7:10 The Exalted God is my shield, 1
the one who delivers the morally upright. 2
9:3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated 3 before you.
9:4 For you defended my just cause; 4
from your throne you pronounced a just decision. 5
13:3 Look at me! 6 Answer me, O Lord my God!
Revive me, 7 or else I will die! 8
16:2 I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord,
my only source of well-being.” 9
16:5 Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; 10
you make my future secure. 11
17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! 12
Decide what is right! 13
18:18 They confronted 14 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 15
18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 16
I have not rebelled against my God. 17
18:32 The one true God 18 gives 19 me strength; 20
he removes 21 the obstacles in my way. 22
18:39 You give me strength 23 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 24
18:40 You make my enemies retreat; 25
I destroy those who hate me. 26
18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 27
Foreigners are powerless 28 before me;
22:20 Deliver me 29 from the sword!
Save 30 my life 31 from the claws 32 of the wild dogs!
A psalm of David.
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, 34
I lack nothing. 35
25:11 For the sake of your reputation, 36 O Lord,
forgive my sin, because it is great. 37
25:19 Watch my enemies, for they outnumber me;
they hate me and want to harm me. 38
26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!
Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! 39
27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, 40
and I do pray to you, O Lord. 41
27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me, 42
the Lord would take me in. 43
28:6 The Lord deserves praise, 44
for he has heard my plea for mercy! 45
30:2 O Lord my God,
I cried out to you and you healed me. 46
30:6 In my self-confidence I said,
“I will never be upended.” 47
31:5 Into your hand I entrust my life; 48
you will rescue 49 me, O Lord, the faithful God.
31:14 But I trust in you, O Lord!
I declare, “You are my God!”
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat 50 over me!
38:7 For I am overcome with shame 51
and my whole body is sick. 52
38:15 Yet 53 I wait for you, O Lord!
You will respond, O Lord, my God!
38:21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!
My God, do not remain far away from me!
39:2 I was stone silent; 54
I held back the urge to speak. 55
My frustration grew; 56
39:3 my anxiety intensified. 57
As I thought about it, I became impatient. 58
Finally I spoke these words: 59
39:7 But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?
You are my only hope! 60
39:9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth
because of what you have done. 61
41:5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, 62
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 63
44:4 You are my 64 king, O God!
Decree 65 Jacob’s 66 deliverance!
49:3 I will declare a wise saying; 67
I will share my profound thoughts. 68
51:5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,
a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. 69
51:15 O Lord, give me the words! 70
Then my mouth will praise you. 71
54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to what I say! 72
54:3 For foreigners 73 attack me; 74
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. 75 (Selah)
54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! 76
The Lord is among those who support me. 77
54:7 Surely 78 he rescues me from all trouble, 79
and I triumph over my enemies. 80
55:4 My heart beats violently 81 within me;
the horrors of death overcome me. 82
55:13 But it is you, 83 a man like me, 84
my close friend in whom I confided. 85
56:5 All day long they cause me trouble; 86
they make a habit of plotting my demise. 87
57:8 Awake, my soul! 88
Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 89
61:3 Indeed, 90 you are 91 my shelter,
a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. 92
62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! 93
For he is the one who gives me confidence. 94
63:3 Because 95 experiencing 96 your loyal love is better than life itself,
my lips will praise you.
63:6 whenever 97 I remember you on my bed,
and think about you during the nighttime hours.
63:9 Enemies seek to destroy my life, 98
but they will descend into the depths of the earth. 99
66:17 I cried out to him for help 100
and praised him with my tongue. 101
66:18 If I had harbored sin in my heart, 102
the Lord would not have listened.
66:20 God deserves praise, 103
for 104 he did not reject my prayer
or abandon his love for me! 105
69:8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner. 106
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 107
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
69:19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies. 108
71:7 Many are appalled when they see me, 109
but you are my secure shelter.
71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me! 110
73:13 I concluded, 111 “Surely in vain I have kept my motives 112 pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle. 113
73:23 But I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
74:12 But God has been my 114 king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth. 115
77:4 You held my eyelids open; 116
I was troubled and could not speak. 117
81:11 But my people did not obey me; 118
Israel did not submit to me. 119
83:13 O my God, make them like dead thistles, 120
like dead weeds blown away by 121 the wind!
