¹ tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).

² tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

³ tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”

⁴ tn Or “For.”

⁵ tn Or “bless.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line highlight how God characteristically rewards and protects the godly.

⁶ tn Or “innocent.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense.

⁷ tn Heb “surround.” In 1 Sam 23:26 the verb describes how Saul and his men hemmed David in as they chased him.

⁸ tn Heb “him.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense and is thus translated “them.”

⁹ tn Or “with favor” (cf. NRSV). There is no preposition before the noun in the Hebrew text, nor is there a pronoun attached. “Favor” here stands by metonymy for God’s defensive actions on behalf of the one whom he finds acceptable.

¹⁰ tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”

¹¹ tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend שׁוּבָה (shuvah, “return”) to שֵׁבָה (shevah, “sit [in judgment]”) because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.

¹² tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him…”) of the preceding statement (see GKC 328 §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him….” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26-27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26-27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26-27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).

¹³ tn Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.

¹⁴ sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).

¹⁵ tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”

¹⁶ tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26-30).

¹⁷ tn Heb “under his feet.”

sn Placed everything under their authority. This verse affirms that mankind rules over God’s creation as his vice-regent. See Gen 1:26-30.

¹⁸ tn Heb “place, Lord, terror with regard to them.” The Hebrew term מוֹרָה (morah, “terror”) is an alternative form of מוֹרָא (mora’; a reading that appears in some mss and finds support in several ancient textual witnesses).

¹⁹ tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).

²⁰ tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”

²¹ tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.

²² 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.

²³ tn The third person plural pronominal suffix on the verb is masculine, referring back to the “oppressed” and “needy” in v. 5 (both of those nouns are plural in form), suggesting that the verb means “protect” here. The suffix does not refer to אִמֲרוֹת (’imarot, “words”) in v. 6, because that term is feminine gender.

²⁴ tn Heb “you will protect him from this generation permanently.” The third masculine singular suffix on the verb “protect” is probably used in a distributive sense, referring to each one within the group mentioned previously (the oppressed/needy, referred to as “them” in the preceding line). On this grammatical point see GKC 396 §123.f (where the present text is not cited). (Some Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses read “us,” both here and in the preceding line.) The noun דוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the psalmist’s contemporaries, who were characterized by deceit and arrogance (see vv. 1-2). See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

²⁵ tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.

²⁶ tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”

²⁷ tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”

²⁸ tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”

²⁹ tn Heb “fathers.”

³⁰ tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

³¹ tn Heb “he (the righteous individual described in v. 4) lifts up a blessing from the Lord.” The singular subject is representative here, as v. 6 makes clear. The referent (godly people like the individual in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The imperfect verbal form is generalizing; such people are typically rewarded for their deeds.

³² tn “and vindication from the God of his deliverance.”

³³ tn Heb “to save from death their live[s].”

³⁴ tn Heb “and to keep them alive in famine.”

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

³⁶ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

³⁷ tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same generalizing force as the active participle in the first line. See GKC 329 §111.u.

³⁸ tn Heb “the face of the Lord [is] against the doers of evil to cut off from the earth memory of them.”

³⁹ tn Heb “they” (i.e., the godly mentioned in v. 15).

⁴⁰ tn The three perfect verbal forms are taken in a generalizing sense in v. 17 and translated with the present tense (note the generalizing mood of vv. 18-22).

⁴¹ tn The Hebrew participial form suggests such protection is characteristic.

⁴² tn That is, he protects the godly from physical harm.

⁴³ sn Not one of them is broken. The author of the Gospel of John saw a fulfillment of these words in Jesus’ experience on the cross (see John 19:31-37), for the Roman soldiers, when they saw that Jesus was already dead, did not break his legs as was customarily done to speed the death of crucified individuals. John’s use of the psalm seems strange, for the statement in its original context suggests that the Lord protects the godly from physical harm. Jesus’ legs may have remained unbroken, but he was brutally and unjustly executed by his enemies. John seems to give the statement a literal sense that is foreign to its original literary context by applying a promise of divine protection to a man who was seemingly not saved by God. However, John saw in this incident a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate deliverance and vindication. His unbroken bones were a reminder of God’s commitment to the godly and a sign of things to come. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of the story; God vindicated him, as John goes on to explain in the following context (John 19:38-20:18).

⁴⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. See v. 4.

⁴⁵ sn See the mention of the Lord’s angel in Ps 34:7.

