3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; 1
you are my glory 2 and the one who restores me. 3
6:2 Have mercy on me, 4 Lord, for I am frail!
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking! 5
6:8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, 6
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping! 7
6:10 May all my enemies be humiliated 8 and absolutely terrified! 9
May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!
7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, 10
or am guilty of unjust actions, 11
13:2 How long must I worry, 12
and suffer in broad daylight? 13
How long will my enemy gloat over me? 14
16:8 I constantly trust in the Lord; 15
because he is at my right hand, I will not be upended.
17:9 Protect me from 16 the wicked men who attack 17 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 18
18:3 I called 19 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 20
and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 21
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18:37 I chase my enemies and catch 22 them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
18:46 The Lord is alive! 23
My protector 24 is praiseworthy! 25
The God who delivers me 26 is exalted as king! 27
22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!
You are my source of strength! 28 Hurry and help me! 29
22:22 I will declare your name to my countrymen! 30
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!
23:3 He restores my strength. 31
He leads me down 32 the right paths 33
for the sake of his reputation. 34
25:15 I continually look to the Lord for help, 35
for he will free my feet from the enemy’s net. 36
27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 37
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 38
31:2 Listen to me! 39
Quickly deliver me!
Be my protector and refuge, 40
a stronghold where I can be safe! 41
31:4 You will free me 42 from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
34:4 I sought the Lord’s help 43 and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
38:4 For my sins overwhelm me; 44
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; 45
those who hate me without cause outnumber me. 46
39:8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!
Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!
41:9 Even my close friend 47 whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. 48
41:11 By this 49 I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does 50 not triumph 51 over me.
41:12 As for me, you uphold 52 me because of my integrity; 53
you allow 54 me permanent access to your presence. 55
49:15 But 56 God will rescue 57 my life 58 from the power 59 of Sheol;
certainly 60 he will pull me to safety. 61 (Selah)
50:5 He says: 62
“Assemble my covenant people before me, 63
those who ratified a covenant with me by sacrifice!” 64
50:7 He says: 65
“Listen my people! I am speaking!
Listen Israel! I am accusing you! 66
I am God, your God!
56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat 67 attack me all day long.
Indeed, 68 many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. 69
59:10 The God who loves me will help me; 70
God will enable me to triumph over 71 my enemies. 72
60:8 Moab is my washbasin. 73
I will make Edom serve me. 74
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” 75
61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;
you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. 76
61:8 Then I will sing praises to your name continually, 77
as I fulfill 78 my vows day after day.
63:4 For this reason 79 I will praise you while I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands. 80
71:4 My God, rescue me from the power 81 of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor!
71:6 I have leaned on you since birth; 82
you pulled me 83 from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually. 84
71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!
May those who want to harm me 85 be covered with scorn and disgrace!
71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, 86 I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me! 87
77:3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.” 88 (Selah)
81:8 I said, 89 ‘Listen, my people!
I will warn 90 you!
O Israel, if only you would obey me! 91
86:13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me, 92
and will deliver my life 93 from the depths of Sheol. 94
86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; 95
a gang 96 of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. 97
88:13 As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord;
in the morning my prayer confronts you.
88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance; 98
those who know me leave me alone in the darkness. 99
89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, 100
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
By David.
103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise 102 his holy name!
104:35 May sinners disappear 103 from the earth,
and the wicked vanish!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 104
I will make Edom serve me. 105
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
109:29 My accusers will be covered 106 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart. 107
119:48 I will lift my hands to 108 your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
119:82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled. 109
I say, 110 “When will you comfort me?”
נ (Nun)
119:105 Your word 111 is a lamp to walk by,
and a light to illumine my path. 112
119:115 Turn away from me, you evil men,
so that I can observe 113 the commands of my God. 114
119:123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, 115
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled. 116
ק (Qof)
119:145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
A song of ascents. 118
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
130:5 I rely on 119 the Lord,
I rely on him with my whole being; 120
I wait for his assuring word. 121
132:14 He said, 122 “This will be my resting place forever;
I will live here, for I have chosen it. 123
132:17 There I will make David strong; 124
I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue. 125
139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
139:4 Certainly 126 my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. 127
139:6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it. 128
A psalm of praise, by David.
145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king!
I will praise your name continually! 130
1 tn Heb “a shield round about me.”
2 tn Heb “my glory,” or “my honor.” The psalmist affirms that the
3 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.
