67:7 May God bless us! 1
Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves. 2
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 3
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 4
but your servant will rejoice.
128:5 May the Lord bless you 5 from Zion,
that you might see 6 Jerusalem 7 prosper
all the days of your life,
1 tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.
2 tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”
3 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
4 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
5 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the imperatives that are subordinated to this clause in vv. 5b-6a). Having described the blessings that typically come to the godly, the psalmist concludes by praying that this ideal may become reality for the representative godly man being addressed.
6 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding jussive.
7 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.