A musical composition 2 by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning 3 a Benjaminite named Cush. 4
7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. 5
Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!
For the music director, according to the gittith style; 7 a psalm of David.
8:1 O Lord, our Lord, 8
how magnificent 9 is your reputation 10 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 11
The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.
102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my cry for help! 13
A song of ascents, 15 by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, 16
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city, 17
then the watchman stands guard in vain.
1 sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.
2 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.
3 tn Or “on account of.”
4 sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.
5 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
6 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
7 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
8 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
9 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
10 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
11 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
12 sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.
13 tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”
14 sn Psalm 127. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist teaches that one does not find security by one’s own efforts, for God alone gives stability and security.
15 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
16 sn The expression build a house may have a double meaning here. It may refer on the surface level to a literal physical structure in which a family lives, but at a deeper, metaphorical level it refers to building, perpetuating, and maintaining a family line. See Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 2:35; 2 Sam 7:27; 1 Kgs 11:38; 1 Chr 17:10, 25. Having a family line provided security in ancient Israel.
17 sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.