Discovery BoxPsalms 107:1--150:6
ContextBook 5
(Psalms 107-150)
107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures! 2
107:2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, 3
those whom he delivered 4 from the power 5 of the enemy,
107:3 and gathered from foreign lands, 6
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. 7
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, 8
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! 9
107:9 For he has satisfied those who thirst, 10
and those who hunger he has filled with food. 11
107:10 They sat in utter darkness, 12
bound in painful iron chains, 13
107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, 14
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. 15
107:12 So he used suffering to humble them; 16
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, 17
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! 18
107:16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars. 19
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 20
and suffered because of their sins.
107:18 They lost their appetite for all food, 21
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 22 and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped. 23
107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people! 24
107:22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done! 25
107:23 26 Some traveled on 27 the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters. 28
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, 29
and it stirred up the waves of the sea. 30
107:26 They 31 reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength 32 left them 33 because the danger was so great. 34
107:27 They swayed 35 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 36
107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
107:29 He calmed the storm, 37
and the waves 38 grew silent.
107:30 The sailors 39 rejoiced because the waves 40 grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor 41 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! 42
107:32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside! 43
107:33 He turned 44 streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 45
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
107:35 As for his people, 46 he turned 47 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 48 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 49
107:38 He blessed 50 them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number. 51
107:39 As for their enemies, 52 they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress 53 and suffering.
107:40 He would pour 54 contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
107:41 Yet he protected 55 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 56 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, 58 O God!
I will sing and praise you with my whole heart. 59
108:2 Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 60
108:3 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 61
108:4 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 62
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
108:5 Rise up 63 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 64
108:6 Deliver by your power 65 and answer me,
so that the ones you love may be safe. 66
108:7 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 67
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem,
the valley of Succoth I will measure off. 68
108:8 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 69
Ephraim is my helmet, 70
Judah my royal scepter. 71
108:9 Moab is my wash basin. 72
I will make Edom serve me. 73
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
108:10 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 74
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. 75
108:13 By God’s power we will conquer; 76
he will trample down 77 our enemies.
For the music director, a psalm of David.
109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! 79
109:2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me. 80
109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; 81
they attack me for no reason.
109:4 They repay my love with accusations, 82
but I continue to pray. 83
109:5 They repay me evil for good, 84
and hate for love.
109:6 85 Appoint an evil man to testify against him! 86
May an accuser stand 87 at his right side!
109:7 When he is judged, he will be found 88 guilty! 89
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
May another take his job! 91
109:9 May his children 92 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 93 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 94
109:11 May the creditor seize 95 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 96
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 97
May no one have compassion 98 on his fatherless children!
109:13 May his descendants 99 be cut off! 100
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives! 101
109:14 May his ancestors’ 102 sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten! 103
109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, 104
and cut off the memory of his children 105 from the earth!
109:16 For he never bothered to show kindness; 106
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened. 107
109:17 He loved to curse 108 others, so those curses have come upon him. 109
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. 110
109:18 He made cursing a way of life, 111
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil. 112
109:19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, 113
or a belt 114 one wears continually!
109:20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way, 115
those who say evil things about 116 me! 117
109:21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation! 118
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!
109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me. 119
109:23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; 120
I am shaken off like a locust.
109:24 I am so starved my knees shake; 121
I have turned into skin and bones. 122
109:25 I am disdained by them. 123
When they see me, they shake their heads. 124
109:26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me! 125
109:27 Then they will realize 126 this is your work, 127
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 128
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 129
but your servant will rejoice.
109:29 My accusers will be covered 130 with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
109:30 I will thank the Lord profusely, 131
in the middle of a crowd 132 I will praise him,
109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten 133 his life.
A psalm of David.
110:1 Here is the Lord’s proclamation 135 to my lord: 136
“Sit down at my right hand 137 until I make your enemies your footstool!” 138
110:2 The Lord 139 extends 140 your dominion 141 from Zion.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
110:3 Your people willingly follow you 142 when you go into battle. 143
On the holy hills 144 at sunrise 145 the dew of your youth 146 belongs to you. 147
110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath 148 and will not revoke it: 149
“You are an eternal priest 150 after the pattern of 151 Melchizedek.” 152
110:5 O sovereign Lord, 153 at your right hand
he strikes down 154 kings in the day he unleashes his anger. 155
110:6 He executes judgment 156 against 157 the nations;
he fills the valleys with corpses; 158
he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. 159
110:7 From the stream along the road he drinks;
then he lifts up his head. 160
111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.
111:2 The Lord’s deeds are great,
eagerly awaited 162 by all who desire them.
111:3 His work is majestic and glorious, 163
and his faithfulness endures 164 forever.
111:4 He does 165 amazing things that will be remembered; 166
the Lord is merciful and compassionate.
111:5 He gives 167 food to his faithful followers; 168
he always remembers his covenant. 169
111:6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people,
giving them a land that belonged to other nations. 170
111:7 His acts are characterized by 171 faithfulness and justice;
all his precepts are reliable. 172
111:8 They are forever firm,
and should be faithfully and properly carried out. 173
111:9 He delivered his people; 174
he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. 175
His name is holy and awesome.
111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; 176
all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. 177
He will receive praise forever. 178
112:1 Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the one 180 who obeys 181 the Lord,
who takes great delight in keeping his commands. 182
112:2 His descendants 183 will be powerful on the earth;
the godly 184 will be blessed.
112:3 His house contains wealth and riches;
his integrity endures. 185
112:4 In the darkness a light 186 shines for the godly,
for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. 187
112:5 It goes well for the one 188 who generously lends money,
and conducts his business honestly. 189
112:6 For he will never be upended;
others will always remember one who is just. 190
112:7 He does not fear bad news.
He 191 is confident; he trusts 192 in the Lord.
112:8 His resolve 193 is firm; he will not succumb to fear
before he looks in triumph on his enemies.
112:9 He generously gives 194 to the needy;
his integrity endures. 195
He will be vindicated and honored. 196
112:10 When the wicked 197 see this, they will worry;
they will grind their teeth in frustration 198 and melt away;
the desire of the wicked will perish. 199
113:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
113:2 May the Lord’s name be praised
now and forevermore!
the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.
113:4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations;
his splendor reaches beyond the sky. 202
113:5 Who can compare to the Lord our God,
who sits on a high throne? 203
113:6 He bends down to look 204
at the sky and the earth.
113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 205
113:8 that he might seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
113:9 He makes the barren woman of the family 206
a happy mother of children. 207
Praise the Lord!
114:1 When Israel left Egypt,
when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind, 209
114:2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his kingdom.
114:3 The sea looked and fled; 210
the Jordan River 211 turned back. 212
114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs. 213
114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?
Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?
114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,
like lambs, O hills?
114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –
before the God of Jacob,
114:8 who turned a rock into a pool of water,
a hard rock into springs of water! 214
115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!
But to your name bring honor, 216
for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. 217
115:2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
115:3 Our God is in heaven!
He does whatever he pleases! 218
115:4 Their 219 idols are made of silver and gold –
they are man-made. 220
115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
115:6 ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell,
115:7 hands, but cannot touch,
feet, but cannot walk.
They cannot even clear their throats. 221
115:8 Those who make them will end up 222 like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 223 and protector. 224
115:10 O family 225 of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 226 and protector. 227
115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord, 228 trust in the Lord!
He is their deliverer 229 and protector. 230
115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, 231 he will bless 232 –
he will bless the family 233 of Israel,
he will bless the family of Aaron.
115:13 He will bless his loyal followers, 234
both young and old. 235
115:14 May he increase your numbers,
yours and your children’s! 236
115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the creator 237 of heaven and earth!
115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, 238
but the earth he has given to mankind. 239
115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. 240
115:18 But we will praise the Lord
now and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
116:1 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy, 242
As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. 244
116:3 The ropes of death tightened around me, 245
the snares 246 of Sheol confronted me.
I was confronted 247 with trouble and sorrow.
116:4 I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please Lord, rescue my life!”
116:5 The Lord is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
116:6 The Lord protects 248 the untrained; 249
I was in serious trouble 250 and he delivered me.
116:7 Rest once more, my soul, 251
for the Lord has vindicated you. 252
116:8 Yes, 253 Lord, 254 you rescued my life from death,
and kept my feet from stumbling.
116:9 I will serve 255 the Lord
in the land 256 of the living.
116:10 I had faith when I said,
“I am severely oppressed.”
“All men are liars.”
116:12 How can I repay the Lord
for all his acts of kindness to me?
116:13 I will celebrate my deliverance, 258
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people.
116:15 The Lord values
the lives of his faithful followers. 259
116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;
I am your lowest slave. 260
You saved me from death. 261
116:17 I will present a thank offering to you,
and call on the name of the Lord.
116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
before all his people,
116:19 in the courts of the Lord’s temple,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Applaud him, all you foreigners! 263
117:2 For his loyal love towers 264 over us,
and the Lord’s faithfulness endures.
Praise the Lord!
118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 266
118:2 Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:3 Let the family 267 of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord 268 say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:5 In my distress 269 I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 270
118:6 The Lord is on my side, 271 I am not afraid!
What can people do to me? 272
118:7 The Lord is on my side 273 as my helper. 274
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
118:8 It is better to take shelter 275 in the Lord
than to trust in people.
118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
118:10 All the nations surrounded me. 276
Indeed, in the name of the Lord 277 I pushed them away. 278
118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:12 They surrounded me like bees.
But they disappeared as quickly 279 as a fire among thorns. 280
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:13 “You aggressively attacked me 281 and tried to knock me down, 282
but the Lord helped me.
118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; 283
he has become my deliverer.” 284
118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. 285
The Lord’s right hand conquers, 286
118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory, 287
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
118:17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. 288
118:18 The Lord severely 289 punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! 290
I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
118:20 This is the Lord’s gate –
the godly enter through it.
118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,
and have become my deliverer.
118:22 The stone which the builders discarded 291
has become the cornerstone. 292
118:23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing! 293
118:24 This is the day the Lord has brought about. 294
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
118:25 Please Lord, deliver!
Please Lord, grant us success! 295
118:26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord 296 be blessed!
We will pronounce blessings on you 297 in the Lord’s temple. 298
118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us. 299
Tie the offering 300 with ropes
to the horns of the altar! 301
118:28 You are my 302 God and I will give you thanks!
You are my God and I will praise you!
118:29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 303
א (Alef)
119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, 305
who obey 306 the law of the Lord.
119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
119:3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps. 307
119:4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept. 308
119:5 If only I were predisposed 309
to keep your statutes!
119:6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if 310 I were focused on 311 all your commands.
119:7 I will give you sincere thanks, 312
when I learn your just regulations.
119:8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me! 313
ב (Bet)
119:9 How can a young person 314 maintain a pure life? 315
By guarding it according to your instructions! 316
119:10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands!
119:11 In my heart I store up 317 your words, 318
so I might not sin against you.
119:12 You deserve praise, 319 O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
119:13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed. 320
119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules 321
as if 322 they were riches of all kinds. 323
119:15 I will meditate on 324 your precepts
and focus 325 on your behavior. 326
119:16 I find delight 327 in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions. 328
ג (Gimel)
119:17 Be kind to your servant!
Then I will live 329 and keep 330 your instructions. 331
119:18 Open 332 my eyes so I can truly see 333
the marvelous things in your law!
119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land. 334
Do not hide your commands from me!
119:20 I desperately long to know 335
your regulations at all times.
119:21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed. 336
119:22 Spare me 337 shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
119:23 Though rulers plot and slander me, 338
your servant meditates on your statutes.
119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance. 339
ד (Dalet)
119:25 I collapse in the dirt. 340
Revive me with your word! 341
119:26 I told you about my ways 342 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! 343
Then I can meditate 344 on your marvelous teachings. 345
119:28 I collapse 346 from grief.
Sustain me by your word! 347
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! 348
Graciously give me 349 your law!
119:30 I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to 350 your regulations.
119:31 I hold fast 351 to your rules.
O Lord, do not let me be ashamed!
119:32 I run along the path of your commands,
for you enable me to do so. 352
ה (He)
119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, 353
so that I might observe it continually. 354
119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart. 355
119:35 Guide me 356 in the path of your commands,
for I delight to walk in it. 357
119:36 Give me a desire for your rules, 358
rather than for wealth gained unjustly. 359
119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! 360
Revive me with your word! 361
119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, 362
which you made to the one who honors you. 363
119:39 Take away the insults that I dread! 364
Indeed, 365 your regulations are good.
119:40 Look, I long for your precepts.
Revive me with your deliverance! 366
ו (Vav)
119:41 May I experience your loyal love, 367 O Lord,
and your deliverance, 368 as you promised. 369
119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, 370
for I trust in your word.
119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, 371
for I await your justice.
119:44 Then I will keep 372 your law continually
now and for all time. 373
for I seek your precepts.
119:46 I will speak 375 about your regulations before kings
and not be ashamed.
119:47 I will find delight in your commands,
which I love.
119:48 I will lift my hands to 376 your commands,
which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
ז (Zayin)
119:49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
119:50 This 377 is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me. 378
119:51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me. 379
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
119:52 I remember your ancient regulations, 380
O Lord, and console myself. 381
119:53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
119:54 Your statutes have been my songs 382
in the house where I live. 383
119:55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep 384 your law.
119:56 This 385 has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
ח (Khet)
119:57 The Lord is my source of security. 386
I have determined 387 to follow your instructions. 388
119:58 I seek your favor 389 with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised! 390
119:59 I consider my actions 391
and follow 392 your rules.
119:60 I keep your commands
eagerly and without delay. 393
119:61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around 394 me,
but I do not forget your law.
119:62 In the middle of the night I arise 395 to thank you
for your just regulations.
119:63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers, 396
and to those who keep your precepts.
119:64 O Lord, your loyal love fills the earth.
Teach me your statutes!
ט (Tet)
119:65 You are good 397 to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised. 398
119:66 Teach me proper discernment 399 and understanding!
For I consider your commands to be reliable. 400
119:67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off, 401
but now I keep your instructions. 402
119:68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes!
119:69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies, 403
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
119:70 Their hearts are calloused, 404
but I find delight in your law.
119:71 It was good for me to suffer,
so that I might learn your statutes.
119:72 The law you have revealed is more important to me
than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. 405
י (Yod)
119:73 Your hands made me and formed me. 406
Give me understanding so that I might learn 407 your commands.
119:74 Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me, 408
for I find hope in your word.
119:75 I know, Lord, that your regulations 409 are just.
You disciplined me because of your faithful devotion to me. 410
119:76 May your loyal love console me,
as you promised your servant. 411
119:77 May I experience your compassion, 412 so I might live!
For I find delight in your law.
