93:1 The Lord reigns!
He is robed in majesty,
the Lord is robed,
he wears strength around his waist. 2
Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.
93:2 Your throne has been secure from ancient times;
you have always been king. 3
93:3 The waves 4 roar, O Lord,
the waves roar,
the waves roar and crash. 5
93:4 Above the sound of the surging water, 6
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty. 7
93:5 The rules you set down 8 are completely reliable. 9
Holiness 10 aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever. 11
1 sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the
2 sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.
3 tn Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.
4 tn The Hebrew noun translated “waves” often refers to rivers or streams, but here it appears to refer to the surging waves of the sea (see v. 4, Ps 24:2).
5 tn Heb “the waves lift up, O
6 tn Heb “mighty waters.”
sn The surging waters here symbolizes the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy the order he has established in the world (see Pss 18:17; 29:3; 32:6; 77:20; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). But the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over these raging waters.
7 tn Heb “mighty on high [is] the
8 tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.
9 sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
10 sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).
11 tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O