¹ tn Heb “before your eyes.”

² 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.

³ tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”

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

¹³ 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).

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.

¹⁶ tn Or “awesome, majestic.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

¹⁸ sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.

¹⁹ tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”

²⁰ tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).

²¹ 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.

²² tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”

²³ tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”

²⁴ tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”

²⁵ tn Or “great glory.”

²⁶ 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.

²⁷ tn Heb “you make them a shoulder,” i.e., “you make them turn and run, showing the back of their neck and shoulders.”

²⁸ tn Heb “with your bowstrings you fix against their faces,” i.e., “you fix your arrows on the bowstrings to shoot at them.”

²⁹ tn Heb “in your strength,” but English idiom does not require the pronoun.

sn The psalm concludes with a petition to the Lord, asking him to continue to intervene in strength for the king and nation.

³⁰ tn Heb “sing praise.”

³¹ tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.

³² tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”

³³ tn Heb “name.” By forgiving the sinful psalmist, the Lord’s reputation as a merciful God will be enhanced.

³⁴ sn Forgive my sin, because it is great. The psalmist readily admits his desperate need for forgiveness.

³⁵ tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.

³⁶ tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

³⁷ tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”

³⁸ tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.

³⁹ tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”

⁴¹ tn Heb “my spirit.” The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) here refers to the animating spirit that gives the psalmist life.

⁴² 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.

⁴³ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.

⁴⁴ tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”

⁴⁵ tn Heb “let your faithfulness, O Lord, be on us.”

⁴⁶ tn Or “just as.”

⁴⁷ tn Two different types of shields are mentioned here. See also Ezek 38:4. Many modern translations render the first term (translated here “small shield”) as “buckler” (cf. NASB “buckler and shield”; the order is often reversed in the translation, apparently for stylistic reasons: cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “shield and buckler”). The English term “buckler,” referring to a small round shield held on the arm to protect the upper body, is unfamiliar to many modern readers, so the term “small shield” was used in the present translation for clarity.

⁴⁸ tn Heb “rejoice.”

⁴⁹ tn Heb “and my tongue will proclaim your justice.”

⁵⁰ tn Heb “all the day your praise.” The verb “proclaim” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).

⁵¹ 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).

⁵² tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”

⁵³ tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”

⁵⁴ tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.

⁵⁵ tn Or “your will.”

⁵⁶ 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.

⁵⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

⁵⁸ tn Heb “for what is not wealth.”

⁵⁹ tn Heb “you did not multiply their purchase prices.”

⁶⁰ tn Heb “our heart did not turn backward.” Cf. Ps 78:57.

⁶¹ tn Heb “and our steps did [not] turn aside from your path.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line). God’s “path” refers to his commands, i.e., the moral pathway he has prescribed for the psalmist. See Pss 17:5; 25:4.

⁶² tn Or “redeem us.” See Pss 25:22; 26:11; 69:18; 119:134.

⁶³ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

⁶⁴ tn Heb “and a daughter of Tyre with a gift, your face they will appease, the rich of people.” The phrase “daughter of Tyre” occurs only here in the OT. It could be understood as addressed to the bride, indicating she was a Phoenician (cf. NEB). However, often in the OT the word “daughter,” when collocated with the name of a city or country, is used to personify the referent (see, for example, “Daughter Zion” in Ps 9:14, and “Daughter Babylon” in Ps 137:8). If that is the case here, then “Daughter Tyre” identifies the city-state of Tyre as the place from which the rich people come (cf. NRSV). The idiom “appease the face” refers to seeking one’s favor (see Exod 32:11; 1 Sam 13:12; 1 Kgs 13:6; 2 Kgs 13:4; 2 Chr 33:12; Job 11:19; Ps 119:58; Prov 19:6; Jer 26:19; Dan 9:13; Zech 7:2; 8:21-22; Mal 1:9).

⁶⁵ 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.

⁶⁶ sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.

⁶⁷ tn Heb “daughters.” The reference is to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 97:8 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

⁶⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as generalizing imperfects. (For other examples of an imperfect followed by causal לְמַעַן [lÿma’an], see Ps 23:3; Isa 49:7; 55:5.) Another option is to interpret the forms as jussives, “Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the towns of Judah be happy!” (cf. NASB, NRSV; note the imperatives in vv. 12-13.)

⁶⁹ sn These acts of judgment are described in vv. 4-7.

⁷⁰ tn Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.