119:78 May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me! 413
But I meditate on your precepts.
119:79 May your loyal followers 414 turn to me,
those who know your rules.
119:80 May I be fully committed to your statutes, 415
so that I might not be ashamed.
כ (Kaf)
119:81 I desperately long for 416 your deliverance.
I find hope in your word.
119:82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled. 417
I say, 418 “When will you comfort me?”
119:83 For 419 I am like a wineskin 420 dried up in smoke. 421
I do not forget your statutes.
119:84 How long must your servant endure this? 422
When will you judge those who pursue me?
119:85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, 423
which violates your law. 424
119:86 All your commands are reliable.
I am pursued without reason. 425 Help me!
119:87 They have almost destroyed me here on the earth,
but I do not reject your precepts.
119:88 Revive me with 426 your loyal love,
that I might keep 427 the rules you have revealed. 428
ל (Lamed)
119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven. 429
119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. 430
You established the earth and it stood firm.
119:91 Today they stand firm by your decrees,
for all things are your servants.
119:92 If I had not found encouragement in your law, 431
I would have died in my sorrow. 432
119:93 I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have revived me.
119:94 I belong to you. Deliver me!
For I seek your precepts.
119:95 The wicked prepare to kill me, 433
yet I concentrate on your rules.
119:96 I realize that everything has its limits,
but your commands are beyond full comprehension. 434
מ (Mem)
119:97 O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it.
119:98 Your commandments 435 make me wiser than my enemies,
for I am always aware of them.
119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your rules.
119:100 I am more discerning than those older than I,
for I observe your precepts.
119:101 I stay away 436 from the evil path,
so that I might keep your instructions. 437
119:102 I do not turn aside from your regulations,
for you teach me.
119:103 Your words are sweeter
in my mouth than honey! 438
119:104 Your precepts give me discernment.
Therefore I hate all deceitful actions. 439
נ (Nun)
119:105 Your word 440 is a lamp to walk by,
and a light to illumine my path. 441
119:106 I have vowed and solemnly sworn
to keep your just regulations.
119:107 I am suffering terribly.
O Lord, revive me with your word! 442
119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise! 443
Teach me your regulations!
119:109 My life is in continual danger, 444
but I do not forget your law.
119:110 The wicked lay a trap for me,
but I do not wander from your precepts.
119:111 I claim your rules as my permanent possession,
for they give me joy. 445
119:112 I am determined to obey 446 your statutes
at all times, to the very end.
ס (Samek)
119:113 I hate people with divided loyalties, 447
but I love your law.
119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield.
I find hope in your word.
119:115 Turn away from me, you evil men,
so that I can observe 448 the commands of my God. 449
119:116 Sustain me as you promised, 450 so that I will live. 451
Do not disappoint me! 452
119:117 Support me, so that I will be delivered.
Then I will focus 453 on your statutes continually.
119:118 You despise 454 all who stray from your statutes,
for they are deceptive and unreliable. 455
119:119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag. 456
Therefore I love your rules. 457
119:120 My body 458 trembles 459 because I fear you; 460
I am afraid of your judgments.
ע (Ayin)
119:121 I do what is fair and right. 461
Do not abandon me to my oppressors!
119:122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant! 462
Do not let the arrogant oppress me!
119:123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, 463
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled. 464
119:124 Show your servant your loyal love! 465
Teach me your statutes!
119:125 I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand 466 your rules.
119:126 It is time for the Lord to act –
they break your law!
119:127 For this reason 467 I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
119:128 For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts. 468
I hate all deceitful actions. 469
פ (Pe)
119:129 Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
119:130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. 470
They give 471 insight to the untrained. 472
119:131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long 473 for your commands.
119:132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers. 474
119:133 Direct my steps by your word! 475
Do not let any sin dominate me!
119:134 Deliver me 476 from oppressive men,
so that I can keep 477 your precepts.
119:135 Smile 478 on your servant!
Teach me your statutes!
119:136 Tears stream down from my eyes, 479
because people 480 do not keep your law.
צ (Tsade)
119:137 You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
119:138 The rules you impose are just, 481
and absolutely reliable.
119:139 My zeal 482 consumes 483 me,
for my enemies forget your instructions. 484
119:140 Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it!
119:141 I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
119:142 Your justice endures, 485
and your law is reliable. 486
119:143 Distress and hardship confront 487 me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
119:144 Your rules remain just. 488
Give me insight so that I can live. 489
ק (Qof)
119:145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!
I will observe your statutes.”
119:146 I cried out to you, “Deliver me,
so that I can keep 490 your rules.”
119:147 I am up before dawn crying for help.
I find hope in your word.
119:148 My eyes anticipate the nighttime hours,
so that I can meditate on your word.
119:149 Listen to me 491 because of 492 your loyal love!
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do! 493
119:150 Those who are eager to do 494 wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
119:151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable. 495
119:152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last. 496
ר (Resh)
119:153 See my pain and rescue me!
For I do not forget your law.
119:154 Fight for me 497 and defend me! 498
Revive me with your word!
119:155 The wicked have no chance for deliverance, 499
for they do not seek your statutes.
119:156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do! 500
119:157 The enemies who chase me are numerous. 501
Yet I do not turn aside from your rules.
119:158 I take note of the treacherous and despise them,
because they do not keep your instructions. 502
119:159 See how I love your precepts!
O Lord, revive me with your loyal love!
119:160 Your instructions are totally reliable;
all your just regulations endure. 503
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions. 504
119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder. 505
119:163 I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
119:164 Seven 506 times a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
119:165 Those who love your law are completely secure; 507
nothing causes them to stumble. 508
119:166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey 509 your commands.
119:167 I keep your rules;
I love them greatly.
119:168 I keep your precepts and rules,
for you are aware of everything I do. 510
ת (Tav)
119:169 Listen to my cry for help, 511 O Lord!
Give me insight by your word!
119:170 Listen to my appeal for mercy! 512
Deliver me, as you promised. 513
119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions, 514
for all your commands are just.
119:173 May your hand help me,
for I choose to obey 515 your precepts.
119:174 I long for your deliverance, O Lord;
I find delight in your law.
119:175 May I 516 live and praise you!
May your regulations help me! 517
119:176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep. 518
Come looking for your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.
A song of ascents. 520
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
120:2 I said, 521 “O Lord, rescue me 522
from those who lie with their lips 523
and those who deceive with their tongue. 524
120:3 How will he severely punish you,
you deceptive talker? 525
120:4 Here’s how! 526 With the sharp arrows of warriors,
with arrowheads forged over the hot coals. 527
For I have lived temporarily 529 in Meshech;
I have resided among the tents of Kedar. 530
120:6 For too long I have had to reside
with those who hate 531 peace.
120:7 I am committed to peace, 532
but when I speak, they want to make war. 533
A song of ascents. 535
121:1 I look up 536 toward the hills.
From where 537 does my help come?
121:2 My help comes from the Lord, 538
the Creator 539 of heaven and earth!
121:3 May he not allow your foot to slip!
May your protector 540 not sleep! 541
121:4 Look! Israel’s protector 542
does not sleep or slumber!
121:5 The Lord is your protector;
the Lord is the shade at your right hand.
121:6 The sun will not harm you by day,
or the moon by night. 543
121:7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.
121:8 The Lord will protect you in all you do, 544
now and forevermore.
A song of ascents, 546 by David.
122:1 I was glad because 547 they said to me,
“We will go to the Lord’s temple.”
122:2 Our feet are 548 standing
inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
122:3 Jerusalem 549 is a city designed
to accommodate an assembly. 550
122:4 The tribes go up 551 there, 552
the tribes of the Lord,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the Lord. 553
122:5 Indeed, 554 the leaders sit 555 there on thrones and make legal decisions,
on the thrones of the house of David. 556
122:6 Pray 557 for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love her prosper! 558
122:7 May there be peace inside your defenses,
and prosperity 559 inside your fortresses! 560
122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors
I will say, “May there be peace in you!”
122:9 For the sake of the temple of the Lord our God
I will pray for you to prosper. 561
A song of ascents. 563
123:1 I look up 564 toward you,
the one enthroned 565 in heaven.
123:2 Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, 566
so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
123:3 Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor!
For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some. 567
123:4 We have had our fill 568
of the taunts of the self-assured,
of the contempt of the proud.
A song of ascents, 570 by David.
124:1 “If the Lord had not been on our side” –
let Israel say this! –
124:2 if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men attacked us, 571
124:3 they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
124:4 The water would have overpowered us;
the current 572 would have overwhelmed 573 us. 574
124:5 The raging water
would have overwhelmed us. 575
124:6 The Lord deserves praise, 576
for 577 he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
124:7 We escaped with our lives, 578 like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord, 579
the Creator 580 of heaven and earth.
A song of ascents. 582
125:1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion;
it cannot be upended and will endure forever.
125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, 583
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
125:3 Indeed, 584 the scepter of a wicked king 585 will not settle 586
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly might
do what is wrong. 587
125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright! 588
125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path, 589
may the Lord remove them, 590 along with those who behave wickedly! 591
May Israel experience peace! 592
A song of ascents. 594
126:1 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion, 595
we thought we were dreaming. 596
126:2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy. 597
At that time the nations said, 598
“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”
126:3 The Lord did indeed accomplish great things for us.
We were happy.
126:4 O Lord, restore our well-being,
just as the streams in the arid south are replenished. 599
126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest. 600
126:6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag 601 of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain. 602
A song of ascents, 604 by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, 605
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city, 606
then the watchman stands guard in vain.
127:2 It is vain for you to rise early, come home late,
and work so hard for your food. 607
Yes, 608 he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep. 609
127:3 Yes, 610 sons 611 are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
127:4 Sons born during one’s youth
are like arrows in a warrior’s hand. 612
127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
They will not be put to shame 613 when they confront 614 enemies at the city gate.
A song of ascents. 616
128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers, 617
each one who keeps his commands! 618
128:2 You 619 will eat what you worked so hard to grow. 620
You will be blessed and secure. 621
128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine 622
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children 623 will be like olive branches,
as they sit all around your table.
128:4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed in this way. 624
128:5 May the Lord bless you 625 from Zion,
that you might see 626 Jerusalem 627 prosper
all the days of your life,
128:6 and that you might see 628 your grandchildren. 629
May Israel experience peace! 630
A song of ascents. 632
129:1 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,”
let Israel say.
129:2 “Since my youth they have often attacked me,
but they have not defeated me.
129:3 The plowers plowed my back;
they made their furrows long.
129:4 The Lord is just;
he cut the ropes of the wicked.” 633
129:5 May all who hate Zion
be humiliated and turned back!
129:6 May they be like the grass on the rooftops
which withers before one can even pull it up, 634
129:7 which cannot fill the reaper’s hand,
or the lap of the one who gathers the grain!
129:8 Those who pass by will not say, 635
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”
A song of ascents. 637
130:1 From the deep water 638 I cry out to you, O Lord.
130:2 O Lord, listen to me! 639
Pay attention to 640 my plea for mercy!
130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of 641 sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you? 642
130:4 But 643 you are willing to forgive, 644
so that you might 645 be honored. 646
I rely on him with my whole being; 648
I wait for his assuring word. 649
130:6 I yearn for the Lord, 650
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning. 651
130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love, 652
and is more than willing to deliver. 653
130:8 He will deliver 654 Israel
from all the consequences of their sins. 655
A song of ascents, 657 by David.
131:1 O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor do I have a haughty look. 658
I do not have great aspirations,
or concern myself with things that are beyond me. 659
131:2 Indeed 660 I am composed and quiet, 661
like a young child carried by its mother; 662
I am content like the young child I carry. 663
131:3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
now and forevermore!
A song of ascents. 665
132:1 O Lord, for David’s sake remember
all his strenuous effort, 666
132:2 and how he made a vow to the Lord,
and swore an oath to the powerful ruler of Jacob. 667
132:3 He said, 668 “I will not enter my own home, 669
or get into my bed. 670
132:4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,
or my eyelids to slumber,
132:5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a fine dwelling place 671 for the powerful ruler of Jacob.” 672
132:6 Look, we heard about it 673 in Ephrathah, 674
we found it in the territory of Jaar. 675
132:7 Let us go to his dwelling place!
Let us worship 676 before his footstool!
132:8 Ascend, O Lord, to your resting place,
you and the ark of your strength!
132:9 May your priests be clothed with integrity! 677
May your loyal followers shout for joy!
132:10 For the sake of David, your servant,
do not reject your chosen king! 678
132:11 The Lord made a reliable promise to David; 679
he will not go back on his word. 680
He said, 681 “I will place one of your descendants 682 on your throne.
132:12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the rules I teach them,
their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”
132:13 Certainly 683 the Lord has chosen Zion;
he decided to make it his home. 684
132:14 He said, 685 “This will be my resting place forever;
I will live here, for I have chosen it. 686
132:15 I will abundantly supply what she needs; 687
I will give her poor all the food they need. 688
132:16 I will protect her priests, 689
and her godly people will shout exuberantly. 690
132:17 There I will make David strong; 691
I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue. 692
132:18 I will humiliate his enemies, 693
and his crown will shine.
A song of ascents, 695 by David.
133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together! 696
133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head
which flows down the beard 697 –
Aaron’s beard,
and then flows down his garments. 698
133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, 699
which flows down upon the hills of Zion. 700
Indeed 701 that is where the Lord has decreed
a blessing will be available – eternal life. 702
A song of ascents. 704
134:1 Attention! 705 Praise the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord,
who serve 706 in the Lord’s temple during the night.
134:2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary
and praise the Lord!
134:3 May the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth,
135:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
135:2 who serve 710 in the Lord’s temple,
in the courts of the temple of our God.
135:3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good!
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant! 711
135:4 Indeed, 712 the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel to be his special possession. 713
135:5 Yes, 714 I know the Lord is great,
and our Lord is superior to all gods.
135:6 He does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the ocean depths.
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.
135:8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
135:9 He performed awesome deeds 715 and acts of judgment 716
in your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
135:10 He defeated many nations,
and killed mighty kings –
135:11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
135:12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
as an inheritance to Israel his people.
135:13 O Lord, your name endures, 717
your reputation, O Lord, lasts. 718
135:14 For the Lord vindicates 719 his people,
and has compassion on his servants. 720
135:15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,
they are man-made. 721
135:16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.
Indeed, they cannot breathe. 722
135:18 Those who make them will end up 723 like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
135:19 O family 724 of Israel, praise the Lord!
O family of Aaron, praise the Lord!
135:20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord!
You loyal followers 725 of the Lord, praise the Lord!
135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion 726 –
he who dwells in Jerusalem. 727
Praise the Lord!
136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his loyal love endures. 729
136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his loyal love endures.
