Psalms 18:31

18:31 Indeed, ¹  who is God besides the Lord?

Who is a protector ²  besides our God? ³ 

Psalms 48:14

48:14 For God, our God, is our defender forever! ⁴ 

He guides ⁵  us! ⁶ 

Psalms 50:7

50:7 He says: ⁷ 

“Listen my people! I am speaking!

Listen Israel! I am accusing you! ⁸ 

I am God, your God!

Psalms 53:2

53:2 God looks down from heaven ⁹  at the human race, ¹⁰ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ¹¹  and seeks God. ¹² 

Psalms 59:17

59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! ¹³ 

For God is my refuge, ¹⁴  the God who loves me. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 68:28

68:28 God has decreed that you will be powerful. ¹⁶ 

O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power,

Psalms 71:19

71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above; ¹⁷ 

you have done great things. ¹⁸ 

O God, who can compare to you? ¹⁹ 

Psalms 78:19

78:19 They insulted God, saying, ²⁰ 

“Is God really able to give us food ²¹  in the wilderness?

Psalms 81:9

81:9 There must be ²²  no other ²³  god among you.

You must not worship a foreign god.

Psalms 84:8

84:8 O Lord, sovereign God, ²⁴ 

hear my prayer!

Listen, O God of Jacob! (Selah)

Psalms 99:9

99:9 Praise ²⁵  the Lord our God!

Worship on his holy hill,

for the Lord our God is holy!

Psalms 118:28

118:28 You are my ²⁶  God and I will give you thanks!

You are my God and I will praise you!

Psalms 146:5

146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

[18:31]  ¹ tn Or “for.”

[18:31]  ² 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]  ³ 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.

[48:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “for this is God, our God, forever and ever.” “This” might be paraphrased, “this protector described and praised in the preceding verses.”

[48:14]  ⁵ tn The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[48:14]  ⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the psalm ends with the words עַל־מוּת (’al-mut, “upon [unto?] dying”), which make little, if any, sense. M. Dahood (Psalms [AB], 1:293) proposes an otherwise unattested plural form עֹלָמוֹת (’olamot; from עוֹלָם, ’olam, “eternity”). This would provide a nice parallel to עוֹלָם וָעֶד (’olam va’ed, “forever”) in the preceding line, but elsewhere the plural of עוֹלָם appears as עֹלָמִים (’olamim). It is preferable to understand the phrase as a musical direction of some sort (see עַל־מוּת [’al-mut] in the superscription of Ps 9) or to emend the text to עַל־עֲלָמוֹת (’al-’alamot, “according to the alamoth style”; see the heading of Ps 46). In either case it should be understood as belonging with the superscription of the following psalm.

[50:7]  ⁷ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.

[50:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[53:2]  ¹⁰ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[53:2]  ¹¹ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[53:2]  ¹² tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[53:2]  ¹³ tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[59:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”

[59:17]  ¹⁴ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[59:17]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”

[68:28]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “God has commanded your strength.” The statement is apparently addressed to Israel (see v. 26).

[71:19]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.

[71:19]  ²⁰ tn Heb “you who have done great things.”

[71:19]  ²¹ tn Or “Who is like you?”

[78:19]  ²² tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”

[78:19]  ²³ tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”

[81:9]  ²⁵ tn The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 have a modal function, expressing what is obligatory.

[81:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “different”; “illicit.”

[84:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9) but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת in Pss 59:5 and 80:4, 19 as well.

[99:9]  ³¹ tn Or “exalt.”

[118:28]  ³⁴ sn You are my God. The psalmist speaks again (see v. 21), responding to the words of the worshipers (vv. 22-27).