Psalms 16:9

16:9 So my heart rejoices

and I am happy; ¹ 

My life is safe. ² 

Psalms 23:3

23:3 He restores my strength. ³ 

He leads me down ⁴  the right paths ⁵ 

for the sake of his reputation. ⁶ 

Psalms 31:9

31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!

My eyes grow dim ⁷  from suffering. ⁸ 

I have lost my strength. ⁹ 

Psalms 34:21

34:21 Evil people self-destruct; ¹⁰ 

those who hate the godly are punished. ¹¹ 

Psalms 41:4

41:4 As for me, I said: ¹² 

“O Lord, have mercy on me!

Heal me, for I have sinned against you!

Psalms 42:2

42:2 I thirst ¹³  for God,

for the living God.

I say, ¹⁴  “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” ¹⁵ 

Psalms 49:10

49:10 Surely ¹⁶  one sees ¹⁷  that even wise people die; ¹⁸ 

fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away ¹⁹ 

and leave their wealth to others. ²⁰ 

Psalms 64:4

64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent ²¹  in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. ²² 

Psalms 123:4

123:4 We have had our fill ²³ 

of the taunts of the self-assured,

of the contempt of the proud.

Psalms 138:3

138:3 When ²⁴  I cried out for help, you answered me.

You made me bold and energized me. ²⁵ 

Psalms 139:14

139:14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing. ²⁶ 

You knew me thoroughly; ²⁷ 

Psalms 143:12

143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, ²⁸  destroy my enemies!

Annihilate ²⁹  all who threaten my life, ³⁰ 

for I am your servant.

[16:9]  ¹ tn Heb “my glory is happy.” Some view the Hebrew term כְּבוֹדִי (kÿvodiy, “my glory”) as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 30:12; 57:9; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”

[16:9]  ² tn Heb “yes, my flesh dwells securely.” The psalmist’s “flesh” stands by metonymy for his body and, by extension, his physical life.

[23:3]  ³ tn The appearance of the Hebrew term נַפְשִׁי (nafshi), traditionally translated “my soul,” might suggest a spiritualized interpretation for the first line of v. 3. However, at the surface level of the shepherd/sheep metaphor, this is unlikely. When it occurs with a pronominal suffix נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. 4 נֶפֶשׁ.a). In this context, where the statement most naturally refers to the physical provision just described, the form is best translated simply “me.” The accompanying verb (a Polel form [factitive use] of שׁוּב [shuv]), if referring to the physical provision just described, carries the nuance “refresh, restore strength.”

[23:3]  ⁴ tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 3 (יְשׁוֹבֵב [yÿshovev] and יַנְחֵנִי [yakheniy]), like those in vv. 1-2, highlight what is typical of the shepherd/sheep relationship.

[23:3]  ⁵ tn The attributive genitive צֶדֶק (tsedeq) is traditionally translated “righteousness” here, as if designating a moral or ethical quality. But this seems unlikely, for it modifies מַעְגְּלֵי (ma’ggÿley, “paths”). Within the shepherd/sheep metaphor, the phrase likely refers to “right” or “correct” paths, i.e. ones that lead to pastures, wells, or the fold. While צֶדֶק usually does carry a moral or ethical nuance, it can occasionally refer to less abstract things, such as weights and offerings. In this context, which emphasizes divine provision and protection, the underlying reality is probably God’s providential guidance. The psalmist is confident that God takes him down paths that will ultimately lead to something beneficial, not destructive.

[23:3]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term שֶׁם (shem, “name”) refers here to the shepherd’s reputation. (The English term “name” is often used the same way.) The statement לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (lÿma’an shÿmo, “for the sake of his name”) makes excellent sense within the framework of the shepherd/sheep metaphor. Shepherds, who sometimes hired out their services, were undoubtedly concerned about their vocational reputation. To maintain their reputation as competent shepherds, they had to know the “lay of the land” and make sure they led the sheep down the right paths to the proper destinations. The underlying reality is a profound theological truth: God must look out for the best interests of the one he has promised to protect, because if he fails to do so, his faithfulness could legitimately be called into question and his reputation damaged.

[31:9]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”

[31:9]  ⁶ tn Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.

[31:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “my breath and my stomach [grow weak].” Apparently the verb in the previous line (“grow dim, be weakened”) is to be understood here. The Hebrew term נפשׁ can mean “life,” or, more specifically, “throat, breath.” The psalmist seems to be lamenting that his breathing is impaired because of the physical and emotional suffering he is forced to endure.

[34:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.

[34:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.

[41:4]  ⁹ sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.

[42:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “my soul thirsts.”

[42:2]  ¹² tn The words “I say” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[42:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “When will I go and appear [to] the face of God?” Some emend the Niphal verbal form אֵרָאֶה (’era’eh, “I will appear”) to a Qal אֶרְאֶה (’er’eh, “I will see”; see Gen 33:10), but the Niphal can be retained if one understands ellipsis of אֶת (’et) before “face” (see Exod 34:24; Deut 31:11).

[49:10]  ¹³ tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).

[49:10]  ¹⁴ tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).

[49:10]  ¹⁵ tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.

[49:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).

[49:10]  ¹⁷ sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.

[64:4]  ¹⁵ tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.

[64:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[123:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “greatly our soul is full to it.”

[138:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in the day.”

[138:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”

[139:14]  ²¹ tc Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (pala’) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (pala’; see GKC 216 §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the LXX and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 249, 251). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נפלאים, the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (nifla’ot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).

[139:14]  ²² tc Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yoda’at), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yada’ta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252.

[143:12]  ²³ tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”

[143:12]  ²⁴ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.

[143:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”