Discovery BoxPsalms 18:1-50
ContextFor the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang 2 to the Lord the words of this song when 3 the Lord rescued him from the power 4 of all his enemies, including Saul. 5
“I love 7 you, Lord, my source of strength! 8
18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, 9 my stronghold, 10 my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where 11 I take shelter, 12
my shield, the horn that saves me, 13 and my refuge. 14
18:3 I called 15 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 16
and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:4 The waves 17 of death engulfed me,
the currents 18 of chaos 19 overwhelmed me. 20
18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, 21
the snares of death trapped me. 22
18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God. 23
From his heavenly temple 24 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 25
18:7 The earth heaved and shook; 26
the roots of the mountains 27 trembled; 28
they heaved because he was angry.
18:8 Smoke ascended from 29 his nose; 30
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 31
he hurled down fiery coals. 32
18:9 He made the sky sink 33 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
18:10 He mounted 34 a winged angel 35 and flew;
he glided 36 on the wings of the wind. 37
18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, 38
in thick rain clouds. 39
18:12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals. 40
18:13 The Lord thundered 41 in 42 the sky;
the sovereign One 43 shouted. 44
18:14 He shot his 45 arrows and scattered them, 46
many lightning bolts 47 and routed them. 48
18:15 The depths 49 of the sea 50 were exposed;
the inner regions 51 of the world were uncovered
by 52 your battle cry, 53 Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose. 54
18:16 He reached down 55 from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water. 56
18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 57
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18:18 They confronted 58 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 59
18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 60
18:20 The Lord repaid 61 me for my godly deeds; 62
he rewarded 63 my blameless behavior. 64
18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 65
I have not rebelled against my God. 66
18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations, 67
and I do not reject his rules. 68
18:23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning. 69
18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 70
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 71
18:25 You prove to be loyal 72 to one who is faithful; 73
you prove to be trustworthy 74 to one who is innocent. 75
18:26 You prove to be reliable 76 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 77 to one who is perverse. 78
18:27 For you deliver oppressed 79 people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look. 80
18:28 Indeed, 81 you are my lamp, Lord. 82
My God 83 illuminates the darkness around me. 84
18:29 Indeed, 85 with your help 86 I can charge against 87 an army; 88
by my God’s power 89 I can jump over a wall. 90
18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 91
the Lord’s promise 92 is reliable; 93
he is a shield to all who take shelter 94 in him.
18:31 Indeed, 95 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 96 besides our God? 97
18:32 The one true God 98 gives 99 me strength; 100
he removes 101 the obstacles in my way. 102
18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; 103
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 104
18:34 He trains my hands for battle; 105
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 106
18:35 You give me your protective shield; 107
your right hand supports me; 108
your willingness to help 109 enables me to prevail. 110
my feet 112 do not slip.
18:37 I chase my enemies and catch 113 them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
18:38 I beat them 114 to death; 115
they fall at my feet. 116
18:39 You give me strength 117 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 118
18:40 You make my enemies retreat; 119
I destroy those who hate me. 120
18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; 121
they cry out to the Lord, 122 but he does not answer them.
18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; 123
I beat them underfoot 124 like clay 125 in the streets.
18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; 126
you make me 127 a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 128
18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 129
Foreigners are powerless 130 before me;
18:45 foreigners lose their courage; 131
they shake with fear 132 as they leave 133 their strongholds. 134
My protector 136 is praiseworthy! 137
The God who delivers me 138 is exalted as king! 139
18:47 The one true God 140 completely vindicates me; 141
he makes nations submit to me. 142
18:48 He delivers me 143 from my enemies;
you snatch me away 144 from those who attack me; 145
you rescue me from violent men.
18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, 146 O Lord!
I will sing praises to you! 147
18:50 He 148 gives his chosen king magnificent victories; 149
he is faithful 150 to his chosen ruler, 151
to David and his descendants 152 forever.” 153
Psalms 40:1-17
ContextFor the music director; By David, a psalm.
40:1 I relied completely 155 on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
40:2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 156
out of the slimy mud. 157
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing. 158
40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 159
praising our God. 160
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 161
40:4 How blessed 162 is the one 163 who trusts in the Lord 164
and does not seek help from 165 the proud or from liars! 166
40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 167
No one can thwart you! 168
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 169
40:6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 170
You make that quite clear to me! 171
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
40:7 Then I say,
“Look! I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 172
40:8 I want to do what pleases you, 173 my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.” 174
40:9 I have told the great assembly 175 about your justice. 176
Look! I spare no words! 177
O Lord, you know this is true.
