Psalms 18:29-34

18:29 Indeed, ¹  with your help ²  I can charge against ³  an army; ⁴ 

by my God’s power ⁵  I can jump over a wall. ⁶ 

18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; ⁷ 

the Lord’s promise ⁸  is reliable; ⁹ 

he is a shield to all who take shelter ¹⁰  in him.

18:31 Indeed, ¹¹  who is God besides the Lord?

Who is a protector ¹²  besides our God? ¹³ 

18:32 The one true God ¹⁴  gives ¹⁵  me strength; ¹⁶ 

he removes ¹⁷  the obstacles in my way. ¹⁸ 

18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; ¹⁹ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ²⁰ 

18:34 He trains my hands for battle; ²¹ 

my arms can bend even the strongest bow. ²² 

Psalms 118:6-13

118:6 The Lord is on my side, ²³  I am not afraid!

What can people do to me? ²⁴ 

118:7 The Lord is on my side ²⁵  as my helper. ²⁶ 

I look in triumph on those who hate me.

118:8 It is better to take shelter ²⁷  in the Lord

than to trust in people.

118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

118:10 All the nations surrounded me. ²⁸ 

Indeed, in the name of the Lord ²⁹  I pushed them away. ³⁰ 

118:11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me.

Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

118:12 They surrounded me like bees.

But they disappeared as quickly ³¹  as a fire among thorns. ³² 

Indeed, in the name of the Lord I pushed them away.

118:13 “You aggressively attacked me ³³  and tried to knock me down, ³⁴ 

but the Lord helped me.

Psalms 144:1-2

Psalm 144 ³⁵ 

By David.

144:1 The Lord, my protector, ³⁶  deserves praise ³⁷  –

the one who trains my hands for battle, ³⁸ 

and my fingers for war,

144:2 who loves me ³⁹  and is my stronghold,

my refuge ⁴⁰  and my deliverer,

my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,

who makes nations submit to me. ⁴¹ 

Psalms 20:1

Psalm 20 ⁴² 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

20:1 May the Lord answer ⁴³  you ⁴⁴  when you are in trouble; ⁴⁵ 

may the God of Jacob ⁴⁶  make you secure!

Psalms 20:1

Psalm 20 ⁴⁷ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

20:1 May the Lord answer ⁴⁸  you ⁴⁹  when you are in trouble; ⁵⁰ 

may the God of Jacob ⁵¹  make you secure!

Colossians 1:10

1:10 so that you may live ⁵²  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁵³  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

Ephesians 6:10-18

Exhortations for Spiritual Warfare

6:10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 6:11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes ⁵⁴  of the devil. 6:12 For our struggle ⁵⁵  is not against flesh and blood, ⁵⁶  but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, ⁵⁷  against the spiritual forces ⁵⁸  of evil in the heavens. ⁵⁹  6:13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground ⁶⁰  on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 6:14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening ⁶¹  the belt of truth around your waist, ⁶²  by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 6:15 by fitting your ⁶³  feet with the preparation that comes from the good news ⁶⁴  of peace, ⁶⁵  6:16 and in all of this, ⁶⁶  by taking up the shield ⁶⁷  of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation ⁶⁸  and the sword ⁶⁹  of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 6:18 With every prayer and petition, pray ⁷⁰  at all times in the Spirit, and to this end ⁷¹  be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

[18:29]  ¹ tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.

[18:29]  ² tn Heb “by you.”

[18:29]  ³ tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”

[18:29]  ⁴ tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.

[18:29]  ⁵ tn Heb “and by my God.”

[18:29]  ⁶ sn I can jump over a wall. The psalmist uses hyperbole to emphasize his God-given military superiority.

[18:30]  ⁷ tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).

[18:30]  ⁸ sn The Lord’s promise. In the ancient Near East kings would typically seek and receive oracles from their god(s) prior to battle. For examples, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 241-42.

[18:30]  ⁹ tn Heb “the word of the Lord is purified.” The Lord’s “word” probably refers here to his oracle(s) of victory delivered to the psalmist before the battle(s) described in the following context. See also Pss 12:5-7 and 138:2-3. David frequently received such oracles before going into battle (see 1 Sam 23:2, 4-5, 10-12; 30:8; 2 Sam 5:19). The Lord’s word of promise is absolutely reliable; it is compared to metal that has been refined in fire and cleansed of impurities. See Ps 12:6.

