30:11 Then you turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. 1
45:15 They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession
and enter the royal palace. 2
51:8 Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! 3
May the bones 4 you crushed rejoice! 5
65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, 6
and the hills are clothed with joy. 7
68:3 But the godly 8 are happy;
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy. 9
97:11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy. 10
100:2 Worship 11 the Lord with joy!
Enter his presence with joyful singing!
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 12
119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy. 13
126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest. 14
132:9 May your priests be clothed with integrity! 15
May your loyal followers shout for joy!
149:5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication! 16
Let them shout for joy upon their beds! 17
1 sn Covered me with joy. “Joy” probably stands metonymically for festive attire here.
2 tn Heb “they are led with joy and happiness, they enter the house of the king.”
3 tn Heb “cause me to hear happiness and joy.” The language is metonymic: the effect of forgiveness (joy) has been substituted for its cause. The psalmist probably alludes here to an assuring word from God announcing that his sins are forgiven (a so-called oracle of forgiveness). The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. The synonyms “happiness” and “joy” are joined together as a hendiadys to emphasize the degree of joy he anticipates.
4 sn May the bones you crushed rejoice. The psalmist compares his sinful condition to that of a person who has been physically battered and crushed. Within this metaphorical framework, his “bones” are the seat of his emotional strength.
5 tn In this context of petitionary prayer, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, expressing the psalmist’s wish or request.
6 tn Heb “drip.”
7 tn That is, with rich vegetation that brings joy to those who see it.
8 tn By placing the subject first the psalmist highlights the contrast between God’s ecstatic people and his defeated enemies (vv. 1-2).
9 tn Heb “and they are happy with joy” (cf. NEB). Some translate the prefixed verbal forms of v. 3 as jussives, “Let the godly be happy, let them rejoice before God, and let them be happy with joy!” (Cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV; note the call to praise in v. 4.)
10 tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.
11 tn Or “serve.”
12 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
13 tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”
14 sn O. Borowski says regarding this passage: “The dependence on rain for watering plants, the uncertainty of the quantity and timing of the rains, and the possibility of crop failure due to pests and diseases appear to have kept the farmer in a gloomy mood during sowing” (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 54). Perhaps the people were experiencing a literal drought, the effects of which cause them to lament their plight as they plant their seed in hopes that the rain would come. However, most take the language as metaphorical. Like a farmer sowing his seed, the covenant community was enduring hardship as they waited for a new outpouring of divine blessing. Yet they are confident that a time of restoration will come and relieve their anxiety, just as the harvest brings relief and joy to the farmer.
15 tn Or “righteousness.”
16 tn Heb “in glory.” Here “glory” probably refers to the “honor” that belongs to the
17 tn The significance of the reference to “beds” is unclear. Perhaps the point is that they should rejoice at all times, even when falling asleep or awaking.