Discovery BoxPsalms 104:1--109:31
Context104:1 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent. 2
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
104:2 He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
104:3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds. 3
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels along on the wings of the wind. 4
104:4 He makes the winds his messengers,
and the flaming fire his attendant. 5
104:5 He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be upended.
104:6 The watery deep covered it 6 like a garment;
the waters reached 7 above the mountains. 8
104:7 Your shout made the waters retreat;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off –
104:8 as the mountains rose up,
and the valleys went down –
to the place you appointed for them. 9
104:9 You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,
so that they would not cover the earth again. 10
104:10 He turns springs into streams; 11
they flow between the mountains.
104:11 They provide water for all the animals in the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
104:12 The birds of the sky live beside them;
they chirp among the bushes. 12
104:13 He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace; 13
the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow. 14
104:14 He provides grass 15 for the cattle,
and crops for people to cultivate, 16
so they can produce food from the ground, 17
104:15 as well as wine that makes people feel so good, 18
and so they can have oil to make their faces shine, 19
as well as food that sustains people’s lives. 20
104:16 The trees of the Lord 21 receive all the rain they need, 22
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
104:17 where the birds make nests,
near the evergreens in which the herons live. 23
104:18 The wild goats live in the high mountains; 24
the rock badgers find safety in the cliffs.
104:19 He made the moon to mark the months, 25
and the sun sets according to a regular schedule. 26
104:20 You make it dark and night comes, 27
during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.
104:21 The lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God. 28
104:22 When the sun rises, they withdraw
and sleep 29 in their dens.
104:23 Men then go out to do their work,
and labor away until evening. 30
104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! 31
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; 32
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, 33
which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, 34
living things both small and large.
104:26 The ships travel there,
and over here swims the whale 35 you made to play in it.
104:27 All of your creatures 36 wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis. 37
104:28 You give food to them and they receive it;
you open your hand and they are filled with food. 38
104:29 When you ignore them, they panic. 39
When you take away their life’s breath, they die
and return to dust.
104:30 When you send your life-giving breath, they are created,
and you replenish the surface of the ground.
104:31 May the splendor of the Lord endure! 40
May the Lord find pleasure in the living things he has made! 41
104:32 He looks down on the earth and it shakes;
he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.
104:33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I exist! 42
104:34 May my thoughts 43 be pleasing to him!
I will rejoice in the Lord.
104:35 May sinners disappear 44 from the earth,
and the wicked vanish!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
105:1 Give thanks to the Lord!
Call on his name!
Make known his accomplishments among the nations!
105:2 Sing to him!
Make music to him!
Tell about all his miraculous deeds!
105:3 Boast about his holy name!
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
105:4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!
Seek his presence continually!
105:5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed, 46
105:6 O children 47 of Abraham, 48 God’s 49 servant,
you descendants 50 of Jacob, God’s 51 chosen ones!
105:7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth. 52
105:8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made 53 to a thousand generations –
105:9 the promise 54 he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac!
105:10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise, 55
105:11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
105:12 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and resident aliens within it,
105:13 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another. 56
105:14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
105:15 saying, 57 “Don’t touch my chosen 58 ones!
Don’t harm my prophets!”
105:16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply. 59
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them 60 –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; 61
his neck was placed in an iron collar, 62
105:19 until the time when his prediction 63 came true.
The Lord’s word 64 proved him right. 65
105:20 The king authorized his release; 66
the ruler of nations set him free.
105:21 He put him in charge of his palace, 67
and made him manager of all his property,
105:22 giving him authority to imprison his officials 68
and to teach his advisers. 69
105:23 Israel moved to 70 Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time 71 in the land of Ham.
105:24 The Lord 72 made his people very fruitful,
and made them 73 more numerous than their 74 enemies.
105:25 He caused them 75 to hate his people,
and to mistreat 76 his servants.
105:26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, 77
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
they did not disobey his orders. 79
105:29 He turned their water into blood,
and killed their fish.
105:30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
105:31 He ordered flies to come; 80
gnats invaded their whole territory.
105:32 He sent hail along with the rain; 81
there was lightning in their land. 82
105:33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
105:34 He ordered locusts to come, 83
innumerable grasshoppers.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 84
105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power. 85
105:37 He brought his people 86 out enriched 87 with silver and gold;
none of his tribes stumbled.
105:38 Egypt was happy when they left,
for they were afraid of them. 88
105:39 He spread out a cloud for a cover, 89
and provided a fire to light up the night.