⁷¹ tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”

⁷² tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”

⁷³ sn In this context Hide your face from my sins means “Do not hold me accountable for my sins.”

⁷⁴ tn See the note on the similar expression “wipe away my rebellious acts” in v. 1.

⁷⁵ tn Heb “do not cast me away from before you.”

⁷⁶ sn Your Holy Spirit. The personal Spirit of God is mentioned frequently in the OT, but only here and in Isa 63:10-11 is he called “your/his Holy Spirit.”

⁷⁷ sn Do not take…away. The psalmist expresses his fear that, due to his sin, God will take away the Holy Spirit from him. NT believers enjoy the permanent gift of the Holy Spirit and need not make such a request nor fear such a consequence. However, in the OT God’s Spirit empowered certain individuals for special tasks and only temporarily resided in them. For example, when God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him, the divine Spirit left Saul and came upon David (1 Sam 16:13-14).

⁷⁸ 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.

⁷⁹ 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).

⁸⁰ tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.

⁸¹ tn Or “be exalted.”

⁸² tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)

⁸³ tn Or “be exalted.”

⁸⁴ tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)

⁸⁵ tn Heb “you have caused your people to see [what is] hard.”

⁸⁶ tn Heb “wine of staggering,” that is, intoxicating wine that makes one stagger in drunkenness. Intoxicating wine is here an image of divine judgment that makes its victims stagger like drunkards. See Isa 51:17-23.

⁸⁷ tn Heb “right hand.”

⁸⁸ tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”

⁸⁹ 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.”

⁹⁰ tn Heb “sit [enthroned].” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive here, expressing the psalmist’s prayer.

⁹¹ tn Heb “loyal love and faithfulness appoint, let them protect him.”

⁹² tn The Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used here to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4).

⁹³ 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.”

⁹⁴ tn Heb “seeing.” The preposition with the infinitive construct here indicates an accompanying circumstance.

⁹⁵ 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).

⁹⁶ 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.

⁹⁷ tn Heb “when you go out before your people.” The Hebrew idiom “go out before” is used here in a militaristic sense of leading troops into battle (see Judg 4:14; 9:39; 2 Sam 5:24).

⁹⁸ sn When you march through the desert. Some interpreters think that v. 7 alludes to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and its subsequent travels in the desert. Another option is that v. 7, like v. 8, echoes Judg 5:4, which describes how the God of Sinai marched across the desert regions to do battle with Sisera and his Canaanite army.

⁹⁹ 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.”

¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “from the fountain of Israel,” which makes little, if any, sense here. The translation assumes an emendation to בְּמִקְרָאֵי (bÿmiqra’ey, “in the assemblies of [Israel]”).

¹⁰¹ tn Heb “Be strong, O God, [you] who have acted for us, from your temple in Jerusalem.”

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

¹⁰² tn Heb “carry, bear.”

¹⁰³ tn Heb “on account of you.”

¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and shame covers my face.”

¹⁰⁵ tn Or “for.” This verse explains that the psalmist’s suffering is due to his allegiance to God.

¹⁰⁶ tn Or “devotion to.”

¹⁰⁷ sn God’s house, the temple, here represents by metonymy God himself.

¹⁰⁸ 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.

¹⁰⁹ 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).

¹¹⁰ tn Or “quickly.”

¹¹¹ tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”

¹¹² tn Heb “remember this.”

¹¹³ tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the Lord.”

¹¹⁴ tn Or “defend your cause.”

¹¹⁵ tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”

¹¹⁶ tn Or “forget.”

¹¹⁷ tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”

¹¹⁸ tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”

¹¹⁹ tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (me’az, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (me’oz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).

¹²⁰ sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).

¹²¹ tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.

¹²² tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”

¹²³ tn Heb “water.”

¹²⁴ tn Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”

¹²⁵ tn The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the Lord’s “arrows” (see v. 18).

¹²⁶ tn Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”

¹²⁷ tn Heb “come for our deliverance.”

¹²⁸ tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן emends the form to כַּנָּהּ (kannah, “its shoot”).

¹²⁹ 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.

¹³⁰ 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.

¹³¹ tn Heb “they make crafty a plot.”

¹³² tn Heb “and consult together against.”

¹³³ tn The passive participle of the Hebrew verb צָפַן (tsafan, “to hide”) is used here in the sense of “treasured; cherished.”

¹³⁴ 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).

¹³⁵ tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.

¹³⁶ tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).

¹³⁷ tn Heb “lifted up.”

