Psalms 3:4

3:4 To the Lord I cried out,

and he answered me from his holy hill. (Selah)

Psalms 30:2

30:2 O Lord my God,

I cried out to you and you healed me.

Psalms 30:8

30:8 To you, O Lord, I cried out;

I begged the Lord for mercy:

Psalms 34:6

34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;

he saved him from all his troubles.

Psalms 66:17

66:17 I cried out to him for help

and praised him with my tongue.

Psalms 107:6

107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;

he delivered them from their troubles.

Psalms 107:13

107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;

he delivered them from their troubles.

Psalms 107:19

107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;

he delivered them from their troubles.

Psalms 107:28

107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;

he delivered them from their troubles.

Psalms 119:146

119:146 I cried out to you, “Deliver me,

so that I can keep your rules.”

Psalms 138:3

138:3 When I cried out for help, you answered me.

You made me bold and energized me. 10 


tn The prefixed verbal form could be an imperfect, yielding the translation “I cry out,” but the verb form in the next line (a vav [ו] consecutive with the preterite) suggests this is a brief narrative of what has already happened. Consequently the verb form in v. 4a is better understood as a preterite, “I cried out.” (For another example of the preterite of this same verb form, see Ps 30:8.) Sometime after the crisis arose, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and received an assuring answer. Now he confidently awaits the fulfillment of the divine promise.

sn His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1-2). The psalmist recognizes that the Lord dwells in his sanctuary on Mount Zion.

sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.

tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.

tn The pronoun refers back to “this oppressed man,” namely, the psalmist.

tn Heb “to him [with] my mouth I called.”

tn Heb “and he was extolled under my tongue.” The form רוֹמַם (romam) appears to be a polal (passive) participle from רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), but many prefer to read רוֹמָם, “high praise [was under my tongue]” (cf. NEB). See BDB 928 s.v. רוֹמָם.

tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

tn Heb “in the day.”

10 tn Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”