¹ sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.

² tn Heb “desire.”

³ tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”

⁴ tn Heb “or else.”

⁵ tn Heb “or else.”

⁶ tn Heb “I set the Lord before me continually.” This may mean that the psalmist is aware of the Lord’s presence and sensitive to his moral guidance (see v. 7), or that he trusts in the Lord’s protection (see the following line).

⁷ sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.

⁸ tn 2 Sam 22:8 has “heavens” which forms a merism with “earth” in the preceding line. The “foundations of the heavens” would be the mountains. However, the reading “foundations of the mountains” has a parallel in Deut 32:22.

⁹ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive in the verse.

¹⁰ tn Or “delighted in me.”

¹¹ tn The active participle draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action.

¹² tn Traditionally “the Most High’s.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. Note the focus of vv. 8-12 and see Ps 47:2.

¹³ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “he will not be upended” (cf. NRSV “he shall not be moved”). Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense.

¹⁴ tn Heb “I am numb and crushed to excess.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “I roar because of the moaning of my heart.”

¹⁶ tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “stand [aloof].”

¹⁸ tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”

¹⁹ tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.

²⁰ sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.

²¹ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).

²² tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”

²³ tn The statement “because of you” (1) may simply indicate that God is the cause of the Israelites’ defeat (see vv. 9-14, where the nation’s situation is attributed directly to God’s activity, and cf. NEB, NRSV), or (2) it may suggest they suffer because of their allegiance to God (see Ps 69:7 and Jer 15:15). In this case one should translate, “for your sake” (cf. NASB, NIV). The citation of this verse in Rom 8:36 follows the LXX (Ps 43:23 LXX), where the Greek term ἕνεκεν (Jeneken; LXX ἕνεκα) may likewise mean “because of” or “for the sake of” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἕνεκα 1).

²⁴ tn Or “regarded as.”

²⁵ tn Heb “like sheep of slaughtering,” that is, sheep destined for slaughter.

²⁶ tc Heb “because of wickedness, deliverance to them.” As it stands, the MT makes no sense. The negative particle אַיִן (’ayin, “there is not,” which is due to dittography of the immediately preceding אָוֶן, ’aven, “wickedness”), should probably be added before “deliverance” (see BHS, note a). The presence of an imperative in the next line (note “bring down”) suggests that this line should be translated as a prayer as well, “may there not be deliverance to them.”

²⁷ tn Heb “in anger.” The pronoun “your” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

²⁸ tn Or perhaps “people” in a general sense.

²⁹ tn See Deut 33:29; Ps 81:15 for other uses of the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) in the sense “cower in fear.” In Ps 18:44 the verb seems to carry the nuance “be weak, powerless” (see also Ps 109:24).

³⁰ tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”

³¹ tn Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”

³² tn Heb “the words of God.”

³³ tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”

³⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³⁶ tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.

³⁷ tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people.

³⁸ tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”

³⁹ tn Heb “judge.”

⁴⁰ tn In this context (note the second line) the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim), which so often refers to the regulations of God’s law elsewhere in this psalm, may refer instead to his decisions or disciplinary judgment.

⁴¹ tn Heb “and [in] faithfulness you afflicted me.”

⁴² tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

⁴³ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

⁴⁴ tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”