¹³⁸ tn Heb “covered over.”

¹³⁹ tn Heb “my life.”

¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”

¹⁴¹ tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”

¹⁴² tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”

¹⁴³ 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”).

¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “built.”

¹⁴⁵ 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).

¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”

¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and I will build to a generation and a generation your throne.”

¹⁴⁸ tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the Lord as enthroned in the midst of the angelic hosts of heaven.

¹⁴⁹ sn Tabor and Hermon were two of the most prominent mountains in Palestine.

¹⁵⁰ 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).

¹⁵¹ 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).

¹⁵² tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”

¹⁵³ 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).

¹⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.

¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 132:10, 17).

¹⁵⁶ tn Or “confront.”

¹⁵⁷ tn For this sense of the Hebrew term נגע see Ps 38:11.

¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “your tent.”

¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.

¹⁶⁰ tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.

¹⁶¹ sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.

¹⁶² sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).

¹⁶³ tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O Lord, for length of days.”

¹⁶⁴ sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.

¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).

¹⁶⁶ tn Or “your inheritance.”

¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “when my worries are many within me.”

¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “your comforts cause my soul to delight.”

¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.

¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.

¹⁷¹ tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).

¹⁷² tn The pronoun refers to the Lord himself (see vv. 5, 9).

¹⁷³ tn Or “for.”

¹⁷⁴ 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.

¹⁷⁵ tn Or “redeems.”

¹⁷⁶ 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.

¹⁷⁷ 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.

¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “to give their food in its time.”

¹⁷⁹ tn Or “be exalted.”

¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)

¹⁸¹ tn Heb “right hand.”

¹⁸² 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.”

¹⁸³ tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”

¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”

¹⁸⁶ tn Or “hide.”

¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).

¹⁸⁹ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

¹⁹⁰ 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.

¹⁹¹ 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.

¹⁹² 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.

¹⁹³ 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).

¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural “your words.”

¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”

¹⁹⁶ tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.

¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)

¹⁹⁸ tn BDB 1000-1001 s.v. I שָׁוָה derives the verb from the first homonym listed, meaning “to agree with; to be like; to resemble.” It here means (in the Piel stem) “to be accounted suitable,” which in turn would mean by metonymy “to accept; to be committed to.” Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to place; to set,” but in this case an elliptical prepositional phrase must be understood, “I place your regulations [before me]” (see Ps 16:8).

¹⁹⁹ tn Or “cling to.”

²⁰⁰ 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.

²⁰¹ tn Or “make me walk.”

²⁰² tn Heb “for in it I delight.”

²⁰³ tn Heb “turn my heart to your rules.”

²⁰⁴ tn Heb “and not unjust gain.”

²⁰⁵ tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”

²⁰⁶ tn Heb “by your word.”

²⁰⁷ tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”

²⁰⁸ tn Or “for.”

²⁰⁹ 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.

²¹⁰ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).

²¹¹ tn Or “forever and ever.”

²¹² 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.

²¹³ tn The demonstrative “this” refers back to the hope just mentioned or forward to the statement in the second line concerning the promise’s power to revive. See the note on the word “me” at the end of the verse for further discussion.

²¹⁴ tn The hope generated by the promise (see v. 49b) brings comfort because (note “for” at the beginning of the line) the promise revives the psalmist’s spirits. Another option is to take כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line in the sense of “that,” in which case “this” refers to the promise’s power to revive.

²¹⁵ tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”

²¹⁶ 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).

²¹⁷ 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).

²¹⁸ tn Heb “I said.”

²¹⁹ tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).

²²⁰ tn Heb “I appease your face.”

²²¹ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²²² tn Heb “surround.”

²²³ tn The psalmist uses an imperfect verbal form to emphasize that this is his continuing practice.

²²⁴ tn Heb “do good.”

²²⁵ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²²⁶ tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.

²²⁷ tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”

²²⁸ tn Heb “before I suffered, I was straying off.”

²²⁹ tn Heb “your word.”

²³⁰ tn Heb “smear over me a lie.”

²³¹ tn Heb “their heart is insensitive like fat.”

²³² tn Heb “for [with] falsehood they have denied me justice.”

²³³ tn Heb “may my heart be complete in your statutes.”

²³⁴ tn Or “even though.”

²³⁵ tn The Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20).

²³⁶ tn Heb “in the smoke.”

²³⁷ tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”

²³⁸ tn Heb “for me.”

