Psalms 104:34

104:34 May my thoughts ¹  be pleasing to him!

I will rejoice in the Lord.

Psalms 119:141

119:141 I am insignificant and despised,

yet I do not forget your precepts.

Psalms 91:15

91:15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him.

I will be with him when he is in trouble;

I will rescue him and bring him honor.

Psalms 109:22

109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,

and my heart beats violently within me. ² 

Psalms 119:19

119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land. ³ 

Do not hide your commands from me!

Psalms 119:162

119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,

like one who finds much plunder. ⁴ 

Psalms 141:10

141:10 Let the wicked fall ⁵  into their ⁶  own nets,

while I escape. ⁷ 

Psalms 22:6

22:6 But I ⁸  am a worm, ⁹  not a man; ¹⁰ 

people insult me and despise me. ¹¹ 

Psalms 46:10

46:10 He says, ¹²  “Stop your striving and recognize ¹³  that I am God!

I will be exalted ¹⁴  over ¹⁵  the nations! I will be exalted over ¹⁶  the earth!”

Psalms 50:7

50:7 He says: ¹⁷ 

“Listen my people! I am speaking!

Listen Israel! I am accusing you! ¹⁸ 

I am God, your God!

Psalms 75:3

75:3 When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, ¹⁹ 

I make its pillars secure.” ²⁰  (Selah)

Psalms 81:10

81:10 I am the Lord, your God,

the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!’

Psalms 39:12

39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!

Listen to my cry for help!

Do not ignore my sobbing! ²¹ 

For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;

I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were. ²² 

[104:34]  ¹ tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.

[109:22]  ² tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).

[119:19]  ³ tn Heb “I am a resident alien in the land.” Resident aliens were especially vulnerable and in need of help. They needed to know the social and legal customs of the land to avoid getting into trouble. The translation (note the addition of “like”) assumes the psalmist is speaking metaphorically, not literally.

[119:162]  ⁴ tn Heb “like one who finds great plunder.” See Judg 5:30. The image is that of a victorious warrior who finds a large amount of plunder on the field of battle.

[141:10]  ⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”

[141:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “his.”

[141:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

[22:6]  ⁶ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.

[22:6]  ⁷ tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).

[22:6]  ⁸ tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.

[22:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”

[46:10]  ⁷ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[46:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.

[46:10]  ⁹ tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).

[46:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “among.”

[46:10]  ¹¹ tn Or “in.”

[50:7]  ⁸ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.

[50:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[75:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “melt.”

[75:3]  ¹⁰ tn The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically prevents the world from being overrun by chaos. One could take this as referring to an anticipated event, “I will make its pillars secure.”

[39:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “do not be deaf to my tears.”

[39:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “For a resident alien [am] I with you, a sojourner like all my fathers.”