:12 How blessed is the one 112 whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
97:9 For you, O Lord, are the sovereign king 113 over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,
you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees
and obey his orders! 114
103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, 115
you servants of his who carry out his desires! 116
104:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent. 118
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
104:28 You give food to them and they receive it;
you open your hand and they are filled with food. 119
104:30 When you send your life-giving breath, they are created,
and you replenish the surface of the ground.
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 120
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
128:5 May the Lord bless you 121 from Zion,
that you might see 122 Jerusalem 123 prosper
all the days of your life,
130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of 124 sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you? 125
138:4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks 126 to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak. 127
139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
139:13 Certainly 128 you made my mind and heart; 129
you wove me together 130 in my mother’s womb.
141:8 Surely I am looking to you, 131 O sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger! 132
143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer; 133
my soul thirsts for you in a parched 134 land. 135
1 tc The LXX reads “you will shepherd them.” This reading, quoted in the Greek text of the NT in Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15, assumes a different vocalization of the consonantal Hebrew text and understands the verb as רָעָה (ra’ah, “to shepherd”) rather than רָעָע (ra’a’, “to break”). But the presence of נָפַץ (nafats, “to smash”) in the next line strongly favors the MT vocalization.
2 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁבֶט (shevet) can refer to a “staff” or “rod,” but here it probably refers to the Davidic king’s royal scepter, symbolizing his sovereignty.
3 sn Like a potter’s jar. Before the Davidic king’s awesome power, the rebellious nations are like fragile pottery.
4 tn Heb “a shield round about me.”
5 tn Heb “my glory,” or “my honor.” The psalmist affirms that the
6 tn Heb “[the one who] lifts my head.” This phrase could be understood to refer to a general strengthening of the psalmist by God during difficult circumstances. However, if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase “lift the head” could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position (cf. Gen 40:13 where the same phrase is used). Like the Hebrew text, the present translation (“who restores me”) can be understood in either sense.
7 tn Heb “[to] your name, O Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyo/) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
8 tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the
9 tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”
10 sn Psalm 10. Many Hebrew
11 tn Heb “you hide for times in trouble.” The interrogative “why” is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The Hiphil verbal form “hide” has no expressed object. Some supply “your eyes” by ellipsis (see BDB 761 s.v. I עָלַם Hiph and HALOT 835 s.v. I עלם hif) or emend the form to a Niphal (“you hide yourself,” see BHS, note c; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
12 tn Or “my life.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.
13 sn In ancient Israelite cosmology Sheol is the realm of the dead, viewed as being under the earth’s surface. See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 165-76.
14 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד [khasid], traditionally rendered “holy one”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10). The psalmist here refers to himself, as the parallel line (“You will not abandon me to Sheol”) indicates.
15 tn That is, “experience.” The psalmist is confident that the Lord will protect him in his present crisis (see v. 1) and prevent him from dying.
sn According to Peter, the words of Ps 16:8-11 are applicable to Jesus (Acts 2:25-29). Peter goes on to argue that David, being a prophet, foresaw future events and spoke of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:30-33). Paul seems to concur with Peter in this understanding (see Acts 13:35-37). For a discussion of the NT application of these verses to Jesus’ resurrection, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 292-95.
16 tn The Hebrew word שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 30:9; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4). Note the parallelism with the previous line.
17 tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”
18 tn Heb “my word.”
19 tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”
20 tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.
sn Those who look to you for protection from their enemies. “Seeking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
21 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
22 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
23 tn Or “innocent.”
24 tn Heb “a man of innocence.”
25 sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the
26 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
27 tn Heb “life he asked from you.” Another option is to translate the perfect verbal forms in v. 4 with the present tense, “he asks…you grant.”
28 tn Heb “you have granted him length of days forever and ever.” The phrase “length of days,” when used of human beings, usually refers to a lengthy period of time (such as one’s lifetime). See, for example, Deut 30:20; Job 12:12; Ps 91:16; Prov 3:2, 16; Lam 5:20. The additional phrase “forever and ever” is hyperbolic. While it seems to attribute eternal life to the king (see Pss 61:6-7; 72:5 as well), the underlying reality is the king’s enduring dynasty. He will live on, as it were, through his descendants, who will continue to rule over his kingdom long after he has passed off the scene.
29 tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.
30 tn Heb “you make them like a furnace of fire.” Although many modern translations retain the literal Hebrew, the statement is elliptical. The point is not that he makes them like a furnace, but like an object burned in a furnace (cf. NEB, “at your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace”).
31 tn Heb “at the time of your face.” The “face” of the king here refers to his angry presence. See Lam 4:16.
32 tn Heb “the
33 tn Or “were not ashamed.”
34 tn Heb “O my strength.”
35 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
36 tn Or “my life.”
37 tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”
38 tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).
39 tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).
40 tn Heb “bring me out.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form expresses the psalmist’s confidence about the future. Another option is to take the form as expressing a prayer, “free me.”
41 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
42 tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (lÿshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (lÿshuddiy, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.
sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.
43 tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”
44 sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.
