Psalms 16:1

Psalm 16 ¹ 

A prayer ²  of David.

16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. ³ 

Psalms 17:8

17:8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! ⁴ 

Hide me in the shadow of your wings! ⁵ 

Psalms 141:9

141:9 Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,

and the traps the evildoers have set. ⁶ 

Psalms 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ⁷  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ⁸ 

[16:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.

[16:1]  ² tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[16:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).

[17:8]  ⁴ tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.

[17:8]  ⁵ sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.

[141:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”

[140:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”