Discovery BoxPsalms 118:1--136:26
Context118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
and his loyal love endures! 2
118:2 Let Israel say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:3 Let the family 3 of Aaron say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:4 Let the loyal followers of the Lord 4 say,
“Yes, his loyal love endures!”
118:5 In my distress 5 I cried out to the Lord.
The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. 6
118:6 The Lord is on my side, 7 I am not afraid!
What can people do to me? 8
118:7 The Lord is on my side 9 as my helper. 10
I look in triumph on those who hate me.
118:8 It is better to take shelter 11 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. 12
Indeed, in the name of the Lord 13 I pushed them away. 14
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 15 as a fire among thorns. 16
Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.
118:13 “You aggressively attacked me 17 and tried to knock me down, 18
but the Lord helped me.
118:14 The Lord gives me strength and protects me; 19
he has become my deliverer.” 20
118:15 They celebrate deliverance in the tents of the godly. 21
The Lord’s right hand conquers, 22
118:16 the Lord’s right hand gives victory, 23
the Lord’s right hand conquers.
118:17 I will not die, but live,
and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. 24
118:18 The Lord severely 25 punished me,
but he did not hand me over to death.
118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! 26
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 27
has become the cornerstone. 28
118:23 This is the Lord’s work.
We consider it amazing! 29
118:24 This is the day the Lord has brought about. 30
We will be happy and rejoice in it.
118:25 Please Lord, deliver!
Please Lord, grant us success! 31
118:26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord 32 be blessed!
We will pronounce blessings on you 33 in the Lord’s temple. 34
118:27 The Lord is God and he has delivered us. 35
Tie the offering 36 with ropes
to the horns of the altar! 37
118:28 You are my 38 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! 39
א (Alef)
119:1 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless, 41
who obey 42 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. 43
119:4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept. 44
119:5 If only I were predisposed 45
to keep your statutes!
119:6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if 46 I were focused on 47 all your commands.
119:7 I will give you sincere thanks, 48
when I learn your just regulations.
119:8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me! 49
ב (Bet)
119:9 How can a young person 50 maintain a pure life? 51
By guarding it according to your instructions! 52
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 53 your words, 54
so I might not sin against you.
119:12 You deserve praise, 55 O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
119:13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed. 56
119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules 57
as if 58 they were riches of all kinds. 59
119:15 I will meditate on 60 your precepts
and focus 61 on your behavior. 62
119:16 I find delight 63 in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions. 64
ג (Gimel)
119:17 Be kind to your servant!
Then I will live 65 and keep 66 your instructions. 67
119:18 Open 68 my eyes so I can truly see 69
the marvelous things in your law!
119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land. 70
Do not hide your commands from me!
119:20 I desperately long to know 71
your regulations at all times.
119:21 You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed. 72
119:22 Spare me 73 shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
119:23 Though rulers plot and slander me, 74
your servant meditates on your statutes.
119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance. 75
ד (Dalet)
119:25 I collapse in the dirt. 76
Revive me with your word! 77
119:26 I told you about my ways 78 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! 79
Then I can meditate 80 on your marvelous teachings. 81
119:28 I collapse 82 from grief.
Sustain me by your word! 83
119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! 84
Graciously give me 85 your law!
119:30 I choose the path of faithfulness;
I am committed to 86 your regulations.
119:31 I hold fast 87 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. 88
ה (He)
119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, 89
so that I might observe it continually. 90
119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,
and keep it with all my heart. 91
119:35 Guide me 92 in the path of your commands,
for I delight to walk in it. 93
119:36 Give me a desire for your rules, 94
rather than for wealth gained unjustly. 95
119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! 96
Revive me with your word! 97
119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, 98
which you made to the one who honors you. 99
119:39 Take away the insults that I dread! 100
Indeed, 101 your regulations are good.
119:40 Look, I long for your precepts.
Revive me with your deliverance! 102
ו (Vav)
119:41 May I experience your loyal love, 103 O Lord,
and your deliverance, 104 as you promised. 105
119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, 106
for I trust in your word.
119:43 Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, 107
for I await your justice.
119:44 Then I will keep 108 your law continually
now and for all time. 109
for I seek your precepts.
119:46 I will speak 111 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 112 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 113 is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me. 114
119:51 Arrogant people do nothing but scoff at me. 115
Yet I do not turn aside from your law.
119:52 I remember your ancient regulations, 116
O Lord, and console myself. 117
119:53 Rage takes hold of me because of the wicked,
those who reject your law.
