71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; 1
you have done great things. 2
O God, who can compare to you? 3
71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, 4
revive me once again! 5
Bring me up once again 6 from the depths of the earth!
71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor! 7
Turn and comfort me! 8
126:2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy. 9
At that time the nations said, 10
“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
126:3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
3:20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us 14 is able to do far beyond 15 all that we ask or think,
1 tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.
2 tn Heb “you who have done great things.”
3 tn Or “Who is like you?”
4 tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”
5 tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
6 tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
7 tn Heb “increase my greatness.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer or wish. The psalmist’s request for “greatness” (or “honor”) is not a boastful, self-serving prayer for prominence, but, rather, a request that God would vindicate by elevating him over those who are trying to humiliate him.
8 tn The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.)
9 tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”
10 tn Heb “they said among the nations.”
11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.
13 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
14 sn On the power that is working within us see 1:19-20.
15 tn Or “infinitely beyond,” “far more abundantly than.”