4 tn Or “show me favor.”
5 tn Normally the verb בָּהַל (bahal) refers to an emotional response and means “tremble with fear, be terrified” (see vv. 3, 10). Perhaps here the “bones” are viewed as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. However, the verb may describe one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment.
6 tn Heb “all [you] workers of wickedness.” See Ps 5:5.
7 sn The
8 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling judgment down on his enemies.
9 tn Heb “and may they be very terrified.” The psalmist uses the same expression in v. 3 to describe the terror he was experiencing. Now he asks the
10 tn Heb “if I have done this.”
11 tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.
12 tn Heb “How long will I put counsel in my being?”
13 tn Heb “[with] grief in my heart by day.”
14 tn Heb “be exalted over me.” Perhaps one could translate, “How long will my enemy defeat me?”
15 tn Heb “I set the
16 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
17 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
18 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (bÿnefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
19 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where the psalmist recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect.
20 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
21 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
22 tn 2 Sam 22:38 reads “destroy.”
23 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the
24 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.
25 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
26 tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”
27 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
28 tn Heb “O my strength.”
29 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
30 tn Or “brothers,” but here the term does not carry a literal familial sense. It refers to the psalmist’s fellow members of the Israelite covenant community (see v. 23).
31 tn The appearance of the Hebrew term ???????? (nafshi), traditionally translated “my soul,” might suggest a spiritualized interpretation for the first line of v. 3. However, at the surface level of the shepherd/sheep metaphor, this is unlikely. When it occurs with a pronominal suffix ?????? (nefesh) is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. ?????? 4.a). In this context, where the statement most naturally refers to the physical provision just described, the form is best translated simply “me.” The accompanying verb (a Polel form [factitive use] of ????? [shuv]), if referring to the physical provision just described, carries the nuance “refresh, restore strength.”
32 tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (????????? [yÿshovev] and ????????? [yakheniy]), like those in vv. 1-2, highlight what is typical of the shepherd/sheep relationship.
33 tn The attributive genitive ????? (tsedeq) is traditionally translated “righteousness” here, as if designating a moral or ethical quality. But this seems unlikely, for it modifies ?????????? (ma’ggÿley, “paths”). Within the shepherd/sheep metaphor, the phrase likely refers to “right” or “correct” paths, i.e. ones that lead to pastures, wells, or the fold. While ????? usually does carry a moral or ethical nuance, it can occasionally refer to less abstract things, such as weights and offerings. In this context, which emphasizes divine provision and protection, the underlying reality is probably God’s providential guidance. The psalmist is confident that God takes him down paths that will ultimately lead to something beneficial, not destructive.
34 tn The Hebrew term ???? (shem, “name”) refers here to the shepherd’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.) The statement ??????? ?????? (lÿma’an shÿmo, “for the sake of his name”) makes excellent sense within the framework of the shepherd/sheep metaphor. Shepherds, who sometimes hired out their services, were undoubtedly concerned about their vocational reputation. To maintain their reputation as competent shepherds, they had to know the “lay of the land” and make sure they led the sheep down the right paths to the proper destinations. The underlying reality is a profound theological truth: God must look out for the best interests of the one he has promised to protect, because if he fails to do so, his faithfulness could legitimately be called into question and his reputation damaged.
35 tn Heb “my eyes continually [are] toward the
36 tn Heb “for he will bring out from a net my feet.” The hostility of the psalmist’s enemies is probably in view (see v. 19).
37 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
38 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.
39 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
40 tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”
41 tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”
42 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.”
43 tn Heb “I sought the
44 tn Heb “pass over my head.”
45 tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).
46 tn Heb “are many.”
47 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
48 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.
sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
49 sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.
50 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
51 tn Heb “shout.”
52 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
53 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
54 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”).
55 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
56 tn Or “certainly.”
57 tn Or “redeem.”
58 tn Or “me.” 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).
59 tn Heb “hand.”
60 tn Or “for.”
61 tn Heb “he will take me.” To improve the poetic balance of the verse, some move the words “from the power of Sheol” to the following line. The verse would then read: “But God will rescue my life; / from the power of Sheol he will certainly deliver me” (cf. NEB).
sn According to some, the psalmist here anticipates the resurrection (or at least an afterlife in God’s presence). But it is more likely that the psalmist here expresses his hope that God will rescue him from premature death at the hands of the rich oppressors denounced in the psalm. The psalmist is well aware that all (the wise and foolish) die (see vv. 7-12), but he is confident God will lead him safely through the present “times of trouble” (v. 5) and sweep the wicked away to their final destiny. The theme is a common one in the so-called wisdom psalms (see Pss 1, 34, 37, 112). For a fuller discussion of the psalmists’ view of the afterlife, see R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 284-88.
