¹ tn Heb “you place joy in my heart.” Another option is to understand the perfect verbal form as indicating certitude, “you will make me happier.”

² tn Heb “from (i.e., more than) the time (when) their grain and their wine are abundant.”

³ tn Heb “in peace at the same time I will lie down and sleep.”

⁴ 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.”

⁵ tn Heb “before your eyes.”

⁶ sn You hate. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 11:5.

⁷ tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”

⁸ tn Heb “my being is very terrified.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.

⁹ 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?

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 Or “perish”; or “die.” The imperfect verbal forms in this line either emphasize what typically happens or describe vividly the aftermath of a recent battle in which the Lord defeated the psalmist’s enemies.

¹⁶ tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”

¹⁷ tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ tn Heb “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame.” Using a second person plural verb form, the psalmist addresses the wicked. Since the context indicates their attempt to harm the godly will be thwarted, the imperfect should be taken in a subjunctive (cf. NASB, NRSV) rather than an indicative manner (cf. NIV). Here it probably expresses their desire or intent (“want to humiliate”).

²⁰ tn It is unlikely that כִּי (ki) has a causal force here. The translation assumes a concessive force; another option is to understand an asseverative use (“certainly, indeed”).

²¹ tn Heb “his.” The antecedent of the singular pronoun is the singular form עָנִי (’ani, “oppressed”) in the preceding line. The singular is collective or representative here (and thus translated as plural, “they”).

²² 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.

²³ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

²⁴ 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).

²⁵ 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.

²⁶ tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki)is asseverative here.

²⁷ tn Ps 18:28 reads literally, “you light my lamp, Lord.” 2 Sam 22:29 has, “you are my lamp, Lord.” The Ps 18 reading may preserve two variants, נֵרִי (neriy, “my lamp”) and אוֹרִי (’oriy, “my light”), cf. Ps 27:1. The verb תָּאִיר (ta’ir, “you light”) in Ps 18:28 would, in this case, be a corruption of the latter. See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (SBLDS), 150, n. 64. The metaphor, which likens the Lord to a lamp or light, pictures him as the psalmist’s source of life. For other examples of “lamp” used in this way, see Job 18:6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20. For other examples of “light” as a symbol for life, see Job 3:20; 33:30; Ps 56:13.

²⁸ tn 2 Sam 22:29 repeats the name “Lord.”

²⁹ tn Heb “my darkness.”

³⁰ 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.

³¹ sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the Lord who delivered the psalmist from those who hated him.

³² tn Or “great glory.”

³³ tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.

³⁴ tn Heb “fruit.” The next line makes it clear that offspring is in view.

³⁵ tn Heb “seed.”

³⁶ tn Heb “sons of man.”

³⁷ tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.

³⁸ tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”

³⁹ tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”

⁴⁰ tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.

⁴¹ tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”

⁴² tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”

⁴³ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

⁴⁴ tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The noun זֵכֵר (zekher, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 97:12.The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.

⁴⁵ tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 8 are probably preterites; the psalmist recalls that he prayed in his time of crisis.

⁴⁶ tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.

⁴⁷ 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.

⁴⁸ tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”

⁴⁹ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.

⁵⁰ tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”

⁵¹ tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O Lord, be on us.”

⁵² tn Or “just as.”

⁵³ tn Heb “fear.”

⁵⁴ tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”

⁵⁵ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

⁵⁶ 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.

⁵⁷ tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”

⁵⁸ tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”

⁵⁹ tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.

⁶⁰ tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).

⁶¹ tn Heb “you see, O Lord.” There is a deliberate play on words. In v. 21 the enemies say, “our eye sees,” but the psalmist is confident that the Lord “sees” as well, so he appeals to him for help (see also v. 17).

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 Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).

⁶⁵ tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”

⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”

⁶⁷ tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).

⁶⁸ tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.

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 Heb “remove from upon me your wound.”

⁷² tn Heb “from the hostility of your hand I have come to an end.”

⁷³ tn Or “your will.”

⁷⁴ 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.

⁷⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).

⁷⁶ tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.

