Psalms 71:19-24

71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; ¹ 

you have done great things. ² 

O God, who can compare to you? ³ 

71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, ⁴ 

revive me once again! ⁵ 

Bring me up once again ⁶  from the depths of the earth!

71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor! ⁷ 

Turn and comfort me! ⁸ 

71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,

praising ⁹  your faithfulness, O my God!

I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,

O Holy One of Israel! ¹⁰ 

71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes, ¹¹  I will sing your praises!

I will praise you when you rescue me! ¹² 

71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,

for those who want to harm me ¹³  will be embarrassed and ashamed. ¹⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.

² tn Heb “you who have done great things.”

³ tn Or “Who is like you?”

⁴ tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”

⁵ tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

⁶ tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

⁷ tn Heb “increase my greatness.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer or wish. The psalmist’s request for “greatness” (or “honor”) is not a boastful, self-serving prayer for prominence, but, rather, a request that God would vindicate by elevating him over those who are trying to humiliate him.

⁸ tn The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.)

⁹ tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁰ sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior.

¹¹ tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here.

¹² tn Heb “and my life [or “soul”] which you will have redeemed.” The perfect verbal form functions here as a future perfect. The psalmist anticipates praising God, for God will have rescued him by that time.

¹³ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.