40:10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 178
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 179
40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold 180 your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 181
40:12 For innumerable dangers 182 surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me. 183
40:13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me! 184
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 185
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 186
40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated 187 and disgraced! 188
40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!
May those who love to experience 189 your deliverance say continually, 190
“May the Lord be praised!” 191
40:17 I am oppressed and needy! 192
May the Lord pay attention to me! 193
You are my helper and my deliverer!
O my God, do not delay!
Psalms 103:1-22
ContextBy David.
103:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise 195 his holy name!
103:2 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Do not forget all his kind deeds! 196
103:3 He is the one who forgives all your sins,
who heals all your diseases, 197
103:4 who delivers 198 your life from the Pit, 199
who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
103:5 who satisfies your life with good things, 200
so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. 201
103:6 The Lord does what is fair,
and executes justice for all the oppressed. 202
103:7 The Lord revealed his faithful acts 203 to Moses,
his deeds to the Israelites.
103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful;
he is patient 204 and demonstrates great loyal love. 205
103:9 He does not always accuse,
and does not stay angry. 206
103:10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; 207
he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. 208
103:11 For as the skies are high above the earth,
so his loyal love towers 209 over his faithful followers. 210
103:12 As far as the eastern horizon 211 is from the west, 212
so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions 213 from us.
103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, 214
so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. 215
103:14 For he knows what we are made of; 216
he realizes 217 we are made of clay. 218
103:15 A person’s life is like grass. 219
Like a flower in the field it flourishes,
103:16 but when the hot wind 220 blows by, it disappears,
and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.
103:17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, 221
and is faithful to their descendants, 222
103:18 to those who keep his covenant,
who are careful to obey his commands. 223
103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven;
his kingdom extends over everything. 224
103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,
you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees
and obey his orders! 225
103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, 226
you servants of his who carry out his desires! 227
103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, 228
in all the regions 229 of his kingdom!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Psalms 106:1--107:43
Context106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 231
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? 232
106:3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time!
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
106:5 so I may see the prosperity 233 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 234
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 235
106:6 We have sinned like 236 our ancestors; 237
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds,
they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea. 238
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation, 239
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at 240 the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
106:10 He delivered them from the power 241 of the one who hated them,
and rescued 242 them from the power 243 of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived. 244
106:12 They believed his promises; 245
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; 246
they did not wait for his instructions. 247
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving 248 for meat; 249
they challenged God 250 in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease. 251
106:16 In the camp they resented 252 Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. 253
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed 254 the group led by Abiram. 255
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked. 256
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God 257
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected 258 the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 259 acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened 260 to destroy them,
but 261 Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him 262
and turned back his destructive anger. 263
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 264
they did not believe his promise. 265
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 266
they did not obey 267 the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow 268
that he would make them die 269 in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants 270 die 271 among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands. 272
106:28 They worshiped 273 Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 274
106:29 They made the Lord angry 275 by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened, 276
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 277
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 278 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 279 his temper, 280
and he spoke rashly. 281
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 282
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 283
106:36 They worshiped 284 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 285
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 286
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed. 287
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 288
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 289
and despised the people who belong to him. 290
106:41 He handed them over to 291 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 292
106:43 Many times he delivered 293 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 294
and degraded themselves 295 by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 296 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 297
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 298 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 299
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 300
in the future and forevermore. 301
Let all the people say, “We agree! 302 Praise the Lord!” 303
Book 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 305
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 306
those whom he delivered 307 from the power 308 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 309
from east and west,
from north and south.
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion. 310
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:7 He led them on a level road, 311
that they might find a city in which to live.
107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 312
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 313
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 314
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 315
bound in painful iron chains, 316
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 317
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 318
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 319
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness, 320
and tore off their shackles.
107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 321
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 322
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 323
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 324
and they drew near the gates of death.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:20 He sent them an assuring word 325 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 326
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 327
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 328
107:23 329 Some traveled on 330 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 331
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm, 332
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 333
107:26 They 334 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 335 left them 336 because the danger was so great. 337
107:27 They swayed 338 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 339
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 340
and the waves 341 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 342 rejoiced because the waves 343 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 344 they desired.
