Psalms 102:19-28

Context

102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above;¹

from heaven the Lord will look toward earth,²

102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,

and to set free those condemned to die,³

102:21 so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion,

and praise him⁴ in Jerusalem,⁵

102:22 when the nations gather together,

and the kingdoms pay tribute to the Lord.⁶

102:23 He has taken away my strength in the middle of life;⁷

he has cut short my days.

102:24 I say, “O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life!⁸

You endure through all generations.⁹

102:25 In earlier times you established the earth;

the skies are your handiwork.

102:26 They will perish,

but you will endure.¹⁰

They will wear out like a garment;

like clothes you will remove them and they will disappear.¹¹

102:27 But you remain;¹²

your years do not come to an end.

102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,

and their descendants¹³ will live securely in your presence.”¹⁴

[102:19] ¹tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”

[102:19] ²tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.

[102:20] ³tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.

[102:21] ⁴tn Heb “his praise.”

[102:21] ⁵map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[102:22] ⁶tn “and the kingdoms to serve the Lord.”

[102:23] ⁷tn Heb “he has afflicted my strength in the way.” The term “way” refers here to the course of the psalmist’s life, which appears to be ending prematurely (vv. 23b-24).

[102:24] ⁸tn Heb “do not lift me up in the middle of my days.”

[102:24] ⁹tn Heb “in a generation of generations [are] your years.”

[102:26] ¹⁰tn Heb “stand.”

[102:26] ¹¹tn The Hebrew verb חָלַף (khalaf) occurs twice in this line, once in the Hiphil (“you will remove them”) and once in the Qal (“they will disappear”). The repetition draws attention to the statement.

[102:27] ¹²tn Heb “you [are] he,” or “you [are] the one.” The statement may echo the Lord’s affirmation “I am he” in Isa 41:4; 43:10, 13; 46:10; 48:12. In each of these passages the affirmation emphasizes the fact that the Lord transcends time limitations, the very point being made in Ps 102:27.

[102:28] ¹³tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[102:28] ¹⁴tn Heb “before you will be established.”