119:54 Your statutes have been my songs 118
in the house where I live. 119
119:55 I remember your name during the night, O Lord,
and I will keep 120 your law.
119:56 This 121 has been my practice,
for I observe your precepts.
ח (Khet)
119:57 The Lord is my source of security. 122
I have determined 123 to follow your instructions. 124
119:58 I seek your favor 125 with all my heart.
Have mercy on me as you promised! 126
119:59 I consider my actions 127
and follow 128 your rules.
119:60 I keep your commands
eagerly and without delay. 129
119:61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around 130 me,
but I do not forget your law.
119:62 In the middle of the night I arise 131 to thank you
for your just regulations.
119:63 I am a friend to all your loyal followers, 132
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 133 to your servant,
O Lord, just as you promised. 134
119:66 Teach me proper discernment 135 and understanding!
For I consider your commands to be reliable. 136
119:67 Before I was afflicted I used to stray off, 137
but now I keep your instructions. 138
119:68 You are good and you do good.
Teach me your statutes!
119:69 Arrogant people smear my reputation with lies, 139
but I observe your precepts with all my heart.
119:70 Their hearts are calloused, 140
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. 141
י (Yod)
119:73 Your hands made me and formed me. 142
Give me understanding so that I might learn 143 your commands.
119:74 Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me, 144
for I find hope in your word.
119:75 I know, Lord, that your regulations 145 are just.
You disciplined me because of your faithful devotion to me. 146
119:76 May your loyal love console me,
as you promised your servant. 147
119:77 May I experience your compassion, 148 so I might live!
For I find delight in your law.
119:78 May the arrogant be humiliated, for they have slandered me! 149
But I meditate on your precepts.
119:79 May your loyal followers 150 turn to me,
those who know your rules.
119:80 May I be fully committed to your statutes, 151
so that I might not be ashamed.
כ (Kaf)
119:81 I desperately long for 152 your deliverance.
I find hope in your word.
119:82 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your promise to be fulfilled. 153
I say, 154 “When will you comfort me?”
119:83 For 155 I am like a wineskin 156 dried up in smoke. 157
I do not forget your statutes.
119:84 How long must your servant endure this? 158
When will you judge those who pursue me?
119:85 The arrogant dig pits to trap me, 159
which violates your law. 160
119:86 All your commands are reliable.
I am pursued without reason. 161 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 162 your loyal love,
that I might keep 163 the rules you have revealed. 164
ל (Lamed)
119:89 O Lord, your instructions endure;
they stand secure in heaven. 165
119:90 You demonstrate your faithfulness to all generations. 166
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, 167
I would have died in my sorrow. 168
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, 169
yet I concentrate on your rules.
119:96 I realize that everything has its limits,
but your commands are beyond full comprehension. 170
מ (Mem)
119:97 O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it.
119:98 Your commandments 171 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 172 from the evil path,
so that I might keep your instructions. 173
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! 174
119:104 Your precepts give me discernment.
Therefore I hate all deceitful actions. 175
נ (Nun)
119:105 Your word 176 is a lamp to walk by,
and a light to illumine my path. 177
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! 178
119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise! 179
Teach me your regulations!
119:109 My life is in continual danger, 180
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. 181
119:112 I am determined to obey 182 your statutes
at all times, to the very end.
ס (Samek)
119:113 I hate people with divided loyalties, 183
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 184 the commands of my God. 185
119:116 Sustain me as you promised, 186 so that I will live. 187
Do not disappoint me! 188
119:117 Support me, so that I will be delivered.
Then I will focus 189 on your statutes continually.
119:118 You despise 190 all who stray from your statutes,
for they are deceptive and unreliable. 191
119:119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag. 192
Therefore I love your rules. 193
119:120 My body 194 trembles 195 because I fear you; 196
I am afraid of your judgments.
ע (Ayin)
119:121 I do what is fair and right. 197
Do not abandon me to my oppressors!
119:122 Guarantee the welfare of your servant! 198
Do not let the arrogant oppress me!
119:123 My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance, 199
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled. 200
119:124 Show your servant your loyal love! 201
Teach me your statutes!
119:125 I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand 202 your rules.
119:126 It is time for the Lord to act –
they break your law!
119:127 For this reason 203 I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
119:128 For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts. 204
I hate all deceitful actions. 205
פ (Pe)
119:129 Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
119:130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. 206
They give 207 insight to the untrained. 208
119:131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long 209 for your commands.
119:132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers. 210
119:133 Direct my steps by your word! 211
Do not let any sin dominate me!
119:134 Deliver me 212 from oppressive men,
so that I can keep 213 your precepts.