[18:30]  ¹⁰ sn Take shelter. See the note on the word “shelter” in v. 2.

[18:31]  ¹¹ tn Or “for.”

[18:31]  ¹² tn Heb “rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor of divine protection. See v. 2, where the Hebrew term צוּר (tsur) is translated “rocky summit.”

[18:31]  ¹³ tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “No one.” In this way the psalmist indicates that the Lord is the only true God and reliable source of protection. See also Deut 32:39, where the Lord affirms that he is the only true God. Note as well the emphasis on his role as protector (Heb “rocky cliff,” צוּר, tsur) in Deut 32:4, 15, 17-18, 30.

[18:32]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the Lord’s distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). See v. 30.

[18:32]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.

[18:32]  ¹⁶ tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”

[18:32]  ¹⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries along the generalizing force of the preceding participle.

[18:32]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “he made my path smooth.” The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “smooth”) usually carries a moral or ethical connotation, “blameless, innocent.” However, in Ps 18:33 it refers to a pathway free of obstacles. The reality underlying the metaphor is the psalmist’s ability to charge into battle without tripping (see vv. 33, 36).

[18:33]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”

[18:33]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.

[18:34]  ²¹ sn He trains my hands. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.

[18:34]  ²² tn Heb “and a bow of bronze is bent by my arms”; or “my arms bend a bow of bronze.” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) apparently means “pull back, bend” here (see HALOT 692 s.v. נחת). The third feminine singular verbal form appears to agree with the feminine singular noun קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”). In this case the verb must be taken as Niphal (passive). However, it is possible that “my arms” is the subject of the verb and “bow” the object. In this case the verb is Piel (active). For other examples of a feminine singular verb being construed with a plural noun, see GKC 464 §145.k.

[118:6]  ²³ tn Heb “for me.”

[118:6]  ²⁴ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.

[118:7]  ²⁵ tn Heb “for me.”

[118:7]  ²⁶ tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.

[118:8]  ²⁷ 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 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[118:10]  ²⁸ sn The reference to an attack by the nations suggests the psalmist may have been a military leader.

[118:10]  ²⁹ tn In this context the phrase “in the name of the Lord” means “by the Lord’s power.”

[118:10]  ³⁰ tn Traditionally the verb has been derived from מוּל (mul, “to circumcise”) and translated “[I] cut [them] off” (see BDB 557-58 s.v. II מוּל). However, it is likely that this is a homonym meaning “to fend off” (see HALOT 556 s.v. II מול) or “to push away.” In this context, where the psalmist is reporting his past experience, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite. The phrase also occurs in vv. 11, 12.

[118:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “were extinguished.”

[118:12]  ³² tn The point seems to be that the hostility of the nations (v. 10) is short-lived, like a fire that quickly devours thorns and then burns out. Some, attempting to create a better parallel with the preceding line, emend דֹּעֲכוּ (do’akhu, “they were extinguished”) to בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru, “they burned”). In this case the statement emphasizes their hostility.

[118:13]  ³³ tn Heb “pushing, you pushed me.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea. The psalmist appears to address the nations as if they were an individual enemy. Some find this problematic and emend the verb form (which is a Qal perfect second masculine singular with a first person singular suffix) to נִדְחֵיתִי (nidkheti), a Niphal perfect first common singular, “I was pushed.”

[118:13]  ³⁴ tn Heb “to fall,” i.e., “that [I] might fall.”

[144:1]  ³⁵ sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.

[144:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

[144:1]  ³⁷ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”

[144:1]  ³⁸ sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.

[144:2]  ³⁹ tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).

[144:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “my elevated place.”

[144:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”

[20:1]  ⁴² sn Psalm 20. The people pray for the king’s success in battle. When the king declares his assurance that the Lord will answer the people’s prayer, they affirm their confidence in God’s enablement.

[20:1]  ⁴³ tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in vv. 1b-5 are interpreted as jussives of prayer (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). Another option is to understand them as imperfects, “the Lord will answer,” etc. In this case the people declare their confidence that the Lord will intervene on behalf of the king and extend to him his favor.

[20:1]  ⁴⁴ sn May the Lord answer you. The people address the king as they pray to the Lord.

[20:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “in a day of trouble.”

[20:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the name of the God of Jacob.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his very person and to the divine characteristics suggested by his name, in this case “God of Jacob,” which highlights his relationship to Israel.

