Text -- Psalms 31:21-24 (NET)

31:21 The Lord deserves praise for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. 31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, “I am cut off from your presence!” But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help. 31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers of his! The Lord protects those who have integrity, but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. 31:24 Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the Lord!

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 31:21

¹ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”

² tn Heb “for he caused his faithfulness to be amazing to me in a besieged city.” The psalmist probably speaks figuratively here. He compares his crisis to being trapped in a besieged city, but the Lord answered his prayer for help. Verses 19-24 were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18.

NET Notes: Psa 31:22

¹ tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”

² tn Heb “from before your eyes.”

NET Notes: Psa 31:23

¹ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) 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).

² tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.

NET Notes: Psa 31:24

¹ tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”