108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 1
I will make Edom serve me. 2
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 3
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 4
For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; 6 a psalm of David.
5:1 Listen to what I say, 7 Lord!
Carefully consider my complaint! 8
For the music director, according to the gittith style; 10 a psalm of David.
8:1 O Lord, our Lord, 11
how magnificent 12 is your reputation 13 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 14
For the music director; a psalm of David.
21:1 O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give; 16
he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide. 17
1 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
2 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
3 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
4 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
5 sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.
6 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).
7 tn Heb “my words.”
8 tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.
9 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
10 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
11 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
12 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
13 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
14 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
15 sn Psalm 21. The psalmist praises the Lord for the way he protects and blesses the Davidic king.
16 tn Heb “in your strength.” The translation interprets the pronominal suffix as subjective, rather than merely descriptive (or attributive).
17 tn Heb “and in your deliverance, how greatly he rejoices.”