84:8 O Lord, sovereign God, 122
hear my prayer!
Listen, O God of Jacob! (Selah)
86:2 Protect me, 123 for I am loyal!
O my God, deliver your servant, who trusts in you!
86:7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,
for you will answer me.
88:3 For my life 124 is filled with troubles
and I am ready to enter Sheol. 125
89:35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive 126 David.
89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! 127
Why do you make all people so mortal? 128
91:9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord,
my shelter, the sovereign One. 129
91:16 I will satisfy him with long life, 130
and will let him see my salvation.
92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox. 131
I am covered 132 with fresh oil.
92:15 So they proclaim that the Lord, my protector,
is just and never unfair. 133
94:18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
94:22 But the Lord will protect me, 134
and my God will shelter me. 135
102:4 My heart is parched 136 and withered like grass,
for I am unable 137 to eat food. 138
102:11 My days are coming to an end, 139
and I am withered like grass.
103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Do not forget all his kind deeds! 140
104:34 May my thoughts 141 be pleasing to him!
I will rejoice in the Lord.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 142
but I continue to pray. 143
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 144
those who say evil things about 145 me! 146
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 147
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 148
I have turned into skin and bones. 149
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 150
116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy, 152
116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please Lord, rescue my life!”
116:7 Rest once more, my soul, 153
for the Lord has vindicated you. 154
116:13 I will celebrate my deliverance, 155
and call on the name of the Lord.
118:6 The Lord is on my side, 156 I am not afraid!
What can people do to me? 157
118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; 158
he has become my deliverer.” 159
118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,
and have become my deliverer.
119:10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands!
119:11 In my heart I store up 160 your words, 161
so I might not sin against you.
119:13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed. 162
119:18 Open 163 my eyes so I can truly see 164
the marvelous things in your law!
119:26 I told you about my ways 165 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! 166
Revive me with your word! 167
119:50 This 168 is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me. 169
119:54 Your statutes have been my songs 170
in the house where I live. 171
ח (Khet)
119:57 The Lord is my source of security. 172
I have determined 173 to follow your instructions. 174
119:58 I seek your favor 175 with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised! 176
119:92 If I had not found encouragement in your law, 177
I would have died in my sorrow. 178
119:98 Your commandments 179 make me wiser than my enemies,
for I am always aware of them.
119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your rules.
119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise! 180
Teach me your regulations!
119:109 My life is in continual danger, 181
but I do not forget your law.
119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy. 182
119:120 My body 183 trembles 184 because I fear you; 185
I am afraid of your judgments.
ע (Ayin)
119:121 I do what is fair and right. 186
Do not abandon me to my oppressors!
119:131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long 187 for your commands.
119:133 Direct my steps by your word! 188
Do not let any sin dominate me!
119:136 Tears stream down from my eyes, 189
because people 190 do not keep your law.
119:148 My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
ר (Resh)
119:153 See my pain and rescue me!
For I do not forget your law.
ת (Tav)
119:169 Listen to my cry for help, 191 O Lord!
Give me insight by your word!
119:170 Listen to my appeal for mercy! 192
Deliver me, as you promised. 193
119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions, 194
for all your commands are just.
A song of ascents. 196
121:1 I look up 197 toward the hills.
From where 198 does my help come?
121:2 My help comes from the Lord, 199
the Creator 200 of heaven and earth!
A song of ascents. 202
129:1 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,”
let Israel say.
129:2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not defeated me.
130:2 O Lord, listen to me! 203
Pay attention to 204 my plea for mercy!
137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand be crippled! 205
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection. 206
145:21 My mouth will praise the Lord. 207
Let all who live 208 praise his holy name forever!
1 tn Traditionally, “my shield is upon God” (cf. NASB). As in v. 8, עַל (’al) should be understood as a divine title, here compounded with “God” (cf. NIV, “God Most High”). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:45-46. The shield metaphor pictures God as a protector against deadly attacks.