136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his loyal love endures,
136:4 to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself,
for his loyal love endures,
136:5 to the one who used wisdom to make the heavens,
for his loyal love endures,
136:6 to the one who spread out the earth over the water,
for his loyal love endures,
136:7 to the one who made the great lights,
for his loyal love endures,
136:8 the sun to rule by day,
for his loyal love endures,
136:9 the moon and stars to rule by night,
for his loyal love endures,
136:10 to the one who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his loyal love endures,
136:11 and led Israel out from their midst,
for his loyal love endures,
136:12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his loyal love endures,
136:13 to the one who divided 730 the Red Sea 731 in two, 732
for his loyal love endures,
136:14 and led Israel through its midst,
for his loyal love endures,
136:15 and tossed 733 Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his loyal love endures,
136:16 to the one who led his people through the wilderness,
for his loyal love endures,
136:17 to the one who struck down great kings,
for his loyal love endures,
136:18 and killed powerful kings,
for his loyal love endures,
136:19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his loyal love endures,
136:20 Og, king of Bashan,
for his loyal love endures,
136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his loyal love endures,
136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant,
for his loyal love endures,
136:23 to the one who remembered us when we were down, 734
for his loyal love endures,
136:24 and snatched us away from our enemies,
for his loyal love endures,
136:25 to the one who gives food to all living things, 735
for his loyal love endures.
136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!
137:1 By the rivers of Babylon
we sit down and weep 737
when we remember Zion.
137:2 On the poplars in her midst
we hang our harps,
137:3 for there our captors ask us to compose songs; 738
those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: 739
“Sing for us a song about Zion!” 740
137:4 How can we sing a song to the Lord
in a foreign land?
137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand be crippled! 741
137:6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
and do not give Jerusalem priority
over whatever gives me the most joy. 742
137:7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell. 743
They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, 744
right to its very foundation!”
137:8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! 745
How blessed will be the one who repays you
for what you dished out to us! 746
137:9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies
and smashes them on a rock! 747
By David.
138:1 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly 749 I will sing praises to you.
138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky. 750
138:3 When 751 I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me. 752
138:4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks 753 to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak. 754
138:5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds, 755
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent. 756
138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly,
and recognizes the proud from far away.
138:7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, 757 you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies, 758
and your right hand delivers me.
138:8 The Lord avenges me. 759
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made! 760
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139:1 O Lord, you examine me 762 and know.
139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
139:3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; 763
you are aware of everything I do. 764
139:4 Certainly 765 my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. 766
139:5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
139:6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it. 767
139:7 Where can I go to escape your spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence? 768
139:8 If I were to ascend 769 to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. 770
139:9 If I were to fly away 771 on the wings of the dawn, 772
and settle down on the other side 773 of the sea,
139:10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
139:11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, 774
and the light will turn to night all around me,” 775
139:12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, 776
and the night is as bright as 777 day;
darkness and light are the same to you. 778
139:13 Certainly 779 you made my mind and heart; 780
you wove me together 781 in my mother’s womb.
139:14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. 782
You knew me thoroughly; 783
139:15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when 784 I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth. 785
139:16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb. 786
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence. 787
139:17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! 788
How vast is their sum total! 789
139:18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you. 790
139:19 If only 791 you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men! 792
139:20 They 793 rebel against you 794 and act deceitfully; 795
your enemies lie. 796
139:21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you? 797
139:22 I absolutely hate them, 798
they have become my enemies!
139:23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts! 799
Test me, and know my concerns! 800
139:24 See if there is any idolatrous tendency 801 in me,
and lead me in the reliable ancient path! 802
For the music director; a psalm of David.
140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! 804
Protect me from violent men, 805
140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 806
All day long they stir up conflict. 807
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent; 808
a viper’s 809 venom is behind 810 their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power 811 of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over. 812
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men 813 spread a net by the path;
they set traps for me. (Selah)
140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
140:7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, 814
you shield 815 my head in the day of battle.
140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! 816
Do not allow their 817 plan to succeed when they attack! 818 (Selah)
140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me –
may the harm done by 819 their lips overwhelm them!
140:10 May he rain down 820 fiery coals upon them!
May he throw them into the fire!
From bottomless pits they will not escape. 821
140:11 A slanderer 822 will not endure on 823 the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down. 824
140:12 I know 825 that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor. 826
140:13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.
A psalm of David.
141:1 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me!
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!
141:2 May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering! 828
141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!
Protect the opening 829 of my lips! 830
141:4 Do not let me have evil desires, 831
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly. 832
I will not eat their delicacies. 833
141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!
May my head not refuse 834 choice oil! 835
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. 836
141:6 They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. 837
They 838 will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
141:7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil, 839
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
141:8 Surely I am looking to you, 840 O sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger! 841
141:9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set. 842
141:10 Let the wicked fall 843 into their 844 own nets,
while I escape. 845
A well-written song 847 by David, when he was in the cave; 848 a prayer.
142:1 To the Lord I cry out; 849
to the Lord I plead for mercy. 850
142:2 I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about 851 my troubles.
142:3 Even when my strength leaves me, 852
you watch my footsteps. 853
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
142:4 Look to the right and see!
No one cares about me. 854
I have nowhere to run; 855
no one is concerned about my life. 856
142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security 857 in the land of the living.”
142:6 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble! 858
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
142:7 Free me 859 from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble, 860
for you will vindicate me. 861
A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:2 Do not sit in judgment on 863 your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you. 864
143:3 Certainly 865 my enemies 866 chase me.
They smash me into the ground. 867
They force me to live 868 in dark regions, 869
like those who have been dead for ages.
143:4 My strength leaves me; 870
I am absolutely shocked. 871
143:5 I recall the old days; 872
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments. 873
143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer; 874
my soul thirsts for you in a parched 875 land. 876
143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!
My strength is fading. 877
Do not reject me, 878
or I will join 879 those descending into the grave. 880
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, 881
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, 882
because I long for you. 883
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection. 884
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, 885
for you are my God.
May your kind presence 886
lead me 887 into a level land. 888
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, 889 revive me! 890
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! 891
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 892 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 893 all who threaten my life, 894
for I am your servant.
By David.
144:1 The Lord, my protector, 896 deserves praise 897 –
the one who trains my hands for battle, 898
and my fingers for war,
144:2 who loves me 899 and is my stronghold,
my refuge 900 and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me. 901
144:3 O Lord, of what importance is the human race, 902 that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind, 903 that you should be concerned about them? 904
144:4 People 905 are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears. 906
144:5 O Lord, make the sky sink 907 and come down! 908
Touch the mountains and make them smolder! 909
144:6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them!
Shoot your arrows and rout them! 910
144:7 Reach down 911 from above!
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water, 912
from the power of foreigners, 913
144:8 who speak lies,
and make false promises. 914
144:9 O God, I will sing a new song to you!
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
144:10 the one who delivers 915 kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly 916 sword.
144:11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners, 917
who speak lies,
and make false promises. 918
144:12 Then 919 our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size. 920
Our daughters will be like corner pillars, 921
carved like those in a palace. 922
144:13 Our storehouses 923 will be full,
providing all kinds of food. 924
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill 925 our pastures. 926
144:14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. 927
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares. 928
144:15 How blessed are the people who experience these things! 929
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
A psalm of praise, by David.
145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king!
I will praise your name continually! 931
145:2 Every day I will praise you!
I will praise your name continually! 932
145:3 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise!
No one can fathom his greatness! 933
145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and tell about your mighty acts! 934
145:5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,
and your amazing deeds! 935
145:6 They will proclaim 936 the power of your awesome acts!
I will declare your great deeds!
145:7 They will talk about the fame of your great kindness, 937
and sing about your justice. 938
145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient 939 and demonstrates great loyal love. 940
145:9 The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made. 941
145:10 All he has made will give thanks to the Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
145:11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
145:12 so that mankind 942 might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, 943
and your dominion endures through all generations.
145:14 944 The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over. 945
145:15 Everything looks to you in anticipation, 946
and you provide them with food on a regular basis. 947
145:16 You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food they desire. 948
145:17 The Lord is just in all his actions, 949
and exhibits love in all he does. 950
145:18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely. 951
145:19 He satisfies the desire 952 of his loyal followers; 953
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
145:20 The Lord protects those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
145:21 My mouth will praise the Lord. 954
Let all who live 955 praise his holy name forever!
146:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live!
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist!
146:3 Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver! 957
146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;
on that day their plans die. 958
146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
146:6 the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful, 959
146:7 vindicates the oppressed, 960
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
146:8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over. 961
The Lord loves the godly.
146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;
he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, 962
but he opposes the wicked. 963
146:10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come! 964
Praise the Lord!
147:1 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God!
Yes, 966 praise is pleasant and appropriate!
147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, 967
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
147:3 He heals 968 the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
147:4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
147:5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power; 969
there is no limit to his wisdom. 970
147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks 971 the wicked to the ground.
147:7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks! 972
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp!
147:8 He covers 973 the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides. 974
147:9 He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp. 975
147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs. 976
147:11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers, 977
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
147:12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children 978 within you.
147:14 He 979 brings peace to your territory. 980
He abundantly provides for you 981 the best grain.
147:15 He 982 sends his command through the earth; 983
swiftly his order reaches its destination. 984
147:16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes. 985
147:17 He throws his hailstones 986 like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends? 987
147:18 He then orders it all to melt; 988
he breathes on it, 989 and the water flows.
147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
147:20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
148:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the sky!
Praise him in the heavens!
148:2 Praise him, all his angels! 991
Praise him, all his heavenly assembly! 992
148:3 Praise him, O sun and moon!
Praise him, all you shiny stars! 993
148:4 Praise him, O highest heaven,
and you waters above the sky! 994
148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he gave the command and they came into existence.
148:6 He established them so they would endure; 995
he issued a decree that will not be revoked. 996
148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,
148:8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds, 997
O stormy wind that carries out his orders, 998
148:9 you mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars,
148:10 you animals and all you cattle,
you creeping things and birds,
148:11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,
you princes and all you leaders 999 on the earth,
148:12 you young men and young women,
you elderly, along with you children!
148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty extends over the earth and sky.
148:14 He has made his people victorious, 1000
and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –
the Israelites, the people who are close to him. 1001
Praise the Lord!
149:1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Praise him in the assembly of the godly! 1003
149:2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator!
Let the people 1004 of Zion delight in their king! 1005
149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing!
Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp!
149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he exalts the oppressed by delivering them. 1006
149:5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication! 1007
Let them shout for joy upon their beds! 1008
149:6 May they praise God
while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand, 1009
149:7 in order to take 1010 revenge on the nations,
and punish foreigners.
149:8 They bind 1011 their kings in chains,
and their nobles in iron shackles,
149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies 1012 have been sentenced. 1013
All his loyal followers will be vindicated. 1014
Praise the Lord!
150:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary!
Praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength! 1016
150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts!
Praise him for his surpassing greatness!
150:3 Praise him with the blast of the horn!
Praise him with the lyre and the harp!
150:4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing!
Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
150:5 Praise him with loud cymbals!
Praise him with clanging cymbals!
150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
[107:1] 1 sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
[107:1] 2 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
[107:2] 3 tn Or “let the redeemed of the
[107:3] 5 tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[107:5] 7 tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
[107:7] 9 sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
[107:8] 11 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
[107:9] 13 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] 14 tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
[107:10] 15 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] 16 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] 17 tn Heb “the words of God.”
[107:11] 18 tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
[107:12] 19 tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
[107:14] 21 tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
[107:15] 23 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:16] 25 sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
[107:17] 27 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
[107:18] 29 tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
[107:20] 31 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] 32 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] 33 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:22] 35 tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
[107:23] 37 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] 38 tn Heb “those going down [into].”
[107:23] 39 tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
[107:25] 39 tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
[107:25] 40 tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
[107:26] 41 tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).
[107:26] 42 tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[107:26] 44 tn Heb “from danger.”
[107:27] 43 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
[107:27] 44 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] 45 tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
[107:29] 46 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] 47 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 48 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[107:30] 49 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.
[107:31] 49 tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
[107:32] 51 tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
[107:33] 53 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] 55 tn Heb “a salty land.”
[107:35] 57 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] 58 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] 59 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
[107:37] 60 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
[107:38] 61 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] 62 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] 63 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] 64 tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.”
[107:40] 65 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] 67 tn Heb “set on high.”
[107:42] 69 tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.
[108:1] 71 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] 72 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] 73 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] 73 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] 75 tn Or “the peoples.”
[108:4] 77 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[108:5] 79 tn Or “be exalted.”
[108:5] 80 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] 81 tn Heb “right hand.”
[108:6] 82 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] 83 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[108:7] 84 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan River; the valley of Succoth represents the region east of the Jordan.
[108:8] 85 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] 86 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[108:8] 87 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] 87 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] 88 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] 89 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] 91 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[108:13] 93 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] 94 sn On the expression trample down our enemies see Ps 44:5.
[109:1] 95 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] 96 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
[109:2] 97 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] 99 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
[109:4] 101 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
[109:4] 102 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
[109:5] 103 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
[109:6] 105 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] 106 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
[109:6] 107 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
[109:7] 107 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] 108 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
[109:8] 109 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] 110 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] 114 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] 115 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 116 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 117 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 118 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
[109:13] 119 tn Or “offspring.”
[109:13] 120 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
[109:13] 121 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
[109:14] 121 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
[109:14] 122 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”
[109:15] 123 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the
[109:15] 124 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] 125 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
[109:16] 126 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
[109:17] 127 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] 128 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] 129 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
[109:18] 129 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
[109:18] 130 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] 131 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
[109:19] 132 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] 133 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the
[109:20] 135 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] 135 tn Heb “but you,
[109:22] 137 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] 139 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] 141 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
[109:24] 142 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
[109:25] 143 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
[109:25] 144 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] 145 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
[109:27] 147 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
[109:27] 148 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
[109:28] 149 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
[109:28] 150 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] 151 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] 153 tn Heb “I will thank the
[110:1] 157 sn Psalm 110. In this royal psalm the psalmist announces God’s oracle to the Davidic king. The first part of the oracle appears in v. 1, the second in v. 4. In vv. 2-3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in vv. 5-7 he appears to address God.
[110:1] 158 tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is used frequently in the OT of a formal divine announcement through a prophet.
[110:1] 159 sn My lord. In the psalm’s original context the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court. In the course of time the psalm is applied to each successive king in the dynasty and ultimately to the ideal Davidic king. NT references to the psalm understand David to be speaking about his “lord,” the Messiah. (See Matt 22:43-45; Mark 12:36-37; Luke 20:42-44; Acts 2:34-35).
