¹ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead,” cf. v. 2) introduces a contrast between the prosperity of the godly depicted in v. 3 and the destiny of the wicked described in v. 4.

² tn Heb “[they are] like the chaff which [the] wind blows about.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.

sn Wind-driven chaff. In contrast to the well-rooted and productive tree described in v. 3, the wicked are like a dried up plant that has no root system and is blown away by the wind. The simile describes the destiny of the wicked (see vv. 5-6).

³ sn The speaker here is either the psalmist or the Davidic king, who now addresses the rebellious kings.

⁴ tn The Niphal has here a tolerative nuance; the kings are urged to submit themselves to the advice being offered.

⁵ tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”

⁶ tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.

⁷ tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.

⁸ tn Heb “my glory is happy.” Some view the Hebrew term כְּבוֹדִי (kÿvodiy, “my glory”) 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 30:12; 57:9; 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.”

⁹ tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.

¹⁰ tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.

¹¹ tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

¹² tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.

¹³ tn Heb “set your heart to its rampart.”

¹⁴ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word translated “walk through,” which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Cf. NEB “pass…in review”; NIV “view.”

¹⁵ sn The city’s towers, defenses, and fortresses are outward reminders and tangible symbols of the divine protection the city enjoys.

¹⁶ tn The jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is taken as indicating purpose/result in relation to the statement made in v. 8. (On this use of the jussive after an imperfect, see GKC 322 §109.f.) In this case v. 8 is understood as a parenthetical comment.

¹⁷ tn Heb “see the Pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 55:24; 103:4).

¹⁸ tn Heb “right hand.”

¹⁹ tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”

²⁰ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text, “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

²¹ tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”

²² tn Heb “and their years in terror.”

²³ sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).

²⁴ tn Heb “pluck it.”

²⁵ tn Heb “fill.”

²⁶ tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose or result (“then they will seek”).

²⁷ tn Heb “your name,” which stands here for God’s person.

²⁸ 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).

²⁹ 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).

³⁰ tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the Lord, my rocky summit, and there is no injustice in him.”

³¹ tn Heb “his praise.”

³² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

³³ tn Heb “guard.”

³⁴ tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).

³⁵ tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”

³⁶ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”

³⁷ tn Heb “his inheritance.”

³⁸ tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”

³⁹ tn Heb “right hand.”

⁴⁰ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

⁴¹ tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”

⁴² tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”

⁴³ tn Or “hide.”

⁴⁴ tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

⁴⁵ tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).

⁴⁶ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁴⁷ tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The Lord gives the psalmist the desire and moral understanding that are foundational to the willing obedience depicted metaphorically in the preceding line. In Isa 60:5 the expression “your heart will be wide” means “your heart will swell with pride,” but here the nuance appears to be different.

⁴⁸ tn Heb “and may your compassion come to me.”

⁴⁹ tn Heb “may my heart be complete in your statutes.”

⁵⁰ tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”

⁵¹ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural.

⁵² tn Heb “according to your word.”

⁵³ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁵⁴ tn Heb “do not make me ashamed of my hope.” After the Hebrew verb בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “to be ashamed”) the preposition מִן (min, “from”) often introduces the reason for shame.

⁵⁵ tn Or “and that I might focus.” The two cohortatives with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the imperative at the beginning of the verse.

⁵⁶ tn or “know.” The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁵⁷ tn Or “redeem me.”

⁵⁸ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁵⁹ tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”

⁶⁰ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁶¹ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁶² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

⁶³ tn The psalmist addresses the representative God-fearing man, as indicated by the references to “your wife” (v. 3) and “the man” (v. 4), as well as the second masculine singular pronominal and verbal forms in vv. 2-6.

⁶⁴ tn Heb “the work of your hands, indeed you will eat.”

⁶⁵ tn Heb “how blessed you [will be] and it will be good for you.”

⁶⁶ tn Or “surely.”

⁶⁷ tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”

⁶⁸ tn Or “consequently you are.”

⁶⁹ tn Heb “feared.”

⁷⁰ tn Heb “the sons of man.”

⁷¹ tn Or “forever and ever.”

⁷² tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”