105:40 They asked for food, 90 and he sent quails;
he satisfied them with food from the sky. 91
105:41 He opened up a rock and water flowed out;
a river ran through dry regions.
105:42 Yes, 92 he remembered the sacred promise 93
he made to Abraham his servant.
105:43 When he led his people out, they rejoiced;
his chosen ones shouted with joy. 94
105:44 He handed the territory of nations over to them,
and they took possession of what other peoples had produced, 95
105:45 so that they might keep his commands
and obey 96 his laws.
Praise the Lord!
106:1 Praise the Lord!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 98
106:2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds? 99
106:3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time!
106:4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people!
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
106:5 so I may see the prosperity 100 of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation, 101
and boast along with the people who belong to you. 102
106:6 We have sinned like 103 our ancestors; 104
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
106:7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds,
they failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea. 105
106:8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation, 106
that he might reveal his power.
106:9 He shouted at 107 the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
106:10 He delivered them from the power 108 of the one who hated them,
and rescued 109 them from the power 110 of the enemy.
106:11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived. 111
106:12 They believed his promises; 112
they sang praises to him.
106:13 They quickly forgot what he had done; 113
they did not wait for his instructions. 114
106:14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving 115 for meat; 116
they challenged God 117 in the desert.
106:15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease. 118
106:16 In the camp they resented 119 Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest. 120
106:17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed 121 the group led by Abiram. 122
106:18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked. 123
106:19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
106:20 They traded their majestic God 124
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
106:21 They rejected 125 the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty 126 acts by the Red Sea.
106:23 He threatened 127 to destroy them,
but 128 Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him 129
and turned back his destructive anger. 130
106:24 They rejected the fruitful land; 131
they did not believe his promise. 132
106:25 They grumbled in their tents; 133
they did not obey 134 the Lord.
106:26 So he made a solemn vow 135
that he would make them die 136 in the desert,
106:27 make their descendants 137 die 138 among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands. 139
106:28 They worshiped 140 Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. 141
106:29 They made the Lord angry 142 by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
106:30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened, 143
and the plague subsided.
106:31 This brought him a reward,
an eternal gift. 144
106:32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered 145 because of them,
106:33 for they aroused 146 his temper, 147
and he spoke rashly. 148
106:34 They did not destroy the nations, 149
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
106:35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways. 150
106:36 They worshiped 151 their idols,
which became a snare to them. 152
106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. 153
106:38 They shed innocent blood –
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed. 154
106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions. 155
106:40 So the Lord was angry with his people 156
and despised the people who belong to him. 157
106:41 He handed them over to 158 the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
106:42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority. 159
106:43 Many times he delivered 160 them,
but they had a rebellious attitude, 161
and degraded themselves 162 by their sin.
106:44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 163 because of his great loyal love.
106:46 He caused all their conquerors 164
to have pity on them.
106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!
Gather us from among the nations!
Then we will give thanks 165 to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 166
106:48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, 167
in the future and forevermore. 168
Let all the people say, “We agree! 169 Praise the Lord!” 170
Book 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 172
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 173
those whom he delivered 174 from the power 175 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 176
from east and west,
from north and south.
107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
107:5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion. 177
107:6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:7 He led them on a level road, 178
that they might find a city in which to live.
107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 179
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 180
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 181
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 182
bound in painful iron chains, 183
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 184
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 185
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 186
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
107:13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:14 He brought them out of the utter darkness, 187
and tore off their shackles.
107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 188
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 189
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 190
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 191
and they drew near the gates of death.
107:19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:20 He sent them an assuring word 192 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 193
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 194
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 195
107:23 196 Some traveled on 197 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 198
107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm, 199
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 200
107:26 They 201 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 202 left them 203 because the danger was so great. 204
107:27 They swayed 205 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 206
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 207
and the waves 208 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 209 rejoiced because the waves 210 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 211 they desired.
107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 212
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 213
107:33 He turned 214 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 215
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 216 he turned 217 a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
107:36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
107:37 They cultivated 218 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 219
107:38 He blessed 220 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 221
107:39 As for their enemies, 222 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 223 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 224 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 225 the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner 226 shuts his mouth.
107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
A song, a psalm of David.
108:1 I am determined, 228 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 229
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 230
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 231
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 232
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 233 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 234
108:6 Deliver by your power 235 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 236
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 237
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 238
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 239
Ephraim is my helmet, 240
Judah my royal scepter. 241
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 242
I will make Edom serve me. 243
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 244
108:11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 245
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 246
he will trample down 247 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 249
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 250
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 251
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 252
but I continue to pray. 253
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 254
and hate for love.