107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 345
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 346
107:33 He turned 347 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 348
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 349 he turned 350 a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
107:36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
107:37 They cultivated 351 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 352
107:38 He blessed 353 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 354
107:39 As for their enemies, 355 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 356 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 357 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 358 the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner 359 shuts his mouth.
107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
Psalms 116:1-19
Context116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy, 361
As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. 363
116:3 The ropes of death tightened around me, 364
the snares 365 of Sheol confronted me.
I was confronted 366 with trouble and sorrow.
116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please Lord, rescue my life!”
116:5 The Lord is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
116:6 The Lord protects 367 the untrained; 368
I was in serious trouble 369 and he delivered me.
116:7 Rest once more, my soul, 370
for the Lord has vindicated you. 371
116:8 Yes, 372 Lord, 373 you rescued my life from death,
and kept my feet from stumbling.
116:9 I will serve 374 the Lord
in the land 375 of the living.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
“All men are liars.”
116:12 How can I repay the Lord
for all his acts of kindness to me?
116:13 I will celebrate my deliverance, 377
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people.
116:15 The Lord values
the lives of his faithful followers. 378
116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;
I am your lowest slave. 379
You saved me from death. 380
116:17 I will present a thank offering to you,
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the Lord’s temple,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Psalms 116:1
Context116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy, 382
Psalms 1:1
ContextBook 1
(Psalms 1-41)
1:1 How blessed 384 is the one 385 who does not follow 386 the advice 387 of the wicked, 388
or stand in the pathway 389 with sinners,
[18:1] 1 sn Psalm 18. In this long song of thanks, the psalmist (a Davidic king, traditionally understood as David himself) affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. The psalmist’s experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the psalm appears in 2 Sam 22:1-51.
[18:1] 3 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[18:1] 5 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[18:1] 6 tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.
[18:1] 7 tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.
[18:1] 8 tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”
[18:2] 9 sn My high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.
[18:2] 10 sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.
[18:2] 12 sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
[18:2] 13 tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”
[18:2] 14 tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”
[18:3] 15 tn In this song of thanksgiving, where the psalmist recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect.
[18:3] 16 tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the
[18:4] 17 tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.
[18:4] 18 tn The Hebrew noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).
[18:4] 19 tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (vÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness.” It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.
[18:4] 20 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (see “engulfed”) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.
[18:5] 21 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[18:5] 22 tn Heb “confronted me.”
[18:6] 23 tn In this poetic narrative context the four prefixed verbal forms in v. 6 are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[18:6] 24 tn Heb “from his temple.” Verse 10, which pictures God descending from the sky, indicates that the heavenly temple is in view, not the earthly one.
[18:6] 25 tc Heb “and my cry for help before him came into his ears.” 2 Sam 22:7 has a shorter reading, “my cry for help, in his ears.” It is likely that Ps 18:6 MT as it now stands represents a conflation of two readings: (1) “my cry for help came before him,” (2) “my cry for help came into his ears.” See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (SBLDS), 144, n. 13.
[18:7] 26 sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.
[18:7] 27 tn 2 Sam 22:8 has “heavens” which forms a merism with “earth” in the preceding line. The “foundations of the heavens” would be the mountains. However, the reading “foundations of the mountains” has a parallel in Deut 32:22.
[18:7] 28 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive in the verse.
[18:8] 29 tn Heb “within”; or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition -בְּ (bÿ) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.
[18:8] 30 tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here. See also v. 15, “the powerful breath of your nose.”
[18:8] 31 tn Heb “fire from his mouth devoured.” In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the two perfect verbal forms in the verse.
[18:8] 32 tn Heb “coals burned from him.” Perhaps the psalmist pictures God’s fiery breath igniting coals (cf. Job 41:21), which he then hurls as weapons (cf. Ps 120:4).
[18:9] 33 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[cause to] bend, bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the
[18:10] 35 tn Heb “a cherub.” Because of the typical associations of the word “cherub” in English with chubby winged babies, the term has been rendered “winged angel” in the translation.
[18:10] 36 tc 2 Sam 22:11 reads “appeared” (from רָאָה, ra’ah); the relatively rare verb דָאָה (da’ah, “glide”) is more difficult and probably the original reading here in Ps 18.
[18:10] 37 sn The wings of the wind. Verse 10 may depict (1) the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option (2) is that two different vehicles (a cherub and the wind) are envisioned. Yet another option (3) is that the wind is personified as a cherub. For a discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in v. 10, see M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.
