Discovery BoxPsalms 19:14 
Context19:14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight, 1
O Lord, my sheltering rock 2 and my redeemer. 3
Psalms 31:1
ContextFor the music director; a psalm of David.
31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
Vindicate me by rescuing me! 5
1 tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”
2 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
3 tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.
4 sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.
5 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”