[20:1]  ⁴⁷ sn Psalm 20. The people pray for the king’s success in battle. When the king declares his assurance that the Lord will answer the people’s prayer, they affirm their confidence in God’s enablement.

[20:1]  ⁴⁸ tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in vv. 1b-5 are interpreted as jussives of prayer (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). Another option is to understand them as imperfects, “the Lord will answer,” etc. In this case the people declare their confidence that the Lord will intervene on behalf of the king and extend to him his favor.

[20:1]  ⁴⁹ sn May the Lord answer you. The people address the king as they pray to the Lord.

[20:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “in a day of trouble.”

[20:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “the name of the God of Jacob.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his very person and to the divine characteristics suggested by his name, in this case “God of Jacob,” which highlights his relationship to Israel.

[1:10]  ⁵² tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”

[1:10]  ⁵³ tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”

[6:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “craftiness.” See BDAG 625 s.v. μεθοδεία.

[6:12]  ⁵⁵ tn BDAG 752 s.v. πάλη says, “struggle against…the opponent is introduced by πρός w. the acc.”

[6:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “blood and flesh.”

[6:12]  ⁵⁷ tn BDAG 561 s.v. κοσμοκράτωρ suggests “the rulers of this sinful world” as a gloss.

[6:12]  ⁵⁸ tn BDAG 837 s.v. πνευματικός 3 suggests “the spirit-forces of evil” in Ephesians 6:12.

[6:12]  ⁵⁹ sn The phrase spiritual forces of evil in the heavens serves to emphasize the nature of the forces which oppose believers as well as to indicate the locality from which they originate.

[6:13]  ⁶⁰ tn The term ἀνθίστημι (anqisthmi) carries the idea of resisting or opposing something or someone (BDAG 80 s.v.). In Eph 6:13, when used in combination with στῆναι (sthnai; cf. also στῆτε [sthte] in v. 14) and in a context of battle imagery, it seems to have the idea of resisting, standing firm, and being able to stand your ground.

[6:14]  ⁶¹ sn The four participles fastening… putting on…fitting…taking up… indicate the means by which believers can take their stand against the devil and his schemes. The imperative take in v. 17 communicates another means by which to accomplish the standing, i.e., by the word of God.

[6:14]  ⁶² tn Grk “girding your waist with truth.” In this entire section the author is painting a metaphor for his readers based on the attire of a Roman soldier prepared for battle and its similarity to the Christian prepared to do battle against spiritually evil forces. Behind the expression “with truth” is probably the genitive idea “belt of truth.” Since this is an appositional genitive (i.e., belt which is truth), the author simply left unsaid the idea of the belt and mentioned only his real focus, namely, the truth. (The analogy would have been completely understandable to his 1st century readers.) The idea of the belt is supplied in the translation to clarify the sense in English.

[6:15]  ⁶³ tn The definite article τοῖς (tois) was taken as a possessive pronoun, i.e., “your,” since it refers to a part of the physical body.

[6:15]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “gospel.” However, this is not a technical term here.

[6:15]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “in preparation of the gospel of peace.” The genitive τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (tou euangeliou) was taken as a genitive of source, i.e., “that comes from….”

[6:16]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “in everything.”

[6:16]  ⁶⁷ sn The Greek word translated shield (θυρεός, qureos) refers to the Roman soldier’s large rectangular wooden shield, called in Latin scutum, about 4 ft (1.2 m) high, covered with leather on the outside. Before a battle in which flaming arrows might be shot at them, the soldiers wet the leather covering with water to extinguish the arrows. The Roman legionaries could close ranks with these shields, the first row holding theirs edge to edge in front, and the rows behind holding the shields above their heads. In this formation they were practically invulnerable to arrows, rocks, and even spears.

[6:17]  ⁶⁸ sn An allusion to Isa 59:17.

[6:17]  ⁶⁹ sn The Greek term translated sword (μάχαιρα, macaira) refers to the Roman gladius, a short sword about 2 ft (60 cm) long, used for close hand-to-hand combat. This is the only clearly offensive weapon in the list of armor mentioned by the author (he does not, for example, mention the lance [Latin pilum]).

[6:18]  ⁷⁰ tn Both “pray” and “be alert” are participles in the Greek text (“praying…being alert”). Both are probably instrumental, loosely connected with all of the preceding instructions. As such, they are not additional commands to do but instead are the means through which the prior instructions are accomplished.

[6:18]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “and toward it.”