Psalms 116:9

116:9 I will serve ¹  the Lord

in the land ²  of the living.

Psalms 119:19

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

Do not hide your commands from me!

Psalms 119:87

119:87 They have almost destroyed me here on the earth,

but I do not reject your precepts.

Psalms 120:6

120:6 For too long I have had to reside

with those who hate ⁴  peace.

Psalms 122:5

122:5 Indeed, ⁵  the leaders sit ⁶  there on thrones and make legal decisions,

on the thrones of the house of David. ⁷ 

[116:9]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “lands, regions.”

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

[120:6]  ⁵ 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.

[122:5]  ⁷ tn Or “for.”

[122:5]  ⁸ tn Or “sat.”

[122:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “Indeed, there they sit [on] thrones for judgment, [on] thrones [belonging] to the house of David.”