62 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s summons to the defendant follows.
63 tn Or “Gather to me my covenant people.” The Hebrew term חָסִיד (khasid, “covenant people”) elsewhere in the psalms is used in a positive sense of God’s loyal followers (see the note at Ps 4:3), but here, as the following line makes clear, the term has a neutral sense and simply refers to those who have outwardly sworn allegiance to God, not necessarily to those whose loyalty is genuine.
64 tn Heb “the cutters of my covenant according to sacrifice.” A sacrifice accompanied the covenant-making ceremony and formally ratified the agreement (see Exod 24:3-8).
65 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.
66 tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
67 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
68 tn Or “for.”
69 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The
70 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
71 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
72 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
73 sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
74 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
75 tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.
76 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).
77 tn Or “forever.”
78 tn Or perhaps, “and thereby fulfill.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.
79 tn Or perhaps “then.”
80 sn I will lift up my hands. Lifting up one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19) or respect (Ps 119:48).
81 tn Heb “hand.”
82 tn Heb “from the womb.”
83 tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”).
84 tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”
85 tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”
86 tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here.
87 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.
88 tn Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
89 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the
90 tn Or perhaps “command.”
91 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.
92 tn Heb “for your loyal love [is] great over me.”
93 tn Or “for he will have delivered my life.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here.
94 tn Or “lower Sheol.”
95 tn Heb “rise up against me.”
96 tn Or “assembly.”
97 tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.
98 tn Heb “you cause to be far from me friend and neighbor.”
99 tn Heb “those known by me, darkness.”
100 sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.
101 sn Psalm 103. The psalmist praises God for his mercy and willingness to forgive his people.
102 tn The verb “praise” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
103 tn Or “be destroyed.”
104 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
105 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
106 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
107 tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.
108 tn Lifting the hands is often associated with prayer (Pss 28:2; 63:4; Lam 2:19). (1) Because praying to God’s law borders on the extreme, some prefer to emend the text to “I lift up my hands to you,” eliminating “your commands, which I love” as dittographic. In this view these words were accidentally repeated from the previous verse. (2) However, it is possible that the psalmist closely associates the law with God himself because he views the law as the expression of the divine will. (3) Another option is that “lifting the hands” does not refer to prayer here, but to the psalmist’s desire to receive and appropriate the law. (4) Still others understand this to be an action praising God’s commands (so NCV; cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
109 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your word.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See Ps 69:3.
110 tn Heb “saying.”
111 tn Many medieval Hebrew
112 tn Heb “[is] a lamp for my foot and a light for my path.”
113 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
114 tn The psalmist has already declared that he observes God’s commands despite persecution, so here the idea must be “so that I might observe the commands of my God unhindered by threats.”
115 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your deliverance.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See the similar phrase in v. 82.
116 tn Heb “and for the word of your faithfulness.”
117 sn Psalm 120. The genre and structure of this psalm are uncertain. It begins like a thanksgiving psalm, with a brief notice that God has heard the psalmist’s prayer for help and has intervened. But v. 2 is a petition for help, followed by a taunt directed toward enemies (vv. 3-4) and a lament (vv. 5-7). Perhaps vv. 2-7 recall the psalmist’s prayer when he cried out to the Lord.
118 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.
119 tn Or “wait for.”
120 tn Heb “my soul waits.”
121 tn Heb “his word.”
122 tn The words “he said” are added in the translation to clarify that what follows are the
123 tn Heb “for I desired it.”
124 tn Heb “there I will cause a horn to sprout for David.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Pss 18:2; 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that used its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36.
125 tn Heb “I have arranged a lamp for my anointed one.” Here the “lamp” is a metaphor for the Davidic dynasty (see 1 Kgs 11:36).
126 tn Or “for.”
127 tn Heb “look, O
128 tn Heb “too amazing [is this] knowledge for me, it is elevated, I cannot attain to it.”
129 sn Psalm 145. The psalmist praises God because he is a just and merciful king who cares for his people.
130 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”