Psalms 136:1-3

Psalm 136 ¹ 

136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his loyal love endures. ² 

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,

Psalms 136:1

Psalm 136 ³ 

136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his loyal love endures. ⁴ 

Psalms 16:7

16:7 I will praise ⁵  the Lord who ⁶  guides ⁷  me;

yes, during the night I reflect and learn. ⁸ 

Psalms 25:3

25:3 Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.

Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted ⁹  and humiliated.

Psalms 29:1

Psalm 29 ¹⁰ 

A psalm of David.

29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, ¹¹ 

acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! ¹² 

Psalms 29:1

Psalm 29 ¹³ 

A psalm of David.

29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, ¹⁴ 

acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! ¹⁵ 

[136:1]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Or “is forever.”

[136:1]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Or “is forever.”

[16:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”

[16:7]  ⁶ tn Or “because.”

[16:7]  ⁷ tn Or “counsels, advises.”

[16:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “yes, [during] nights my kidneys instruct [or “correct”] me.” The “kidneys” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s moral character (see Ps 26:2). In the quiet darkness the Lord speaks to his inner being, as it were, and enables him to grow in moral understanding.

[25:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “those who deal in treachery in vain.” The adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “in vain”) probably refers to the failure (or futility) of their efforts. Another option is to understand it as meaning “without cause” (cf. NIV “without excuse”; NRSV “wantonly treacherous”).

[29:1]  ¹⁰ sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.

[29:1]  ¹¹ tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.

[29:1]  ¹² tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”

[29:1]  ¹³ sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.

[29:1]  ¹⁴ tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.

[29:1]  ¹⁵ tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”