9:13 when they prayed: 1
“Have mercy on me, 2 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 3
O one who can snatch me away 4 from the gates of death!
25:18 See my pain and suffering!
Forgive all my sins! 5
71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress, 6
revive me once again! 7
Bring me up once again 8 from the depths of the earth!
ר (Resh)
119:153 See my pain and rescue me!
For I do not forget your law.
9:32 “So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity 9 – do not regard as inconsequential 10 all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day!
10:9 Remember that you have made me as with 11 the clay;
will 12 you return me to dust?
3:50 until the Lord looks down from heaven
and sees what has happened. 13
5:1 14 O Lord, reflect on 15 what has happened to us;
consider 16 and look at 17 our disgrace.
1 tn The words “when they prayed,” though not represented in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarification. The petition in vv. 13-14 is best understood as the cry for help which the oppressed offered to God when the nations threatened. The
2 tn Or “show me favor.”
3 tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”
4 tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”
5 tn Heb “lift up all my sins.”
6 tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”
7 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).
8 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).
9 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys. The second noun retains its full nominal sense, while the first functions adjectivally: “the covenant and loyalty” = covenant fidelity.
10 tn Heb “do not let it seem small in your sight.”
11 tn The preposition “like” creates a small tension here. So some ignore the preposition and read “clay” as an adverbial accusative of the material (GKC 371 §117.hh but cf. 379 §119.i with reference to beth essentiae: “as it were, by clay”). The NIV gets around the problem with a different meaning for the verb: “you molded me like clay.” Some suggest the meaning was “as [with] clay” (in the same manner that we have “as [in] the day of Midian” [Isa 9:4]).
12 tn The text has a conjunction: “and to dust….”
13 tn The phrase “what has happened” is added in the translation for smoother English style and readability.
14 sn The speaking voice is now that of a choir singing the community’s lament in the first person plural. The poem is not an alphabetic acrostic like the preceding chapters but has 22 verses, the same as the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
15 tn The basic meaning of זָכַר (zakhar) is “to remember, call to mind” (HALOT 270 s.v. I זכר). Although often used of recollection of past events, זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) can also describe consideration of present situations: “to consider, think about” something present (BDB 270 s.v. 5), hence “reflect on,” the most appropriate nuance here. Verses 1-6 describe the present plight of Jerusalem. The parallel requests הַבֵּיט וּרְאֵה (habbet urÿ’eh, “Look and see!”) have a present-time orientation as well. See also 2:1; 3:19-20.
16 tn Heb “Look!” Although often used in reference to visual perception, נָבַט (navat, “to look”) can also refer to cognitive consideration and mental attention shown to a situation: “to regard” (e.g., 1 Sam 16:7; 2 Kgs 3:14), “to pay attention to, consider” (e.g., Isa 22:8; Isa 51:1, 2).
17 tn Although normally used in reference to visual sight, רָאָה (ra’ah) is often used in reference to cognitive processes and mental observation. See the note on “Consider” at 2:20.