119:135 Smile 214 on your servant!
Teach me your statutes!
119:136 Tears stream down from my eyes, 215
because people 216 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, 217
and absolutely reliable.
119:139 My zeal 218 consumes 219 me,
for my enemies forget your instructions. 220
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, 221
and your law is reliable. 222
119:143 Distress and hardship confront 223 me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
119:144 Your rules remain just. 224
Give me insight so that I can live. 225
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 226 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 227 because of 228 your loyal love!
O Lord, revive me, as you typically do! 229
119:150 Those who are eager to do 230 wrong draw near;
they are far from your law.
119:151 You are near, O Lord,
and all your commands are reliable. 231
119:152 I learned long ago that
you ordained your rules to last. 232
ר (Resh)
119:153 See my pain and rescue me!
For I do not forget your law.
119:154 Fight for me 233 and defend me! 234
Revive me with your word!
119:155 The wicked have no chance for deliverance, 235
for they do not seek your statutes.
119:156 Your compassion is great, O Lord.
Revive me, as you typically do! 236
119:157 The enemies who chase me are numerous. 237
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. 238
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. 239
שׂ/שׁ (Sin/Shin)
119:161 Rulers pursue me for no reason,
yet I am more afraid of disobeying your instructions. 240
119:162 I rejoice in your instructions,
like one who finds much plunder. 241
119:163 I hate and despise deceit;
I love your law.
119:164 Seven 242 times a day I praise you
because of your just regulations.
119:165 Those who love your law are completely secure; 243
nothing causes them to stumble. 244
119:166 I hope for your deliverance, O Lord,
and I obey 245 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. 246
ת (Tav)
119:169 Listen to my cry for help, 247 O Lord!
Give me insight by your word!
119:170 Listen to my appeal for mercy! 248
Deliver me, as you promised. 249
119:171 May praise flow freely from my lips,
for you teach me your statutes.
119:172 May my tongue sing about your instructions, 250
for all your commands are just.
119:173 May your hand help me,
for I choose to obey 251 your precepts.
119:174 I long for your deliverance, O Lord;
I find delight in your law.
119:175 May I 252 live and praise you!
May your regulations help me! 253
119:176 I have wandered off like a lost sheep. 254
Come looking for your servant,
for I do not forget your commands.
A song of ascents. 256
120:1 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
120:2 I said, 257 “O Lord, rescue me 258
from those who lie with their lips 259
and those who deceive with their tongue. 260
120:3 How will he severely punish you,
you deceptive talker? 261
120:4 Here’s how! 262 With the sharp arrows of warriors,
with arrowheads forged over the hot coals. 263
For I have lived temporarily 265 in Meshech;
I have resided among the tents of Kedar. 266
120:6 For too long I have had to reside
with those who hate 267 peace.
120:7 I am committed to peace, 268
but when I speak, they want to make war. 269
A song of ascents. 271
121:1 I look up 272 toward the hills.
From where 273 does my help come?
121:2 My help comes from the Lord, 274
the Creator 275 of heaven and earth!
121:3 May he not allow your foot to slip!
May your protector 276 not sleep! 277
121:4 Look! Israel’s protector 278
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. 279
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, 280
now and forevermore.
A song of ascents, 282 by David.
122:1 I was glad because 283 they said to me,
“We will go to the Lord’s temple.”
122:2 Our feet are 284 standing
inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
122:3 Jerusalem 285 is a city designed
to accommodate an assembly. 286
122:4 The tribes go up 287 there, 288
the tribes of the Lord,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the Lord. 289
122:5 Indeed, 290 the leaders sit 291 there on thrones and make legal decisions,
on the thrones of the house of David. 292
122:6 Pray 293 for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love her prosper! 294
122:7 May there be peace inside your defenses,
and prosperity 295 inside your fortresses! 296
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. 297
A song of ascents. 299
123:1 I look up 300 toward you,
the one enthroned 301 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, 302
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. 303
123:4 We have had our fill 304
of the taunts of the self-assured,
of the contempt of the proud.
A song of ascents, 306 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, 307
124:3 they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
124:4 The water would have overpowered us;
the current 308 would have overwhelmed 309 us. 310
124:5 The raging water
would have overwhelmed us. 311
124:6 The Lord deserves praise, 312
for 313 he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
124:7 We escaped with our lives, 314 like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord, 315
the Creator 316 of heaven and earth.
