Psalms 37:3-5

37:3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!

Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! ¹ 

37:4 Then you will take delight in the Lord, ² 

and he will answer your prayers. ³ 

37:5 Commit your future to the Lord! ⁴ 

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf. ⁵ 

Isaiah 28:16

28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:

“Look, I am laying ⁶  a stone in Zion,

an approved ⁷  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ⁸ 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ⁹ 

Isaiah 30:7

30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. ¹⁰ 

For this reason I call her

‘Proud one ¹¹  who is silenced.’” ¹² 

[37:3]  ¹ tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (ra’ah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (’emunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.

[37:4]  ² tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).

[37:4]  ³ tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”

[37:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.

[37:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.

[28:16]  ⁶ tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.

[28:16]  ⁷ tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

[28:16]  ⁸ sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).

[28:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

[30:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”

[30:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).

[30:7]  ¹² tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.