2 tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
3 tn Or “perish”; or “die.” The imperfect verbal forms in this line either emphasize what typically happens or describe vividly the aftermath of a recent battle in which the
4 tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”
5 tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).
6 tn Heb “see.”
7 tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good.
8 tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”
9 tn Heb “my good [is] not beyond you.” For the use of the preposition עַל (’al) in the sense of “beyond,” see BDB 755 s.v. 2.
10 tn Heb “O
11 tc Heb “you take hold of my lot.” The form תּוֹמִיךְ (tomikh) should be emended to a participle, תוֹמֵךְ (tomekh). The psalmist pictures the
12 tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsa’) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.
13 tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)
14 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 5. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
15 tn Heb “became my support.”
16 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
17 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical; the idea is, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
18 tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the
19 tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.
20 tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”
sn Gives me strength. As the following context makes clear, this refers to physical and emotional strength for battle (see especially v. 39).
21 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.
22 tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
23 tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.
24 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
sn My foes kneel before me. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 268.
25 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.
26 sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the
27 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
28 tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).
29 tn Or “my life.”
30 tn The verb “save” is supplied in the translation; it is understood by ellipsis (see “deliver” in the preceding line).
31 tn Heb “my only one.” The psalmist may mean that his life is precious, or that he feels isolated and alone.
32 tn Heb “from the hand.” Here “hand” is understood by metonymy as a reference to the “paw” and thus the “claws” of the wild dogs.
33 sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.
34 sn The LORD is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the LORD is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.
35 tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the LORD as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.
36 tn Heb “name.” By forgiving the sinful psalmist, the
37 sn Forgive my sin, because it is great. The psalmist readily admits his desperate need for forgiveness.
38 tn Heb “see my enemies for they are numerous, and [with] violent hatred they hate me.”
39 tn Heb “evaluate my kidneys and my heart.” The kidneys and heart were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.
40 tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the
41 tn Heb “your face, O
42 tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”
43 tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”
44 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
45 sn He has heard my plea for mercy. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes at this point, because the Lord responded positively to his petition and assured him that he would deliver him.
46 sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.
47 sn In my self-confidence I said… Here the psalmist begins to fill in the background of the crisis referred to in the earlier verses. He had been arrogant and self-confident, so the Lord withdrew his protection and allowed trouble to invade his life (vv. 8-11).
48 tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.
49 tn Or “redeem.” The perfect verbal form is understood here as anticipatory, indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer that he can describe his deliverance as if it had already happened. Another option is to take the perfect as precative, expressing a wish or request (“rescue me”; cf. NIV). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
50 tn Heb “rejoice.”
51 tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).
52 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).
53 tn Or perhaps “surely.”
54 tn Heb “I was mute [with] silence.”
55 tn Heb “I was quiet from good.” He kept quiet, resisting the urge to find emotional release and satisfaction by voicing his lament.
sn I held back the urge to speak. For a helpful discussion of the relationship (and tension) between silence and complaint in ancient Israelite lamentation, see E. S. Gerstenberger, Psalms, Part I (FOTL), 166-67.
56 tn Heb “and my pain was stirred up.” Emotional pain is in view here.
57 tn Heb “my heart was hot within me.”
58 tn Heb “In my reflection fire burned.” The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite (past tense) or an imperfect being used in a past progressive or customary sense (“fire was burning”).
59 tn Heb “I spoke with my tongue.” The phrase “these words” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
60 tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”
61 tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).
62 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
63 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
64 sn The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1-3, 5, 7-8) in vv. 1-8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.
65 tc The LXX assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [mÿtsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the MT, which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the MT is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (’elohay mÿtsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”).
tn Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.
66 tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.
67 tn Heb “my mouth will speak wisdom.” According to BDB 315 s.v. חָכְמָה the plural חָכְמוֹת (khokhmot, “wisdom”) indicates degree or emphasis here.
68 tn Heb “and the meditation of my heart [i.e., mind] is understanding.” The Hebrew term הָגוּת (hagut, “meditation”), derived from הָגָה (hagah, “to recite quietly; to meditate”), here refers to thoughts that are verbalized (see the preceding line). The plural form תְבוּנוֹת (tÿvunot, “understanding”) indicates degree or emphasis (see GKC 397-98 §124.e).
