¹ tn Or “For.”

² tn Or “bless.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line highlight how God characteristically rewards and protects the godly.

³ tn Or “innocent.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense.

⁴ tn Heb “surround.” In 1 Sam 23:26 the verb describes how Saul and his men hemmed David in as they chased him.

⁵ tn Heb “him.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense and is thus translated “them.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

¹¹ 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).

¹² tn Heb “sit [enthroned].” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive here, expressing the psalmist’s prayer.

¹³ tn Heb “loyal love and faithfulness appoint, let them protect him.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “your deliverance, O God, may it protect me.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “my life.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “for his angels he will command concerning you.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “in all your ways.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”

²⁰ tn Heb “and the Lord has become my elevated place.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.

²¹ tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”

²² tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.”

²³ tn Heb “and her priests I will clothe [with] deliverance.”

²⁴ tn Heb “[with] shouting they will shout.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.

²⁵ tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.

²⁶ sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.