[18:11] 38 tc Heb “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 reads, “he made darkness around him coverings,” omitting “his hiding place” and pluralizing “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering”) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the Hebrew letter samek: סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvivotayv sukkato).
[18:11] 39 tc Heb “darkness of water, clouds of clouds.” The noun “darkness” (חֶשְׁכַת, kheshkhat) is probably a corruption of an original reading חשׁרת, a form that is preserved in 2 Sam 22:12. The latter is a construct form of חַשְׁרָה (khashrah, “sieve”) which occurs only here in the OT. A cognate Ugaritic noun means “sieve,” and a related verb חָשַׁר (khashar, “to sift”) is attested in postbiblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The phrase חַשְׁרַת מַיִם (khashrat mayim) means literally “a sieve of water.” It pictures the rain clouds as a sieve through which the rain falls to the ground (see F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry [SBLDS], 146, n. 33).
[18:12] 40 tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.
[18:13] 41 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.
[18:13] 42 tn 2 Sam 22:14 has “from.”
[18:13] 43 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.
[18:13] 44 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.
[18:14] 45 tn 2 Sam 22:15 omits the pronominal suffix (“his”).
[18:14] 46 tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to the psalmist’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).
[18:14] 47 sn Lightning is a common motif in 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), 190-92.
[18:14] 48 tn Heb “lightning bolts, many.” 2 Sam 22:15 has simply “lightning” (בָּרָק, baraq). The identity of the word רָב (rav) in Ps 18:14 is problematic. (1) It may be a form of a rare verb רָבַב (ravav, “to shoot”), perhaps attested in Gen 49:23 as well. In this case one might translate, “he shot lightning bolts and routed them.” Other options include (2) understanding רָב (rav) as an adverbial use of the adjective, “lightning bolts in abundance,” or (3) emending the form to רַבּוּ (rabbu), from רָבַב (ravav, “be many”) or to רָבוּ (ravu), from רָבָה (ravah, “be many”) – both a haplography of the vav (ו); note the initial vav on the immediately following form – and translating “lightning bolts were in abundance.”
[18:15] 50 tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.
[18:15] 51 tn Or “foundations.”
[18:15] 52 tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.
[18:15] 53 tn The noun is derived from the verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, TDOT 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; and Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 76:6; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
[18:15] 54 tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the
[18:16] 55 tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.
[18:16] 56 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see v. 4 and Ps 144:7).
[18:17] 57 tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.
[18:18] 58 tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 5. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[18:18] 59 tn Heb “became my support.”
[18:19] 60 tn Or “delighted in me.”
[18:20] 61 tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.
[18:20] 62 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-24 make clear, the psalmist refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. In these verses the psalmist explains that the
[18:20] 63 tn The unreduced Hiphil prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, in which case the psalmist would be generalizing. However, both the preceding and following contexts (see especially v. 24) suggest he is narrating his experience. Despite its unreduced form, the verb is better taken as a preterite. For other examples of unreduced Hiphil preterites, see Pss 55:14a; 68:9a, 10b; 80:8a; 89:43a; 107:38b; 116:6b.
[18:20] 64 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands he repaid to me.” “Hands” suggest activity and behavior.
[18:21] 65 tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the
[18:21] 66 tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical; the idea is, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”
[18:22] 67 tn Heb “for all his regulations [are] before me.” The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf. Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf. vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf. v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.
[18:22] 68 tn Heb “and his rules I do not turn aside from me.” 2 Sam 22:23 reads, “and his rules, I do not turn aside from it.” The prefixed verbal form is probably an imperfect; the psalmist here generalizes about his loyalty to God’s commands. The Lord’s “rules” are the stipulations of the covenant which the king was responsible to obey (see Ps 89:31; cf. v. 30 and Deut 17:18-20).
[18:23] 69 tn Heb “from my sin,” that is, from making it my own in any way.
[18:24] 70 tn Heb “according to my righteousness.”
[18:24] 71 tn Heb “according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.” 2 Sam 22:25 reads “according to my purity before his eyes.” The verbal repetition (compare vv. 20 and 24) sets off vv. 20-24 as a distinct sub-unit within the psalm.
[18:25] 72 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.
[18:25] 73 tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
[18:25] 75 tn Heb “a man of innocence.”