A song of ascents. 318
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, 319
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
125:3 Indeed, 320 the scepter of a wicked king 321 will not settle 322
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly might
do what is wrong. 323
125:4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
to the morally upright! 324
125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path, 325
may the Lord remove them, 326 along with those who behave wickedly! 327
May Israel experience peace! 328
A song of ascents. 330
126:1 When the Lord restored the well-being of Zion, 331
we thought we were dreaming. 332
126:2 At that time we laughed loudly
and shouted for joy. 333
At that time the nations said, 334
“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. 335
126:5 Those who shed tears as they plant
will shout for joy when they reap the harvest. 336
126:6 The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag 337 of seed,
will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain. 338
A song of ascents, 340 by Solomon.
127:1 If the Lord does not build a house, 341
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city, 342
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. 343
Yes, 344 he can provide for those whom he loves even when they sleep. 345
127:3 Yes, 346 sons 347 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. 348
127:5 How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
They will not be put to shame 349 when they confront 350 enemies at the city gate.
A song of ascents. 352
128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers, 353
each one who keeps his commands! 354
128:2 You 355 will eat what you worked so hard to grow. 356
You will be blessed and secure. 357
128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine 358
in the inner rooms of your house;
your children 359 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. 360
128:5 May the Lord bless you 361 from Zion,
that you might see 362 Jerusalem 363 prosper
all the days of your life,
128:6 and that you might see 364 your grandchildren. 365
May Israel experience peace! 366
A song of ascents. 368
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.” 369
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, 370
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, 371
“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!
We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”
A song of ascents. 373
130:1 From the deep water 374 I cry out to you, O Lord.
130:2 O Lord, listen to me! 375
Pay attention to 376 my plea for mercy!
130:3 If you, O Lord, were to keep track of 377 sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you? 378
130:4 But 379 you are willing to forgive, 380
so that you might 381 be honored. 382
I rely on him with my whole being; 384
I wait for his assuring word. 385
130:6 I yearn for the Lord, 386
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning. 387
130:7 O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love, 388
and is more than willing to deliver. 389
130:8 He will deliver 390 Israel
from all the consequences of their sins. 391
A song of ascents, 393 by David.
131:1 O Lord, my heart is not proud,
nor do I have a haughty look. 394
I do not have great aspirations,
or concern myself with things that are beyond me. 395
131:2 Indeed 396 I am composed and quiet, 397
like a young child carried by its mother; 398
I am content like the young child I carry. 399
131:3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
now and forevermore!
A song of ascents. 401
132:1 O Lord, for David’s sake remember
all his strenuous effort, 402
132:2 and how he made a vow to the Lord,
and swore an oath to the powerful ruler of Jacob. 403
132:3 He said, 404 “I will not enter my own home, 405
or get into my bed. 406
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 407 for the powerful ruler of Jacob.” 408
132:6 Look, we heard about it 409 in Ephrathah, 410
we found it in the territory of Jaar. 411
132:7 Let us go to his dwelling place!
Let us worship 412 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! 413
May your loyal followers shout for joy!
132:10 For the sake of David, your servant,
do not reject your chosen king! 414
132:11 The Lord made a reliable promise to David; 415
he will not go back on his word. 416
He said, 417 “I will place one of your descendants 418 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 419 the Lord has chosen Zion;
he decided to make it his home. 420
132:14 He said, 421 “This will be my resting place forever;
I will live here, for I have chosen it. 422
132:15 I will abundantly supply what she needs; 423
I will give her poor all the food they need. 424
132:16 I will protect her priests, 425
and her godly people will shout exuberantly. 426
132:17 There I will make David strong; 427
I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue. 428
132:18 I will humiliate his enemies, 429
and his crown will shine.
A song of ascents, 431 by David.
133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together! 432
133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head
which flows down the beard 433 –
Aaron’s beard,
and then flows down his garments. 434
133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, 435
which flows down upon the hills of Zion. 436
Indeed 437 that is where the Lord has decreed
a blessing will be available – eternal life. 438
A song of ascents. 440
134:1 Attention! 441 Praise the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord,
who serve 442 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 446 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! 447
135:4 Indeed, 448 the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel to be his special possession. 449
135:5 Yes, 450 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 451 and acts of judgment 452
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, 453
your reputation, O Lord, lasts. 454
135:14 For the Lord vindicates 455 his people,
and has compassion on his servants. 456
135:15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,
they are man-made. 457
135:16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.
Indeed, they cannot breathe. 458
135:18 Those who make them will end up 459 like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
135:19 O family 460 of Israel, praise the Lord!
O family of Aaron, praise the Lord!
135:20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord!
You loyal followers 461 of the Lord, praise the Lord!
