Psalms 18:31

Context

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

Who is a protector² besides our God?³

Psalms 50:22

Context

50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God!⁴

Otherwise I will rip you to shreds⁵

and no one will be able to rescue you.

Psalms 143:10

Context

143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you,⁶

for you are my God.

May your kind presence⁷

lead me⁸ into a level land.⁹

Psalms 145:1

Context

Psalm 145¹⁰

A psalm of praise, by David.

145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king!

I will praise your name continually!¹¹

[18:31] ¹tn Or “for.”

[18:31] ²tn 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] ³tn 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.

[50:22] ⁴tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.

[50:22] ⁵sn Elsewhere in the psalms this verb is used (within a metaphorical framework) of a lion tearing its prey (see Pss 7:2; 17:12; 22:13).

[143:10] ⁷tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.

[143:10] ⁸tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).

[143:10] ⁹tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

[143:10] ¹⁰sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.

[145:1] ¹⁰sn Psalm 145. The psalmist praises God because he is a just and merciful king who cares for his people.

[145:1] ¹¹tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”