⁴⁶ tn Heb “as the Lord’s angel pushes [them].”

⁴⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.

⁴⁸ tn Heb “rejoice.”

⁴⁹ tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

⁵⁰ tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.

⁵¹ tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.

⁵² tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the Lord.”

⁵³ tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”

⁵⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

⁵⁵ tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”

⁵⁶ tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”

⁵⁷ tn Heb “trembling seizes them there.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” (BDB 1027 s.v.).

⁵⁸ tn Heb “[with] writhing like one giving birth.”

sn The language of vv. 5-6 is reminiscent of Exod 15:15.

⁵⁹ tn Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallow” in the sense of “devour” or “destroy” (cf. KJV), but this may be a homonym meaning “confuse” (see BDB 118 s.v. בַּלַּע; HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע). “Their tongue” is the understood object of the verb (see the next line).

⁶⁰ tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”

⁶¹ sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.

⁶² tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”

⁶³ tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”

⁶⁴ tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”

⁶⁵ sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.

⁶⁶ tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).

⁶⁷ tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive is normally used in narrative contexts to describe completed past actions. It is possible that the conclusion to the psalm (vv. 7-10) was added to the lament after God’s judgment of the wicked in response to the psalmist’s lament (vv. 1-6). The translation assumes that these verses are anticipatory and express the psalmist’s confidence that God would eventually judge the wicked. The psalmist uses a narrative style as a rhetorical device to emphasize his certitude. See GKC 329-30 §111.w.

⁶⁸ tn The perfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s certitude about the coming demise of the wicked.

⁶⁹ tn The translation follows the traditional accentuation of the MT. Another option is to translate, “But God will shoot them down with an arrow, suddenly they will be wounded” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

⁷⁰ tc The MT reads literally, “and they caused him to stumble, upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (’al) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ’aley lÿshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the MT arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. It is likely that the MT is corrupt, but a satisfying emendation has not yet been proposed.

⁷¹ tn The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see HALOT 678 s.v. נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.

⁷² tn The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear; it appears to read, “your animals, they live in it,” but this makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some suggest that חָיָּה (khayah) is a rare homonym here, meaning “community” (BDB 312 s.v.) or “dwelling place” (HALOT 310 s.v. III *הַיָּה). In this case one may take “your community/dwelling place” as appositional to the third feminine singular pronominal suffix at the end of v. 9, the antecedent of which is “your inheritance.” The phrase יָשְׁבוּ־בָהּ (yashvu-vah, “they live in it”) may then be understood as an asyndetic relative clause modifying “your community/dwelling place.” A literal translation of vv. 9b-10a would be, “when it [your inheritance] is tired, you sustain it, your community/dwelling place in [which] they live.”

⁷³ sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).

⁷⁴ tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.

⁷⁵ tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Pss 19:14; 69:18).

⁷⁶ tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”

⁷⁷ tc The MT reads “it goes out from fatness their eye,” which might be paraphrased, “their eye protrudes [or “bulges”] because of fatness.” This in turn might refer to their greed; their eyes “bug out” when they see rich food or produce (the noun חֵלֶב [khelev, “fatness”] sometimes refers to such food or produce). However, when used with the verb יָצָא (yatsa’, “go out”) the preposition מִן (“from”) more naturally indicates source. For this reason it is preferable to emend עֵינֵמוֹ (’enemo, “their eye”) to עֲוֹנָמוֹ, (’avonamo, “their sin”) and read, “and their sin proceeds forth from fatness,” that is, their prosperity gives rise to their sinful attitudes. If one follows this textual reading, another interpretive option is to take חֵלֶב (“fatness”) in the sense of “unreceptive, insensitive” (see its use in Ps 17:10). In this case, the sin of the wicked proceeds forth from their spiritual insensitivity.

⁷⁸ tn Heb “the thoughts of [their] heart [i.e., mind] cross over” (i.e., violate God’s moral boundary, see Ps 17:3).

⁷⁹ tn Heb “his deeds.”

⁸⁰ sn Because of the reference to “heaven” in the preceding verse, it is likely that mighty ones refers here to the angels of heaven. The LXX translates “angels” here, as do a number of modern translations (NEB, NIV, NRSV).

⁸¹ tn Heb “provision he sent to them to satisfaction.”

⁸² tn Heb “and they ate and were very satisfied.”