135:21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion 462 –
he who dwells in Jerusalem. 463
Praise the Lord!
136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his loyal love endures. 465
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 466 the Red Sea 467 in two, 468
for his loyal love endures,
136:14 and led Israel through its midst,
for his loyal love endures,
136:15 and tossed 469 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, 470
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, 471
for his loyal love endures.
136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!
[118:1] 1 sn Psalm 118. The psalmist thanks God for his deliverance and urges others to join him in praise.
[118:4] 5 tn Heb “fearers of the
[118:5] 7 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] 8 tn Heb “the
[118:6] 10 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] 12 tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.
[118:8] 13 tn “Taking shelter” in the
[118:10] 15 sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.
[118:10] 16 tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the
[118:10] 17 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] 17 tn Heb “were extinguished.”
[118:12] 18 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] 19 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] 20 tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”
[118:14] 21 tn Heb “my strength and protection [is] the
[118:14] 22 tn Or “salvation.”
[118:15] 23 tn Heb “the sound of a ringing shout and deliverance [is] in the tents of the godly.”
[118:15] 24 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] 27 tn Heb “the works of the
[118:18] 29 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.
[118:19] 31 tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the
[118:22] 34 tn Heb “the head of the corner.”
[118:23] 35 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] 37 tn Heb “this is the day the
[118:25] 39 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] 41 sn The people refer here to the psalmist, who enters the
[118:26] 42 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] 43 tn Heb “from the house of the
[118:27] 43 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] 44 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] 45 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] 45 sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).
[118:29] 47 tn Or “is forever.”
[119:1] 49 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] 50 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”
[119:3] 51 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
[119:4] 53 tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”
[119:5] 55 tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”
[119:6] 58 tn Heb “I gaze at.”
[119:7] 59 tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”
[119:8] 61 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] 63 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] 64 tn Heb “purify his path.”
[119:9] 65 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:11] 66 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew
[119:12] 67 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
[119:13] 69 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
[119:14] 71 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
[119:14] 72 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
[119:14] 73 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] 73 tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.
[119:15] 74 tn Heb “gaze [at].”
[119:15] 75 tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).
[119:16] 75 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] 76 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:17] 77 tn The prefixed verbal form is probably a cohortative indicating purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:17] 78 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the imperative that begins the verse.
[119:17] 79 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:18] 79 tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).
[119:18] 80 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:19] 81 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] 83 tn Heb “my soul languishes for longing for.”
[119:21] 85 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] 87 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] 89 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] 91 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] 93 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] 94 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:26] 95 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
[119:27] 97 tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”
[119:27] 98 tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:27] 99 tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).
[119:28] 99 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] 100 tn Heb “according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:29] 101 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] 102 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] 103 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] 105 tn Or “cling to.”
[119:32] 107 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] 109 tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”
[119:33] 110 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] 111 tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.
[119:35] 113 tn Or “make me walk.”
[119:35] 114 tn Heb “for in it I delight.”
[119:36] 115 tn Heb “turn my heart to your rules.”
[119:36] 116 tn Heb “and not unjust gain.”
[119:37] 117 tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”
[119:37] 118 tn Heb “by your word.”
[119:38] 120 tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.
[119:39] 121 tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”
[119:40] 123 tn Or “righteousness.”
[119:41] 125 tn Heb “and may your loyal love come to me.”
[119:41] 126 tn Or “salvation” (so many English versions).
[119:41] 127 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:42] 127 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] 129 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] 131 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).
[119:44] 132 tn Or “forever and ever.”
[119:45] 133 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] 135 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] 137 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] 139 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] 140 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] 141 tn Heb “scoff at me to excess.”
[119:52] 143 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] 144 tn Or “find comfort.”
[119:54] 145 tn Heb “songs were your statutes to me.”
[119:54] 146 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] 147 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve to obey the law.
[119:56] 149 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] 151 tn Heb “my portion [is] the
[119:57] 153 tn Heb “to keep your words” (see v. 9).
[119:58] 153 tn Heb “I appease your face.”
[119:58] 154 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:59] 155 tn Heb “my ways.”
[119:59] 156 tn Heb “and I turn my feet toward.”
[119:60] 157 tn Heb “I hurry and I do not delay to keep your commands.”
[119:61] 159 tn Heb “surround.”
[119:62] 161 tn The psalmist uses an imperfect verbal form to emphasize that this is his continuing practice.
[119:63] 163 tn Heb “to all who fear you.”
[119:65] 165 tn Heb “do good.”
[119:65] 166 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:66] 167 tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.
