30:9 “What 1 profit is there in taking my life, 2
in my descending into the Pit? 3
Can the dust of the grave 4 praise you?
Can it declare your loyalty? 5
57:10 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 6
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,
praising 7 your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,
O Holy One of Israel! 8
86:16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me!
Give your servant your strength!
Deliver your slave! 9
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 10
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;
I am your lowest slave. 11
You saved me from death. 12
1 sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.
2 tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.
3 tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).
4 tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
5 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”
6 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
11 tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12 sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The
16 tn Heb “the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 116:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the
21 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
26 tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the
27 tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).