Psalms 116:9

116:9 I will serve ¹  the Lord

in the land ²  of the living.

Psalms 142:5

142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

my security ³  in the land of the living.”

Psalms 56:13

56:13 when you deliver ⁴  my life from death.

You keep my feet from stumbling, ⁵ 

so that I might serve ⁶  God as I enjoy life. ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.

² tn Heb “lands, regions.”

³ tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

⁵ tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the Lord intervened on the psalmist’s behalf. In this case one may translate, “for you have delivered.” Other options include taking the perfect as (3) generalizing (“for you deliver”) or (4) rhetorical (“for you will”).

⁶ tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.

⁷ tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.

⁸ tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.