62:1 “For the sake of Zion I will not be silent;
for the sake of Jerusalem 1 I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines brightly 2
and her deliverance burns like a torch.”
A song of ascents. 4
134:1 Attention! 5 Praise the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord,
who serve 6 in the Lord’s temple during the night.
134:2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary
and praise the Lord!
In 8 the middle of the throne 9 and around the throne were four living creatures 10 full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The 11 first living creature was like a lion, the 12 second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings 13 and was full of eyes all around and inside. 14 They never rest day or night, saying: 15
“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, 16
Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”
1 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
2 tn Heb “goes forth like brightness.”
3 sn Psalm 134. The psalmist calls on the temple servants to praise God (vv. 1-2). They in turn pronounce a blessing on the psalmist (v. 3).
4 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
5 tn Heb “Look!”
6 tn Heb “stand.”
7 tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.
8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
9 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
10 tn On the meaning of ζῴον (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the ζῷα in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”
11 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
12 tn Both here and before the phrase “the third,” καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
13 tn Grk “six wings apiece,” but this is redundant with “each one” in English.
14 tn Some translations render ἔσωθεν (eswqen) as “under [its] wings,” but the description could also mean “filled all around on the outside and on the inside with eyes.” Since the referent is not available to the interpreter, the exact force is difficult to determine.
15 tn Or “They never stop saying day and night.”
16 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”