Psalms 28:5
Context28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,
or the way he carries out justice. 1
The Lord 2 will permanently demolish them. 3
Psalms 37:28
Context37:28 For the Lord promotes 4 justice,
and never abandons 5 his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure, 6
but the children 7 of evil men are wiped out. 8
Psalms 68:16
Context68:16 Why do you look with envy, 9 O mountains 10 with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has decided to live? 11
Indeed 12 the Lord will live there 13 permanently!
Psalms 74:1
ContextA well-written song 15 by Asaph.
74:1 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us? 16
Why does your anger burn 17 against the sheep of your pasture?
1 tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the
2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
3 tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.
4 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the
5 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.
6 tn Or “protected forever.”
7 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
8 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.
9 tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).
10 tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.
11 tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.
12 tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.
13 tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
14 sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586
15 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
16 sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.
17 tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.