10:7 although you know 4 that I am not guilty,
and that there is no one who can deliver 5
out of your hand?
23:10 But he knows the pathway that I take; 6
if he tested me, I would come forth like gold. 7
7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, 8
or am guilty of unjust actions, 9
44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows 10 one’s thoughts? 11
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139:1 O Lord, you examine me 13 and know.
139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
139:3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; 14
you are aware of everything I do. 15
139:4 Certainly 16 my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. 17
139:5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
139:6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it. 18
139:7 Where can I go to escape your spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence? 19
139:8 If I were to ascend 20 to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. 21
139:9 If I were to fly away 22 on the wings of the dawn, 23
and settle down on the other side 24 of the sea,
139:10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
139:11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, 25
and the light will turn to night all around me,” 26
139:12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, 27
and the night is as bright as 28 day;
darkness and light are the same to you. 29
12:3 But you, Lord, know all about me.
You watch me and test my devotion to you. 30
Drag these wicked men away like sheep to be slaughtered!
Appoint a time when they will be killed! 31
17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.
I examine people’s hearts. 32
I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.
I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.
1:1 From Paul, 49 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1 tn The words “their sin” are added for clarification.
2 tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 37-39a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”
4 tn Heb עַל־דַּעְתְּךָ (’al da’tÿkha, “upon your knowledge”). The use of the preposition means basically “in addition to your knowledge,” or “in spite of your knowledge,” i.e., “notwithstanding” or “although” (see GKC 383 §119.aa, n. 2).
5 tn Heb “and there is no deliverer.”
6 tn The expression דֶּרֶךְ עִמָּדִי (derekh ’immadi) means “the way with me,” i.e., “the way that I take.” The Syriac has “my way and my standing.” Several commentators prefer “the way of my standing,” meaning where to look for me. J. Reider offers “the way of my life” (“Some notes to the text of the scriptures,” HUCA 3 [1926]: 115). Whatever the precise wording, Job knows that God can always find him.
7 tn There is a perfect verb followed by an imperfect in this clause with the protasis and apodosis relationship (see GKC 493 §159.b).
8 tn Heb “if I have done this.”
9 tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.
10 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
11 tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.
12 sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.
13 tn The statement is understood as generalizing – the psalmist describes what God typically does.
14 tn Heb “my traveling and my lying down you measure.” The verb זָרָה (zarah, “to measure”) is probably here a denominative from זָרָת (zarat, “a span; a measure”), though some derive it from זָרָה (zarat, “to winnow; to sift”; see BDB 279-80 s.v. זָרָה).
15 tn Heb “all my ways.”
16 tn Or “for.”
17 tn Heb “look, O
18 tn Heb “too amazing [is this] knowledge for me, it is elevated, I cannot attain to it.”
19 tn Heb “Where can I go from your spirit, and where from your face can I flee?” God’s “spirit” may refer here (1) to his presence (note the parallel term, “your face,” and see Ps 104:29-30, where God’s “face” is his presence and his “spirit” is the life-giving breath he imparts) or (2) to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
20 tn The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see DNWSI 2:788-90).
21 tn Heb “look, you.”
22 tn Heb “rise up.”
23 sn On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
24 tn Heb “at the end.”
25 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 251. Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (yesukkeniy), from the root שׂכך (“to cover,” an alternate form of סכך), a reading assumed in the present translation.
26 tn Heb “and night, light, around me.”
27 tn The words “to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
28 tn Heb “shines like.”
29 tn Heb “like darkness, like light.”
30 tn Heb “You,
31 tn Heb “set aside for them a day of killing.”
32 tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.
33 tn Grk “all.” The word “people” has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word πάντας (pantas) is masculine plural (thus indicating people rather than things).
34 tn The masculine form has been retained here in the translation to maintain the connection with “a man of the Pharisees” in 3:1, with the understanding that the reference is to people of both genders.
35 tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.
36 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
37 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
38 tn Or “was sad.”
39 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40 tn Grk “said to.”
41 tn Grk “and said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
42 tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially later ones (A Θ Ψ Ë13 Ï), read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsou", “Jesus”) here, while B C have ᾿Ιησοῦς without the article and א D W Ë1 33 565 al lat lack both. Because of the rapid verbal exchange in this pericope, “Jesus” is virtually required for clarity, providing a temptation to scribes to add the name. Further, the name normally occurs with the article. Although it is possible that B C accidentally omitted the article with the name, it is just as likely that they added the simple name to the text for clarity’s sake, while other witnesses added the article as well. The omission of ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς thus seems most likely to be authentic. NA27 includes the words in brackets, indicating some doubts as to their authenticity.
43 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
44 tn Grk “And praying, they said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
45 tn The words “to heaven” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied from v. 11. Several modern translations (NIV, NRSV) supply the words “to heaven” after “taken up” to specify the destination explicitly mentioned later in 1:11.
46 tn Or “commands.” Although some modern translations render ἐντειλάμενος (enteilameno") as “instructions” (NIV, NRSV), the word implies authority or official sanction (G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:545), so that a word like “orders” conveys the idea more effectively. The action of the temporal participle is antecedent (prior) to the action of the verb it modifies (“taken up”).
47 tn Or “through.”
48 tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.
49 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
50 tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
51 tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.
52 tn Grk “I will kill with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
53 tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”
54 sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.
55 tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”