78:15 He broke open rocks in the wilderness,
and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea. 1
78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep;
he led them through the wilderness like a flock.
102:6 I am like an owl 2 in the wilderness;
I am like a screech owl 3 among the ruins. 4
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
1 tn Heb “and caused them to drink, like the depths, abundantly.”
2 tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).
3 tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).
4 sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.