25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!
Teach me your paths! 1
25:9 May he show 2 the humble what is right! 3
May he teach 4 the humble his way!
34:11 Come children! Listen to me!
I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. 5
51:13 Then I will teach 6 rebels your merciful ways, 7
and sinners will turn 8 to you.
90:12 So teach us to consider our mortality, 9
so that we might live wisely. 10
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials 11
and to teach his advisers. 12
119:26 I told you about my ways 13 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes!
119:66 Teach me proper discernment 14 and understanding!
For I consider your commands to be reliable. 15
119:68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes!
119:102 I do not turn aside from your regulations,
for you teach me.
119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise! 16
Teach me your regulations!
119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
1 sn Teach me your paths. In this context the
2 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.
3 tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.
4 tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).
5 tn Heb “the fear of the
6 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.
7 tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).
8 tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.
9 tn Heb “to number our days,” that is, to be aware of how few they really are.
10 tn Heb “and we will bring a heart of wisdom.” After the imperative of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates purpose/result. The Hebrew term “heart” here refers to the center of one’s thoughts, volition, and moral character.
11 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
12 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
13 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
14 tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.
15 tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”
16 tn Heb “of my mouth.”