¹ tn The first person pronoun appears before the first person verbal form for emphasis, reflected in the translation by “myself.”

² tn Or perhaps “consecrated.”

³ tn The prefixed verbal form could be an imperfect, yielding the translation “I cry out,” but the verb form in the next line (a vav [ו] consecutive with the preterite) suggests this is a brief narrative of what has already happened. Consequently the verb form in v. 4a is better understood as a preterite, “I cried out.” (For another example of the preterite of this same verb form, see Ps 30:8.) Sometime after the crisis arose, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and received an assuring answer. Now he confidently awaits the fulfillment of the divine promise.

⁴ sn His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1-2). The psalmist recognizes that the Lord dwells in his sanctuary on Mount Zion.

⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s continuing attitude as he faces the crisis at hand.

⁶ tn Or perhaps “troops.” The Hebrew noun עָם (’am) sometimes refers to a military contingent or army.

⁷ tn Heb “who all around take a stand against me.”

⁸ tn Heb “in peace at the same time I will lie down and sleep.”

⁹ tn Heb “for you, Lord, solitarily, securely make me dwell.” The translation understands לְבָדָד (lÿvadad) as modifying the verb; the Lord keeps enemies away from the psalmist so that he is safe and secure. Another option is to take לְבָדָד with what precedes and translate, “you alone, Lord, make me secure.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “my being is very terrified.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.

¹¹ tn Heb “and you, Lord, how long?” The suffering psalmist speaks in broken syntax. He addresses God, but then simply cries out with a brief, but poignant, question: How long will this (= his suffering) continue?

¹² tn Heb “see.”

¹³ tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good.

¹⁴ tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”

¹⁵ tn The verb form is cohortative, indicating the psalmist’s resolve (or vow) to praise the Lord when deliverance arrives.

¹⁶ tn Or “for he will have vindicated me.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here. The idiom גָמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.

¹⁷ sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.

¹⁸ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

¹⁹ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).

sn Taken shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

²⁰ tn Heb “my good [is] not beyond you.” For the use of the preposition עַל (’al) in the sense of “beyond,” see BDB 755 s.v. 2.

²¹ 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.”

²² tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.

²³ tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.

²⁴ sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the Lord who delivered the psalmist from those who hated him.

²⁵ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.

²⁶ tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).

²⁷ tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.

²⁸ tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”

²⁹ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.

³⁰ tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³¹ tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”

³² sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.

³³ sn The LORD is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the LORD is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.

³⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the LORD as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.

³⁵ tn That is, helpless and vulnerable.

³⁶ tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”

³⁷ tn Heb “and I walk about in your loyalty.”

sn The psalmist’s awareness of the Lord’s faithfulness and…loyalty toward him motivates him to remain loyal to the Lord and to maintain his moral purity.

³⁸ tn Heb “sit.”

³⁹ tn Heb “go.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.

⁴⁰ tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”

⁴¹ tn Heb “assembly, company.”

⁴² tn Heb “sit.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.

⁴³ tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”

⁴⁴ tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”

⁴⁵ tn Heb “and I in my integrity walk.” The psalmist uses the imperfect verbal form to emphasize this is his practice. The construction at the beginning of the verse (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist and the sinners mentioned in vv. 9-10.

⁴⁶ tn Or “redeem me.”

⁴⁷ tn Heb “my living.”

⁴⁸ sn The Lord’s house. This probably refers to the tabernacle (if one accepts Davidic authorship) or the temple (see Judg 19:18; 1 Sam 1:7, 24; 2 Sam 12:20; 1 Kgs 7:12, 40, 45, 51).

⁴⁹ tn Or “beauty.”

⁵⁰ tn Heb “my voice.”

⁵¹ tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the Lord he hears. His “heart” is viewed as speaking, however, so it is better to emend the form to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”).

⁵² tn Heb “your face, O Lord, I seek.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 24:6; 105:4).

⁵³ sn You healed me. Apparently the psalmist was plagued by a serious illness that threatened his life. See Ps 41.

⁵⁴ tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.