[110:1] 160 tn To sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kgs 2:19). In Ugaritic myth (CTA 4 v. 108-10) the artisan god Kothar-and Khasis is described as sitting at the right hand of the storm god Baal. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 61-62.
[110:1] 161 sn When the Lord made his covenant with David, he promised to subdue the king’s enemies (see 2 Sam 7:9-11; Ps 89:22-23).
[110:2] 159 tn Since the
[110:2] 160 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though it could be taken as future.
[110:2] 161 tn Heb “your strong scepter,” symbolic of the king’s royal authority and dominion.
[110:3] 161 tn Heb “your people, free will offerings.” Perhaps the people, in their willingness to volunteer, are compared metaphorically to freewill offerings. Following the LXX, some revocalize the text and read “with you is nobility.”
[110:3] 162 tn Heb “in the day of your power.”
[110:3] 163 tc Heb “in splendor of holiness.” The plural construct form הַדְרֵי (hadrey, from הָדַר, hadar, “splendor”) occurs only here; it may indicate degree or perhaps refer by metonymy to garments (see Pss 29:2 and 96:9, where the phrase הַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ [hadrat qodesh] refers to “holy attire”). If one retains the reading of the MT, this phrase should probably be taken with the preceding line. However, because of the subsequent references to “dawn” and to “dew,” it is better to emend the text to הַרְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ (harrey qodesh, “mountains of holiness”), a reading found in many medieval Hebrew
[110:3] 164 tn Heb “from the womb of dawn.” The Hebrew noun רֶחֶם (rekhem, “womb”) is probably used here metonymically for “birth.” The form מִשְׁחָר (mishkhar) occurs only here and should be emended to שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”) with the mem (מ) being understood as dittographic (note the final mem [ם] on the preceding word). The phrase “womb [i.e., “birth”] of dawn” refers to sunrise.
[110:3] 165 sn The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. The dew may symbolize the king’s youthful vitality or, more likely (note the parallelism), may refer to his army of strong, youthful warriors.
[110:3] 166 tn Heb “to you [is].”
[110:4] 163 tn Or “swears, vows.”
[110:4] 164 tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.
[110:4] 165 sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).
[110:4] 166 tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.
[110:4] 167 sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”
[110:5] 165 tn As pointed in the Hebrew text, this title refers to God (many medieval Hebrew
[110:5] 166 tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 5-6 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing. Another option is to take them as rhetorical. In this case the psalmist describes anticipated events as if they had already taken place.
[110:5] 167 tn Heb “in the day of his anger.”
[110:6] 167 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 6-7 are understood here as descriptive-dramatic or as generalizing, though they could be taken as future.
[110:6] 169 tn Heb “he fills [with] corpses,” but one expects a double accusative here. The translation assumes an emendation to גְוִיּוֹת גֵאָיוֹת(בִּ) מִלֵּא or מִלֵּא גֵאָיוֹת גְּוִיוֹת (for a similar construction see Ezek 32:5). In the former case גֵאָיוֹת(ge’ayot) has accidentally dropped from the text due to homoioteleuton; in the latter case it has dropped out due to homoioarcton.
[110:6] 170 tn Heb “he strikes [the verb is מָחַץ (makhats), translated “strikes down” in v. 5] head[s] over a great land.” The Hebrew term רַבָּה (rabbah, “great”) is here used of distance or spatial measurement (see 1 Sam 26:13).
[110:7] 169 tn Here the expression “lifts up the head” refers to the renewed physical strength and emotional vigor (see Ps 3:3) provided by the refreshing water. For another example of a victorious warrior being energized by water in the aftermath of battle, see Judg 15:18-19 (see also 1 Sam 30:11-12, where the setting is different, however).
[111:1] 171 sn Psalm 111. The psalmist praises God for his marvelous deeds, especially the way in which he provides for and delivers his people. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[111:2] 173 tn Heb “sought out.”
[111:3] 175 tn For other uses of the Hebrew phrase וְהָדָר-הוֹד (hod-vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 21:5; 96:6; 104:1.
[111:4] 177 tn Or “did,” if this refers primarily to the events of the exodus and conquest period (see vv. 6, 9).
[111:4] 178 tn Heb “a memorial he had made for his amazing deeds.”
[111:5] 179 tn Or “gave,” if the events of the exodus and conquest period (see v. 6, 9) are primarily in view.
[111:5] 180 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[111:5] 181 tn Or “he remembers his covenant forever” (see Ps 105:8).
[111:6] 181 tn Heb “the strength of his deeds he proclaimed to his people, to give to them an inheritance of nations.”
[111:7] 183 tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”
[111:7] 184 tn That is, fair and for man’s good.
[111:8] 185 tn Heb “done in faithfulness and uprightness.” The passive participle probably has the force of a gerund. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 89.
[111:9] 187 tn Heb “redemption he sent for his people.”
[111:9] 188 tn Heb “he commanded forever his covenant.”
[111:10] 189 tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the
[111:10] 190 tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.
[111:10] 191 tn Heb “his praise stands forever.”
[112:1] 191 sn Psalm 112. This wisdom psalm lists some of the benefits of living a godly life. The psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory call to praise, every poetic line (twenty-two in all) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[112:1] 192 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The individual is representative of a larger group, called the “godly” in vv. 3-4. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in the following verses.
[112:1] 194 tn Heb “in his commands he delights very much.” The words “in keeping” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Taking delight in the law is metonymic here for obeying God’s moral will. See Ps 1:2.
[112:2] 193 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
[112:2] 194 tn Heb “His seed will be mighty on the earth, the generation of the godly.” The Hebrew term דוֹר (dor, “generation”) could be taken as parallel to “offspring” and translated “posterity,” but the singular more likely refers to the godly as a class. See BDB 189-90 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.
[112:3] 195 tn Heb “stands forever.”
[112:4] 197 tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.
[112:4] 198 tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.
[112:5] 200 tn Heb “he sustains his matters with justice.”
[112:6] 201 tn Heb “for an eternal memorial a just [one] will be.”
[112:7] 203 tn Heb “his heart,” viewed here as the seat of the volition and emotions (see Ps 108:1).
[112:7] 204 tn The passive participle בָּטֻחַ [בָּטוּחַ] (batuakh [batuakh]) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action. See Isa 26:3.
[112:8] 205 tn Heb “his heart,” viewed here as the seat of the volition.
[112:9] 207 tn Heb “he scatters, he gives.”
[112:9] 208 tn Heb “stands forever.”
[112:9] 209 tn Heb “his horn will be lifted up in honor.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).
[112:10] 209 tn The Hebrew text uses the singular; the representative wicked individual is in view as typifying the group (note the use of the plural form in v. 10).
[112:10] 210 tn Heb “his teeth he will gnash.” In Pss 35:16 and 37:12 this action is associated with a vicious attack.
[112:10] 211 tn This could mean that the desires of the wicked will go unfulfilled. Another possibility is that “desire” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired. In this case the point is that the wicked will lose what they desired so badly and acquired by evil means (see Ps 10:3).
[113:1] 211 sn Psalm 113. The psalmist praises God as the sovereign king of the world who reaches down to help the needy.
[113:3] 213 tn Heb “from the rising of the sun to its setting.” The extent is not temporal (“from sunrise to sunset”) but spatial (“from the place where the sun rises [the east] to the place where it sets [the west].” In the phenomenological language of OT cosmology, the sun was described as rising in the east and setting in the west.
[113:4] 215 tn Heb “above the sky [is] his splendor.”
[113:5] 217 tn Heb “the one who makes high to sit.”
[113:6] 219 tn Heb “the one who makes low to see.”
[113:7] 221 sn The language of v. 7 is almost identical to that of 1 Sam 2:8.
[113:9] 223 tn Heb “of the house.”
[114:1] 225 sn Psalm 114. The psalmist recalls the events of the exodus and conquest and celebrates God’s kingship over his covenant people.
[114:1] 226 tn Heb “the house of Jacob from a nation speaking a foreign language.” The Hebrew verb לָעַז (la’at, “to speak a foreign language”) occurs only here in the OT.
[114:3] 227 sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).
[114:3] 228 tn Heb “the Jordan” (also in v. 5). The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[114:3] 229 sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh 3:13, 16).
[114:4] 229 sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).
[114:8] 231 sn In v. 8 the psalmist recalls the event(s) recorded in Exod 17:6 and/or Num 20:11 (see also Deut 8:15 and Ps 78:15-16, 20).
[115:1] 233 sn Psalm 115. The psalmist affirms that Israel’s God is superior to pagan idols and urges Israel to place their confidence in him.
[115:1] 234 tn Or “give glory.”
[115:1] 235 sn The psalmist asks the
[115:3] 235 sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).
[115:4] 237 tn The referent of the pronominal suffix is “the nations” (v. 2).
[115:4] 238 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
[115:7] 239 tn Heb “they cannot mutter in their throats.” Verse 5a refers to speaking, v. 7c to inarticulate sounds made in the throat (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:140-41).
[115:8] 241 tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”
[115:9] 243 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[115:9] 244 tn Heb “and their shield.”
[115:10] 246 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[115:10] 247 tn Heb “and their shield.”
[115:11] 247 tn Heb “[you] fearers of the
[115:11] 248 tn Or “[source of] help.”
[115:11] 249 tn Heb “and their shield.”
[115:12] 249 tn Or “remembers us.”
[115:12] 250 tn Another option is to translate the prefixed form of the verb “bless” in vv. 12-13 as a jussive, “may he bless” (see v. 14).
[115:13] 251 tn Heb “the fearers of the
[115:13] 252 tn Heb “the small along with the great.” The translation assumes that “small” and “great” here refer to age (see 2 Chr 15:13). Another option is to translate “both the insignificant and the prominent” (see Job 3:19; cf. NEB “high and low alike”).
[115:14] 253 tn Heb “may he add to you, to you and your sons.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating this is a prayer.
[115:16] 257 tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the
[115:16] 258 tn Heb “to the sons of man.”
[115:17] 259 tn Heb “silence,” a metonymy here for death (see Ps 94:17).
[116:1] 261 sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.
[116:1] 262 tn Heb “I love because the
[116:2] 263 tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”
[116:2] 264 tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”
[116:3] 265 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
[116:3] 266 tn The Hebrew noun מצר (“straits; distress”) occurs only here, Ps 118:5 and Lam 1:3. If retained, it refers to Sheol as a place where one is confined or severely restricted (cf. BDB 865 s.v. מֵצַר, “the straits of Sheol”; NIV “the anguish of the grave”; NRSV “the pangs of Sheol”). However, HALOT 624 s.v. מֵצַר suggests an emendation to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”), a rare noun attested in Job 19:6 and Eccl 7:26. This proposal, which is reflected in the translation, produces better parallelism with “ropes” in the preceding line.
[116:3] 267 tn The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls the crisis from which the Lord delivered him.
[116:6] 267 tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the
[116:6] 268 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Ps 19:7.
[116:6] 269 tn Heb “I was low.”
[116:7] 269 tn Heb “return, my soul, to your place of rest.”
[116:7] 270 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense (cf. Ps 13:5).
[116:8] 272 tn “
[116:9] 273 tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.
[116:9] 274 tn Heb “lands, regions.”
[116:11] 275 tn Heb “I said in my haste.”
[116:13] 277 tn Heb “a cup of deliverance I will lift up.” Perhaps this alludes to a drink offering the psalmist will present as he thanks the
[116:15] 279 tn Heb “precious in the eyes of the
[116:16] 281 tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the
[116:16] 282 tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).
[117:1] 283 sn Psalm 117. The psalmist tells the nations to praise the Lord for his loyal love and faithfulness.
[117:1] 284 tn Or “peoples” (see Ps 108:3).
[117:2] 285 tn For this sense of the Hebrew verb גָּבַר (gavar), see Ps 103:11 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.
[118:1] 287 sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.
[118:1] 288 tn Or “is forever.”
[118:4] 291 tn Heb “fearers of the
[118:5] 293 tn Heb “from the distress.” The noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:3. In Ps 116:3 מצר should probably be emended to מְצָדֵי (mÿtsadey, “snares of”).
[118:5] 294 tn Heb “the
[118:6] 296 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.
[118:7] 298 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.
[118:8] 299 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[118:10] 301 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
[118:10] 302 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the
[118:10] 303 tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.
[118:12] 303 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
[118:12] 304 tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.
[118:13] 305 tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”
[118:13] 306 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
[118:14] 307 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the
[118:14] 308 tn Or “salvation.”
[118:15] 309 tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”
[118:15] 310 tn Heb “does valiantly.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 60:12; 108:13).
[118:17] 313 tn Heb “the works of the
[118:18] 315 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.
[118:19] 317 tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the
[118:22] 319 tn Or “rejected.”
[118:22] 320 tn Heb “the head of the corner.”
[118:23] 321 tn Heb “it is amazing in our eyes.” The use of the plural pronoun here and in vv. 24-27 suggests that the psalmist may be speaking for the entire nation. However, it is more likely that vv. 22-27 are the people’s response to the psalmist’s thanksgiving song (see especially v. 26). They rejoice with him because his deliverance on the battlefield (see vv. 10-12) had national repercussions.
[118:24] 323 tn Heb “this is the day the
[118:25] 325 sn A petition for deliverance and success seems odd in a psalm thanking God for deliverance, but it is not unique (see Ps 9:19-20). The people ask God to continue to intervene for them as he has for the psalmist.
[118:26] 327 sn The people refer here to the psalmist, who enters the
[118:26] 328 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural, but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the following form) or enclitic, in which case the suffix may be taken as second masculine singular, referring to the psalmist.
[118:26] 329 tn Heb “from the house of the
[118:27] 329 tn Heb “and he has given us light.” This may be an elliptical expression, with “his face” being implied as the object (see Num 6:25; Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19). In this case, “his face has given us light” = “he has smiled on us,” or “he has shown us his favor.” Another option (the one reflected in the translation) is that “light” here symbolizes divine blessing in the form of deliverance. “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Some prefer to repoint the form וְיָאֵר (vÿya’er; vav [ו] conjunctive + jussive) and translate the statement as a prayer, “may he give us light.”
[118:27] 330 tn The Hebrew noun חַג (khag) normally means “festival,” but here it apparently refers metonymically to an offering made at the festival. BDB 291 s.v. חַג 2 interprets the word in this way here, citing as comparable the use of later Hebrew חֲגִיגָה, which can refer to both a festival and a festival offering (see Jastrow 424 s.v. חֲגִיגָה).
[118:27] 331 tn The second half of v. 27 has been translated and interpreted in a variety of ways. For a survey of major views, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 122.
[118:28] 331 sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).
[118:29] 333 tn Or “is forever.”
[119:1] 335 sn Psalm 119. The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.
