Psalms 118:5

118:5 In my distress ¹  I cried out to the Lord.

The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. ² 

Psalms 119:145

ק (Qof)

119:145 I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord!

I will observe your statutes.”

Psalms 13:3

13:3 Look at me! ³  Answer me, O Lord my God!

Revive me, ⁴  or else I will die! ⁵ 

Psalms 69:16-17

69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! ⁶ 

Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!

69:17 Do not ignore ⁷  your servant,

for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! ⁸ 

Psalms 86:1

Psalm 86 ⁹ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ¹⁰  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

Psalms 143:1

Psalm 143 ¹¹ 

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!

Psalms 4:1

Psalm 4 ¹² 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.

4:1 When I call out, answer me,

O God who vindicates me! ¹³ 

Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. ¹⁴ 

Have mercy on me ¹⁵  and respond to ¹⁶  my prayer!

Psalms 69:13

69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! ¹⁷ 

O God, because of your great loyal love,

answer me with your faithful deliverance! ¹⁸ 

Psalms 102:2

102:2 Do not ignore me in my time of trouble! ¹⁹ 

Listen to me! ²⁰ 

When I call out to you, quickly answer me!

Psalms 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ²¹ 

Do not reject me, ²² 

or I will join ²³  those descending into the grave. ²⁴ 

[118:5]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “the Lord answered me in a wide open place.”

[13:3]  ³ tn Heb “see.”

[13:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “Give light [to] my eyes.” The Hiphil of אוּר (’ur), when used elsewhere with “eyes” as object, refers to the law of God giving moral enlightenment (Ps 19:8), to God the creator giving literal eyesight to all people (Prov 29:13), and to God giving encouragement to his people (Ezra 9:8). Here the psalmist pictures himself as being on the verge of death. His eyes are falling shut and, if God does not intervene soon, he will “fall asleep” for good.

[13:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “or else I will sleep [in?] the death.” Perhaps the statement is elliptical, “I will sleep [the sleep] of death,” or “I will sleep [with the sleepers in] death.”

[69:16]  ⁵ tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”

[69:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[69:17]  ⁸ tn Or “quickly.”

[86:1]  ⁹ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[143:1]  ¹¹ sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.

[4:1]  ¹³ sn Psalm 4. The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer, expresses his confidence that the Lord will intervene, and urges his enemies to change their ways and place their trust in God. He concludes with another prayer for divine intervention and again affirms his absolute confidence in God’s protection.

[4:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “God of my righteousness.”

[4:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[4:1]  ¹⁶ tn Or “show me favor.”

[4:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “hear.”

[69:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O Lord, [in] a time of favor.”

[69:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”

[102:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me in the day of my trouble.” The idiom “to hide the face” can mean “to ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “to reject” (see Pss 29:7; 30:7; 88:14).

[102:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[143:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ²² 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.