⁵⁵ tn Or “redeem.” The perfect verbal form is understood here as anticipatory, indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer that he can describe his deliverance as if it had already happened. Another option is to take the perfect as precative, expressing a wish or request (“rescue me”; cf. NIV). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

⁵⁶ tn Heb “my soul will boast”; or better, “let my soul boast.” Following the cohortative form in v. 1, it is likely that the prefixed verbal form here is jussive.

⁵⁷ tn The two prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best taken as jussives, for the psalmist is calling his audience to worship (see v. 3).

⁵⁸ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord I will teach you.” In vv. 13-14 the psalmist explains to his audience what it means to “fear” the Lord.

⁵⁹ tn Heb “then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and be happy in his deliverance.”

⁶⁰ tc The MT reads “as profane [ones] of mockers of food,” which is nonsensical. The present translation assumes (1) an emendation of בְּחַנְפֵי (bÿkhanfey, “as profane men”) to בְּחַנְפִי (bekhanfiy, “when I tripped”; preposition + Qal infinitive construct from II חָנַף [“limp”] + first common singular pronominal suffix) and (2) an emendation of לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג (la’agey ma’og, “mockers of food”) to עָגוּ[ם]לַעְגָּ (la’gam ’agu, “[with] taunting they taunted”; masculine plural noun with enclitic mem + Qal perfect third common plural from לַּעַג [la’ag, “taunt”]).

⁶¹ tn Heb “gnashing at me with their teeth.” The infinitive absolute adds a complementary action – they gnashed with their teeth as they taunted.

⁶² tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”

⁶³ tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).

⁶⁴ tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).

⁶⁵ tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).

⁶⁶ tn Heb “and the light of my eyes, even they, there is not with me.” The “light of the eyes” may refer to physical energy (see 1 Sam 14:27, 29), life itself (Ps 13:3), or the ability to see (Prov 29:23).

⁶⁷ tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”

⁶⁸ tn Or perhaps “surely.”

⁶⁹ tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”

⁷⁰ tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).

⁷¹ tn Or “your will.”

⁷² tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.

⁷³ tn Heb “all the day my humiliation [is] in front of me.”

⁷⁴ tn Heb “and the shame of my face covers me.”

⁷⁵ tn Heb “I will cause your name to be remembered in every generation and generation.” The cohortative verbal form expresses the poet’s resolve. The king’s “name” stands here for his reputation and character, which the poet praised in vv. 2-7.

⁷⁶ sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.

⁷⁷ tn Or “I will not take.”

⁷⁸ tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.

⁷⁹ tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.

⁸⁰ tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).

⁸¹ tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.

⁸² tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”

⁸³ tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the Lord’s name (cf. v. 6).

⁸⁴ tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.

⁸⁵ tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”

⁸⁶ 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).

⁸⁷ tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”

⁸⁸ sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.

⁸⁹ tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”

⁹⁰ tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”

⁹¹ tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.

⁹² tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.

⁹³ tn Heb “my voice.”

⁹⁴ tn Heb “to God Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.

⁹⁵ tn Or “avenges in favor of.”

⁹⁶ tn Heb “glory,” but that makes little sense in the context. Some view כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) here 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 16:9; 30:12; 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.”

⁹⁷ tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.

⁹⁸ tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (’eshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (’ezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.

⁹⁹ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

¹⁰¹ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

¹⁰² tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”

¹⁰³ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

¹⁰⁴ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

¹⁰⁵ sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.

¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “one God spoke, two which I heard.” This is a numerical saying utilizing the “x” followed by “x + 1” pattern to facilitate poetic parallelism. (See W. M. W. Roth, Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament [VTSup], 55-56.) As is typical in such sayings, a list corresponding to the second number (in this case “two”) follows. Another option is to translate, “God has spoken once, twice [he has spoken] that which I have heard.” The terms אַחַת (’akhat, “one; once”) and שְׁתַּיִם (shÿtayim, “two; twice”) are also juxtaposed in 2 Kgs 6:10 (where they refer to an action that was done more than “once or twice”) and in Job 33:14 (where they refer to God speaking “one way” and then in “another manner”).

¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “that strength [belongs] to God.”

¹⁰⁸ tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).