[119:1] 336 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”
[119:3] 337 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[119:4] 339 tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”
[119:5] 341 tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”
[119:6] 344 tn Heb “I gaze at.”
[119:7] 345 tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”
[119:8] 347 tn Heb “do not abandon me to excess.” For other uses of the phrase עַד מְאֹד (’ad mÿ’od, “to excess”), see Ps 38:6, 8.
[119:9] 349 tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”
[119:9] 350 tn Heb “purify his path.”
[119:9] 351 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:11] 352 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew
[119:12] 353 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
[119:13] 355 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
[119:14] 357 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
[119:14] 358 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
[119:14] 359 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
[119:15] 359 tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.
[119:15] 360 tn Heb “gaze [at].”
[119:15] 361 tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).
[119:16] 361 tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”
[119:16] 362 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:17] 363 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:17] 364 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.
[119:17] 365 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:18] 365 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
[119:18] 366 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:19] 367 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.
[119:20] 369 tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”
[119:21] 371 tn Heb “accursed.” The traditional punctuation of the Hebrew text takes “accursed” with the previous line (“arrogant, accursed ones”), but it is preferable to take it with the second line as the predicate of the statement.
[119:22] 373 tn Heb “roll away from upon me.” Some derive the imperatival form גַּל (gal) from גָּלָה (galah, “uncover,” as in v. 18), but here the form is from גָּלַל (galal, “roll”; see Josh 5:9, where חֶרְפָּה [kherpah, “shame; reproach”] also appears as object of the verb). Some, following the lead of a Dead Sea scroll (11QPsa), emend the form to גֹּל (gol).
[119:23] 375 tn Heb “though rulers sit, about me they talk together.” (For another example of the Niphal of דָּבַר (davar) used with a suffixed form of the preposition ב, see Ezek 33:30.)
[119:24] 377 tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.
[119:25] 379 tn Heb “my soul clings to the dirt.” 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).
[119:25] 380 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:26] 381 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
[119:27] 383 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
[119:27] 384 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:27] 385 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
[119:28] 385 tn Some translate “my soul weeps,” taking the verb דָלַף (dalaf) from a root meaning “to drip; to drop” (BDB 196 s.v. דֶּלַף). On the basis of cognate evidence from Arabic and Akkadian, HALOT 223 s.v. II דלף proposes a homonymic root here, meaning “be sleepless.” Following L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 127, 135) the translation assumes that the verb is cognate with Ugaritic dlp, “to collapse; to crumple” in CTA 2 iv. 17, 26. See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 44, 144.
[119:28] 386 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:29] 387 tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.
[119:29] 388 tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)
[119:30] 389 tn BDB 1000-1001 s.v. I שָׁוָה derives the verb from the first homonym listed, meaning “to agree with; to be like; to resemble.” It here means (in the Piel stem) “to be accounted suitable,” which in turn would mean by metonymy “to accept; to be committed to.” Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonym meaning “to place; to set,” but in this case an elliptical prepositional phrase must be understood, “I place your regulations [before me]” (see Ps 16:8).
[119:31] 391 tn Or “cling to.”
[119:32] 393 tn Heb “for you make wide my heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and understanding. The
[119:33] 395 tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”
[119:33] 396 tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”
[119:34] 397 tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.
[119:35] 399 tn Or “make me walk.”
[119:35] 400 tn Heb “for in it I delight.”
[119:36] 401 tn Heb “turn my heart to your rules.”
[119:36] 402 tn Heb “and not unjust gain.”
[119:37] 403 tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”
[119:37] 404 tn Heb “by your word.”
[119:38] 406 tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.
[119:39] 407 tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”
[119:40] 409 tn Or “righteousness.”
[119:41] 411 tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”
[119:41] 412 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).
[119:41] 413 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:42] 413 tn Heb “and I will answer [the] one who insults me a word.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive (see v. 41).
[119:43] 415 tn Heb “do not snatch from my mouth a word of truth to excess.” The psalmist wants to be able to give a reliable testimony about the
[119:44] 417 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).
[119:44] 418 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[119:45] 419 tn Heb “and I will walk about in a wide place.” The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive gives a further consequence of the anticipated positive divine response (see vv. 43-44). Another option is to take the cohortative as expressing the psalmist’s request. In this case one could translate, “and please give me security.”
[119:46] 421 tn The series of four cohortatives with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive in vv. 46-48 list further consequences of the anticipated positive divine response to the request made in v. 43.
[119:48] 423 tn Lifting the hands is often associated with prayer (Pss 28:2; 63:4; Lam 2:19). (1) Because praying to God’s law borders on the extreme, some prefer to emend the text to “I lift up my hands to you,” eliminating “your commands, which I love” as dittographic. In this view these words were accidentally repeated from the previous verse. (2) However, it is possible that the psalmist closely associates the law with God himself because he views the law as the expression of the divine will. (3) Another option is that “lifting the hands” does not refer to prayer here, but to the psalmist’s desire to receive and appropriate the law. (4) Still others understand this to be an action praising God’s commands (so NCV; cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).
[119:50] 425 tn The demonstrative “this” refers back to the hope just mentioned or forward to the statement in the second line concerning the promise’s power to revive. See the note on the word “me” at the end of the verse for further discussion.
[119:50] 426 tn The hope generated by the promise (see v. 49b) brings comfort because (note “for” at the beginning of the line) the promise revives the psalmist’s spirits. Another option is to take כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line in the sense of “that,” in which case “this” refers to the promise’s power to revive.
[119:51] 427 tn Heb “scoff at me to excess.”
[119:52] 429 tn Heb “I remember your regulations from of old.” The prepositional phrase “from of old” apparently modifies “your regulations,” alluding to the fact that God revealed them to Israel in the distant past. Another option is to understand the prepositional phrase as modifying the verb, in which case one might translate, “I have long remembered your regulations.”
[119:52] 430 tn Or “find comfort.”
[119:54] 431 tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”
[119:54] 432 tn Heb “in the house of my dwelling place.” Some take the Hebrew noun מָגוֹר (magor) in the sense of “temporary abode,” and see this as a reference to the psalmist’s status as a resident alien (see v. 19). But the noun can refer to a dwelling place in general (see Ps 55:15).
[119:55] 433 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve to obey the law.
[119:56] 435 tn Heb “this has been to me.” The demonstrative “this” (1) refers back to the practices mentioned in vv. 54-55, or (2) looks forward to the statement in the second line, in which case the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the second line should be translated “that.”
[119:57] 437 tn Heb “my portion [is] the
[119:57] 439 tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).
[119:58] 439 tn Heb “I appease your face.”
[119:58] 440 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:59] 441 tn Heb “my ways.”
[119:59] 442 tn Heb “and I turn my feet toward.”
[119:60] 443 tn Heb “I hurry and I do not delay to keep your commands.”
[119:61] 445 tn Heb “surround.”
[119:62] 447 tn The psalmist uses an imperfect verbal form to emphasize that this is his continuing practice.
[119:63] 449 tn Heb “to all who fear you.”
[119:65] 451 tn Heb “do good.”
[119:65] 452 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:66] 453 tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.
[119:66] 454 tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”
[119:67] 455 tn Heb “before I suffered, I was straying off.”
[119:67] 456 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:69] 457 tn Heb “smear over me a lie.”
[119:70] 459 tn Heb “their heart is insensitive like fat.”
[119:72] 461 tn Heb “better to me [is] the law of your mouth than thousands of gold and silver.”
[119:73] 463 tn Heb “made me and established me.” The two verbs also appear together in Deut 32:6, where God, compared to a father, is said to have “made and established” Israel.
[119:73] 464 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:74] 465 tn Heb “those who fear you will see me and rejoice.”
[119:75] 467 tn In this context (note the second line) the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim), which so often refers to the regulations of God’s law elsewhere in this psalm, may refer instead to his decisions or disciplinary judgment.
[119:75] 468 tn Heb “and [in] faithfulness you afflicted me.”
[119:76] 469 tn Heb “according to your word to your servant.”
[119:77] 471 tn Heb “and may your compassion come to me.”
[119:78] 473 tn Heb “for [with] falsehood they have denied me justice.”
[119:79] 475 tn Heb “those who fear you.”
[119:80] 477 tn Heb “may my heart be complete in your statutes.”
[119:81] 479 tn Heb “my soul pines for.” See Ps 84:2.
[119:82] 481 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your word.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See Ps 69:3.
[119:83] 483 tn Or “even though.”
[119:83] 484 tn The Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20).
[119:83] 485 tn Heb “in the smoke.”
[119:84] 485 tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”
[119:85] 488 tn Heb “which [is] not according to your law.”
[119:86] 489 sn God’s commands are a reliable guide to right and wrong. By keeping them the psalmist is doing what is right, yet he is still persecuted.
[119:88] 491 tn Heb “according to.”
[119:88] 492 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:88] 493 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
[119:89] 493 tn Heb “Forever, O
[119:90] 495 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”
[119:92] 497 tn Heb “if your law had not been my delight.”
[119:92] 498 tn Or “my suffering.”
[119:95] 499 tn Heb “the wicked wait for me to kill me.”
[119:96] 501 tn Heb “to every perfection I have seen an end, your command is very wide.” God’s law is beyond full comprehension, which is why the psalmist continually studies it (vv. 95, 97).
[119:98] 503 tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The
[119:101] 505 tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”
[119:101] 506 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:103] 507 tn Heb “How smooth they are to my palate, your word, more than honey to my mouth.” A few medieval Hebrew
[119:104] 509 tn Heb “every false path.”
[119:105] 511 tn Many medieval Hebrew
[119:105] 512 tn Heb “[is] a lamp for my foot and a light for my path.”
[119:107] 513 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:108] 515 tn Heb “of my mouth.”
[119:109] 517 tn Heb “my life [is] in my hands continually.”
[119:111] 519 tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”
[119:112] 521 tn Heb “I turn my heart to do.”
[119:113] 523 tn Heb “divided ones.” The word occurs only here; it appears to be derived from a verbal root, attested in Arabic, meaning “to split” (see HALOT 762 s.v. *סֵעֵף). Since the psalmist is emphasizing his unswerving allegiance to God and his law, the term probably refers to those who lack such loyalty. The translation is similar to that suggested by L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 131.
[119:115] 525 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:115] 526 tn The psalmist has already declared that he observes God’s commands despite persecution, so here the idea must be “so that I might observe the commands of my God unhindered by threats.”
[119:116] 527 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:116] 528 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:116] 529 tn Heb “do not make me ashamed of my hope.” After the Hebrew verb בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “to be ashamed”) the preposition מִן (min, “from”) often introduces the reason for shame.
[119:117] 529 tn Or “and that I might focus.” The two cohortatives with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the imperative at the beginning of the verse.
[119:118] 531 tn The Hebrew verb סָלָה (salah, “to disdain”) occurs only here and in Lam 1:15. Cognate usage in Aramaic and Akkadian, as well as Lam 1:15, suggest it may have a concrete nuance of “to throw away.”
[119:118] 532 tn Heb “for their deceit [is] falsehood.”
[119:119] 533 sn Traditionally “dross” (so KJV, ASV, NIV). The metaphor comes from metallurgy; “slag” is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.
[119:119] 534 sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.
[119:120] 535 tn Heb “my flesh.”
[119:120] 536 tn The Hebrew verb סָמַר (samar, “to tremble”) occurs only here and in Job 4:15.
[119:120] 537 tn Heb “from fear of you.” The pronominal suffix on the noun is an objective genitive.
[119:121] 537 tn Heb “do justice and righteousness.”
[119:122] 539 tn Heb “be surety for your servant for good.”
[119:123] 541 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your deliverance.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See the similar phrase in v. 82.
[119:123] 542 tn Heb “and for the word of your faithfulness.”
[119:124] 543 tn Heb “do with your servant according to your loyal love.”
[119:125] 545 tn or “know.” The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:127] 547 tn “For this reason” connects logically with the statement made in v. 126. Because the judgment the psalmist fears (see vv. 119-120) is imminent, he remains loyal to God’s law.
[119:128] 549 tn Heb “for this reason all the precepts of everything I regard as right.” The phrase “precepts of everything” is odd. It is preferable to take the kaf (כ) on כֹּל (kol, “everything) with the preceding form as a pronominal suffix, “your precepts,” and the lamed (ל) with the following verb as an emphatic particle. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 138.
[119:128] 550 tn Heb “every false path.”
[119:130] 551 tn Heb “the doorway of your words gives light.” God’s “words” refer here to the instructions in his law (see vv. 9, 57).
[119:130] 552 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”
[119:130] 553 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Pss 19:7; 116:6.
[119:131] 553 tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.
[119:132] 555 tn Heb “according to custom toward the lovers of your name.” The “lovers of” God’s “name” are the
[119:133] 557 tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).
[119:134] 559 tn Or “redeem me.”
[119:134] 560 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:135] 561 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
[119:136] 563 tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”
[119:136] 564 tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[119:138] 565 tn Heb “you commanded [in] justice your rules.”
[119:139] 568 tn Heb “destroys,” in a hyperbolic sense.
[119:139] 569 tn Heb “your words.”
[119:142] 569 tn Heb “your justice [is] justice forever.”
[119:144] 573 tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”
[119:144] 574 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:146] 575 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:149] 577 tn Heb “my voice.”
[119:149] 578 tn Heb “according to.”
[119:149] 579 tn Heb “according to your custom.”
[119:150] 579 tn Heb “those who pursue.”
[119:152] 583 tn Heb “long ago I knew concerning your rules, that forever you established them.” See v. 89 for the same idea. The translation assumes that the preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “your rules” introduces the object of the verb יָדַע (yada’), as in 1 Sam 23:23. Another option is that the preposition indicates source, in which case one might translate, “Long ago I realized from your rules that forever you established them” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[119:154] 585 tn Or “argue my case.”
[119:154] 586 tn Heb “and redeem me.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[119:155] 587 tn Heb “far from the wicked [is] deliverance.”
[119:156] 589 tn Heb “according to your customs.”
[119:157] 591 tn Heb “many [are] those who chase me and my enemies.”
[119:158] 593 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:160] 595 tn Heb “the head of your word is truth, and forever [is] all your just regulation.” The term “head” is used here of the “sum total” of God’s instructions.
[119:161] 597 tn Heb “and because of your instructions my heart trembles.” The psalmist’s healthy “fear” of the consequences of violating God’s instructions motivates him to obey them. See v. 120.
[119:162] 599 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.
[119:164] 601 tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.
[119:165] 603 tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”
[119:165] 604 tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”
[119:168] 607 tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”
[119:169] 609 tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”
[119:170] 611 tn Heb “may my appeal for mercy come before you.”
[119:170] 612 tn Heb “according to your speech.”