[119:66] 168 tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”
[119:67] 169 tn Heb “before I suffered, I was straying off.”
[119:67] 170 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:69] 171 tn Heb “smear over me a lie.”
[119:70] 173 tn Heb “their heart is insensitive like fat.”
[119:72] 175 tn Heb “better to me [is] the law of your mouth than thousands of gold and silver.”
[119:73] 177 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] 178 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:74] 179 tn Heb “those who fear you will see me and rejoice.”
[119:75] 181 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] 182 tn Heb “and [in] faithfulness you afflicted me.”
[119:76] 183 tn Heb “according to your word to your servant.”
[119:77] 185 tn Heb “and may your compassion come to me.”
[119:78] 187 tn Heb “for [with] falsehood they have denied me justice.”
[119:79] 189 tn Heb “those who fear you.”
[119:80] 191 tn Heb “may my heart be complete in your statutes.”
[119:81] 193 tn Heb “my soul pines for.” See Ps 84:2.
[119:82] 195 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] 197 tn Or “even though.”
[119:83] 198 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] 199 tn Heb “in the smoke.”
[119:84] 199 tn Heb “How long are the days of your servant?”
[119:85] 202 tn Heb “which [is] not according to your law.”
[119:86] 203 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] 205 tn Heb “according to.”
[119:88] 206 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:88] 207 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
[119:89] 207 tn Heb “Forever, O
[119:90] 209 tn Heb “to a generation and a generation [is] your faithfulness.”
[119:92] 211 tn Heb “if your law had not been my delight.”
[119:92] 212 tn Or “my suffering.”
[119:95] 213 tn Heb “the wicked wait for me to kill me.”
[119:96] 215 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] 217 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] 219 tn Heb “I hold back my feet.”
[119:101] 220 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew
[119:103] 221 tn Heb “How smooth they are to my palate, your word, more than honey to my mouth.” A few medieval Hebrew
[119:104] 223 tn Heb “every false path.”
[119:105] 225 tn Many medieval Hebrew
[119:105] 226 tn Heb “[is] a lamp for my foot and a light for my path.”
[119:107] 227 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:108] 229 tn Heb “of my mouth.”
[119:109] 231 tn Heb “my life [is] in my hands continually.”
[119:111] 233 tn Heb “for the joy of my heart [are] they.”
[119:112] 235 tn Heb “I turn my heart to do.”
[119:113] 237 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] 239 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:115] 240 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] 241 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[119:116] 242 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:116] 243 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] 243 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] 245 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] 246 tn Heb “for their deceit [is] falsehood.”
[119:119] 247 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] 248 sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.
[119:120] 249 tn Heb “my flesh.”
[119:120] 250 tn The Hebrew verb סָמַר (samar, “to tremble”) occurs only here and in Job 4:15.
[119:120] 251 tn Heb “from fear of you.” The pronominal suffix on the noun is an objective genitive.
[119:121] 251 tn Heb “do justice and righteousness.”
[119:122] 253 tn Heb “be surety for your servant for good.”
[119:123] 255 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] 256 tn Heb “and for the word of your faithfulness.”
[119:124] 257 tn Heb “do with your servant according to your loyal love.”
[119:125] 259 tn or “know.” The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:127] 261 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] 263 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] 264 tn Heb “every false path.”
[119:130] 265 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] 266 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”
[119:130] 267 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] 267 tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.
[119:132] 269 tn Heb “according to custom toward the lovers of your name.” The “lovers of” God’s “name” are the
[119:133] 271 tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).
[119:134] 273 tn Or “redeem me.”
[119:134] 274 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:135] 275 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
[119:136] 277 tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”
[119:136] 278 tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[119:138] 279 tn Heb “you commanded [in] justice your rules.”
[119:139] 282 tn Heb “destroys,” in a hyperbolic sense.
[119:139] 283 tn Heb “your words.”
[119:142] 283 tn Heb “your justice [is] justice forever.”
[119:144] 287 tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”
[119:144] 288 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:146] 289 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
[119:149] 291 tn Heb “my voice.”
[119:149] 292 tn Heb “according to.”
[119:149] 293 tn Heb “according to your custom.”
[119:150] 293 tn Heb “those who pursue.”
[119:152] 297 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] 299 tn Or “argue my case.”
[119:154] 300 tn Heb “and redeem me.” The verb “redeem” casts the
[119:155] 301 tn Heb “far from the wicked [is] deliverance.”
[119:156] 303 tn Heb “according to your customs.”
[119:157] 305 tn Heb “many [are] those who chase me and my enemies.”
