79:9 Help us, O God, our deliverer!
For the sake of your glorious reputation, 1 rescue us!
Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation! 2
79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants
be avenged among the nations! 3
79:11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! 4
Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! 5
1 tn Heb “the glory of your name.” Here and in the following line “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
2 tn Heb “your name.”
3 tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”
4 tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”
5 tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.