69 tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.
70 tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
71 tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”
72 tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
73 tc Many medieval Hebrew
74 tn Heb “rise against me.”
75 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
76 tn Or “my helper.”
77 tn Or “sustain my life.”
78 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the
79 tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.
80 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
81 tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”
82 tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”
83 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
84 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
85 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
86 tn Heb “my affairs they disturb.” For other instances of דָּבָר (davar) meaning “affairs, business,” see BDB 183 s.v.. The Piel of עָצַב (’atsav, “to hurt”) occurs only here and in Isa 63:10, where it is used of “grieving” (or “offending”) the Lord’s holy Spirit. Here in Ps 56:5, the verb seems to carry the nuance “disturb, upset,” in the sense of “cause trouble.”
87 tn Heb “against me [are] all their thoughts for harm.”
88 tn Heb “glory,” but that makes little sense in the context. Some view כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
89 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
90 tn Or “for.”
91 tn Or “have been.”
92 tn Heb “a strong tower from the face of an enemy.”
93 tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.
94 tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”
95 tn This line is understood as giving the basis for the praise promised in the following line. Another option is to take the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) as asseverative/emphasizing, “Indeed, your loyal love is better” (cf. NEB, which leaves the particle untranslated).
96 tn The word “experiencing” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist does not speak here of divine loyal love in some abstract sense, but of loyal love revealed and experienced.
97 tn The Hebrew term אִם (’im) is used here in the sense of “when; whenever,” as in Ps 78:34.
98 tn Heb “but they for destruction seek my life.” The pronoun “they” must refer here to the psalmist’s enemies, referred to at this point for the first time in the psalm.
99 sn The depths of the earth refers here to the underworld dwelling place of the dead (see Ezek 26:20; 31:14, 16, 18; 32:18, 24). See L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 167.
100 tn Heb “to him [with] my mouth I called.”
101 tn Heb “and he was extolled under my tongue.” The form רוֹמַם (romam) appears to be a polal (passive) participle from רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), but many prefer to read רוֹמָם, “high praise [was under my tongue]” (cf. NEB). See BDB 928 s.v. רוֹמָם.
102 tn Heb “sin if I had seen in my heart.”
103 tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”
104 tn Or “who.” In a blessing formula after בָּרוּךְ (barukh, “blessed be”) the form אֲשֶׁר (’asher), whether taken as a relative pronoun or causal particle, introduces the basis for the blessing/praise.
105 tn Heb “did not turn aside my prayer and his loyal love with me.”
106 tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”
107 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
108 tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”
109 tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”
110 tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
111 tn The words “I concluded” are supplied in the translation. It is apparent that vv. 13-14 reflect the psalmist’s thoughts at an earlier time (see vv. 2-3), prior to the spiritual awakening he describes in vv. 17-28.
112 tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
113 tn Heb “and washed my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The reference to “hands” suggests actions.
114 tn The psalmist speaks as Israel’s representative here.
115 tn Heb “in the midst of the earth.”
116 tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
117 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
118 tn Heb “did not listen to my voice.”
119 tn The Hebrew expression אָבָה לִי (’avah liy) means “submit to me” (see Deut 13:8).
120 tn Or “tumbleweed.” The Hebrew noun גַּלְגַּל (galgal) refers to a “wheel” or, metaphorically, to a whirling wind (see Ps 77:18). If taken in the latter sense here, one could understand the term as a metonymical reference to dust blown by a whirlwind (cf. NRSV “like whirling dust”). However, HALOT 190 s.v. II גַּלְגַּל understands the noun as a homonym referring to a “dead thistle” here and in Isa 17:13. The parallel line, which refers to קַשׁ (qash, “chaff”), favors this interpretation.
121 tn Heb “before.”
122 tn Heb “
123 tn Heb “my life.”
124 tn Or “my soul.”
125 tn Heb “and my life approaches Sheol.”
126 tn Or “lie to.”
127 tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).
128 tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).
129 tn Heb “for you, the
130 tn Heb “length of days.”