45 tn Heb “all [you] pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the
46 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Ps 22:25.
47 tn Heb “among numerous people.”
48 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
49 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
50 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
51 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
52 tn Or “rebuking.”
53 tn Heb “and your burnt sacrifices before me continually.”
54 tn Or “For.” The translation assumes the particle is asseverative (i.e., emphasizing: “certainly”). (Some translations that consider the particle asseverative leave it untranslated.) If taken as causal or explanatory (“for”, cf. NRSV), the verse would explain why the psalmist is pleading for forgiveness, rather than merely offering a sacrifice.
55 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative is used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “You do not want a sacrifice, should I offer [it]” (cf. NEB). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortative is part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.)
56 sn You do not desire a burnt sacrifice. The terminology used in v. 16 does not refer to expiatory sacrifices, but to dedication and communion offerings. This is not a categorical denial of the sacrificial system in general or of the importance of such offerings. The psalmist is talking about his specific situation. Dedication and communion offerings have their proper place in worship (see v. 19), but God requires something more fundamental, a repentant and humble attitude (see v. 17), before these offerings can have real meaning.
57 tn Or “the peoples.”
58 tn The verb פָּצַם (patsam, “split open”) occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “crack,” and an Aramaic cognate is used in Tg. Jer 22:14 with the meaning “break open, frame.” See BDB 822 s.v. and Jastrow 1205 s.v. פְּצַם.
sn You made the earth quake; you split it open. The psalmist uses the imagery of an earthquake to describe the nation’s defeat.
59 sn It is ready to fall. The earth is compared to a wall that has been broken by the force of the earthquake (note the preceding line) and is ready to collapse.
60 tn Heb “you grant the inheritance of those who fear your name.” “Inheritance” is normally used of land which is granted as an inheritance; here it refers metaphorically to the blessings granted God’s loyal followers. To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for his revealed reputation which in turn motivates one to obey God’s commands (see Ps 86:11).
61 tn Or “bows down to.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are taken (1) as imperfects expressing what is typical. Another option (2) is to interpret them as anticipatory (“all the earth will worship you”) or (3) take them as jussives, expressing a prayer or wish (“may all the earth worship you”).
62 tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.
63 tn The verb נוּף (nuf, “cause rain to fall”) is a homonym of the more common נוּף (“brandish”).
64 tn Heb “[on] your inheritance.” This refers to Israel as God’s specially chosen people (see Pss 28:9; 33:12; 74:2; 78:62, 71; 79:1; 94:5, 14; 106:40). Some take “your inheritance” with what follows, but the vav (ו) prefixed to the following word (note וְנִלְאָה, vÿnil’ah) makes this syntactically unlikely.
65 tn Heb “it [is],” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
66 tn Heb “it,” referring to God’s “inheritance.”
67 tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).
68 tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”
69 tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”
70 tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).
sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.
71 tn Heb “for you [are] my hope.”
72 tn Heb “O
73 tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here.
74 tn Heb “and my life [or “soul”] which you will have redeemed.” The perfect verbal form functions here as a future perfect. The psalmist anticipates praising God, for God will have rescued him by that time.
75 tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.
76 sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.
77 tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.
78 tn The imperfect verbal form here suggests this is the psalmist’s ongoing experience.
79 tn Heb “and afterward [to] glory you will take me.” Some interpreters view this as the psalmist’s confidence in an afterlife in God’s presence and understand כָּבוֹד (cavod) as a metonymic reference to God’s presence in heaven. But this seems unlikely in the present context. The psalmist anticipates a time of vindication, when the wicked are destroyed and he is honored by God for his godly life style. The verb לָקַח (laqakh, “take”) here carries the nuance “lead, guide, conduct,” as in Num 23:14, 27-28; Josh 24:3 and Prov 24:11.
80 tn The derivation and meaning of the Polel verb form פּוֹרַרְתָּ (porarta) are uncertain. The form may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “break, shatter,” though the biblical Hebrew cognate of this verb always appears in the Hiphil or Hophal stem. BDB 830 s.v. II פָּרַר suggests a homonym here, meaning “to split; to divide.” A Hitpolel form of a root פָּרַר (parar) appears in Isa 24:19 with the meaning “to shake violently.”
81 tn The Hebrew text has the plural form, “sea monsters” (cf. NRSV “dragons”), but it is likely that an original enclitic mem has been misunderstood as a plural ending. The imagery of the mythological sea monster is utilized here. See the note on “Leviathan” in v. 14.
82 sn You crushed the heads of Leviathan. The imagery of vv. 13-14 originates in West Semitic mythology. The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon [Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַּנִין (tanin), translated “sea monster” in v. 13] vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling [Ugaritic ’qltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן (’aqallaton), translated “squirming” in Isa 27:1] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (note the use of the plural “heads” here and in v. 13). (See CTA 3.iii.38-39 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 50.) (2) “For all that you smote Leviathan the slippery [Ugaritic brh, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ (bariakh), translated “fast moving” in Isa 27:1] serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5.i.1-3 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and, in turn, the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. In the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (see Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the waters of chaos is related to his kingship (see Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Isa 27:1 applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea. Here in Ps 74:13-14 the primary referent is unclear. The psalmist may be describing God’s creation of the world (note vv. 16-17 and see Ps 89:9-12), when he brought order out of a watery mass, or the exodus (see Isa 51:9-10), when he created Israel by destroying the Egyptians in the waters of the sea.
