Psalms 31:3

31:3 For you are my high ridge ¹  and my stronghold;

for the sake of your own reputation ²  you lead me and guide me. ³ 

Psalms 42:9

42:9 I will pray ⁴  to God, my high ridge: ⁵ 

“Why do you ignore ⁶  me?

Why must I walk around mourning ⁷ 

because my enemies oppress me?”

Psalms 68:18

68:18 You ascend on high, ⁸ 

you have taken many captives. ⁹ 

You receive tribute ¹⁰  from ¹¹  men,

including even sinful rebels.

Indeed the Lord God lives there! ¹² 

Psalms 71:3

71:3 Be my protector and refuge, ¹³ 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ¹⁴ 

For you are my high ridge ¹⁵  and my stronghold.

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¹ sn The metaphor of the high ridge pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.

² tn Heb “name.” The Hebrew term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the Lord’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.)

³ tn The present translation assumes that the imperfect verbal forms are generalizing, “you lead me and guide me.” Other options are to take them as an expression of confidence about the future, “you will lead me and guide me” (cf. NASB), or as expressing a prayer, “lead me and guide me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

⁴ tn The cohortative form indicates the psalmist’s resolve.

⁵ tn This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28; Pss 18:2; 31:3.

⁶ tn Or “forget.”

⁷ sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar idea.

⁸ tn Heb “to the elevated place”; or “on high.” This probably refers to the Lord’s throne on Mount Zion.

⁹ tn Heb “you have taken captives captive.”

¹⁰ tn Or “gifts.”

¹¹ tn Or “among.”

¹² tn Heb “so that the Lord God might live [there].” Many take the infinitive construct with -לְ (lamed) as indicating purpose here, but it is unclear how the offering of tribute enables the Lord to live in Zion. This may be an occurrence of the relatively rare emphatic lamed (see HALOT 510-11 s.v. II לְ, though this text is not listed as an example there). If so, the statement corresponds nicely to the final line of v. 16, which also affirms emphatically that the Lord lives in Zion.

¹³ tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).

¹⁴ tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).

¹⁵ sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.