²³⁹ tn Heb “which [is] not according to your law.”

²⁴⁰ 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.

²⁴¹ tn Heb “according to.”

²⁴² tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁴³ tn Heb “of your mouth.”

²⁴⁴ tn Heb “Forever, O Lord, your word stands firm in heaven,” or “Forever, O Lord, [is] your word; it stands firm in heaven.” The translation assumes that “your word” refers here to the body of divine instructions contained in the law (note the frequent references to the law in vv. 92-96). See vv. 9, 16-17, 57, 101, 105, 130, 139 and 160-61. The reference in v. 86 to God’s law being faithful favors this interpretation. Another option is that “your word” refers to God’s assuring word of promise, mentioned in vv. 25, 28, 42, 65, 74, 81, 107, 114, 147 and 169. In this case one might translate, “O Lord, your promise is reliable, it stands firm in heaven.”

²⁴⁵ tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”

²⁴⁶ tn Heb “if your law had not been my delight.”

²⁴⁷ tn Or “my suffering.”

²⁴⁸ tn Heb “the wicked wait for me to kill me.”

²⁴⁹ 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).

²⁵⁰ 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).

²⁵¹ tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”

²⁵² tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural.

²⁵³ tn Heb “every false path.”

²⁵⁴ tn Heb “according to your word.”

²⁵⁵ tn Heb “of my mouth.”

²⁵⁶ tn Heb “my life [is] in my hands continually.”

²⁵⁷ tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”

²⁵⁸ tn Heb “I turn my heart to do.”

²⁵⁹ tn Heb “divided ones.” The word occurs only here; it appears to be derived from a verbal root, attested in Arabic, meaning “to split” (see HALOT 762 s.v. *סֵעֵף). Since the psalmist is emphasizing his unswerving allegiance to God and his law, the term probably refers to those who lack such loyalty. The translation is similar to that suggested by L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 131.

²⁶⁰ tn Or “and that I might focus.” The two cohortatives with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the imperative at the beginning of the verse.

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 “be surety for your servant for good.”

²⁶⁹ 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.

²⁷⁰ tn Heb “for this reason all the precepts of everything I regard as right.” The phrase “precepts of everything” is odd. It is preferable to take the kaf (כ) on כֹּל (kol, “everything) with the preceding form as a pronominal suffix, “your precepts,” and the lamed (ל) with the following verb as an emphatic particle. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 138.

²⁷¹ tn Heb “every false path.”

²⁷² tn Heb “the doorway of your words gives light.” God’s “words” refer here to the instructions in his law (see vv. 9, 57).

²⁷³ tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”

²⁷⁴ 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 Pss 19:7; 116:6.

²⁷⁵ tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.

²⁷⁶ 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.

²⁷⁷ tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).

²⁷⁸ tn Or “redeem me.”

²⁷⁹ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁸⁰ tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”

²⁸¹ tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁸² tn Heb “find.”

²⁸³ tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”

²⁸⁴ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁸⁵ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

²⁸⁶ tn Heb “my voice.”

²⁸⁷ tn Heb “according to.”

²⁸⁸ tn Heb “according to your custom.”

²⁸⁹ tn Heb “those who pursue.”

²⁹⁰ tn Or “truth.”

²⁹¹ 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).

²⁹² tn Or “argue my case.”

²⁹³ tn Heb “and redeem me.” 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 Ps 19:14).

²⁹⁴ tn Heb “far from the wicked [is] deliverance.”

²⁹⁵ tn Heb “according to your customs.”

²⁹⁶ tn Heb “many [are] those who chase me and my enemies.”

²⁹⁷ tn Heb “your word.”

²⁹⁸ 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.

²⁹⁹ tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.

³⁰⁰ tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”

³⁰¹ tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”

³⁰² tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”

³⁰³ tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”

³⁰⁴ tn Heb “my life.”

³⁰⁵ tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.

³⁰⁶ tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive in v. 5a.

³⁰⁷ tn Heb “sons to your sons.”

³⁰⁸ tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 125:5).

³⁰⁹ 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.

³¹⁰ 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”).

³¹¹ 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.

³¹² tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”

³¹³ tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”

³¹⁴ sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).

³¹⁵ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

³¹⁶ tn Heb “[with what they] desire.”

³¹⁷ tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”

³¹⁸ tn Heb “the one who.”

³¹⁹ tn Heb “he makes your boundary peace.”

³²⁰ tn Heb “satisfies you with.”