[18:26] 77 tn The Hebrew verb פָתַל (patal) is used in only three other texts. In Gen 30:8 it means literally “to wrestle,” or “to twist.” In Job 5:13 it refers to devious individuals, and in Prov 8:8 to deceptive words.
[18:26] 78 tn The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted, crooked,” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse. It appears frequently in Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6). A righteous king opposes such people (Ps 101:4).
[18:27] 79 tn Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).
[18:27] 80 tn Heb “but proud eyes you bring low.” 2 Sam 22:28 reads, “your eyes [are] upon the proud, [whom] you bring low.”
[18:28] 81 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki)is asseverative here.
[18:28] 82 tn Ps 18:28 reads literally, “you light my lamp,
[18:28] 83 tn 2 Sam 22:29 repeats the name “
[18:28] 84 tn Heb “my darkness.”
[18:29] 85 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
[18:29] 87 tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”
[18:29] 88 tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.
[18:29] 89 tn Heb “and by my God.”
[18:29] 90 sn I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.
[18:30] 91 tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).
[18:30] 92 sn The
[18:30] 93 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:30] 94 sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.
[18:31] 96 tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of divine protection. See v. 2, where the Hebrew term צוּר (tsur) is translated “rocky summit.”
[18:31] 97 tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the
[18:32] 98 tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the
[18:32] 99 tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.
[18:32] 100 tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”
[18:32] 101 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.
[18:32] 102 tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).
[18:33] 103 tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”
[18:33] 104 tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.
[18:34] 105 sn He trains my hands. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
[18:34] 106 tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms”; or “my arms bend a bow of bronze.” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) apparently means “pull back, bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The third feminine singular verbal form appears to agree with the feminine singular noun קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”). In this case the verb must be taken as Niphal (passive). However, it is possible that “my arms” is the subject of the verb and “bow” the object. In this case the verb is Piel (active). For other examples of a feminine singular verb being construed with a plural noun, see GKC 464 §145.k.
[18:35] 107 tn Heb “and you give to me the shield of your deliverance.”
[18:35] 108 tc 2 Sam 22:36 omits this line, perhaps due to homoioarcton. A scribe’s eye may have jumped from the vav (ו) prefixed to “your right hand” to the vav prefixed to the following “and your answer,” causing the copyist to omit by accident the intervening words (“your right hand supports me and”).
[18:35] 109 tn The MT of Ps 18:35 appears to read, “your condescension,” apparently referring to God’s willingness to intervene (cf. NIV “you stoop down”). However, the noun עֲנָוָה (’anavah) elsewhere means “humility” and is used only here of God. The form עַנְוַתְךָ (’anvatÿkha) may be a fully written form of the suffixed infinitive construct of עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”; a defectively written form of the infinitive appears in 2 Sam 22:36). In this case the psalmist refers to God’s willingness to answer his prayer; one might translate, “your favorable response.”
[18:35] 110 tn Heb “makes me great.”
[18:36] 111 tn Heb “you make wide my step under me.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives the psalmist the capacity to run quickly.
[18:36] 112 tn Heb “lower legs.” On the meaning of the Hebrew noun, which occurs only here, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 112. A cognate Akkadian noun means “lower leg.”
[18:37] 113 tn 2 Sam 22:38 reads “destroy.”
[18:38] 114 tn Or “smash them.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “and I wiped them out and smashed them.”
[18:38] 115 tn Heb “until they are unable to rise.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “until they do not rise.”
[18:38] 116 sn They fall at my feet. For ancient Near Eastern parallels, see O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 294-97.
[18:39] 117 tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.
[18:39] 118 tn Heb “you make those who rise against me kneel beneath me.”
[18:40] 119 tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.
[18:40] 120 sn Those who hate me. See v. 17, where it is the
[18:41] 121 tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”
[18:41] 122 tn Heb “to the
[18:42] 123 tn Heb “I pulverize them like dust upon the face of the wind.” The phrase “upon the face of” here means “before.” 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “like dust of the earth.”
[18:42] 124 tc Ps 18:42 reads, “I empty them out” (Hiphil of ריק), while 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “I crush them, I stomp on them” (juxtaposing the synonyms דקק and רקע). It is likely that the latter is a conflation of variants. One, but not both, of the verbs in 2 Sam 22:43 is probably original; “empty out” does not form as good a parallel with “grind, pulverize” in the parallel line.