⁷⁷ sn The speaker changes here to an individual, perhaps the worship leader or the king. The oscillation between singular (vv. 4, 6) and plural (vv. 1-3, 5, 7-8) in vv. 1-8 may reflect an antiphonal ceremony.

⁷⁸ tc The LXX assumes a participle here (מְצַוֶּה [mÿtsavveh], “the one who commands/decrees”) which would stand in apposition to “my God.” It is possible that the MT, which has the imperative (צַוֵּה, tsavveh) form, has suffered haplography of the letter mem (ם). Note that the preceding word (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) ends in mem. Another option is that the MT is divided in the wrong place; perhaps one could move the final mem from אֱלֹהִים to the beginning of the next word and read מְצַוֶּה אֱלֹהָי (’elohay mÿtsavveh, “[You are my king,] my God, the one who decrees”).

tn Or “command.” This may be the Israelites’ petition prior to the battle. See the introductory note to the psalm.

⁷⁹ tn That is, Israel. See Pss 14:7; 22:23.

⁸⁰ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

⁸¹ tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”

⁸² tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).

⁸³ sn Wake up! See Ps 35:23.

⁸⁴ tn Heb “Why do you hide your face?” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

⁸⁵ tn Or “forget.”

⁸⁶ tn Heb “our oppression and our affliction.”

⁸⁷ 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.

⁸⁸ sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.

⁸⁹ tn Heb “set your heart to its rampart.”

⁹⁰ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word translated “walk through,” which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Cf. NEB “pass…in review”; NIV “view.”

⁹¹ sn The city’s towers, defenses, and fortresses are outward reminders and tangible symbols of the divine protection the city enjoys.

⁹² tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”

⁹³ tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”

⁹⁴ tn Heb “cause me to hear happiness and joy.” The language is metonymic: the effect of forgiveness (joy) has been substituted for its cause. The psalmist probably alludes here to an assuring word from God announcing that his sins are forgiven (a so-called oracle of forgiveness). The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. The synonyms “happiness” and “joy” are joined together as a hendiadys to emphasize the degree of joy he anticipates.

⁹⁵ sn May the bones you crushed rejoice. The psalmist compares his sinful condition to that of a person who has been physically battered and crushed. Within this metaphorical framework, his “bones” are the seat of his emotional strength.

⁹⁶ tn In this context of petitionary prayer, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, expressing the psalmist’s wish or request.

⁹⁷ 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.

⁹⁸ 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).

⁹⁹ tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.

¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.

¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”

¹⁰² tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”

¹⁰³ tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.

¹⁰⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

¹⁰⁵ tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”

¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע proposes a homonym here, meaning “confusion.” This would fit the immediate context nicely and provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to deceptive words.

¹⁰⁷ sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.

¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”

¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”

¹¹⁰ tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.

¹¹¹ tn Heb “right hand.”

¹¹² tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”

¹¹³ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text, “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

¹¹⁴ tn Or “for.”

¹¹⁵ tn Or “have been.”

¹¹⁶ tn Heb “a strong tower from the face of an enemy.”

¹¹⁷ sn Psalm 63. The psalmist expresses his intense desire to be in God’s presence and confidently affirms that God will judge his enemies.

¹¹⁸ sn According to the psalm superscription David wrote the psalm while in the “wilderness of Judah.” Perhaps this refers to the period described in 1 Sam 23-24 or to the incident mentioned in 2 Sam 15:23.

¹¹⁹ tn Or “I will seek you.”

¹²⁰ tn Or “I thirst.”

¹²¹ tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” This may picture the land as “faint” or “weary,” or it may allude to the effect this dry desert has on those who are forced to live in it.

¹²² tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).

¹²³ 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.”

¹²⁴ tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.

¹²⁵ tn This line is understood as giving the basis for the praise promised in the following line. Another option is to take the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) as asseverative/emphasizing, “Indeed, your loyal love is better” (cf. NEB, which leaves the particle untranslated).

¹²⁶ tn The word “experiencing” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist does not speak here of divine loyal love in some abstract sense, but of loyal love revealed and experienced.

