Psalms 119:46

119:46 I will speak ¹  about your regulations before kings

and not be ashamed.

Psalms 78:12

78:12 He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan. ² 

Psalms 109:15

109:15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them, ³ 

and cut off the memory of his children ⁴  from the earth!

Psalms 138:1

Psalm 138 ⁵ 

By David.

138:1 I will give you thanks with all my heart;

before the heavenly assembly ⁶  I will sing praises to you.

Psalms 22:25

22:25 You are the reason I offer praise ⁷  in the great assembly;

I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers. ⁸ 

Psalms 23:5

23:5 You prepare a feast before me ⁹ 

in plain sight of my enemies.

You refresh ¹⁰  my head with oil;

my cup is completely full. ¹¹ 

Psalms 52:9

52:9 I will continually ¹²  thank you when ¹³  you execute judgment; ¹⁴ 

I will rely ¹⁵  on you, ¹⁶  for your loyal followers know you are good. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 31:19

31:19 How great is your favor, ¹⁸ 

which you store up for your loyal followers! ¹⁹ 

In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter ²⁰  in you. ²¹ 

[119:46]  ¹ 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.

[78:12]  ² sn The region of Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta, where the enslaved Israelites lived (see Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek 30:14).

[109:15]  ³ tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the Lord continually.”

[109:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.

[138:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 138. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord for his deliverance and protection.

[138:1]  ⁵ tn The referent of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is unclear. It refers either to the angelic assembly (see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5) or to the pagan gods (see Pss 82:1, 6; 86:8; 97:7), in which case the psalmist’s praise takes on a polemical tone.

[22:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “from with you [is] my praise.”

[22:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.” When asking the Lord for help, the psalmists would typically promise to praise the Lord publicly if he intervened and delivered them.

[23:5]  ⁶ sn In v. 5 the metaphor switches. (It would be very odd for a sheep to have its head anointed and be served wine.) The background for the imagery is probably the royal banquet. Ancient Near Eastern texts describe such banquets in similar terms to those employed by the psalmist. (See M. L. Barre and J. S. Kselman, “New Exodus, Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23,” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth, 97-127.) The reality behind the imagery is the Lord’s favor. Through his blessings and protection he demonstrates to everyone, including dangerous enemies, that the psalmist has a special relationship with him.

[23:5]  ⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form in v. 5a carries on the generalizing mood of vv. 1-4. However, in v. 5b the psalmist switches to a perfect (דִּשַּׁנְתָּ, dishanta), which may have a generalizing force as well. But then again the perfect is conspicuous here and may be present perfect in sense, indicating that the divine host typically pours oil on his head prior to seating him at the banquet table. The verb דָשַׁן (dashan; the Piel is factitive) is often translated “anoint,” but this is misleading, for it might suggest a symbolic act of initiation into royal status. One would expect the verb מָשָׁח (mashan) in this case; דָשַׁן here describes an act of hospitality extended to guests and carries the nuance “refresh.” In Prov 15:30 it stands parallel to “make happy” and refers to the effect that good news has on the inner being of its recipient.

[23:5]  ⁸ tn The rare noun רְַָויָה (rÿvayah) is derived from the well-attested verb רָוָה (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill”). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing.

[52:9]  ⁷ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

[52:9]  ⁸ tn Or “for.”

[52:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.

[52:9]  ¹⁰ tn Or “wait.”

[52:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.

[52:9]  ¹² tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

[31:19]  ⁸ tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”

[31:19]  ⁹ tn Heb “for those who fear you.”

[31:19]  ¹⁰ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 34:21-22).

[31:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”