[119:172] 613 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:173] 615 tn The words “to obey” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
[119:175] 617 tn Heb “my life.”
[119:175] 618 tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.
[119:176] 619 tn Heb “I stray like a lost sheep.” It is possible that the point of the metaphor is vulnerability: The psalmist, who is threatened by his enemies, feels as vulnerable as a straying, lost sheep. This would not suggest, however, that he has wandered from God’s path (see the second half of the verse, as well as v. 110).
[120:1] 621 sn Psalm 120. The genre and structure of this psalm are uncertain. It begins like a thanksgiving psalm, with a brief notice that God has heard the psalmist’s prayer for help and has intervened. But v. 2 is a petition for help, followed by a taunt directed toward enemies (vv. 3-4) and a lament (vv. 5-7). Perhaps vv. 2-7 recall the psalmist’s prayer when he cried out to the Lord.
[120:1] 622 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[120:2] 623 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the introductory note for this psalm.
[120:2] 625 tn Heb “from a lip of falsehood.”
[120:2] 626 tn Heb “from a tongue of deception.”
[120:3] 625 tn Heb “What will he give to you, and what will he add to you, O tongue of deception?” The psalmist addresses his deceptive enemies. The
[120:4] 627 tn The words “here’s how” are supplied in the translation as a clarification. In v. 4 the psalmist answers the question he raises in v. 3.
[120:4] 628 tn Heb “with coals of the wood of the broom plant.” The wood of the broom plant was used to make charcoal, which in turn was used to fuel the fire used to forge the arrowheads.
[120:5] 629 tn Or “woe to me.” The Hebrew term אוֹיָה (’oyah, “woe”) which occurs only here, is an alternate form of אוֹי (’oy).
[120:5] 630 tn Heb “I live as a resident alien.”
[120:5] 631 sn Meshech was located in central Anatolia (modern Turkey). Kedar was located in the desert to east-southeast of Israel. Because of the reference to Kedar, it is possible that Ps 120:5 refers to a different Meshech, perhaps one associated with the individual mentioned as a descendant of Aram in 1 Chr 1:17. (However, the LXX in 1 Chr 1:17 follows the parallel text in Gen 10:23, which reads “Mash,” not Meshech.) It is, of course, impossible that the psalmist could have been living in both the far north and the east at the same time. For this reason one must assume that he is recalling his experience as a wanderer among the nations or that he is using the geographical terms metaphorically and sarcastically to suggest that the enemies who surround him are like the barbarians who live in these distant regions. For a discussion of the problem, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 146.
[120:6] 631 tn The singular participial form probably has a representative function here. The psalmist envisions the typical hater of peace who represents the entire category of such individuals.
[120:7] 633 tn Heb “I, peace.”
[120:7] 634 tn Heb “they [are] for war.”
[121:1] 635 sn Psalm 121. The psalm affirms that the Lord protects his people Israel. Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in vv. 3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes v. 3. The translation assumes that speaker one talks in vv. 1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in v. 3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in vv. 4-8. If the verbs in v. 3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Verses 3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one. See the note on the word “sleep” at the end of v. 3.
[121:1] 636 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[121:1] 637 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
[121:1] 638 tn The Hebrew term מֵאַיִן (me’ayin) is interrogative, not relative, in function. Rather than directly stating that his source of help descends from the hills, the psalmist is asking, “From where does my help come?” Nevertheless, the first line does indicate that he is looking toward the hills for help, probably indicating that he is looking up toward the sky in anticipation of supernatural intervention. The psalmist assumes the dramatic role of one needing help. He answers his own question in v. 2.
[121:2] 637 tn Heb “my help [is] from with the
[121:3] 639 tn Heb “the one who guards you.”
[121:3] 640 tn The prefixed verbal forms following the negative particle אל appear to be jussives. As noted above, if they are taken as true jussives of prayer, then the speaker in v. 3 would appear to be distinct from both the speaker in vv. 1-2 and the speaker in vv. 4-8. However, according to GKC 322 §109.e), the jussives are used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one should probably translate, “he will not allow your foot to slip, your protector will not sleep,” and understand just one speaker in vv. 4-8.
[121:4] 641 tn Heb “the one who guards Israel.”
[121:6] 643 sn One hardly thinks of the moon’s rays as being physically harmful, like those of the sun. The reference to the moon may simply lend poetic balance to the verse, but it is likely that the verse reflects an ancient, primitive belief that the moon could have an adverse effect on the mind (note the English expression “moonstruck,” which reflects such a belief). Another possibility is that the sun and moon stand by metonymy for harmful forces characteristic of the day and night, respectively.
[121:8] 645 tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.”
[122:1] 647 sn Psalm 122. The psalmist expresses his love for Jerusalem and promises to pray for the city’s security.
[122:1] 648 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[122:1] 649 tn Heb “in the ones saying to me.” After the verb שָׂמַח (samakh), the preposition בְּ (bet) usually introduces the reason for joy.
[122:3] 651 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[122:3] 652 tc Heb “Jerusalem, which is built like a city which is joined to her together.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. Many regard this as a description of the compact way in which the city was designed or constructed. The translation assumes an emendation of the verb חֻבְּרָה (khubbÿrah, “is joined”) to a noun חֶבְרָה (khevrah, “association; company”). The text then reads literally, “Jerusalem, which is built like a city which has a company together.” This in turn can be taken as a reference to Jerusalem’s role as a city where people congregated for religious festivals and other civic occasions (see vv. 4-5).
[122:4] 654 tn Heb “which is where the tribes go up.”
[122:4] 655 tn Heb “[it is] a statute for Israel to give thanks to the name of the
[122:5] 657 tn Heb “Indeed, there they sit [on] thrones for judgment, [on] thrones [belonging] to the house of David.”
[122:6] 657 tn Heb “ask [for].”
[122:6] 658 tn Or “be secure.”
[122:7] 660 tn The psalmist uses second feminine singular pronominal forms to address personified Jerusalem.
[122:9] 661 tn Heb “I will seek good for you.” The psalmist will seek Jerusalem’s “good” through prayer.
[123:1] 663 sn Psalm 123. The psalmist, speaking for God’s people, acknowledges his dependence on God in the midst of a crisis.
[123:1] 664 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[123:1] 665 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
[123:1] 666 tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12).
[123:2] 665 sn Servants look to their master for food, shelter, and other basic needs.
[123:3] 667 tn Heb “for greatly we are filled [with] humiliation.”
[123:4] 669 tn Heb “greatly our soul is full to it.”
[124:1] 671 sn Psalm 124. Israel acknowledges that the Lord delivered them from certain disaster.
[124:1] 672 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[124:2] 673 tn Heb “rose up against us.”
[124:4] 676 tn Heb “would have passed over.”
[124:4] 677 tn Heb “our being.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[124:5] 677 tn Heb “then they would have passed over our being, the raging waters.”
[124:6] 679 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[124:6] 680 tn Heb “[the one] who.”
[124:7] 681 tn Heb “our life escaped.”
[124:8] 683 tn Heb “our help [is] in the name of the
[125:1] 685 sn Psalm 125. The psalmist affirms his confidence in the Lord’s protection and justice.
[125:1] 686 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[125:2] 687 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[125:3] 690 tn Heb “a scepter of wickedness.” The “scepter” symbolizes royal authority; when collocated with “wickedness” the phrase refers to an oppressive foreign conqueror.
[125:3] 692 tn Heb “so that the godly might not stretch out their hands in wrongdoing.” A wicked king who sets a sinful example can have an adverse moral and ethical effect on the people he rules.
[125:4] 691 tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the
[125:5] 693 tn Heb “and the ones making their paths twisted.” A sinful lifestyle is compared to a twisting, winding road.
[125:5] 694 tn Heb “lead them away.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer here (note the prayers directly before and after this). Another option is to translate, “the
[125:5] 695 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.”
[125:5] 696 tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 122:8 for a similar prayer for peace).
[126:1] 695 sn Psalm 126. Recalling the joy of past deliverance, God’s covenant community asks for a fresh display of God’s power and confidently anticipate their sorrow being transformed into joy.
[126:1] 696 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[126:1] 697 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew noun שִׁיבַת (shivat) occurs only here in the OT. For this reason many prefer to emend the form to the more common שְׁבִית (shevit) or שְׁבוּת (shÿvut), both of which are used as a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv; see Ps 14:7). However an Aramaic cognate of שְׁבִית appears in an eighth century
[126:1] 698 tn Heb “we were like dreamers.” This could mean the speakers were so overcome with ecstatic joy (see v. 3b) that they were like those who fantasize about pleasurable experiences in their sleep (see Isa 29:7-8). Since dreams are more commonly associated in the OT with prophetic visions, the community may be comparing their experience of God’s renewed favor to a prophet’s receiving divine visions. Just as a prophetic dream sweeps the individual into a different dimension and sometimes brings one face-to-face with God himself (see Gen 28:11-15; 1 Kgs 3:5-15), so the community was aware of God’s presence in a special way in the day of Zion’s restoration. Though the MT as it stands makes good sense, some choose to understand a homonymic root here meaning “to be healthy; to be strong” (see BDB 321 s.v. I חָלַם) and translate, “we were like those restored to health.” This reading appears to have the support of several ancient translations as well as 11QPsa. See L. C. Allen (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 170-71) for a discussion of the viewpoints.
[126:2] 697 tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”
[126:2] 698 tn Heb “they said among the nations.”
[126:4] 699 tn Heb “like the streams in the Negev.”
[126:5] 701 sn O. Borowski says regarding this passage: “The dependence on rain for watering plants, the uncertainty of the quantity and timing of the rains, and the possibility of crop failure due to pests and diseases appear to have kept the farmer in a gloomy mood during sowing” (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 54). Perhaps the people were experiencing a literal drought, the effects of which cause them to lament their plight as they plant their seed in hopes that the rain would come. However, most take the language as metaphorical. Like a farmer sowing his seed, the covenant community was enduring hardship as they waited for a new outpouring of divine blessing. Yet they are confident that a time of restoration will come and relieve their anxiety, just as the harvest brings relief and joy to the farmer.
[126:6] 703 tn The noun occurs only here and in Job 28:18 in the OT. See HALOT 646 s.v. I מֶשֶׁךְ which gives “leather pouch” as the meaning.
[126:6] 704 tn The Hebrew noun אֲלֻמָּה (’alummah, “sheaf”) occurs only here and in Gen 37:7 in the OT.
[127:1] 705 sn Psalm 127. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist teaches that one does not find security by one’s own efforts, for God alone gives stability and security.
[127:1] 706 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[127:1] 707 sn The expression build a house may have a double meaning here. It may refer on the surface level to a literal physical structure in which a family lives, but at a deeper, metaphorical level it refers to building, perpetuating, and maintaining a family line. See Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 2:35; 2 Sam 7:27; 1 Kgs 11:38; 1 Chr 17:10, 25. Having a family line provided security in ancient Israel.
[127:1] 708 sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.
[127:2] 707 tn Heb “[it is] vain for you, you who are early to rise, who delay sitting, who eat the food of hard work.” The three substantival participles are parallel and stand in apposition to the pronominal suffix on the preposition. See לָכֶם (lakhem, “for you”).
[127:2] 708 tn Here the Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4; Ps 63:2).
[127:2] 709 tn Heb “he gives to his beloved, sleep.” The translation assumes that the Hebrew term שֵׁנָא (shena’, “sleep,” an alternate form of שֵׁנָה, shenah) is an adverbial accusative. The point seems to be this: Hard work by itself is not what counts, but one’s relationship to God, for God is able to bless an individual even while he sleeps. (There may even be a subtle allusion to the miracle of conception following sexual intercourse; see the reference to the gift of sons in the following verse.) The statement is not advocating laziness, but utilizing hyperbole to give perspective and to remind the addressees that God must be one’s first priority. Another option is to take “sleep” as the direct object: “yes, he gives sleep to his beloved” (cf. NIV, NRSV). In this case the point is this: Hard work by itself is futile, for only God is able to bless one with sleep, which metonymically refers to having one’s needs met. He blesses on the basis of one’s relationship to him, not on the basis of physical energy expended.
[127:3] 710 tn Some prefer to translate this term with the gender neutral “children,” but “sons” are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the “arrows” that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled.
[127:4] 711 tn Heb “like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so [are] sons of youth.” Arrows are used in combat to defend oneself against enemies; sons are viewed here as providing social security and protection (see v. 5). The phrase “sons of youth” is elliptical, meaning “sons [born during the father’s] youth.” Such sons will have grown up to be mature adults and will have children of their own by the time the father reaches old age and becomes vulnerable to enemies. Contrast the phrase “son of old age” in Gen 37:3 (see also 44:20), which refers to Jacob’s age when Joseph was born.
[127:5] 713 tn Being “put to shame” is here metonymic for being defeated, probably in a legal context, as the reference to the city gate suggests. One could be humiliated (Ps 69:12) or deprived of justice (Amos 5:12) at the gate, but with strong sons to defend the family interests this was less likely to happen.
[127:5] 714 tn Heb “speak with.”
[128:1] 715 sn Psalm 128. The psalmist observes that the godly individual has genuine happiness because the Lord rewards such a person with prosperity and numerous children.
[128:1] 716 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[128:1] 717 tn Heb “every fearer of the
[128:1] 718 tn Heb “the one who walks in his ways.”
[128:2] 717 tn The psalmist addresses the representative God-fearing man, as indicated by the references to “your wife” (v. 3) and “the man” (v. 4), as well as the second masculine singular pronominal and verbal forms in vv. 2-6.
[128:2] 718 tn Heb “the work of your hands, indeed you will eat.”
[128:2] 719 tn Heb “how blessed you [will be] and it will be good for you.”
[128:3] 719 sn The metaphor of the fruitful vine pictures the wife as fertile; she will give her husband numerous children (see the next line).
[128:3] 720 tn One could translate “sons” (see Ps 127:3 and the note on the word “sons” there), but here the term seems to refer more generally to children of both genders.
[128:4] 721 tn Heb “look, indeed thus will the man, the fearer of the
[128:5] 723 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the imperatives that are subordinated to this clause in vv. 5b-6a). Having described the blessings that typically come to the godly, the psalmist concludes by praying that this ideal may become reality for the representative godly man being addressed.
[128:5] 724 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding jussive.
[128:5] 725 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[128:6] 725 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive in v. 5a.
[128:6] 726 tn Heb “sons to your sons.”
[128:6] 727 tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 125:5).
[129:1] 727 sn Psalm 129. Israel affirms God’s justice and asks him to destroy the enemies of Zion.
[129:1] 728 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[129:4] 729 tn The background of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Perhaps the “ropes” are those used to harness the ox for plowing (see Job 39:10). Verse 3 pictures the wicked plowing God’s people as if they were a field. But when God “cut the ropes” of their ox, as it were, they could no longer plow. The point of the metaphor seems to be that God took away the enemies’ ability to oppress his people. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 187.