109:6 255 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 256
May an accuser stand 257 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 258 guilty! 259
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
109:8 May his days be few! 260
May another take his job! 261
109:9 May his children 262 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 263 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 264
109:11 May the creditor seize 265 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 266
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 267
May no one have compassion 268 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 269 be cut off! 270
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 271
109:14 May his ancestors’ 272 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 273
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 274
and cut off the memory of his children 275 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 276
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 277
109:17 He loved to curse 278 others, so those curses have come upon him. 279
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 280
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 281
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 282
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 283
or a belt 284 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 285
those who say evil things about 286 me! 287
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 288
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 289
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 290
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 291
I have turned into skin and bones. 292
109:25 I am disdained by them. 293
When they see me, they shake their heads. 294
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 295
109:27 Then they will realize 296 this is your work, 297
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 298
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 299
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 300 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 301
in the middle of a crowd 302 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 303 his life.
[104:1] 1 sn Psalm 104. The psalmist praises God as the ruler of the world who sustains all life.
[104:1] 2 tn Heb “very great.”
[104:3] 3 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] 4 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.
[104:4] 5 tc Heb “and his attendants a flaming fire.” The lack of agreement between the singular “fire” and plural “attendants” has prompted various emendations. Some read “fire and flame.” The present translation assumes an emendation to “his attendant” (יו in the Hebrew text being virtually dittographic).
[104:6] 7 tc Heb “you covered it.” The masculine suffix is problematic if the grammatically feminine noun “earth” is the antecedent. For this reason some emend the form to a feminine verb with feminine suffix, כִּסַּתָּה (kisattah, “[the watery deep] covered it [i.e., the earth]”), a reading assumed by the present translation.
[104:6] 9 sn Verse 6 refers to the condition described in Gen 1:2 (note the use of the Hebrew term תְּהוֹם [tÿhom, “watery deep”] in both texts).
[104:8] 9 tn Heb “from your shout they fled, from the sound of your thunder they hurried off.”
[104:9] 11 tn Heb “a boundary you set up, they will not cross, they will not return to cover the earth.”
[104:10] 13 tn Heb “[the] one who sends springs into streams.” Another option is to translate, “he sends streams [i.e., streams that originate from springs] into the valleys” (cf. NIV).
[104:12] 15 tn Heb “among the thick foliage they give a sound.”
[104:13] 17 tn Heb “from his upper rooms.”
[104:13] 18 tn Heb “from the fruit of your works the earth is full.” The translation assumes that “fruit” is literal here. If “fruit” is understood more abstractly as “product; result,” then one could translate, “the earth flourishes as a result of your deeds” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB).
[104:14] 19 tn Heb “causes the grass to sprout up.”
[104:14] 20 tn Heb “for the service of man” (see Gen 2:5).
[104:14] 21 tn Heb “to cause food to come out from the earth.”
[104:15] 21 tn Heb “and wine [that] makes the heart of man happy.”
[104:15] 22 tn Heb “to make [the] face shine from oil.” The Hebrew verb צָהַל (tsahal, “to shine”) occurs only here in the OT. It appears to be an alternate form of צָהַר (tsahar), a derivative from צָהָרִים (tsaharim, “noon”).
[104:15] 23 tn Heb “and food [that] sustains the heart of man.”
[104:16] 23 sn The trees of the
[104:16] 24 tn Heb “are satisfied,” which means here that they receive abundant rain (see v. 13).
[104:17] 25 tn Heb “[the] heron [in the] evergreens [is] its home.”
[104:18] 27 tn Heb “the high mountains [are] for the goats.”
[104:19] 29 tn Heb “he made [the] moon for appointed times.” The phrase “appointed times” probably refers to the months of the Hebrew lunar calendar.
[104:19] 30 tn Heb more metaphorically, “knows its setting.”
[104:20] 31 tn Heb “you make darkness, so that it might be night.”
[104:21] 33 sn The lions’ roaring is viewed as a request for food from God.
[104:22] 35 tn Heb “lie down.”
[104:23] 37 tn Heb “man goes out to his work, and to his labor until evening.”
[104:24] 39 tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O
[104:24] 40 tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”
[104:25] 41 tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”
[104:25] 42 tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”
[104:26] 43 tn Heb “[and] this Leviathan, [which] you formed to play in it.” Elsewhere Leviathan is a multiheaded sea monster that symbolizes forces hostile to God (see Ps 74:14; Isa 27:1), but here it appears to be an actual marine creature created by God, probably some type of whale.