[119:158] 307 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:160] 309 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] 311 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] 313 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] 315 tn The number “seven” is use rhetorically to suggest thoroughness.
[119:165] 317 tn Heb “great peace [is] to the lovers of your law.”
[119:165] 318 tn Heb “and there is no stumbling to them.”
[119:168] 321 tn Heb “for all my ways [are] before you.”
[119:169] 323 tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”
[119:170] 325 tn Heb “may my appeal for mercy come before you.”
[119:170] 326 tn Heb “according to your speech.”
[119:172] 327 tn Heb “your word.”
[119:173] 329 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] 331 tn Heb “my life.”
[119:175] 332 tn God’s regulations will “help” the psalmist by giving him moral and ethical guidance.
[119:176] 333 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] 335 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] 336 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] 337 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the introductory note for this psalm.
[120:2] 339 tn Heb “from a lip of falsehood.”
[120:2] 340 tn Heb “from a tongue of deception.”
[120:3] 339 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] 341 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] 342 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] 343 tn Or “woe to me.” The Hebrew term אוֹיָה (’oyah, “woe”) which occurs only here, is an alternate form of אוֹי (’oy).
[120:5] 344 tn Heb “I live as a resident alien.”
[120:5] 345 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] 345 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] 347 tn Heb “I, peace.”
[120:7] 348 tn Heb “they [are] for war.”
[121:1] 349 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] 350 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] 351 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
[121:1] 352 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] 351 tn Heb “my help [is] from with the
[121:3] 353 tn Heb “the one who guards you.”
[121:3] 354 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] 355 tn Heb “the one who guards Israel.”
[121:6] 357 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] 359 tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.”
[122:1] 361 sn Psalm 122. The psalmist expresses his love for Jerusalem and promises to pray for the city’s security.
[122:1] 362 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] 363 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] 365 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[122:3] 366 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] 368 tn Heb “which is where the tribes go up.”
[122:4] 369 tn Heb “[it is] a statute for Israel to give thanks to the name of the
[122:5] 371 tn Heb “Indeed, there they sit [on] thrones for judgment, [on] thrones [belonging] to the house of David.”
[122:6] 371 tn Heb “ask [for].”
[122:6] 372 tn Or “be secure.”
[122:7] 374 tn The psalmist uses second feminine singular pronominal forms to address personified Jerusalem.
[122:9] 375 tn Heb “I will seek good for you.” The psalmist will seek Jerusalem’s “good” through prayer.
[123:1] 377 sn Psalm 123. The psalmist, speaking for God’s people, acknowledges his dependence on God in the midst of a crisis.
[123:1] 378 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] 379 tn Heb “I lift my eyes.”
[123:1] 380 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] 379 sn Servants look to their master for food, shelter, and other basic needs.
[123:3] 381 tn Heb “for greatly we are filled [with] humiliation.”
[123:4] 383 tn Heb “greatly our soul is full to it.”
[124:1] 385 sn Psalm 124. Israel acknowledges that the Lord delivered them from certain disaster.
[124:1] 386 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] 387 tn Heb “rose up against us.”
[124:4] 390 tn Heb “would have passed over.”
[124:4] 391 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] 391 tn Heb “then they would have passed over our being, the raging waters.”
[124:6] 393 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
[124:6] 394 tn Heb “[the one] who.”
[124:7] 395 tn Heb “our life escaped.”
[124:8] 397 tn Heb “our help [is] in the name of the
[125:1] 399 sn Psalm 125. The psalmist affirms his confidence in the Lord’s protection and justice.
[125:1] 400 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] 401 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[125:3] 404 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] 406 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] 405 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] 407 tn Heb “and the ones making their paths twisted.” A sinful lifestyle is compared to a twisting, winding road.
[125:5] 408 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] 409 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.”
[125:5] 410 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] 409 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] 410 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] 411 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] 412 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] 411 tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”
[126:2] 412 tn Heb “they said among the nations.”
[126:4] 413 tn Heb “like the streams in the Negev.”
[126:5] 415 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] 417 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] 418 tn The Hebrew noun אֲלֻמָּה (’alummah, “sheaf”) occurs only here and in Gen 37:7 in the OT.
[127:1] 419 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] 420 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] 421 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] 422 sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.
[127:2] 421 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] 422 tn Here the Hebrew particle כֵּן (ken) is used to stress the following affirmation (see Josh 2:4; Ps 63:2).
[127:2] 423 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] 424 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] 425 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] 427 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] 428 tn Heb “speak with.”
