Psalms 4:6

Context

4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”

Smile upon us, Lord!¹

Psalms 27:8-9

Context

27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you,²

and I do pray to you, O Lord.³

27:9 Do not reject me!⁴

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer!⁵

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

Psalms 67:1

Context

Psalm 67⁶

For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.

67:1 May God show us his favor⁷ and bless us!⁸

May he smile on us!⁹ (Selah)

[4:6] ¹tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face, Lord.” The verb נסה is apparently an alternate form of נשׂא, “lift up.” See GKC 217 §76.b. The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[27:8] ²tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the Lord he hears. His “heart” is viewed as speaking, however, so it is better to emend the form to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”).

[27:8] ³tn Heb “your face, O Lord, I seek.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 24:6; 105:4).

[27:9] ⁴tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[27:9] ⁵tn Or “[source of] help.”

[67:1] ⁶sn Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world.

[67:1] ⁷tn Or “have mercy on us.”

[67:1] ⁸tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (ya’er) in the next line.

[67:1] ⁹tn Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.”