Psalms 119:38

119:38 Confirm to your servant your promise, ¹ 

which you made to the one who honors you. ² 

Psalms 38:11

38:11 Because of my condition, ³  even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance; ⁴ 

my neighbors stand far away. ⁵ 

Psalms 66:16

66:16 Come! Listen, all you who are loyal to God! ⁶ 

I will declare what he has done for me.

Psalms 141:5

141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!

May my head not refuse ⁷  choice oil! ⁸ 

Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. ⁹ 

[119:38]  ¹ tn Heb “word.”

[119:38]  ² tn Heb “which [is] for your fear,” that is, the promise made to those who exhibit fear of God.

[38:11]  ³ tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”

[38:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “stand [aloof].”

[38:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”

[66:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “all of the fearers of God.”

[141:5]  ⁷ tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.

[141:5]  ⁸ sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.

[141:5]  ⁹ tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.