Genesis 49:18

49:18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. ¹ 

Psalms 25:5

25:5 Guide me into your truth ²  and teach me.

For you are the God who delivers me;

on you I rely all day long.

Psalms 27:12-14

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, ³ 

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. ⁴ 

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? ⁵ 

27:14 Rely ⁶  on the Lord!

Be strong and confident! ⁷ 

Rely on the Lord!

Psalms 37:7

37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! ⁸ 

Wait confidently ⁹  for him!

Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, ¹⁰ 

a man who carries out wicked schemes!

Psalms 40:1-3

Psalm 40 ¹¹ 

For the music director; By David, a psalm.

40:1 I relied completely ¹²  on the Lord,

and he turned toward me

and heard my cry for help.

40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, ¹³ 

out of the slimy mud. ¹⁴ 

He placed my feet on a rock

and gave me secure footing. ¹⁵ 

40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, ¹⁶ 

praising our God. ¹⁷ 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! ¹⁸ 

Psalms 62:1-8

Psalm 62 ¹⁹ 

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

62:1 For God alone I patiently wait; ²⁰ 

he is the one who delivers me. ²¹ 

62:2 He alone is my protector ²²  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ²³  I will not be upended. ²⁴ 

62:3 How long will you threaten ²⁵  a man?

All of you are murderers, ²⁶ 

as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ²⁷ 

62:4 They ²⁸  spend all their time planning how to bring him ²⁹  down. ³⁰ 

They love to use deceit; ³¹ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ³²  (Selah)

62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! ³³ 

For he is the one who gives me confidence. ³⁴ 

62:6 He alone is my protector ³⁵  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ³⁶  I will not be upended. ³⁷ 

62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;

God is my strong protector and my shelter. ³⁸ 

62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!

Pour out your hearts before him! ³⁹ 

God is our shelter! (Selah)

Isaiah 12:2

12:2 Look, God is my deliverer! ⁴⁰ 

I will trust in him ⁴¹  and not fear.

For the Lord gives me strength and protects me; ⁴² 

he has become my deliverer.” ⁴³ 

Isaiah 25:9

25:9 At that time they will say, ⁴⁴ 

“Look, here ⁴⁵  is our God!

We waited for him and he delivered us.

Here ⁴⁶  is the Lord! We waited for him.

Let’s rejoice and celebrate his deliverance!”

Lamentations 3:25-26

ט (Tet)

3:25 The Lord is good to those who trust ⁴⁷  in him,

to the one ⁴⁸  who seeks him.

3:26 It is good to wait patiently ⁴⁹ 

for deliverance from the Lord. ⁵⁰ 

Luke 2:25-32

The Prophecy of Simeon

2:25 Now ⁵¹  there was a man in Jerusalem ⁵²  named Simeon who was righteous ⁵³  and devout, looking for the restoration ⁵⁴  of Israel, and the Holy Spirit ⁵⁵  was upon him. 2:26 It ⁵⁶  had been revealed ⁵⁷  to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die ⁵⁸  before ⁵⁹  he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ⁶⁰  2:27 So ⁶¹  Simeon, ⁶²  directed by the Spirit, ⁶³  came into the temple courts, ⁶⁴  and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, ⁶⁵  2:28 Simeon ⁶⁶  took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, ⁶⁷ 

2:29 “Now, according to your word, ⁶⁸  Sovereign Lord, ⁶⁹  permit ⁷⁰  your servant ⁷¹  to depart ⁷²  in peace.

2:30 For my eyes have seen your salvation ⁷³ 

2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: ⁷⁴ 

2:32 a light, ⁷⁵ 

for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory ⁷⁶  to your people Israel.”

[49:18]  ¹ sn I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. As Jacob sees the conflicts that lie ahead for Dan and Gad (see v. 19), he offers a brief prayer for their security.

[25:5]  ² sn The Lord’s commandments are referred to as truth here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will.

[27:12]  ³ tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”

[27:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.

[27:13]  ⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” The words “Where would I be” are supplied in the translation to clarify the intent of the statement.

[27:14]  ⁶ tn Or “wait.”

[27:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”

[37:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “Be quiet before the Lord!”

[37:7]  ⁹ tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vÿhitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vÿtokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yÿhvah) and (2) the final lamed (ל) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).

[37:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”

[40:1]  ¹¹ sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).

[40:1]  ¹² tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[40:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).

[40:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.

[40:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”

[40:3]  ¹⁶ sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.

[40:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”

[40:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the Lord.” The translation assumes that the initial prefixed verbal form is a jussive (“may many see”), rather than an imperfect (“many will see”). The following prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive are taken as indicating purpose or result (“so that they might swear allegiance…and trust”) after the introductory jussive.

[62:1]  ¹⁹ sn Psalm 62. The psalmist expresses his unwavering confidence in God’s justice and in his ability to protect his people.

[62:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “only for God [is] there silence [to] my soul.”

[62:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “from him [is] my deliverance.”

[62:2]  ²² tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:2]  ²³ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:2]  ²⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”

[62:3]  ²⁵ tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”

[62:3]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.

[62:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).

[62:4]  ²⁸ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ²⁹ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ³⁰ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ³¹ tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ³² sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.

[62:5]  ³³ tn Heb “only for God be silent, my soul.” The wording is similar to that of v. 1a. Here an imperatival form, דּוֹמִּי (dommiy, “be silent”), appears instead of the noun דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyyah, “silence”). The psalmist is encouraging himself to maintain his trust in God.

