Discovery BoxPsalms 9:9 
Context9:9 Consequently 1 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 2
he provides safety in times of trouble. 3
Psalms 37:8
Context37:8 Do not be angry and frustrated! 4
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!
Psalms 37:39
Context37:39 But the Lord delivers the godly; 5
he protects them in times of trouble. 6
Psalms 54:7
Context54:7 Surely 7 he rescues me from all trouble, 8
and I triumph over my enemies. 9
Psalms 56:5
Context56:5 All day long they cause me trouble; 10
they make a habit of plotting my demise. 11
Psalms 69:17
Context69:17 Do not ignore 12 your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! 13
Psalms 86:7
Context86:7 In my time of trouble I cry out to you,
for you will answer me.
Psalms 94:13
Context94:13 in order to protect him from times of trouble, 14
until the wicked are destroyed. 15
Psalms 116:6
Context116:6 The Lord protects 16 the untrained; 17
I was in serious trouble 18 and he delivered me.
Psalms 119:50
Context119:50 This 19 is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me. 20
1 tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.
2 tn Heb “and the
3 tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).
4 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
5 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the
6 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
7 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the
8 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.
9 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
10 tn Heb “my affairs they disturb.” For other instances of דָּבָר (davar) meaning “affairs, business,” see BDB 183 s.v.. The Piel of עָצַב (’atsav, “to hurt”) occurs only here and in Isa 63:10, where it is used of “grieving” (or “offending”) the Lord’s holy Spirit. Here in Ps 56:5, the verb seems to carry the nuance “disturb, upset,” in the sense of “cause trouble.”
11 tn Heb “against me [are] all their thoughts for harm.”
12 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).
13 tn Or “quickly.”
14 tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”
15 tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”
16 tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the
17 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.
18 tn Heb “I was low.”
19 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.
20 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.
