Psalms 14:2

14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven ¹  at the human race, ² 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ³  and seeks God. ⁴ 

Psalms 40:16

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ⁵  your deliverance say continually, ⁶ 

“May the Lord be praised!” ⁷ 

Psalms 68:16

68:16 Why do you look with envy, ⁸  O mountains ⁹  with many peaks,

at the mountain where God has decided to live? ¹⁰ 

Indeed ¹¹  the Lord will live there ¹²  permanently!

Psalms 70:4

70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ¹³  your deliverance say continually, ¹⁴ 

“May God ¹⁵  be praised!” ¹⁶ 

Psalms 142:4

142:4 Look to the right and see!

No one cares about me. ¹⁷ 

I have nowhere to run; ¹⁸ 

no one is concerned about my life. ¹⁹ 

[14:2]  ¹ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[14:2]  ² tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[14:2]  ³ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[14:2]  ⁴ sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[40:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

[40:16]  ⁶ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

[40:16]  ⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.

[68:16]  ⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).

[68:16]  ¹⁰ tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.

[68:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.

[68:16]  ¹² tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.

[68:16]  ¹³ tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[70:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.

[70:4]  ¹⁴ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.

[70:4]  ¹⁵ tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”

[70:4]  ¹⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.

[142:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”

[142:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”

[142:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”