[62:5]  ³⁴ tn Heb “for from him [is] my hope.”

[62:6]  ³⁵ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:6]  ³⁶ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:6]  ³⁷ sn The wording is identical to that of v. 2, except that רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) does not appear in v. 6.

[62:7]  ³⁸ tn Heb “upon God [is] my deliverance and my glory, the high rocky summit of my strength, my shelter [is] in God.”

[62:8]  ³⁹ tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).

[12:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “salvation” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[12:2]  ⁴¹ tn The words “in him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:2]  ⁴² tc The Hebrew text has, “for my strength and protection [is] the Lord, the Lord (Heb “Yah, Yahweh).” The word יְהוָה (yehvah) is probably dittographic or explanatory here (note that the short form of the name [יָהּ, yah] precedes, and that the graphically similar וַיְהִי [vayÿhi] follows). Exod 15:2, the passage from which the words of v. 2b are taken, has only יָהּ. The word זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song,” in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing); note that in v. 5 the verb זָמַר (zamar, “sing”) appears. Many recent commentators, however, have argued that the noun is here instead a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v. III *זמר.

[12:2]  ⁴³ tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions, e.g., KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “my savior.”

[25:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and one will say in that day.”

[25:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “this [one].”

[25:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “this [one].”

[3:25]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “wait for him”

[3:25]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “to the soul…” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) is a synecdoche of part (= “the soul who seeks him”) for the whole person (= “the person who seeks him”).

[3:26]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “waiting and silently.” The two adjectives וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם (vÿyakhil vÿdumam, “waiting and silently”) form a hendiadys: The first functions verbally and the second functions adverbially: “to wait silently.” The adjective דוּמָם (dumam, “silently”) also functions as a metonymy of association, standing for patience or rest (HALOT 217 s.v.). This metonymical nuance is captured well in less literal English versions: “wait in patience” (TEV) and “wait patiently” (CEV, NJPS). The more literal English versions do not express the metonymy as well: “quietly wait” (KJV, NKJV, ASV), “waits silently” (NASB), “wait quietly” (RSV, NRSV, NIV).

[3:26]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “deliverance of the Lord.” In the genitive-construct, the genitive יהוה (YHWH, “the Lord”) denotes source, that is, he is the source of the deliverance: “deliverance from the Lord.”

[2:25]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[2:25]  ⁵² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:25]  ⁵³ tn Grk “This man was righteous.” The Greek text begins a new sentence here, but this was changed to a relative clause in the translation to avoid redundancy.

[2:25]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “deliverance,” “consolation.”

[2:25]  ⁵⁵ sn Once again, by mentioning the Holy Spirit, Luke stresses the prophetic enablement of a speaker. The Spirit has fallen on both men (Zechariah, 1:67) and women (Elizabeth, 1:41) in Luke 1–2 as they share the will of the Lord.

[2:26]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “And it.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[2:26]  ⁵⁷ tn The use of the passive suggests a revelation by God, and in the OT the corresponding Hebrew term represented here by κεχρηματισμένον (kecrhmatismenon) indicated some form of direct revelation from God (Jer 25:30; 33:2; Job 40:8).

[2:26]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “would not see death” (an idiom for dying).

[2:26]  ⁵⁹ tn On the grammar of this temporal clause, see BDF §§383.3; 395.

[2:26]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:27]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

[2:27]  ⁶² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Simeon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:27]  ⁶³ tn Grk “So in the Spirit” or “So by the Spirit,” but since it refers to the Spirit’s direction the expanded translation “directed by the Spirit” is used here.

[2:27]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “the temple.”

[2:27]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “to do for him according to the custom of the law.” See Luke 2:22-24.

[2:28]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Simeon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:28]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “and said.” The finite verb in Greek has been replaced with a participle in English to improve the smoothness of the translation.

[2:29]  ⁶⁸ sn The phrase according to your word again emphasizes that God will perform his promise.

[2:29]  ⁶⁹ tn The Greek word translated here by “Sovereign Lord” is δεσπότης (despoth").

[2:29]  ⁷⁰ sn This short prophetic declaration is sometimes called the Nunc dimittis, which comes from the opening phrase of the saying in Latin, “now dismiss,” a fairly literal translation of the Greek verb ἀπολύεις (apolueis, “now release”) in this verse.

[2:29]  ⁷¹ tn Here the Greek word δοῦλος (doulos, “slave”) has been translated “servant” since it acts almost as an honorific term for one specially chosen and appointed to carry out the Lord’s tasks.

[2:29]  ⁷² tn Grk “now release your servant.”

[2:30]  ⁷³ sn To see Jesus, the Messiah, is to see God’s salvation.

[2:31]  ⁷⁴ sn Is the phrase all peoples a reference to Israel alone, or to both Israel and the Gentiles? The following verse makes it clear that all peoples includes Gentiles, another key Lukan emphasis (Luke 24:47; Acts 10:34-43).

[2:32]  ⁷⁵ tn The syntax of this verse is disputed. Most read “light” and “glory” in parallelism, so Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and is glory to the people for Israel. Others see “light” (1:78-79) as a summary, while “revelation” and “glory” are parallel, so Jesus is light for all, but is revelation for the Gentiles and glory for Israel. Both readings make good sense and either could be correct, but Luke 1:78-79 and Acts 26:22-23 slightly favor this second option.

[2:32]  ⁷⁶ sn In other words, Jesus is a special cause for praise and honor (“glory”) for the nation.