¹²⁷ tn Heb “the records of sins are too strong for me.”

¹²⁸ tn Or “make atonement for.”

¹²⁹ tn Heb “[the] one who establishes [the] mountains by his power.”

¹³⁰ tn Heb “one [who] is girded with strength”; or “one [who] girds himself with strength.”

¹³¹ tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.

¹³² tn Or “devotion to.”

¹³³ sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.

¹³⁴ 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.

¹³⁵ 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.

¹³⁶ tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”

¹³⁷ tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”

¹³⁸ tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”

¹³⁹ tn Or “brutish, stupid.”

¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “and I was not knowing.”

¹⁴¹ tn Heb “an animal I was with you.”

¹⁴² tn Or “defend your cause.”

¹⁴³ tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”

¹⁴⁴ tn Or “forget.”

¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”

¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”

¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “a [legal] decision,” or “sentence.”

¹⁴⁸ tn “The earth” stands here by metonymy for its inhabitants.

¹⁴⁹ 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).

¹⁵⁰ tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.

¹⁵¹ tn Or “redeemed.”

¹⁵² tn Heb “with [your] arm.”

¹⁵³ tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”

¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”

¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”

¹⁵⁶ sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).

¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “pluck it.”

¹⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן emends the form to כַּנָּהּ (kannah, “its shoot”).

¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, בֵּן (ben, “son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. Cf. Gen 49:22.

¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “burned with fire.”

¹⁶¹ tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”

¹⁶² tn The translation assumes that the Qal of נָחַל (nakhal) here means “to own; to possess,” and that the imperfect emphasizes a general truth. Another option is to translate the verb as future, “for you will take possession of all the nations” (cf. NIV “all the nations are your inheritance”).

¹⁶³ tn Heb “lift up [their] head[s].” The phrase “lift up [the] head” here means “to threaten; to be hostile,” as in Judg 8:28.

¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “they make crafty a plot.”

¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “and consult together against.”

¹⁶⁶ tn The passive participle of the Hebrew verb צָפַן (tsafan, “to hide”) is used here in the sense of “treasured; cherished.”

¹⁶⁷ tn Or “for.”

¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “they consult [with] a heart together.”

¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “fill.”

¹⁷¹ tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose or result (“then they will seek”).

¹⁷² tn Heb “your name,” which stands here for God’s person.

¹⁷³ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 12 and Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

¹⁷⁴ tn Traditionally “Lord of hosts.”

¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.

¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “my life.”

¹⁷⁷ tn Or “show me favor.”

¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”

¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”

¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”

¹⁸¹ tn Heb “glorious things are spoken about you.” The translation assumes this is a general reference to compliments paid to Zion by those who live within her walls and by those who live in the surrounding areas and lands. Another option is that this refers to a prophetic oracle about the city’s glorious future. In this case one could translate, “wonderful things are announced concerning you.”

¹⁸² tn Heb “[why] do you hide your face from me?”

¹⁸³ tn Heb “built.”

¹⁸⁴ 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).

¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”

¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”

¹⁸⁷ sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.

¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the Lord’s worshipers (see Pss 27:6; 33:3; 47:5).

¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “in the light of your face they walk.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; Dan 9:17).

¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”

¹⁹¹ 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).

¹⁹² tn Heb “you have lifted up the right hand of his adversaries.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:13; 118:16).

¹⁹³ tn The perfect verbal form predominates in vv. 38-45. The use of the imperfect in this one instance may be for rhetorical effect. The psalmist briefly lapses into dramatic mode, describing the king’s military defeat as if it were happening before his very eyes.

¹⁹⁴ tc Heb “you turn back, rocky summit, his sword.” The Hebrew term צוּר (tsur, “rocky summit”) makes no sense here, unless it is a divine title understood as vocative, “you turn back, O Rocky Summit, his sword.” Some emend the form to צֹר (tsor, “flint”) on the basis of Josh 5:2, which uses the phrase חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים (kharvot tsurim, “flint knives”). The noun צֹר (tsor, “flint”) can then be taken as “flint-like edge,” indicating the sharpness of the sword. Others emend the form to אָחוֹר (’akhor, “backward”) or to מִצַּר (mitsar, “from the adversary”). The present translation reflects the latter, assuming an original reading תָּשִׁיב מִצָּר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv mitsar kharbo), which was corrupted to תָּשִׁיב צָר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv tsar kharbo) by virtual haplography (confusion of bet/mem is well-attested) with צָר (tsar, “adversary”) then being misinterpreted as צוּר in the later tradition.

¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “and you have not caused him to stand in the battle.”

¹⁹⁶ tc The Hebrew text appears to read, “you have brought to an end from his splendor,” but the form מִטְּהָרוֹ (mittÿharo) should be slightly emended (the daghesh should be removed from the tet [ת]) and read simply “his splendor” (the initial mem [מ] is not the preposition, but a nominal prefix).

¹⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew verb מָגַר (magar) occurs only here and perhaps in Ezek 21:17.

¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “the days of his youth” (see as well Job 33:25).

¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).

²⁰⁰ tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).

²⁰¹ tn In this context the shortened prefix form does not function as a preterite, but indicates what is typical of the world.

²⁰² tn The Hebrew term דַּכָּא (daka’) carries the basic sense of “crushed.” Elsewhere it refers to those who are “crushed” in spirit or contrite of heart (see Ps 34:18; Isa 57:15). If one understands this nuance here, then v. 3 is observing that God leads mankind to repentance (the term שׁוּב, shuv, “return,” which appears twice in this verse, is sometimes used of repentance.) However, the following context laments mankind’s mortality and the brevity of life, so it is doubtful if v. 3 should be understood so positively. It is more likely that דַּכָּא here refers to “crushed matter,” that is, the dust that fills the grave (see HALOT 221 s.v. s.v. I דַּכָּא; BDB 194 s.v. דַּכָּא). In this case one may hear an echo of Gen 3:19.

²⁰³ tn The word refers specifically to a fowler (or hunter of birds).

²⁰⁴ tn This probably alludes to a sneak attack by enemies in the darkness of night (see Song 3:8).

²⁰⁵ tn Heb “for you, the Lord, my shelter, the Most High, you have made your dwelling place.”

²⁰⁶ tn Or “confront.”

²⁰⁷ tn For this sense of the Hebrew term נגע see Ps 38:11.

²⁰⁸ tn Heb “your tent.”

²⁰⁹ 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).

²¹⁰ 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.”

²¹¹ tn Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.

²¹² tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.

²¹³ sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.

²¹⁴ sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).

²¹⁵ tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O Lord, for length of days.”

²¹⁶ tn Or “your inheritance.”

²¹⁷ tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 30:4. The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.

²¹⁸ tn Or “for.”

²¹⁹ tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the Lord’s affirmation “I am he” in Isa 41:4; 43:10, 13; 46:10; 48:12. In each of these passages the affirmation emphasizes the fact that the Lord transcends time limitations, the very point being made in Ps 102:27.

²²⁰ tn Or “redeems.”

²²¹ tn The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 55:24.

²²² tn Heb “[and] this Leviathan, [which] you formed to play in it.” Elsewhere Leviathan is a multiheaded sea monster that symbolizes forces hostile to God (see Ps 74:14; Isa 27:1), but here it appears to be an actual marine creature created by God, probably some type of whale.

²²³ 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.

²²⁴ tn Heb “to give their food in its time.”

²²⁵ tn Heb “right hand.”

²²⁶ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

²²⁷ tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”

²²⁸ tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

²²⁹ tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”

²³⁰ sn Psalm 113. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign king of the world who reaches down to help the needy.

²³¹ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

²³² tn Or “[source of] help.”

²³³ tn Heb “and their shield.”

²³⁴ tn Or “maker.”

²³⁵ tn Heb “return, my soul, to your place of rest.”

²³⁶ tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense (cf. Ps 13:5).

²³⁷ tn Or “for.”

²³⁸ tn “Lord” is supplied here in the translation for clarification.

²³⁹ tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”

²⁴⁰ tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”

²⁴¹ tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”

²⁴² tn Or “hide.”