131 sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).
132 tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”
133 tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the
134 tn Heb “and the
135 tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”
136 tn Heb “struck, attacked.”
137 tn Heb “I forget.”
138 sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.
139 tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.
140 tn Or “his benefits” (see 2 Chr 32:25, where the noun is also used of kind deeds performed by the
141 tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.
142 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
143 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
144 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
145 tn Or “against.”
146 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
147 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
148 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
149 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
150 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
151 sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.
152 tn Heb “I love because the
153 tn Heb “return, my soul, to your place of rest.”
154 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense (cf. Ps 13:5).
155 tn Heb “a cup of deliverance I will lift up.” Perhaps this alludes to a drink offering the psalmist will present as he thanks the
156 tn Heb “for me.”
157 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.
158 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the
159 tn Or “salvation.”
160 tn Or “hide.”
161 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew
162 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
163 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
164 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
165 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
166 tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”
167 tn Heb “by your word.”
168 tn The demonstrative “this” refers back to the hope just mentioned or forward to the statement in the second line concerning the promise’s power to revive. See the note on the word “me” at the end of the verse for further discussion.
169 tn The hope generated by the promise (see v. 49b) brings comfort because (note “for” at the beginning of the line) the promise revives the psalmist’s spirits. Another option is to take כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line in the sense of “that,” in which case “this” refers to the promise’s power to revive.
170 tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”
171 tn Heb “in the house of my dwelling place.” Some take the Hebrew noun מָגוֹר (magor) in the sense of “temporary abode,” and see this as a reference to the psalmist’s status as a resident alien (see v. 19). But the noun can refer to a dwelling place in general (see Ps 55:15).
172 tn Heb “my portion [is] the
173 tn Heb “I said.”
174 tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).
175 tn Heb “I appease your face.”
176 tn Heb “according to your word.”
177 tn Heb “if your law had not been my delight.”
178 tn Or “my suffering.”
179 tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The
180 tn Heb “of my mouth.”
181 tn Heb “my life [is] in my hands continually.”
182 tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”
183 tn Heb “my flesh.”
184 tn The Hebrew verb סָמַר (samar, “to tremble”) occurs only here and in Job 4:15.
185 tn Heb “from fear of you.” The pronominal suffix on the noun is an objective genitive.
186 tn Heb “do justice and righteousness.”
187 tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.
188 tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).
189 tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”
190 tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
191 tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”
192 tn Heb “may my appeal for mercy come before you.”
193 tn Heb “according to your speech.”
194 tn Heb “your word.”
195 sn Psalm 121. The psalm affirms that the Lord protects his people Israel. Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in vv. 3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes v. 3. The translation assumes that speaker one talks in vv. 1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in v. 3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in vv. 4-8. If the verbs in v. 3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Verses 3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one. See the note on the word “sleep” at the end of v. 3.
196 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.
197 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
198 tn The Hebrew term מֵאַיִן (me’ayin) is interrogative, not relative, in function. Rather than directly stating that his source of help descends from the hills, the psalmist is asking, “From where does my help come?” Nevertheless, the first line does indicate that he is looking toward the hills for help, probably indicating that he is looking up toward the sky in anticipation of supernatural intervention. The psalmist assumes the dramatic role of one needing help. He answers his own question in v. 2.
199 tn Heb “my help [is] from with the
200 tn Or “Maker.”
201 sn Psalm 129. Israel affirms God’s justice and asks him to destroy the enemies of Zion.
202 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.
203 tn Heb “my voice.”
204 tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”
205 tn Heb “may my right hand forget.” In this case one must supply an object, such as “how to move.” The elliptical nature of the text has prompted emendations (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 236). The translation assumes an emendation to תִּכְשַׁח (tikhshakh), from an otherwise unattested root כשׁח, meaning “to be crippled; to be lame.” See HALOT 502 s.v. כשׁח, which cites Arabic cognate evidence in support of the proposal. The corruption of the MT can be explained as an error of transposition facilitated by the use of שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”) just before this.
206 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (כ) and nun (נ) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.
207 tn Heb “the praise of the
208 tn Heb “all flesh.”