For the music director; a psalm of David.
31:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
Vindicate me by rescuing me! 2
71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me! 3
Listen to me! 4 Deliver me! 5
71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me! 6
Listen to me! 7 Deliver me! 8
A musical composition 10 by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning 11 a Benjaminite named Cush. 12
7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. 13
Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!
9:1 In the first year of Darius 16 son of Ahasuerus, 17 who was of Median descent and who had been 18 appointed king over the Babylonian 19 empire –
1 sn Psalm 31. The psalmist confidently asks the Lord to protect him. Enemies threaten him and even his friends have abandoned him, but he looks to the Lord for vindication. In vv. 19-24, which were apparently written after the Lord answered the prayer of vv. 1-18, the psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him.
2 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me.”
3 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”
4 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
5 tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”
6 tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”
7 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
8 tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”
9 sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.
10 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.
11 tn Or “on account of.”
12 sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.
13 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
14 tn Or “righteousness.”
15 tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).
16 sn The identity of this Darius is a major problem in correlating the biblical material with the extra-biblical records of this period. Most modern scholars treat the reference as a mistaken allusion to Darius Hystaspes (ca. 522-486
17 tc The LXX reads “Xerxes.” This is the reading used by some English versions (e.g., NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV). Most other English versions retain the Hebrew name “Ahasuerus.”
18 tc The present translation follows the MT in reading a Hophal (i.e., passive). Theodotion, the Syriac, and the Vulgate all presuppose the Hiphil (i.e., active). Even though this is the only occurrence of the Hophal of this verb in the Bible, there is no need to emend the vocalization to the Hiphil.
19 tn Heb “was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans.”
20 tn Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.