4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord! 1
25:9 May he show 2 the humble what is right! 3
May he teach 4 the humble his way!
77:7 I asked, 5 “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
84:9 O God, take notice of our shield! 6
Show concern for your chosen king! 7
85:7 O Lord, show us your loyal love!
Bestow on us your deliverance!
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 8
May no one have compassion 9 on his fatherless children!
1 tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face,
sn Smile upon us. Though many are discouraged, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and transform the situation.
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 As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
6 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.
7 tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).
8 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
9 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).