⁸³ tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”

⁸⁴ tn Heb “and their years in terror.”

⁸⁵ tn Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.

⁸⁶ tn Heb “they sought him.”

⁸⁷ tn Heb “his hand,” symbolizing his saving activity and strength, as the next line makes clear.

⁸⁸ tn Heb “[the] day [in] which he ransomed them from [the] enemy.”

⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he sent an insect swarm against them and it devoured them.”

⁹⁰ tn Heb “and a swarm of frogs and it destroyed them.”

⁹¹ tn Heb “a permanent reproach he made them.”

⁹² tn Heb “burned with fire.”

⁹³ tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”

⁹⁴ tn Heb “hand.”

⁹⁵ tn Heb “they are an arm for the sons of Lot.” The “arm” is here a symbol of military might.

sn The descendants of Lot were the Moabites and Ammonites.

⁹⁶ tn Or “tumbleweed.” The Hebrew noun גַּלְגַּל (galgal) refers to a “wheel” or, metaphorically, to a whirling wind (see Ps 77:18). If taken in the latter sense here, one could understand the term as a metonymical reference to dust blown by a whirlwind (cf. NRSV “like whirling dust”). However, HALOT 190 s.v. II גַּלְגַּל understands the noun as a homonym referring to a “dead thistle” here and in Isa 17:13. The parallel line, which refers to קַשׁ (qash, “chaff”), favors this interpretation.

⁹⁷ tn Heb “before.”

⁹⁸ tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (kholÿlim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated lamed (ל) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (mÿkholÿlim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol-ma’yanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ’anu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ’anah, “sing”).

⁹⁹ tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”

¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “rise up.”

¹⁰¹ tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”

¹⁰² tn Heb “you lift up our horn,” or if one follows the marginal reading (Qere), “our horn is lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

¹⁰³ tn The pronoun refers to the Lord himself (see vv. 5, 9).

¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “among the thick foliage they give a sound.”

¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “All of them.” The pronoun “them” refers not just to the sea creatures mentioned in vv. 25-26, but to all living things (see v. 24). This has been specified in the translation as “all of your creatures” for clarity.

¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “to give their food in its time.”

¹⁰⁷ tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).

¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”

¹¹⁰ tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”

¹¹¹ tn Heb “their heart.”

¹¹² tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.

¹¹³ tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).

¹¹⁴ tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”

¹¹⁵ tn Heb “he [i.e., his people] asked.” The singular form should probably be emended to a plural שָׁאֲלוּ (sha’alu, “they asked”), the vav (ו) having fallen off by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the following form).

¹¹⁶ tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).

¹¹⁷ tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

¹¹⁸ tn Heb “remained.”

¹¹⁹ tn Heb “forgot.”

¹²⁰ 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).

¹²¹ tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”

¹²² tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

¹²³ tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).

¹²⁴ tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹²⁵ tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew mss. Perhaps it was accidentally left off, an original וַיַּכְעִיסוּהוּ (vayyakh’isuhu) being misread as וַיַּכְעִיסוּ (vayyakh’isu). In the translation the referent of the pronominal suffix (the Lord) has been specified for clarity to avoid confusion with Baal of Peor (mentioned in the previous verse).

¹²⁶ tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”

¹²⁷ tn That is, the nations of Canaan.

¹²⁸ tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.

¹²⁹ tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.

¹³⁰ tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”

¹³¹ tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”

¹³² sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.

¹³³ tn Heb “sought out.”

¹³⁴ sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.

¹³⁵ tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the Lord” means “by the Lord’s power.”

¹³⁶ tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.

¹³⁷ tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The Lord’s “command” refers here to the law (see Ps 19:8).

¹³⁸ tn Heb “your word.”

¹³⁹ tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”

¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”

¹⁴¹ sn For other references to the wholesale slaughter of babies in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, see 2 Kgs 8:12; Isa 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10.

¹⁴² tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm. See Ps 18:9.

¹⁴³ tn Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.

¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.

¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “the eyes of all wait for you.”

¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “and you give to them their food in its season” (see Ps 104:27).

¹⁴⁷ tn Or “forever and ever.”

¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”

¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”

¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “in glory.” Here “glory” probably refers to the “honor” that belongs to the Lord’s people as a result of their deliverance (see v. 4).

¹⁵¹ tn The significance of the reference to “beds” is unclear. Perhaps the point is that they should rejoice at all times, even when falling asleep or awaking.