[129:6] 731 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁלַף (shalaf) normally means “to draw [a sword]” or “to pull.” BDB 1025 s.v. suggests the meaning “to shoot up” here, but it is more likely that the verb here means “to pluck; to pull up,” a nuance attested for this word in later Hebrew and Aramaic (see Jastrow 1587 s.v. שָׁלַף).
[129:8] 733 tn The perfect verbal form is used for rhetorical effect; it describes an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
[130:1] 735 sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.
[130:1] 736 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[130:1] 737 tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.
[130:2] 737 tn Heb “my voice.”
[130:2] 738 tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”
[130:3] 740 tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”
[130:4] 742 tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”
[130:4] 743 tn Or “consequently you are.”
[130:5] 744 tn Heb “my soul waits.”
[130:5] 745 tn Heb “his word.”
[130:6] 745 tn Heb “my soul for the master.”
[130:6] 746 tn Heb “more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.” The words “yes, more” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[130:7] 747 tn Heb “for with the
[130:7] 748 tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”
[130:8] 750 tn The Hebrew noun עָוֹן (’avon) can refer to sin, the guilt sin produces, or the consequences of sin. Only here is the noun collocated with the verb פָּדָה (padah, “to redeem; to deliver”). The psalmist may refer to forgiveness per se (v. 4), but the emphasis in this context is likely on deliverance from the national consequences of sin. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 192.
[131:1] 751 sn Psalm 131. The psalmist affirms his humble dependence on the Lord and urges Israel to place its trust in God.
[131:1] 752 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[131:1] 753 tn Heb “and my eyes are not lifted up.”
[131:1] 754 tn Heb “I do not walk in great things, and in things too marvelous for me.”
[131:2] 754 tn Heb “I make level and make quiet my soul.”
[131:2] 755 tn Heb “like a weaned [one] upon his mother.”
[131:2] 756 tn Heb “like the weaned [one] upon me, my soul.”
[132:1] 755 sn Psalm 132. The psalmist reminds God of David’s devotion and of his promises concerning David’s dynasty and Zion.
[132:1] 756 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[132:1] 757 tn Heb “all his affliction.” This may refer to David’s strenuous and tireless efforts to make provision for the building of the temple (see 1 Chr 22:14). Some prefer to revocalize the text as עַנַוָתוֹ (’anavato, “his humility”).
[132:2] 757 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.”
[132:3] 759 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows is David’s vow.
[132:3] 760 tn Heb “the tent of my house.”
[132:3] 761 tn Heb “go up upon the bed of my couch.”
[132:5] 761 tn The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; David envisions a special dwelling place (see Pss 43:3; 46:4; 84:1).
[132:5] 762 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.”
[132:6] 763 tn Rather than having an antecedent, the third feminine singular pronominal suffix here (and in the next line) appears to refer to the ark of the covenant, mentioned in v. 8. (The Hebrew term אָרוֹן [’aron, “ark”] is sometimes construed as grammatically feminine. See 1 Sam 4:17; 2 Chr 8:11.)
[132:6] 764 sn Some understand Ephrathah as a reference to Kiriath-jearim because of the apparent allusion to this site in the next line (see the note on “Jaar”). The ark was kept in Kiriath-jearim after the Philistines released it (see 1 Sam 6:21-7:2). However, the switch in verbs from “heard about” to “found” suggests that Ephrathah not be equated with Jair. The group who is speaking heard about the ark while they were in Ephrath. They then went to retrieve it from Kiriath-jearim (“Jaar”). It is more likely that Ephrathah refers to a site near Bethel (Gen 35:16, 19; 48:7) or to Bethlehem (Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2).
[132:6] 765 tn Heb “fields of the forest.” The Hebrew term יָעַר (ya’ad, “forest”) is apparently a shortened alternative name for קִרְיַת יְעָרִים (qiryat yÿ’arim, “Kiriath-jearim”), the place where the ark was kept after it was released by the Philistines and from which David and his men retrieved it (see 1 Chr 13:6).
[132:9] 767 tn Or “righteousness.”
[132:10] 769 tn Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed one.”
[132:11] 771 tn Heb “the
[132:11] 772 tn Heb “he will not turn back from it.”
[132:11] 773 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows are the
[132:11] 774 tn Heb “the fruit of your body.”
[132:13] 774 tn Heb “he desired it for his dwelling place.”
[132:14] 775 tn The words “he said” are added in the translation to clarify that what follows are the
[132:14] 776 tn Heb “for I desired it.”
[132:15] 777 tn Heb “I will greatly bless her provision.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.
[132:15] 778 tn Heb “her poor I will satisfy [with] food.”
[132:16] 779 tn Heb “and her priests I will clothe [with] deliverance.”
[132:16] 780 tn Heb “[with] shouting they will shout.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.
[132:17] 781 tn Heb “there I will cause a horn to sprout for David.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Pss 18:2; 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that used its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36.
[132:17] 782 tn Heb “I have arranged a lamp for my anointed one.” Here the “lamp” is a metaphor for the Davidic dynasty (see 1 Kgs 11:36).
[132:18] 783 tn Heb “his enemies I will clothe [with] shame.”
[133:1] 785 sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.
[133:1] 786 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[133:1] 787 sn This statement refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel, where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the family greater social prominence and security. However, in its later application in the Israelite cult it probably envisions unity within the covenant community. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 212-15.
[133:2] 787 tn Heb “[it is] like the good oil on the head, going down on the beard.”
[133:2] 788 tn Heb “which goes down in accordance with his measured things.” The Hebrew phrase מִדּוֹתָיו (middotayv, “his measured things”) refers here to the robes worn by Aaron. HALOT 546 s.v. *מַד derives the form from מַד (midah, “robe”) rather than מִדָּה (middah, “measured thing”). Ugaritic md means “robe” and is pluralized mdt.
[133:3] 789 sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.
[133:3] 790 sn The hills of Zion are those surrounding Zion (see Pss 87:1; 125:2). The psalmist does not intend to suggest that the dew from Mt. Hermon in the distant north actually flows down upon Zion. His point is that the same kind of heavy dew that replenishes Hermon may also be seen on Zion’s hills. See A. Cohen, Psalms (SoBB), 439. “Dew” here symbolizes divine blessing, as the next line suggests.
[133:3] 792 tn Heb “there the
[134:1] 791 sn Psalm 134. The psalmist calls on the temple servants to praise God (vv. 1-2). They in turn pronounce a blessing on the psalmist (v. 3).
[134:1] 792 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
[134:3] 793 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine singular, suggesting that the servants addressed in vv. 1-2 are responding to the psalmist.
[134:3] 794 tn Heb “may the
[135:1] 795 sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.
[135:3] 799 tn Heb “for [it is] pleasant.” The translation assumes that it is the
[135:4] 802 sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.
[135:9] 805 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
[135:9] 806 tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.
[135:13] 807 tn Or “is forever.”
[135:13] 808 tn Heb “O
[135:14] 809 tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the
[135:14] 810 sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.
[135:15] 811 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
[135:17] 813 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.”
[135:18] 815 tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”
[135:19] 817 tn Heb “house” (here and in the next two lines).
[135:20] 819 tn Heb “fearers.”
[135:21] 821 tn Heb “praised be the
[135:21] 822 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[136:1] 823 sn Psalm 136. In this hymn the psalmist affirms that God is praiseworthy because of his enduring loyal love, sovereign authority, and compassion. Each verse of the psalm concludes with the refrain “for his loyal love endures.”
[136:1] 824 tn Or “is forever.”
[136:13] 826 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in v. 15). “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.
[136:13] 827 tn Heb “into pieces.”
[136:15] 827 tn Or “shook off.”
[136:23] 829 tn Heb “who, in our low condition, remembered us.”
[136:25] 831 tn Heb “to all flesh,” which can refer to all people (see Pss 65:2; 145:21) or more broadly to mankind and animals. Elsewhere the psalms view God as the provider for all living things (see Pss 104:27-28; 145:15).
[137:1] 833 sn Psalm 137. The Babylonian exiles lament their condition, vow to remain loyal to Jerusalem, and appeal to God for revenge on their enemies.
[137:1] 834 tn Heb “there we sit down, also we weep.”
[137:3] 835 tn Heb “ask us [for] the words of a song.”
[137:3] 836 tn Heb “our [?] joy.” The derivation and meaning of the Hebrew phrase תוֹלָלֵינוּ (tolalenu, “our [?]”) are uncertain. A derivation from תָּלַל (talal, “to mock”) fits contextually, but this root occurs only in the Hiphil stem. For a discussion of various proposals, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 236.
[137:3] 837 tn Heb “from a song of Zion.” Most modern translations read, “one of the songs of Zion,” taking the preposition מִן (min, “from”) as partitive and “song” as collective. The present translation assumes the mem (ם) is enclitic, being misunderstood later as the prefixed preposition.
[137:5] 837 tn Heb “may my right hand forget.” In this case one must supply an object, such as “how to move.” The elliptical nature of the text has prompted emendations (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 236). The translation assumes an emendation to תִּכְשַׁח (tikhshakh), from an otherwise unattested root כשׁח, meaning “to be crippled; to be lame.” See HALOT 502 s.v. כשׁח, which cites Arabic cognate evidence in support of the proposal. The corruption of the MT can be explained as an error of transposition facilitated by the use of שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”) just before this.
[137:6] 839 tn Heb “if I do not lift up Jerusalem over the top of my joy.”
[137:7] 841 tn Heb “remember, O
[137:7] 842 tn Heb “lay [it] bare, lay [it] bare.”
[137:8] 843 tn Heb “O devastated daughter of Babylon.” The psalmist dramatically anticipates Babylon’s demise.
[137:8] 844 tn Heb “O the happiness of the one who repays you your wage which you paid to us.”
[137:9] 845 sn For other references to the wholesale slaughter of babies in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, see 2 Kgs 8:12; Isa 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10.
[138:1] 847 sn Psalm 138. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord for his deliverance and protection.
[138:1] 848 tn The referent of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is unclear. It refers either to the angelic assembly (see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5) or to the pagan gods (see Pss 82:1, 6; 86:8; 97:7), in which case the psalmist’s praise takes on a polemical tone.
[138:2] 849 tc The MT reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.” If retained, this must mean that God's mighty intervention, in fulfillment of his word of promise, surpassed anything he had done prior to this. However, the statement is odd and several emendations have been proposed. Some read, “for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,” while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.” The translation assumes an emendation of “your name” to “your heavens” (a construction that appears in Pss 8:3 and 144:5). The point is that God has been faithful to his promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all. For a fuller discussion of these options, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 244.
[138:3] 851 tn Heb “in the day.”
[138:3] 852 tn Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”
[138:4] 853 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks…and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.
[138:4] 854 tn Heb “the words of your mouth.”
[138:7] 858 tn Heb “against the anger of my enemies you extend your hand.”
[138:8] 859 tn Heb “avenges on my behalf.” For the meaning “to avenge” for the verb גָּמַר (gamar), see HALOT 197-98 s.v. גמר.
[138:8] 860 tn Heb “the works of your hands.” Many medieval Hebrew
[139:1] 861 sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.
[139:1] 862 tn The statement is understood as generalizing – the psalmist describes what God typically does.
[139:3] 863 tn Heb “my traveling and my lying down you measure.” The verb זָרָה (zarah, “to measure”) is probably here a denominative from זָרָת (zarat, “a span; a measure”), though some derive it from זָרָה (zarat, “to winnow; to sift”; see BDB 279-80 s.v. זָרָה).
[139:3] 864 tn Heb “all my ways.”
[139:4] 866 tn Heb “look, O
[139:6] 867 tn Heb “too amazing [is this] knowledge for me, it is elevated, I cannot attain to it.”
[139:7] 869 tn Heb “Where can I go from your spirit, and where from your face can I flee?” God’s “spirit” may refer here (1) to his presence (note the parallel term, “your face,” and see Ps 104:29-30, where God’s “face” is his presence and his “spirit” is the life-giving breath he imparts) or (2) to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
[139:8] 871 tn The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see DNWSI 2:788-90).
[139:8] 872 tn Heb “look, you.”
[139:9] 874 sn On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
[139:9] 875 tn Heb “at the end.”
[139:11] 875 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 251. Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (yesukkeniy), from the root שׂכך (“to cover,” an alternate form of סכך), a reading assumed in the present translation.
[139:11] 876 tn Heb “and night, light, around me.”
[139:12] 877 tn The words “to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[139:12] 878 tn Heb “shines like.”
[139:12] 879 tn Heb “like darkness, like light.”
[139:13] 880 tn Heb “my kidneys.” The kidneys were sometimes viewed as the seat of one’s emotions and moral character (cf. Pss 7:9; 26:2). A number of translations, recognizing that “kidneys” does not communicate this idea to the modern reader, have generalized the concept: “inmost being” (NAB, NIV); “inward parts” (NASB, NRSV); “the delicate, inner parts of my body” (NLT). In the last instance, the focus is almost entirely on the physical body rather than the emotions or moral character. The present translation, by using a hendiadys (one concept expressed through two terms), links the concepts of emotion (heart) and moral character (mind).
[139:13] 881 tn The Hebrew verb סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave together”) is an alternate form of שָׂכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave”) used in Job 10:11.
[139:14] 881 tc Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (pala’) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (pala’; see GKC 216 §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the LXX and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 249, 251). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נפלאים, the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (nifla’ot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).
[139:14] 882 tc Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yoda’at), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yada’ta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252.
[139:15] 883 tc The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) should probably be emended to כֲּאַשֶׁר (ka’asher, “when”). The kaf (כ) may have been lost by haplography (note the kaf at the end of the preceding form).
[139:15] 884 sn The phrase depths of the earth may be metaphorical (euphemistic) or it may reflect a prescientific belief about the origins of the embryo deep beneath the earth’s surface (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 96-97). Job 1:21 also closely associates the mother’s womb with the earth.
[139:16] 885 tn Heb “Your eyes saw my shapeless form.” The Hebrew noun גֹּלֶם (golem) occurs only here in the OT. In later Hebrew the word refers to “a lump, a shapeless or lifeless substance,” and to “unfinished matter, a vessel wanting finishing” (Jastrow 222 s.v. גּוֹלֶם). The translation employs the dynamic rendering “when I was inside the womb” to clarify that the speaker was still in his mother’s womb at the time he was “seen” by God.
[139:16] 886 tn Heb “and on your scroll all of them were written, [the] days [which] were formed, and [there was] not one among them.” This “scroll” may be the “scroll of life” mentioned in Ps 69:28 (see the note on the word “living” there).