83 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite in this narrational context.
84 sn You fed him to the people. This pictures the fragments of Leviathan’s dead corpse washing up on shore and being devoured by those who find them. If the exodus is in view, then it may allude to the bodies of the dead Egyptians which washed up on the shore of the Red Sea (see Exod 14:30).
85 tn This would appear to refer to geographical boundaries, such as mountains, rivers, and seacoasts. However, since the day-night cycle has just been mentioned (v. 16) and the next line speaks of the seasons, it is possible that “boundaries” here refers to the divisions of the seasons. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:156.
86 tn Heb “summer and winter, you, you formed them.”
87 tn Or “for.”
88 tn Heb “the anger of men will praise you.” This could mean that men’s anger (subjective genitive), when punished by God, will bring him praise, but this interpretation does not harmonize well with the next line. The translation assumes that God’s anger is in view here (see v. 7) and that “men” is an objective genitive. God’s angry judgment against men brings him praise because it reveals his power and majesty (see vv. 1-4).
89 tn Heb “the rest of anger you put on.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear. Perhaps the idea is that God, as he prepares for battle, girds himself with every last ounce of his anger, as if it were a weapon.
90 tn Heb “
91 tn Heb “How long will you remain angry during the prayer of your people.” Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) in an adversative sense here (“at/against the prayer of your people”), but the temporal sense is preferable. The psalmist expects persistent prayer to pacify God.
92 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the
93 tn Or perhaps “command.”
94 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (“if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (GKC 321 §109.b). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
95 tn Heb “do to them like Midian.”
96 sn The psalmist alludes here to Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (see Judg 7-8) and to Barak’s victory over Jabin’s army, which was led by his general Sisera (Judg 4-5).
97 tn Or “for.”
98 tn Heb “good.”
99 tn Or “bow down before you.”
100 tn Heb “slow to anger.”
101 tn Heb “and great of loyal love and faithfulness.”
sn The psalmist’s confession of faith in this verse echoes Exod 34:6.
102 tn Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19).
103 tn Heb “the world and its fullness, you established them.”
104 tn Heb “were born.”
105 tn Heb “and you gave birth to the earth and world.” The Polel verbal form in the Hebrew text pictures God giving birth to the world. The LXX and some other ancient textual witnesses assume a polal (passive) verbal form here. In this case the earth becomes the subject of the verb and the verb is understood as third feminine singular rather than second masculine singular.
106 tn Heb “and from everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.” Instead of אֵל (’el, “God”) the LXX reads אַל (’al, “not”) and joins the negative particle to the following verse, making the verb תָּשֵׁב (tashev) a jussive. In this case v. 3a reads as a prayer, “do not turn man back to a low place.” However, taking תָּשֵׁב as a jussive is problematic in light of the following following wayyiqtol form וַתֹּאמֶר (vato’mer, “and you said/say”).
107 tn Apparently the deadly disease mentioned in v. 6b is the understood subject here.
108 tn Heb “retribution on the wicked.”
109 tn Heb “so your foot will not strike a stone.”
110 tn Heb “walk upon.”
111 tn Or perhaps “cobra” (see Ps 58:4).
112 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm 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 more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.
113 tn Traditionally “Most High.”
114 tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”
115 tn Heb “all his hosts.”
116 tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”
117 sn Psalm 104. The psalmist praises God as the ruler of the world who sustains all life.
118 tn Heb “very great.”
119 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] good.”
120 tn Or “the peoples.”
121 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the imperatives that are subordinated to this clause in vv. 5b-6a). Having described the blessings that typically come to the godly, the psalmist concludes by praying that this ideal may become reality for the representative godly man being addressed.
122 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding jussive.
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 “observe.”
125 tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”
126 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks…and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.
127 tn Heb “the words of your mouth.”
128 tn Or “for.”
129 tn Heb “my kidneys.” The kidneys were sometimes viewed as the seat of one’s emotions and moral character (cf. Pss 7:9; 26:2). A number of translations, recognizing that “kidneys” does not communicate this idea to the modern reader, have generalized the concept: “inmost being” (NAB, NIV); “inward parts” (NASB, NRSV); “the delicate, inner parts of my body” (NLT). In the last instance, the focus is almost entirely on the physical body rather than the emotions or moral character. The present translation, by using a hendiadys (one concept expressed through two terms), links the concepts of emotion (heart) and moral character (mind).
130 tn The Hebrew verb סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave together”) is an alternate form of שָׂכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave”) used in Job 10:11.
131 tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
132 tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
133 tn The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
134 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
135 tc Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition -כְּ (kÿ, “like”) to -בְּ (bÿ, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. NEB “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the MT is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. NIV, NRSV).