Psalms 116:2

116:2 and listened to me. ¹ 

As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help. ² 

Psalms 118:7

118:7 The Lord is on my side ³  as my helper. ⁴ 

I look in triumph on those who hate me.

Psalms 118:14

118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; ⁵ 

he has become my deliverer.” ⁶ 

Psalms 118:21

118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me,

and have become my deliverer.

Psalms 119:54

119:54 Your statutes have been my songs ⁷ 

in the house where I live. ⁸ 

Psalms 119:56

119:56 This ⁹  has been my practice,

for I observe your precepts.

Psalms 119:79

119:79 May your loyal followers ¹⁰  turn to me,

those who know your rules.

Psalms 119:95

119:95 The wicked prepare to kill me, ¹¹ 

yet I concentrate on your rules.

Psalms 139:22

139:22 I absolutely hate them, ¹² 

they have become my enemies!

[116:2]  ¹ tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”

[116:2]  ² tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”

[118:7]  ³ tn Heb “for me.”

[118:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.

[118:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the Lord.” The Hebrew term זִמְרָת (zimrat) is traditionally understood as meaning “song” (“my strength and song [is] the Lord”) in which case one might translate, “for the Lord gives me strength and joy” (i.e., a reason to sing). However, many recent commentators have argued that the noun זִמְרָת is here a homonym, meaning “protection” or “strength.” See HALOT 274 s.v.; cf. NEB “The Lord is my refuge and defence”; NRSV “my strength and my might.”

[118:14]  ⁶ tn Or “salvation.”

[119:54]  ⁷ tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”

[119:54]  ⁸ 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).

[119:56]  ⁹ 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.”

[119:79]  ¹¹ tn Heb “those who fear you.”

[119:95]  ¹³ tn Heb “the wicked wait for me to kill me.”

[139:22]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “[with] completeness of hatred I hate them.”