[128:1] 429 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] 430 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] 431 tn Heb “every fearer of the
[128:1] 432 tn Heb “the one who walks in his ways.”
[128:2] 431 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] 432 tn Heb “the work of your hands, indeed you will eat.”
[128:2] 433 tn Heb “how blessed you [will be] and it will be good for you.”
[128:3] 433 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] 434 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] 435 tn Heb “look, indeed thus will the man, the fearer of the
[128:5] 437 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] 438 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding jussive.
[128:5] 439 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[128:6] 439 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive in v. 5a.
[128:6] 440 tn Heb “sons to your sons.”
[128:6] 441 tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 125:5).
[129:1] 441 sn Psalm 129. Israel affirms God’s justice and asks him to destroy the enemies of Zion.
[129:1] 442 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] 443 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] 445 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] 447 tn The perfect verbal form is used for rhetorical effect; it describes an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
[130:1] 449 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] 450 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] 451 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] 451 tn Heb “my voice.”
[130:2] 452 tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”
[130:3] 454 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] 456 tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”
[130:4] 457 tn Or “consequently you are.”
[130:5] 458 tn Heb “my soul waits.”
[130:5] 459 tn Heb “his word.”
[130:6] 459 tn Heb “my soul for the master.”
[130:6] 460 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] 461 tn Heb “for with the
[130:7] 462 tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”
[130:8] 464 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] 465 sn Psalm 131. The psalmist affirms his humble dependence on the Lord and urges Israel to place its trust in God.
[131:1] 466 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] 467 tn Heb “and my eyes are not lifted up.”
[131:1] 468 tn Heb “I do not walk in great things, and in things too marvelous for me.”
[131:2] 468 tn Heb “I make level and make quiet my soul.”
[131:2] 469 tn Heb “like a weaned [one] upon his mother.”
[131:2] 470 tn Heb “like the weaned [one] upon me, my soul.”
[132:1] 469 sn Psalm 132. The psalmist reminds God of David’s devotion and of his promises concerning David’s dynasty and Zion.
[132:1] 470 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] 471 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] 471 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.”
[132:3] 473 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows is David’s vow.
[132:3] 474 tn Heb “the tent of my house.”
[132:3] 475 tn Heb “go up upon the bed of my couch.”
[132:5] 475 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] 476 tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.”
[132:6] 477 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] 478 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] 479 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] 481 tn Or “righteousness.”
[132:10] 483 tn Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed one.”
[132:11] 485 tn Heb “the
[132:11] 486 tn Heb “he will not turn back from it.”
[132:11] 487 tn The words “he said” are supplied in the translation to clarify that what follows are the
[132:11] 488 tn Heb “the fruit of your body.”
[132:13] 488 tn Heb “he desired it for his dwelling place.”
[132:14] 489 tn The words “he said” are added in the translation to clarify that what follows are the
[132:14] 490 tn Heb “for I desired it.”
[132:15] 491 tn Heb “I will greatly bless her provision.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.
[132:15] 492 tn Heb “her poor I will satisfy [with] food.”
[132:16] 493 tn Heb “and her priests I will clothe [with] deliverance.”
[132:16] 494 tn Heb “[with] shouting they will shout.” The infinitive absolute is used to emphasize the verb.
[132:17] 495 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] 496 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] 497 tn Heb “his enemies I will clothe [with] shame.”
[133:1] 499 sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.
[133:1] 500 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] 501 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] 501 tn Heb “[it is] like the good oil on the head, going down on the beard.”
[133:2] 502 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] 503 sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.
[133:3] 504 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] 506 tn Heb “there the
[134:1] 505 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] 506 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] 507 tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine singular, suggesting that the servants addressed in vv. 1-2 are responding to the psalmist.
[134:3] 508 tn Heb “may the
[135:1] 509 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] 513 tn Heb “for [it is] pleasant.” The translation assumes that it is the
[135:4] 516 sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.
[135:9] 519 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
[135:9] 520 tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.
[135:13] 521 tn Or “is forever.”
[135:13] 522 tn Heb “O
[135:14] 523 tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the
[135:14] 524 sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.
[135:15] 525 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
[135:17] 527 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] 529 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] 531 tn Heb “house” (here and in the next two lines).
[135:20] 533 tn Heb “fearers.”
[135:21] 535 tn Heb “praised be the
[135:21] 536 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[136:1] 537 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] 538 tn Or “is forever.”
[136:13] 540 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] 541 tn Heb “into pieces.”
[136:15] 541 tn Or “shook off.”
[136:23] 543 tn Heb “who, in our low condition, remembered us.”
[136:25] 545 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).