[18:43] 126 tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.
[18:43] 127 tn 2 Sam 22:44 reads, “you keep me.”
[18:43] 128 tn Heb “a people whom I did not know serve me.” In this context “know” (יָדַע, yada’) probably refers to formal recognition by treaty. People who were once not under the psalmist’s authority now willingly submit to his rulership to avoid being conquered militarily (see vv. 44-45). The language may recall the events recorded in 2 Sam 8:9-10 and 10:19.
[18:44] 129 tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.
[18:44] 130 tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).
[18:45] 131 tn Heb “wither, wear out.”
[18:45] 132 tn The meaning of חָרַג (kharag, “shake”) is established on the basis of cognates in Arabic and Aramaic. 2 Sam 22:46 reads חָגַר (khagar), which might mean here, “[they] come limping” (on the basis of a cognate in postbiblical Hebrew). The normal meaning for חָגַר (“gird”) makes little sense here.
[18:45] 134 tn Heb “their prisons.” The besieged cities of the foreigners are compared to prisons.
[18:46] 135 tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the
[18:46] 136 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.
[18:46] 137 tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”
[18:46] 138 tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”
[18:46] 139 tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).
[18:47] 140 tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.
[18:47] 141 tn Heb “is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication.
[18:47] 142 tn Heb “he subdues nations beneath me.” On the meaning of the verb דָּבַר (davar, “subdue,” a homonym of דָּבַר, davar, “speak”), see HALOT 209-10 s.v. I דבר. See also Ps 47:3 and 2 Chr 22:10. 2 Sam 22:48 reads “and [is the one who] brings down nations beneath me.”
[18:48] 143 tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”
[18:48] 144 tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the
[18:48] 145 tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”
[18:49] 146 sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the
[18:49] 147 tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “
[18:50] 148 tn Or “the one who.”
[18:50] 149 tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.
[18:50] 150 tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty.”
[18:50] 151 tn Heb “his anointed [one],” i.e., the psalmist/Davidic king. See Ps 2:2.
[18:50] 152 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[18:50] 153 sn If David is the author of the psalm (see the superscription), then he here anticipates that God will continue to demonstrate loyalty to his descendants who succeed him. If the author is a later Davidic king, then he views the divine favor he has experienced as the outworking of God’s faithful promises to David his ancestor.
[40:1] 154 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
[40:1] 155 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[40:2] 156 tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (sha’on, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).
[40:2] 157 tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81.
[40:2] 158 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
[40:3] 159 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
[40:3] 160 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
[40:3] 161 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the
[40:4] 162 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[40:4] 163 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
[40:4] 164 tn Heb “who has made the
[40:4] 165 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
[40:4] 166 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
[40:5] 167 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 168 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (’arakh ’el, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
[40:5] 169 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
[40:6] 170 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
[40:6] 171 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
[40:7] 172 tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.
[40:8] 174 tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.
[40:9] 175 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
[40:9] 176 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the
[40:9] 177 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
[40:10] 178 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
[40:10] 179 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
[40:11] 180 tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).
[40:11] 181 tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.
[40:12] 182 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
[40:12] 183 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
[40:13] 184 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
[40:14] 185 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
[40:14] 186 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
[40:15] 187 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
[40:15] 188 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
[40:16] 189 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the
[40:16] 190 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
[40:16] 191 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
[40:17] 192 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
[40:17] 193 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The
[103:1] 194 sn Psalm 103. The psalmist praises God for his mercy and willingness to forgive his people.
[103:1] 195 tn The verb “praise” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the preceding line).
[103:2] 196 tn Or “his benefits” (see 2 Chr 32:25, where the noun is also used of kind deeds performed by the
[103:3] 197 tn This relatively rare noun refers to deadly diseases (see Deut 29:22; Jer 14:18; 16:4; 2 Chr 21:19).
[103:4] 199 tn The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 55:24.
[103:5] 200 tc Heb “who satisfies with the good of your ornaments.” The text as it stands makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes an emendation of עֶדְיֵךְ (’ed’ekh, “your ornaments”) to עֹדֵכִי (’odekhiy, “your duration; your continuance”) that is, “your life” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 18).
[103:5] 201 sn The expression your youth is renewed like an eagle’s may allude to the phenomenon of molting, whereby the eagle grows new feathers.