[104:27] 45 tn Heb “All of them.” The pronoun “them” refers not just to the sea creatures mentioned in vv. 25-26, but to all living things (see v. 24). This has been specified in the translation as “all of your creatures” for clarity.
[104:27] 46 tn Heb “to give their food in its time.”
[104:28] 47 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] good.”
[104:29] 49 tn Heb “you hide your face, they are terrified.”
[104:31] 51 tn Heb “be forever.”
[104:31] 52 tn Or “rejoice in his works.”
[104:33] 53 tn Heb “in my duration.”
[104:34] 55 tn That is, the psalmist’s thoughts as expressed in his songs of praise.
[104:35] 57 tn Or “be destroyed.”
[105:1] 59 sn Psalm 105. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God because he delivered his people from Egypt in fulfillment of his covenantal promises to Abraham. A parallel version of vv. 1-15 appears in 1 Chr 16:8-22.
[105:5] 61 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
[105:6] 63 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[105:6] 64 tc Some
[105:6] 65 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:6] 67 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[105:7] 65 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
[105:8] 67 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.
[105:10] 71 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
[105:13] 73 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
[105:15] 75 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:15] 76 tn Heb “anointed.”
[105:16] 77 tn Heb “and every staff of food he broke.” The psalmist refers to the famine that occurred in Joseph’s time (see v. 17 and Gen 41:53-57).
[105:17] 79 tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).
[105:18] 81 tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”
[105:18] 82 tn Heb “his neck came [into] iron.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with the suffix could mean simply “he” or “his life.” But the nuance “neck” makes good sense here (note the reference to his “feet” in the preceding line). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 38.
[105:19] 83 tn Heb “word,” probably referring to Joseph’s prediction about the fate of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (see Gen 41:9-14).
[105:19] 84 tn This line may refer to Joseph’s prediction of the famine in response to Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph emphasized to Pharaoh that the interpretation of the dream came from God (see Gen 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39).
[105:19] 85 tn Heb “refined him.”
[105:20] 85 tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”
[105:21] 87 tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”
[105:22] 89 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
[105:22] 90 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
[105:23] 92 tn Heb “lived as a resident alien.”
[105:24] 93 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[105:24] 94 tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”
[105:24] 95 tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”
[105:25] 95 tn Heb “their heart.”
[105:25] 96 tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.
[105:27] 97 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
[105:28] 99 tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”
[105:28] 100 tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.
[105:31] 101 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
[105:32] 103 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
[105:32] 104 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
[105:34] 105 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
[105:35] 107 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
[105:36] 109 tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).
[105:37] 111 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the
[105:37] 112 tn The word “enriched” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[105:38] 113 tn Heb “for fear of them had fallen upon them.”
[105:40] 117 tn Heb “he [i.e., his people] asked.” The singular form should probably be emended to a plural שָׁאֲלוּ (sha’alu, “they asked”), the vav (ו) having fallen off by haplography (note the vav at the beginning of the following form).
[105:40] 118 tn Or “bread of heaven.” The reference is to manna (see Exod 16:4, 13-15).
[105:42] 120 tn Heb “his holy word.”
[105:43] 121 tn Heb “and he led his people out with joy, with a ringing cry, his chosen ones.”
[105:44] 123 tn Heb “and the [product of the] work of peoples they possessed.”
[106:1] 127 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
[106:1] 128 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[106:2] 129 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
[106:5] 132 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
[106:5] 133 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
[106:6] 134 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
[106:7] 135 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
[106:8] 137 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[106:10] 142 tn Or “redeemed.”
[106:11] 143 tn Heb “remained.”
[106:12] 145 tn Heb “his words.”
[106:13] 147 tn Heb “his works.”
[106:13] 148 tn Heb “his counsel.”
[106:14] 149 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
[106:14] 150 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
[106:14] 151 tn Heb “they tested God.”
[106:15] 151 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”
[106:16] 154 tn Heb “the holy one of the
[106:17] 156 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
[106:18] 157 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
[106:20] 159 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the
[106:22] 163 tn Or “awe-inspiring.”
[106:23] 165 tn Heb “and he said.”
[106:23] 166 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
[106:23] 167 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
[106:23] 168 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”
[106:24] 167 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
[106:24] 168 tn Heb “his word.”