[139:17] 887 tn Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see HALOT 432 s.v. יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1-6, 17b-18).
[139:17] 888 tn Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.
[139:18] 889 tc Heb “I awake and I [am] still with you.” A reference to the psalmist awaking from sleep makes little, if any, sense contextually. For this reason some propose an emendation to הֲקִצּוֹתִי (haqitsoti), a Hiphil perfect form from an otherwise unattested verb קָצַץ (qatsats) understood as a denominative of קֵץ (qets, “end”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252-53.
[139:19] 891 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (see Pss 81:8; 95:7, as well as GKC 321 §109.b).
[139:19] 892 tn Heb “men of bloodshed.”
[139:20] 894 tc Heb “they speak [of] you.” The suffixed form of the verb אָמַר (’amar, “to speak”) is peculiar. The translation assumes an emendation to יַמְרֻךָ (yamrukha), a Hiphil form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”; see Ps 78:40).
[139:20] 895 tn Heb “by deceit.”
[139:20] 896 tc Heb “lifted up for emptiness, your cities.” The Hebrew text as it stands makes no sense. The form נָשֻׂא (nasu’; a Qal passive participle) should be emended to נָשְׂאוּ (nosÿu; a Qal perfect, third common plural, “[they] lift up”). Many emend עָרֶיךָ (’arekha, “your cities”) to עָלֶיךָ (’alekha, “against you”), but it is preferable to understand the noun as an Aramaism and translate “your enemies” (see Dan 4:16 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 253).
[139:21] 895 tc Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqomÿmekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvÿmitqomÿmekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed mem [מ] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the MT, though a few medieval Hebrew
[139:22] 897 tn Heb “[with] completeness of hatred I hate them.”
[139:23] 899 tn Heb “and know my heart.”
[139:23] 900 tn The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sar’apay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.
[139:24] 901 tn Many understand the Hebrew term עֹצֶב (’otsev) as a noun meaning “pain,” and translate the phrase דֶּרֶךְ עֹצֶב (derekh ’otsev) as “of pain,” but this makes little sense here. (Some interpret it to refer to actions which bring pain to others.) It is preferable to take עֹצֶב as “idol” (see HALOT 865 s.v. I עֹצֶב) and understand “way of an idol” to refer to idolatrous actions or tendency. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 253.
[139:24] 902 tn Heb “in the path of antiquity.” This probably refers to the moral path prescribed by the
[140:1] 903 sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
[140:1] 904 tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
[140:1] 905 tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
[140:2] 905 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
[140:2] 906 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
[140:3] 907 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
[140:3] 908 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
[140:4] 910 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
[140:5] 911 tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khovÿlim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
[140:7] 913 tn Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”
[140:8] 915 tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
[140:8] 916 tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).
[140:8] 917 tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).
[140:9] 917 tn Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.
[140:10] 919 tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.
[140:10] 920 tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition -בְּ (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.
[140:11] 921 tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”
[140:11] 922 tn Heb “be established in.”
[140:11] 923 tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.
[140:12] 923 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
[140:12] 924 tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”
[141:1] 925 sn Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.
[141:2] 927 tn Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
[141:3] 929 tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
[141:3] 930 sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
[141:4] 931 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
[141:4] 932 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
[141:4] 933 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
[141:5] 933 tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
[141:5] 934 sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
[141:5] 935 tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
[141:6] 935 tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.
[141:6] 936 tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.
[141:7] 937 tn Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
[141:8] 939 tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
[141:8] 940 tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
[141:9] 941 tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
[141:10] 943 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
[141:10] 945 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.”
[142:1] 945 sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
[142:1] 946 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
[142:1] 947 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
[142:1] 948 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the
[142:1] 949 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the
[142:2] 947 tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
[142:3] 949 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
[142:3] 950 tn Heb “you know my path.”
[142:4] 951 tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
[142:4] 952 tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
[142:4] 953 tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
[142:5] 953 tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the
[142:6] 955 tn Heb “for I am very low.”
[142:7] 957 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
[142:7] 958 tn Or “gather around.”
[142:7] 959 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
[143:1] 959 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
[143:2] 961 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
[143:2] 962 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
[143:3] 964 tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).
[143:3] 965 tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”
[143:3] 967 sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).
[143:4] 965 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
[143:4] 966 tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.
[143:5] 967 tn Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”
[143:5] 968 tn Heb “the work of your hands.”
[143:6] 969 tn The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
[143:6] 970 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
[143:6] 971 tc Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition -כְּ (kÿ, “like”) to -בְּ (bÿ, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. NEB “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the MT is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
[143:7] 971 tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”
[143:7] 972 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
[143:7] 973 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
[143:7] 974 tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
[143:8] 973 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.
[143:8] 974 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
[143:8] 975 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (na’as nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
[143:9] 975 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (כ) and nun (נ) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.
[143:10] 977 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
[143:10] 978 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
[143:10] 979 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
[143:10] 980 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
[143:11] 979 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[143:11] 980 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
[143:11] 981 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
[143:12] 981 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
[143:12] 982 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
[143:12] 983 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”
[144:1] 983 sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
[144:1] 984 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The
[144:1] 985 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[144:1] 986 sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
[144:2] 985 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
[144:2] 986 tn Or “my elevated place.”
[144:2] 987 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
[144:3] 987 tn Heb “What is mankind?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race. See Ps 8:5.
[144:3] 988 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
[144:3] 989 tn Heb “take account of him.” The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
[144:4] 989 tn Heb “man,” or “mankind.”
[144:4] 990 tn Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
[144:5] 991 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the
[144:5] 992 tn Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.
[144:5] 993 tn Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.
[144:6] 993 sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
[144:7] 995 tn Heb “stretch out your hands.”
[144:7] 996 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful foreign enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see the next line and Ps 18:16-17).
[144:7] 997 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
[144:8] 997 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).
[144:10] 999 tn Heb “grants deliverance to.”
[144:10] 1000 tn Heb “harmful.”
[144:11] 1001 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
[144:11] 1002 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.
[144:12] 1003 tn Some consider אֲשֶׁר (’asher) problematic, but here it probably indicates the anticipated consequence of the preceding request. (For other examples of אֲשֶׁר indicating purpose/result, see BDB 83 s.v. and HALOT 99 s.v.) If the psalmist – who appears to be a Davidic king preparing to fight a battle (see vv. 10-11) – is victorious, the whole nation will be spared invasion and defeat (see v. 14) and can flourish. Some prefer to emend the form to אַשְׁרֵי (“how blessed [are our sons]”). A suffixed noun sometimes follows אַשְׁרֵי (’ashrey; see 1 Kgs 10:8; Prov 20:7), but the presence of a comparative element (see “like plants”) after the suffixed noun makes the proposed reading too awkward syntactically.
[144:12] 1004 tn Heb “grown up in their youth.” The translation assumes that “grown up” modifies “plants” (just as “carved” modifies “corner pillars” in the second half of the verse). Another option is to take “grown up” as a predicate in relation to “our sons,” in which case one might translate, “they will be strapping youths.”
[144:12] 1005 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Zech 9:15, where it refers to the corners of an altar.
[144:12] 1006 tn Heb “carved [in] the pattern of a palace.”
[144:13] 1005 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
[144:13] 1006 tn Heb “from kind to kind.” Some prefer to emend the text to מָזוֹן עַל מָזוֹן (mazon ’al mazon, “food upon food”).
[144:13] 1007 tn Heb “they are innumerable.”
[144:13] 1008 tn Heb “in outside places.” Here the term refers to pastures and fields (see Job 5:10; Prov 8:26).
[144:14] 1007 tn Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see BDB 687 s.v. סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see HALOT 741 s.v. סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 288).
[144:14] 1008 tn Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
[144:15] 1009 tn Heb “[O] the happiness of the people who [it is] such to them.”
[145:1] 1011 sn Psalm 145. The psalmist praises God because he is a just and merciful king who cares for his people.
[145:1] 1012 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
[145:2] 1013 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
[145:3] 1015 tn Heb “and concerning his greatness there is no searching.”
[145:4] 1017 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 4 are understood as imperfects, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as jussives, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may one generation praise…and tell about.”
[145:5] 1019 tn Heb “the splendor of the glory of your majesty, and the matters of your amazing deeds I will ponder.”
[145:6] 1021 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as an imperfect, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as a jussive, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may they proclaim.”
[145:7] 1023 tn Heb “the fame of the greatness of your goodness.”
[145:7] 1024 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 7 are understood as imperfects, indicating how the psalmist expects his audience to respond to his praise. Another option is to take the forms as jussives, indicating the psalmist’s wish, “may they talk…and sing.”
[145:8] 1025 tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).
[145:8] 1026 tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Pss 86:15; 103:8).
[145:9] 1027 tn Heb “and his compassion is over all his works.”
[145:12] 1029 tn Heb “the sons of man.”
[145:13] 1031 tn Heb “a kingdom of all ages.”
[145:14] 1033 tc Psalm 145 is an acrostic psalm, with each successive verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. However, in the traditional Hebrew (Masoretic) text of Psalm 145 there is no verse beginning with the letter nun. One would expect such a verse to appear as the fourteenth verse, between the mem (מ) and samek (ס) verses. Several ancient witnesses, including one medieval Hebrew manuscript, the Qumran scroll from cave 11, the LXX, and the Syriac, supply the missing nun (נ) verse, which reads as follows: “The Lord is reliable in all his words, and faithful in all his deeds.” One might paraphrase this as follows: “The Lord’s words are always reliable; his actions are always faithful.” Scholars are divided as to the originality of this verse. L. C. Allen argues for its inclusion on the basis of structural considerations (Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 294-95), but there is no apparent explanation for why, if original, it would have been accidentally omitted. The psalm may be a partial acrostic, as in Pss 25 and 34 (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:335). The glaring omission of the nun line would have invited a later redactor to add such a line.
[145:14] 1034 tn Perhaps “discouraged” (see Ps 57:6).
[145:15] 1035 tn Heb “the eyes of all wait for you.”
[145:15] 1036 tn Heb “and you give to them their food in its season” (see Ps 104:27).
[145:16] 1037 tn Heb “[with what they] desire.”
[145:17] 1039 tn Heb “in all his ways.”
[145:17] 1040 tn Heb “and [is] loving in all his deeds.”
[145:18] 1041 tn Heb “in truth.”
[145:19] 1043 tn In this context “desire” refers to the followers’ desire to be delivered from wicked enemies.
[145:19] 1044 tn Heb “the desire of those who fear him, he does.”
[145:21] 1045 tn Heb “the praise of the
[145:21] 1046 tn Heb “all flesh.”
[146:1] 1047 sn Psalm 146. The psalmist urges his audience not to trust in men, but in the
[146:3] 1049 tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”
[146:4] 1051 tn Heb “his spirit goes out, it returns to his ground; in that day his plans die.” The singular refers to the representative man mentioned in v. 3b.
[146:6] 1053 tn Heb “the one who guards faithfulness forever.”
[146:7] 1055 tn Heb “executes justice for the oppressed.”
[146:8] 1057 tn Perhaps “discouraged” (see Ps 57:6).
[146:9] 1059 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident aliens, the fatherless, and widows.
[146:9] 1060 tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.
[146:10] 1061 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”
[147:1] 1063 sn Psalm 147. The psalmist praises the
[147:2] 1065 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[147:3] 1067 tn Heb “the one who heals.”
[147:5] 1069 tn Heb “and great of strength.”
[147:5] 1070 tn Heb “to his wisdom there is no counting.”
[147:6] 1071 tn Heb “brings down.”
[147:7] 1073 tn Heb “sing to the
[147:8] 1075 tn Heb “the one who covers.”
[147:9] 1077 tn Heb “which cry out.”
[147:10] 1079 tn Heb “he does not desire the strength of the horse, he does not take delight in the legs of the man.” Here “the horse” refers to the war horse used by ancient Near Eastern chariot forces, and “the man” refers to the warrior whose muscular legs epitomize his strength.
[147:11] 1081 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
[147:13] 1083 tn Heb “your sons.”
[147:14] 1085 tn Heb “the one who.”
[147:14] 1086 tn Heb “he makes your boundary peace.”
[147:14] 1087 tn Heb “satisfies you with.”
[147:15] 1087 tn Heb “the one who.”
[147:15] 1088 tn Heb “the one who sends his word, the earth.” The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets, “earth”) is an adverbial accusative; one must supply a preposition before it (such as “through” or “to”) in the English translation.
[147:15] 1089 tn Heb “swiftly his word runs.”
[147:16] 1089 tn Heb “the one who gives snow like wool, frost like ashes he scatters.”
[147:17] 1091 tn Heb “his ice.”
[147:17] 1092 tn Heb “Before his cold, who can stand?”
[147:18] 1093 tn Heb “he sends his word and melts them.”
[147:18] 1094 tn Heb “he blows his breath.”
[148:1] 1095 sn Psalm 148. The psalmist calls upon all creation to praise the Lord, for he is the creator and sovereign king of the world.
[148:2] 1097 tn Or “heavenly messengers.”
[148:2] 1098 tn Heb “all his host.”
[148:3] 1099 tn Heb “stars of light.”
[148:4] 1101 sn The “water” mentioned here corresponds to the “waters above” mentioned in Gen 1:7. See also Ps 104:3. For a discussion of the picture envisioned by the psalmist, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World, 47.
[148:6] 1103 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[148:6] 1104 tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”
[148:8] 1105 tn In Ps 119:83 the noun refers to “smoke,” but here, where the elements of nature are addressed, the clouds, which resemble smoke, are probably in view.
[148:8] 1106 tn Heb “[that] does his word.”
[148:14] 1109 tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the
[148:14] 1110 tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.
[149:1] 1111 sn Psalm 149. The psalmist calls upon God’s people to praise him because he is just and avenges them.
[149:1] 1112 tn Heb “his praise in the assembly of the godly ones.”
[149:2] 1114 sn The
[149:4] 1115 tn Heb “he honors the oppressed [with] deliverance.”
[149:5] 1117 tn Heb “in glory.” Here “glory” probably refers to the “honor” that belongs to the
[149:5] 1118 tn The significance of the reference to “beds” is unclear. Perhaps the point is that they should rejoice at all times, even when falling asleep or awaking.
[149:6] 1119 tn Heb “[May] praises of God [be] in their throat, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”
[149:8] 1123 tn Heb “to bind.”
[149:9] 1125 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the enemies of the people of God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[149:9] 1126 tn Heb “to do against them judgment [that] is written.”
[149:9] 1127 tn Heb “it is honor for all his godly ones.” The judgment of the oppressive kings will bring vindication and honor to God’s people (see vv. 4-5).
[150:1] 1127 sn Psalm 150. The Psalter concludes with a resounding call for praise from everything that has breath.
