Psalms 1:4

1:4 Not so with the wicked!

Instead ¹  they are like wind-driven chaff. ² 

Psalms 18:10

18:10 He mounted ³  a winged angel ⁴  and flew;

he glided ⁵  on the wings of the wind. ⁶ 

Psalms 18:15

18:15 The depths ⁷  of the sea ⁸  were exposed;

the inner regions ⁹  of the world were uncovered

by ¹⁰  your battle cry, ¹¹  Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose. ¹² 

Psalms 18:42

18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; ¹³ 

I beat them underfoot ¹⁴  like clay ¹⁵  in the streets.

Psalms 34:18

34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;

he delivers ¹⁶  those who are discouraged. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 51:17

51:17 The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit ¹⁸  –

O God, a humble and repentant heart ¹⁹  you will not reject. ²⁰ 

Psalms 103:16

103:16 but when the hot wind ²¹  blows by, it disappears,

and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.

Psalms 104:3

104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds. ²² 

He makes the clouds his chariot,

and travels along on the wings of the wind. ²³ 

Psalms 135:7

135:7 He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth,

makes lightning bolts accompany the rain,

and brings the wind out of his storehouses.

Psalms 135:17

135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.

Indeed, they cannot breathe. ²⁴ 

[1:4]  ¹ tn Here the Hebrew expression כִּי־אִם (ki-’im, “instead,” cf. v. 2) introduces a contrast between the prosperity of the godly depicted in v. 3 and the destiny of the wicked described in v. 4.

[1:4]  ² tn Heb “[they are] like the chaff which [the] wind blows about.” The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action described.

[18:10]  ³ tn Or “rode upon.”

[18:10]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.

[18:15]  ⁵ tn Or “channels.”

[18:15]  ⁶ tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.

[18:15]  ⁷ tn Or “foundations.”

[18:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “from.” The preposition has a causal sense here.

[18:15]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn 2 Sam 22:16 reads “by the battle cry of the Lord, by the blast of the breath of his nose.” The phrase “blast of the breath” (Heb “breath of breath”) employs an appositional genitive. 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.

[18:42]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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.

[18:42]  ⁹ tn Or “mud.”

[34:18]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form highlights the generalizing statement and draws attention to the fact that the Lord typically delivers the oppressed and needy.

[34:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the crushed in spirit.”

[51:17]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a broken spirit.”

[51:17]  ¹² tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”

[51:17]  ¹³ tn Or “despise.”

[103:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[104:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “one who lays the beams on water [in] his upper rooms.” The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 44-45.

[104:3]  ¹⁶ sn Verse 3 may depict the Lord riding a cherub, which is in turn propelled by the wind current. Another option is that the wind is personified as a cherub. See Ps 18:10 and the discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels to the imagery in M. Weinfeld, “‘Rider of the Clouds’ and ‘Gatherer of the Clouds’,” JANESCU 5 (1973): 422-24.

[135:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (’af ’en, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”