[106:25] 169 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
[106:25] 170 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
[106:26] 171 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
[106:26] 172 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
[106:27] 173 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[106:27] 174 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
[106:27] 175 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[106:28] 175 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”
[106:28] 176 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
[106:29] 177 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew
[106:30] 179 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
[106:31] 181 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant.
[106:32] 183 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
[106:33] 185 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
[106:33] 186 tn Heb “his spirit.”
[106:33] 187 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[106:34] 187 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
[106:35] 189 tn Heb “their deeds.”
[106:36] 192 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
[106:37] 193 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
[106:38] 195 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
[106:39] 197 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the
[106:40] 199 tn Heb “the anger of the
[106:40] 200 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
[106:41] 201 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[106:42] 203 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
[106:43] 205 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
[106:43] 206 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
[106:43] 207 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
[106:45] 207 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
[106:47] 211 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
[106:47] 212 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
[106:48] 213 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
[106:48] 214 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
[106:48] 215 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן, ’amen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
[106:48] 216 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
[107:1] 215 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 216 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 217 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 219 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 221 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 223 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 225 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 227 tn Heb “[the] longing throat.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), which frequently refers to one’s very being or soul, here probably refers to one’s parched “throat” (note the parallelism with נֶפֱשׁ רְעֵבָה, nefesh rÿ’evah, “hungry throat”).
[107:9] 228 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 229 tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).
[107:10] 230 tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.
[107:11] 231 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 232 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 233 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 235 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 237 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 239 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 241 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 243 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 245 tn Heb “he sent his word.” This probably refers to an oracle of assurance which announced his intention to intervene (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 59).
[107:20] 246 tn Heb “he rescued from their traps.” The Hebrew word שְׁחִית (shekhit, “trap”) occurs only here and in Lam 4:20, where it refers to a trap or pit in which one is captured. Because of the rarity of the term and the absence of an object with the verb “rescued,” some prefer to emend the text of Ps 107:20, reading מִשַׁחַת חַיָּתָם (mishakhat khayyatam, “[he rescued] their lives from the pit”). Note also NIV “from the grave,” which interprets the “pit” as Sheol or the grave.
[107:21] 247 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 249 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 251 sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community.
[107:23] 252 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 253 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 253 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 254 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 255 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 256 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 258 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 257 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 258 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
[107:29] 259 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 260 tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23.
[107:30] 261 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 262 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 263 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 263 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 265 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 267 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[107:34] 269 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 271 tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion.
[107:35] 272 tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33.
[107:37] 273 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 274 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 275 tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).
[107:38] 276 tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).
[107:39] 277 tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people.
[107:39] 278 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 279 tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21.
[107:41] 281 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 283 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
[108:1] 285 sn Psalm 108. With some minor variations, this psalm is a composite of Ps 57:7-11 (see vv. 1-5) and Ps 60:5-12 (see vv. 6-13).
[108:1] 286 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[108:1] 287 tn Heb “also my glory,” but this makes little sense in the context. Some view the term כָּבוֹד (“glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvodiy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 57:9; as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 3:93. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
[108:2] 287 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[108:3] 289 tn Or “the peoples.”
[108:4] 291 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[108:5] 293 tn Or “be exalted.”
[108:5] 294 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[108:6] 295 tn Heb “right hand.”
[108:6] 296 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[108:7] 297 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[108:7] 298 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
[108:8] 299 tn Gilead was located east of the Jordan River. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[108:8] 300 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[108:8] 301 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan River. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[108:9] 301 sn The metaphor of the wash basin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 7-8), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[108:9] 302 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[108:10] 303 sn The psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 9, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation of Israel (v. 11).
[108:12] 305 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[108:13] 307 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 118:16-16).
[108:13] 308 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
[109:1] 309 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
[109:1] 310 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 311 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
[109:3] 313 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 315 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 316 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 317 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 319 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the
[109:6] 320 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 321 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 321 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
[109:7] 322 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 323 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
[109:8] 324 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (pÿquddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
[109:10] 328 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 329 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 330 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 331 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 332 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 333 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 334 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 335 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 335 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 336 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:15] 337 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 338 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
[109:16] 339 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 340 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 341 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
[109:17] 342 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
[109:17] 343 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 343 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 344 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”
[109:19] 345 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 346 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
[109:20] 347 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 349 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[109:21] 349 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 351 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”).
[109:23] 353 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[109:24] 355 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 356 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 357 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 358 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
[109:26] 359 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 361 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 362 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 363 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 364 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
[109:29] 365 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
[109:30] 367 tn Heb “I will thank the
