1:4 Not so with the wicked!
Instead 1 they are like wind-driven chaff. 2
Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)
For the music director; a well-written song 4 by the Korahites.
42:1 As a deer 5 longs 6 for streams of water,
so I long 7 for you, O God!
80:12 Why did you break down its walls, 8
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit? 9
90:12 So teach us to consider our mortality, 10
so that we might live wisely. 11
125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, 12
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
1 tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead,” cf. v. 2) introduces a contrast between the prosperity of the godly depicted in v. 3 and the destiny of the wicked described in v. 4.
2 tn Heb “[they are] like the chaff which [the] wind blows about.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.
3 sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew
4 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
5 tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.
6 tn Or “pants [with thirst].”
7 tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
5 sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).
6 tn Heb “pluck it.”
7 tn Heb “to number our days,” that is, to be aware of how few they really are.
8 tn Heb “and we will bring a heart of wisdom.” After the imperative of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates purpose/result. The Hebrew term “heart” here refers to the center of one’s thoughts, volition, and moral character.
9 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.