¹⁰⁹ tn The perfect verbal form is understood here as referring to a past experience which the psalmist desires to be repeated. Another option is to take the perfect as indicating the psalmist’s certitude that he will again stand in God’s presence in the sanctuary. In this case one can translate, “I will see you.”

¹¹⁰ tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.

¹¹¹ tn The Hebrew term אִם (’im) is used here in the sense of “when; whenever,” as in Ps 78:34.

¹¹² tn Heb “to him [with] my mouth I called.”

¹¹³ tn Heb “and he was extolled under my tongue.” The form רוֹמַם (romam) appears to be a polal (passive) participle from רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), but many prefer to read רוֹמָם, “high praise [was under my tongue]” (cf. NEB). See BDB 928 s.v. רוֹמָם.

¹¹⁴ tn Heb “sin if I had seen in my heart.”

¹¹⁵ tn Heb “carry, bear.”

¹¹⁶ tn Heb “on account of you.”

¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”

¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and I am estranged to my brothers, and a foreigner to the sons of my mother.”

¹¹⁹ tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.

¹²⁰ tn Or “devotion to.”

¹²¹ sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.

¹²² tn Heb “the insults of those who insult you fall upon me.”

sn Jn 2:17 applies the first half of this verse to Jesus’ ministry in the context of John’s account of Jesus cleansing the temple.

¹²³ sn Fasting was a practice of mourners. By refraining from normal activities such as eating food, the mourner demonstrated the sincerity of his sorrow.

¹²⁴ tn Heb “and it becomes insults to me.”

¹²⁵ tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

¹²⁶ tn Or “quickly.”

¹²⁷ tn Heb “before you [are] all my enemies.”

¹²⁸ tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”

¹²⁹ sn Psalm 71. The psalmist prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him. The first three verses are very similar to Ps 31:1-3a.

¹³⁰ tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”

¹³¹ tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”

¹³² tn Heb “and [when] I pondered to understand this, troubling it [was] in my eyes.”

¹³³ tn Heb “melt.”

¹³⁴ tn The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically prevents the world from being overrun by chaos. One could take this as referring to an anticipated event, “I will make its pillars secure.”

¹³⁵ tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).

¹³⁶ tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.

¹³⁷ tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹³⁸ tn Heb “and I sent him away in the stubbornness of their heart.”

¹³⁹ tn Heb “they walked in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite (“walked”) or a customary imperfect (“were walking”).

¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “turn my hand against.” The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack” (see Isa 1:25; Ezek 38:12; Amos 1:8; Zech 13:7).

¹⁴¹ tn Heb “said.”

¹⁴² sn Normally in the OT the title Most High belongs to the God of Israel, but in this context, where the mythological overtones are so strong, it probably refers to the Canaanite high god El (see v. 1, as well as Isa 14:13).

¹⁴³ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “my life.”

¹⁴⁶ tn Or “show me favor.”

¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”

¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”

¹⁴⁹ tn Or “my soul.”

¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and my life approaches Sheol.”

¹⁵¹ tn Heb “I am considered with.”

¹⁵² tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.

¹⁵³ tn Heb “I am like a man [for whom] there is no help.”

¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “built.”

¹⁵⁵ sn You set up your faithfulness. This may allude to the Lord’s heavenly throne, which symbolizes his just rule and from which the Lord decrees his unconditional promises (see vv. 8, 14).

¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”

¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”

¹⁵⁸ tn Some identify “the sea” as the Mediterranean and “the rivers” as the Euphrates and its tributaries. However, it is more likely that “the sea” and “the rivers” are symbols for hostile powers that oppose God and the king (see v. 9, as well as Ps 93:3-4).

¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”

¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.

¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”

¹⁶² tn Heb “length of days.”

¹⁶³ sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).

¹⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”

¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “struck, attacked.”

¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “I forget.”

¹⁶⁷ sn I am unable to eat food. During his time of mourning, the psalmist refrained from eating. In the following verse he describes metaphorically the physical effects of fasting.

¹⁶⁸ sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).

¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “weeping.”

¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.

¹⁷¹ tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.

¹⁷² tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.

¹⁷³ tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”

¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and I, prayer.”

¹⁷⁵ tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).

¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”

¹⁷⁷ sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.

¹⁷⁸ sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.

¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “I love because the Lord heard my voice, my pleas.” It is possible that “the Lord” originally appeared directly after “I love” and was later accidentally misplaced. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls that God heard his cry for help (note the perfect in v. 2a and the narrative in vv. 3-4).

¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the Lord.

¹⁸¹ tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Ps 19:7.

¹⁸² tn Heb “I was low.”

¹⁸³ tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.

¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “lands, regions.”

¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “a cup of deliverance I will lift up.” Perhaps this alludes to a drink offering the psalmist will present as he thanks the Lord for his deliverance. See v. 17.

¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “for me.”

¹⁸⁷ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.

¹⁸⁸ sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.

¹⁸⁹ tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the Lord” means “by the Lord’s power.”

¹⁹⁰ 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.

¹⁹¹ tn Heb “of your mouth.”

¹⁹² tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.

¹⁹³ tn Heb “gaze [at].”

¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).

¹⁹⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

¹⁹⁶ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.

¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions read the plural here.

¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).

¹⁹⁹ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁰⁰ tn Heb “I am a resident alien in the land.” Resident aliens were especially vulnerable and in need of help. They needed to know the social and legal customs of the land to avoid getting into trouble. The translation (note the addition of “like”) assumes the psalmist is speaking metaphorically, not literally.

²⁰¹ tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.

²⁰² tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

²⁰³ tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”

²⁰⁴ tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”

²⁰⁵ tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”

²⁰⁶ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁰⁷ tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).

²⁰⁸ tn Or “cling to.”

²⁰⁹ 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.

²¹⁰ tn Or “make me walk.”

²¹¹ tn Heb “for in it I delight.”

²¹² tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”

²¹³ tn Or “for.”

²¹⁴ tn Or “righteousness.”

²¹⁵ tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”

²¹⁶ tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).

²¹⁷ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²¹⁸ tn Heb “do not snatch from my mouth a word of truth to excess.” The psalmist wants to be able to give a reliable testimony about the Lord’s loyal love (vv. 41-42), but if God does not intervene, the psalmist will be deprived of doing so, for the evidence of such love (i.e., deliverance) will be lacking.

²¹⁹ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).

²²⁰ tn Or “forever and ever.”

²²¹ tn The series of four cohortatives with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive in vv. 46-48 list further consequences of the anticipated positive divine response to the request made in v. 43.

²²² tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”

²²³ tn Heb “in the house of my dwelling place.” Some take the Hebrew noun מָגוֹר (magor) in the sense of “temporary abode,” and see this as a reference to the psalmist’s status as a resident alien (see v. 19). But the noun can refer to a dwelling place in general (see Ps 55:15).

²²⁴ tn Heb “my portion [is] the Lord.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel (see Ps 16:5).

²²⁵ tn Heb “I said.”

²²⁶ tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).

²²⁷ tn Heb “I appease your face.”

²²⁸ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²²⁹ tn Heb “surround.”

²³⁰ tn The psalmist uses an imperfect verbal form to emphasize that this is his continuing practice.

²³¹ tn Heb “to all who fear you.”

²³² tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.

²³³ tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”

²³⁴ tn Heb “smear over me a lie.”

²³⁵ tn Heb “their heart is insensitive like fat.”

²³⁶ tn Heb “for [with] falsehood they have denied me justice.”

²³⁷ sn God’s commands are a reliable guide to right and wrong. By keeping them the psalmist is doing what is right, yet he is still persecuted.

²³⁸ tn Heb “according to.”

²³⁹ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁴⁰ tn Heb “of your mouth.”

²⁴¹ tn Heb “the wicked wait for me to kill me.”

²⁴² tn Heb “to every perfection I have seen an end, your command is very wide.” God’s law is beyond full comprehension, which is why the psalmist continually studies it (vv. 95, 97).

²⁴³ 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).

²⁴⁴ tn Heb “every false path.”

²⁴⁵ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²⁴⁶ tn Heb “my life [is] in my hands continually.”

²⁴⁷ tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”

²⁴⁸ tn Heb “I turn my heart to do.”

²⁴⁹ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²⁵⁰ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁵¹ 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.

