25:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me,
for I am alone 1 and oppressed!
47:8 God reigns 2 over the nations!
God sits on his holy throne!
69:10 I weep and refrain from eating food, 3
which causes others to insult me. 4
73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?
Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” 5
75:2 God says, 6
“At the appointed times, 7
I judge 8 fairly.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
135:12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
as an inheritance to Israel his people.
1 tn That is, helpless and vulnerable.
2 tn When a new king was enthroned, his followers would acclaim him king using this enthronement formula (Qal perfect 3ms מָלַךְ, malakh, “to reign,” followed by the name of the king). See 2 Sam 15:10; 1 Kgs 1:11, 13, 18; 2 Kgs 9:13, as well as Isa 52:7. In this context the perfect verbal form is generalizing, but the declaration logically follows the historical reference in v. 5 to the
3 sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.
4 tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”
5 tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).
6 tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in vv. 2-3.
7 tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”
8 tn Heb “I, [in] fairness, I judge.” The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically executes fair judgment as he governs the world. One could take this as referring to an anticipated (future) judgment, “I will judge.”