18:39 You give me strength 7 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 8
18:47 The one true God 9 completely vindicates me; 10
he makes nations submit to me. 11
47:3 He subdued nations beneath us 12
and countries 13 under our feet.
81:14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,
and attack 14 their adversaries.”
For the music director; according to the gittith style; 16 by Asaph.
81:1 Shout for joy to God, our source of strength!
Shout out to the God of Jacob!
1 tn The words “he told them” are added in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
2 tn In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question, “Is not the
3 tn Heb “and he gives rest to you all around.”
4 tn Or “earth.”
5 tn Or “earth.”
6 tn Heb “the sons.”
7 tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.
8 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
9 tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.
10 tn Heb “is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication.
11 tn Heb “he subdues nations beneath me.” On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue,” a homonym of דָּבַר, davar, “speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 47:3 and 2 Chr 22:10. 2 Sam 22:48 reads “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
12 tn On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue”), a homonym of דָּבַר (“speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 18:47 and 2 Chr 22:10. The preterite form of the verb suggests this is an historical reference and the next verse, which mentions the gift of the land, indicates that the conquest under Joshua is in view.
13 tn Or “peoples” (see Pss 2:1; 7:7; 9:8; 44:2).
14 tn Heb “turn my hand against.” The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack” (see Isa 1:25; Ezek 38:12; Amos 1:8; Zech 13:7).
15 sn Psalm 81. The psalmist calls God’s people to assemble for a festival and then proclaims God’s message to them. The divine speech (vv. 6-16) recalls how God delivered the people from Egypt, reminds Israel of their rebellious past, expresses God’s desire for his people to obey him, and promises divine protection in exchange for obedience.
16 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument. See the superscription to Ps 8.
17 tn Or “admonishing,” or “warning.” BDAG 679 s.v. νουθετέω states, “to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct,, admonish, warn, instruct.” After the participle νουθετοῦντες (nouqetounte", “instructing”) the words πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anqrwpon, “all men”) occur in the Greek text, but since the same phrase appears again after διδάσκοντες (didaskontes) it was omitted in translation to avoid redundancy in English.
18 tn The two participles “instructing” (νουθετοῦντες, nouqetounte") and “teaching” (διδάσκοντες, didaskonte") are translated as participles of means (“by”) related to the finite verb “we proclaim” (καταγγέλλομεν, katangellomen).
19 tn Here ἄνθρωπον (anqrwpon) is twice translated as a generic (“people” and “person”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
20 tn Since Paul’s focus is on the present experience of the Colossians, “mature” is a better translation of τέλειον (teleion) than “perfect,” since the latter implies a future, eschatological focus.
21 tn This probably refers to the righteous rule of David and others. But it could be more general and mean “did what was righteous.”
22 tn Grk “obtained promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.