²⁴³ tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

²⁴⁴ tn Heb “of your mouth.”

²⁴⁵ tn Heb “accursed.” The traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text takes “accursed” with the previous line (“arrogant, accursed ones”), but it is preferable to take it with the second line as the predicate of the statement.

²⁴⁶ 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.

²⁴⁷ tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”

²⁴⁸ tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).

²⁴⁹ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²⁵⁰ tn Heb “I appease your face.”

²⁵¹ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²⁵² tn The psalmist uses an imperfect verbal form to emphasize that this is his continuing practice.

²⁵³ tn Heb “according to your word to your servant.”

²⁵⁴ tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”

²⁵⁵ tn Heb “according to.”

²⁵⁶ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁵⁷ tn Heb “of your mouth.”

²⁵⁸ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²⁵⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁶⁰ 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.

²⁶¹ tn The Hebrew verb סָלָה (salah, “to disdain”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:15. Cognate usage in Aramaic and Akkadian, as well as Lam 1:15, suggest it may have a concrete nuance of “to throw away.”

²⁶² tn Heb “for their deceit [is] falsehood.”

²⁶³ 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.

²⁶⁴ sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.

²⁶⁵ tn Heb “my flesh.”

²⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew verb סָמַר (samar, “to tremble”) occurs only here and in Job 4:15.

²⁶⁷ tn Heb “from fear of you.” The pronominal suffix on the noun is an objective genitive.

²⁶⁸ tn Heb “according to custom toward the lovers of your name.” The “lovers of” God’s “name” are the Lord’s loyal followers. See Pss 5:11; 69:36; Isa 56:6.

²⁶⁹ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁷⁰ tn Heb “my voice.”

²⁷¹ tn Heb “according to.”

²⁷² tn Heb “according to your custom.”

²⁷³ tn Or “truth.”

²⁷⁴ 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).

²⁷⁵ tn Heb “according to your customs.”

²⁷⁶ tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.

²⁷⁷ tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”

²⁷⁸ tn Heb “may my appeal for mercy come before you.”

²⁷⁹ tn Heb “according to your speech.”

²⁸⁰ tn Heb “my life.”

²⁸¹ tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.

²⁸² sn One hardly thinks of the moon’s rays as being physically harmful, like those of the sun. The reference to the moon may simply lend poetic balance to the verse, but it is likely that the verse reflects an ancient, primitive belief that the moon could have an adverse effect on the mind (note the English expression “moonstruck,” which reflects such a belief). Another possibility is that the sun and moon stand by metonymy for harmful forces characteristic of the day and night, respectively.

²⁸³ sn Psalm 123. The psalmist, speaking for God’s people, acknowledges his dependence on God in the midst of a crisis.

²⁸⁴ 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.

²⁸⁵ tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”

²⁸⁶ 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).

²⁸⁷ tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive in v. 5a.

²⁸⁸ tn Heb “sons to your sons.”

²⁸⁹ tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 125:5).

²⁹⁰ 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.

²⁹¹ 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.

²⁹² 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.

²⁹³ tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine singular, suggesting that the servants addressed in vv. 1-2 are responding to the psalmist.

²⁹⁴ tn Heb “may the Lord bless you from Zion, the maker of heaven and earth.”

²⁹⁵ sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.

²⁹⁶ tn Heb “fearers.”

²⁹⁷ 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.

²⁹⁸ sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.

²⁹⁹ tn The statement is understood as generalizing – the psalmist describes what God typically does.

³⁰⁰ tn Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”

³⁰¹ tn Heb “cover.”

³⁰² tn Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”

³⁰³ tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”

³⁰⁴ tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”

³⁰⁵ 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.

³⁰⁶ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

³⁰⁷ tn Heb “[with what they] desire.”

³⁰⁸ tn Heb “your sons.”

³⁰⁹ tn Heb “the one who.”

³¹⁰ tn Heb “he makes your boundary peace.”

³¹¹ tn Heb “satisfies you with.”

³¹² tn Heb “stars of light.”

³¹³ sn The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. See also Ps 104:3. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 47.