[103:6] 202 tn Heb “the
[103:7] 203 tn Heb “made known his ways.” God’s “ways” in this context are his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 18:30; 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 138:5; 145:17).
[103:8] 204 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Ps 86:15).
[103:8] 205 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Ps 86:15).
[103:9] 206 tn The Hebrew verb נָטַר (natar) is usually taken to mean “to keep; to guard,” with “anger” being understood by ellipsis. The idiom “to guard anger” is then understood to mean “to remain angry” (see Lev 19:18; Jer 3:5, 12; Nah 1:2). However, it is possible that this is a homonymic root meaning “to be angry” (see HALOT 695 s.v. נטר).
[103:10] 207 tn Heb “not according to our sins does he do to us.”
[103:10] 208 tn Heb “and not according to our misdeeds does he repay us.”
[103:11] 209 tn For this sense of the verb גָבַר (gavar), see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.
[103:11] 210 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[103:12] 211 tn Heb “sunrise.”
[103:12] 213 tn The Hebrew term פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, rebellious act”) is here used metonymically for the guilt such actions produce.
[103:13] 214 tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.
[103:13] 215 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[103:14] 216 tn Heb “our form.”
[103:14] 217 tn Heb “remembers.”
[103:14] 218 tn Heb “we [are] clay.”
[103:15] 219 tn Heb “[as for] mankind, like grass [are] his days.” The Hebrew noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here generically of human beings. What is said is true of all mankind.
[103:16] 220 tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[103:17] 221 tn Heb “but the loyal love of the
[103:17] 222 tn Heb “and his righteousness to sons of sons.”
[103:18] 223 tn Heb “to those who remember his precepts to do them.”
[103:19] 224 tn Heb “his kingdom rules over all.”
[103:20] 225 tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”
[103:21] 226 tn Heb “all his hosts.”
[103:21] 227 tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”
[103:22] 228 tn Heb “all his works,” which includes mankind.
[106:1] 230 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
[106:1] 231 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[106:2] 232 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
[106:5] 234 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
[106:5] 235 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
[106:6] 237 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
[106:7] 238 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
[106:8] 239 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[106:10] 242 tn Or “redeemed.”
[106:11] 244 tn Heb “remained.”
[106:12] 245 tn Heb “his words.”
[106:13] 246 tn Heb “his works.”
[106:13] 247 tn Heb “his counsel.”
[106:14] 248 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
[106:14] 249 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
[106:14] 250 tn Heb “they tested God.”
[106:15] 251 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”
[106:16] 253 tn Heb “the holy one of the
[106:17] 255 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
[106:18] 256 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
[106:20] 257 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the
[106:22] 259 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
[106:23] 260 tn Heb “and he said.”
[106:23] 261 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
[106:23] 262 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
[106:23] 263 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”
[106:24] 264 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
[106:24] 265 tn Heb “his word.”
[106:25] 266 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
[106:25] 267 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
[106:26] 268 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
[106:26] 269 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
[106:27] 270 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[106:27] 271 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
[106:27] 272 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[106:28] 273 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”
[106:28] 274 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
[106:29] 275 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew
[106:30] 276 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
[106:31] 277 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant.
[106:32] 278 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 279 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
[106:33] 280 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 281 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[106:34] 282 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 283 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 285 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 286 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
[106:38] 287 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 288 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 289 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 290 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 291 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 292 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 293 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
[106:43] 294 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
[106:43] 295 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 296 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 298 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 299 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 300 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 301 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 302 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 303 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
[107:1] 304 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 305 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 306 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 309 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 310 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 311 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 312 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 313 tn Heb “[the] longing throat.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), which frequently refers to one’s very being or soul, here probably refers to one’s parched “throat” (note the parallelism with נֶפֱשׁ רְעֵבָה, nefesh rÿ’evah, “hungry throat”).
[107:9] 314 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 315 tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).
[107:10] 316 tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.
[107:11] 317 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 318 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 319 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 320 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 321 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 322 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 323 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 324 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 325 tn Heb “he sent his word.” This probably refers to an oracle of assurance which announced his intention to intervene (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 59).
[107:20] 326 tn Heb “he rescued from their traps.” The Hebrew word שְׁחִית (shekhit, “trap”) occurs only here and in Lam 4:20, where it refers to a trap or pit in which one is captured. Because of the rarity of the term and the absence of an object with the verb “rescued,” some prefer to emend the text of Ps 107:20, reading מִשַׁחַת חַיָּתָם (mishakhat khayyatam, “[he rescued] their lives from the pit”). Note also NIV “from the grave,” which interprets the “pit” as Sheol or the grave.
