Psalms 77:6-10

77:6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;

I will think very carefully.”

I tried to make sense of what was happening. ¹ 

77:7 I asked, ²  “Will the Lord reject me forever?

Will he never again show me his favor?

77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?

Has his promise ³  failed forever?

77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?

Has his anger stifled his compassion?”

77:10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought

that the sovereign One ⁴  might become inactive. ⁵ 

Psalms 85:4-5

85:4 Restore us, O God our deliverer!

Do not be displeased with us! ⁶ 

85:5 Will you stay mad at us forever?

Will you remain angry throughout future generations? ⁷ 

Psalms 103:9

103:9 He does not always accuse,

and does not stay angry. ⁸ 

Isaiah 57:10

57:10 Because of the long distance you must travel, you get tired, ⁹ 

but you do not say, ‘I give up.’ ¹⁰ 

You get renewed energy, ¹¹ 

so you don’t collapse. ¹² 

Isaiah 57:16

57:16 For I will not be hostile ¹³  forever

or perpetually angry,

for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ¹⁴ 

the life-giving breath I created.

Jeremiah 3:5

3:5 You will not always be angry with me, will you?

You will not be mad at me forever, will you?’ ¹⁵ 

That is what you say,

but you continually do all the evil that you can.” ¹⁶ 

Jeremiah 3:12

The Lord Calls on Israel and Judah to Repent

3:12 “Go and shout this message to my people in the countries in the north. ¹⁷  Tell them,

‘Come back to me, wayward Israel,’ says the Lord.

‘I will not continue to look on you with displeasure. ¹⁸ 

For I am merciful,’ says the Lord.

‘I will not be angry with you forever.

Lamentations 3:31-32

כ (Kaf)

3:31 For the Lord ¹⁹  will not

reject us forever. ²⁰ 

3:32 Though he causes us ²¹  grief, he then has compassion on us ²² 

according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. ²³ 

[77:6]  ¹ tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.

[77:7]  ² tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[77:8]  ³ tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).

[77:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “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 Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.

[77:10]  ⁵ tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khallotiy) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khalotiy), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shÿnot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.

[85:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “break your displeasure with us.” Some prefer to emend הָפֵר (hafer, “break”) to הָסֵר (haser, “turn aside”).

[85:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “Will your anger stretch to a generation and a generation?”

[103:9]  ⁸ 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).

[57:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “by the greatness [i.e., “length,” see BDB 914 s.v. רֹב 2] of your way you get tired.”

[57:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “it is hopeless” (so NAB, NASB, NIV); NRSV “It is useless.”

[57:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the life of your hand you find.” The term חַיָּה (khayyah, “life”) is here used in the sense of “renewal” (see BDB 312 s.v.) while יָד (yad) is used of “strength.”

[57:10]  ¹² tn Heb “you do not grow weak.”

[57:16]  ¹³ tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”

[3:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Will he keep angry forever? Will he maintain [it] to the end?” The questions are rhetorical and expect a negative answer. The change to direct address in the English translation is intended to ease the problem of the rapid transition, common in Hebrew style (but not in English), from second person direct address in the preceding lines to third person indirect address in these two lines. See GKC 462 §144.p.

[3:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “You do the evil and you are able.” This is an example of hendiadys, meaning “You do all the evil that you are able to do.”

[3:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Go and proclaim these words to the north.” The translation assumes that the message is directed toward the exiles of northern Israel who have been scattered in the provinces of Assyria to the north.

[3:12]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I will not cause my face to fall on you.”

[3:31]  ¹⁹ tc The MT reads אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “the Lord”) here rather than יהוה (YHWH, “the Lord”). See the tc note at 1:14.

[3:31]  ²⁰ tn The verse is unusually short and something unrecoverable may be missing.

[3:32]  ²¹ tn Heb “Although he has caused grief.” The word “us” is added in the translation.

[3:32]  ²² tn Heb “He will have compassion.” The words “on us” are added in the translation.

[3:32]  ²³ tc The Kethib preserves the singular form חַסְדּוֹ (khasdo, “his kindness”), also reflected in the LXX and Aramaic Targum. The Qere reads the plural form חֲסָדָיו (khasadayv, “his kindnesses”) which is reflected in the Latin Vulgate.