32:30 How can one man chase a thousand of them, 3
and two pursue ten thousand;
unless their Rock had delivered them up, 4
and the Lord had handed them over?
By David.
144:1 The Lord, my protector, 24 deserves praise 25 –
the one who trains my hands for battle, 26
and my fingers for war,
144:2 who loves me 27 and is my stronghold,
my refuge 28 and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me. 29
1 tn The Hebrew participle indicates imminent future action here, though some English versions treat it as a predictive future (“will go ahead of you,” NCV; cf. also TEV, CEV).
2 tn Heb “according to all which he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”
3 tn The words “man” and “of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “sold them” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
5 tn The word order places emphasis on “the
6 tn The imperfect tense needs to be interpreted in contrast to all that Yahweh will be doing. It may be given a potential imperfect nuance (as here), or it may be obligatory to follow the command to stand firm: “you must be still.”
7 tn Heb “at one time.”
8 tn Or “chases a thousand.”
9 tn Heb “for the
10 tn Heb “as he said to you.”
11 tn Heb “from the remnant of the Rephaites.”
12 tn Or “dispossessed them.”
13 tn Or “Only be.”
14 tn Heb “so you can be careful to do.” The use of the infinitive לִשְׁמֹר (lishmor, “to keep”) after the imperatives suggests that strength and bravery will be necessary for obedience. Another option is to take the form לִשְׁמֹר as a vocative lamed (ל) with imperative (see Isa 38:20 for an example of this construction), which could be translated, “Indeed, be careful!”
15 tn Heb “commanded you.”
16 tn Heb “be wise,” but the word can mean “be successful” by metonymy.
17 tn Heb “in all which you go.”
18 tn Heb “mouth.”
19 tn Heb “read it in undertones,” or “recite it quietly” (see HALOT 1:237).
20 tn Heb “be careful to do.”
21 tn Heb “you will make your way prosperous.”
22 tn Heb “and be wise,” but the word can mean “be successful” by metonymy.
23 sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
24 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The
25 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
26 sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
27 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
28 tn Or “my elevated place.”
29 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
30 tn BDAG 1034 s.v. ὑπερνικάω states, “as a heightened form of νικᾶν prevail completely ὑπερνικῶμεν we are winning a most glorious victory Ro 8:37.”
31 tn Here the referent could be either God or Christ, but in v. 39 it is God’s love that is mentioned.