²⁵² sn Traditionally “dross” (so KJV, ASV, NIV). The metaphor comes from metallurgy; “slag” is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.

²⁵³ sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.

²⁵⁴ tn Heb “do justice and righteousness.”

²⁵⁵ tn “For this reason” connects logically with the statement made in v. 126. Because the judgment the psalmist fears (see vv. 119-120) is imminent, he remains loyal to God’s law.

²⁵⁶ tn Or “redeem me.”

²⁵⁷ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁵⁸ tn Heb “find.”

²⁵⁹ tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”

²⁶⁰ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁶¹ tn Heb “long ago I knew concerning your rules, that forever you established them.” See v. 89 for the same idea. The translation assumes that the preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “your rules” introduces the object of the verb יָדַע (yada’), as in 1 Sam 23:23. Another option is that the preposition indicates source, in which case one might translate, “Long ago I realized from your rules that forever you established them” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

²⁶² tn Heb “many [are] those who chase me and my enemies.”

²⁶³ tn Heb “your word.”

²⁶⁴ tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.

²⁶⁵ tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.

²⁶⁶ tn The words “to obey” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.

²⁶⁷ tn Heb “my life.”

²⁶⁸ tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.

²⁶⁹ tn The singular participial form probably has a representative function here. The psalmist envisions the typical hater of peace who represents the entire category of such individuals.

²⁷⁰ sn Psalm 121. The psalm affirms that the Lord protects his people Israel. Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in vv. 3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes v. 3. The translation assumes that speaker one talks in vv. 1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in v. 3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in vv. 4-8. If the verbs in v. 3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Verses 3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one. See the note on the word “sleep” at the end of v. 3.

²⁷¹ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

²⁷² tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”

²⁷³ tn The Hebrew term מֵאַיִן (me’ayin) is interrogative, not relative, in function. Rather than directly stating that his source of help descends from the hills, the psalmist is asking, “From where does my help come?” Nevertheless, the first line does indicate that he is looking toward the hills for help, probably indicating that he is looking up toward the sky in anticipation of supernatural intervention. The psalmist assumes the dramatic role of one needing help. He answers his own question in v. 2.

²⁷⁴ sn Psalm 123. The psalmist, speaking for God’s people, acknowledges his dependence on God in the midst of a crisis.

²⁷⁵ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

²⁷⁶ tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”

²⁷⁷ 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).

²⁷⁸ sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.

²⁷⁹ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

²⁸⁰ tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.

²⁸¹ tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows is David’s vow.

²⁸² tn Heb “the tent of my house.”

²⁸³ tn Heb “go up upon the bed of my couch.”

²⁸⁴ tn Heb “and her priests I will clothe [with] deliverance.”

²⁸⁵ tn Heb “[with] shouting they will shout.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.

²⁸⁶ tn Or “for.”

²⁸⁷ tn Heb “may my right hand forget.” In this case one must supply an object, such as “how to move.” The elliptical nature of the text has prompted emendations (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 236). The translation assumes an emendation to תִּכְשַׁח (tikhshakh), from an otherwise unattested root כשׁח, meaning “to be crippled; to be lame.” See HALOT 502 s.v. כשׁח, which cites Arabic cognate evidence in support of the proposal. The corruption of the MT can be explained as an error of transposition facilitated by the use of שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”) just before this.

²⁸⁸ tn Heb “in the day.”

²⁸⁹ tn Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”

²⁹⁰ tc Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (pala’) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (pala’; see GKC 216 §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the LXX and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 249, 251). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נפלאים, the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (nifla’ot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).

²⁹¹ tc Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yoda’at), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yada’ta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252.

²⁹² tc Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqomÿmekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvÿmitqomÿmekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed mem [מ] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the MT, though a few medieval Hebrew mss have it).

²⁹³ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.

²⁹⁴ tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”

²⁹⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”

²⁹⁶ tn Heb “his.”

²⁹⁷ tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

²⁹⁸ tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (כ) and nun (נ) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.

²⁹⁹ tn Heb “the splendor of the glory of your majesty, and the matters of your amazing deeds I will ponder.”

³⁰⁰ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as an imperfect, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as a jussive, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may they proclaim.”