[107:21] 327 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 328 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 329 sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.
[107:23] 330 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 331 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 332 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 333 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 334 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 335 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 337 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 338 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 339 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
[107:29] 340 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 341 tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23.
[107:30] 342 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 343 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 344 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 345 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 346 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 347 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[107:34] 348 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 349 tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion.
[107:35] 350 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33.
[107:37] 351 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 352 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 353 tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).
[107:38] 354 tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).
[107:39] 355 tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people.
[107:39] 356 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 357 tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.
[107:41] 358 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 359 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
[116:1] 360 sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.
[116:1] 361 tn Heb “I love because the
[116:2] 362 tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”
[116:2] 363 tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”
[116:3] 364 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[116:3] 365 tn The Hebrew noun מצר (“straits; distress”) occurs only here, Ps 118:5 and Lam 1:3. If retained, it refers to Sheol as a place where one is confined or severely restricted (cf. BDB 865 s.v. מֵצַר, “the straits of Sheol”; NIV “the anguish of the grave”; NRSV “the pangs of Sheol”). However, HALOT 624 s.v. מֵצַר suggests an emendation to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”), a rare noun attested in Job 19:6 and Eccl 7:26. This proposal, which is reflected in the translation, produces better parallelism with “ropes” in the preceding line.
[116:3] 366 tn The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls the crisis from which the Lord delivered him.
[116:6] 367 tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the
[116:6] 368 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Ps 19:7.
[116:6] 369 tn Heb “I was low.”
[116:7] 370 tn Heb “return, my soul, to your place of rest.”
[116:7] 371 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense (cf. Ps 13:5).
[116:8] 373 tn “
[116:9] 374 tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.
[116:9] 375 tn Heb “lands, regions.”
[116:11] 376 tn Heb “I said in my haste.”
[116:13] 377 tn Heb “a cup of deliverance I will lift up.” Perhaps this alludes to a drink offering the psalmist will present as he thanks the
[116:15] 378 tn Heb “precious in the eyes of the
[116:16] 379 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
[116:16] 380 tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).
[116:1] 381 sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.
[116:1] 382 tn Heb “I love because the
[1:1] 383 sn Psalm 1. In this wisdom psalm the author advises his audience to reject the lifestyle of the wicked and to be loyal to God. The psalmist contrasts the destiny of the wicked with that of the righteous, emphasizing that the wicked are eventually destroyed while the godly prosper under the Lord’s protective care.
[1:1] 384 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 3; Pss 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
[1:1] 385 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” (Generic “he” is employed in vv. 2-3). Since the godly man described in the psalm is representative of followers of God (note the plural form צַדִּיקִים [tsadiqim, “righteous, godly”] in vv. 5-6), one could translate the collective singular with the plural “those” both here and in vv. 2-3, where singular pronouns and verbal forms are utilized in the Hebrew text (cf. NRSV). However, here the singular form may emphasize that godly individuals are usually outnumbered by the wicked. Retaining the singular allows the translation to retain this emphasis.
[1:1] 386 tn Heb “walk in.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 1 refer in this context to characteristic behavior. The sequence “walk–stand–sit” envisions a progression from relatively casual association with the wicked to complete identification with them.
[1:1] 387 tn The Hebrew noun translated “advice” most often refers to the “counsel” or “advice” one receives from others. To “walk in the advice of the wicked” means to allow their evil advice to impact and determine one’s behavior.
[1:1] 388 tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21).
[1:1] 389 tn “Pathway” here refers to the lifestyle of sinners. To “stand in the pathway of/with sinners” means to closely associate with them in their sinful behavior.
[1:1] 390 tn Here the Hebrew term מוֹשַׁב (moshav), although often translated “seat” (cf. NEB, NIV), appears to refer to the whole assembly of evildoers. The word also carries the semantic nuance “assembly” in Ps 107:32, where it is in synonymous parallelism with קָהָל (qahal, “assembly”).
[1:1] 391 tn The Hebrew word refers to arrogant individuals (Prov 21:24) who love conflict (Prov 22:10) and vociferously reject wisdom and correction (Prov 1:22; 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12). To “sit in the assembly” of such people means to completely identify with them in their proud, sinful plans and behavior.
