2:4 The one enthroned 1 in heaven laughs in disgust; 2
the Lord taunts 3 them.
73:9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,
and lay claim to the earth. 4
78:26 He brought the east wind through the sky,
and by his strength led forth the south wind.
113:6 He bends down to look 5
at the sky and the earth.
115:3 Our God is in heaven!
He does whatever he pleases! 6
ל (Lamed)
119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven. 7
73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
I desire no one but you on earth. 8
103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven;
his kingdom extends over everything. 9
A song of ascents. 11
123:1 I look up 12 toward you,
the one enthroned 13 in heaven.
11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; 14
the Lord’s throne is in heaven. 15
His eyes 16 watch; 17
his eyes 18 examine 19 all people. 20
18:13 The Lord thundered 21 in 22 the sky;
the sovereign One 23 shouted. 24
135:6 He does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the ocean depths.
1 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).
2 tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
3 tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”
4 tn Heb “they set in heaven their mouth, and their tongue walks through the earth.” The meaning of the text is uncertain. Perhaps the idea is that they lay claim to heaven (i.e., speak as if they were ruling in heaven) and move through the earth declaring their superiority and exerting their influence. Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) the first line as adversative and translate, “they set their mouth against heaven,” that is, they defy God.
7 tn Heb “the one who makes low to see.”
10 sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).
13 tn Heb “Forever, O
16 tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.
19 tn Heb “his kingdom rules over all.”
22 sn Psalm 123. The psalmist, speaking for God’s people, acknowledges his dependence on God in the midst of a crisis.
23 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.
24 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
25 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12).
25 tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The
26 sn The
27 sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.
28 tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the
29 tn Heb “eyelids.”
30 tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.
31 tn Heb “test the sons of men.”
28 sn Thunder is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 179-83.
29 tn 2 Sam 22:14 has “from.”
30 tn Heb “the Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
31 tc The text of Ps 18:13 adds at this point, “hail and coals of fire.” These words are probably accidentally added from v. 12b; they do not appear in 2 Sam 22:14.