Psalms 18:34

18:34 He trains my hands for battle; ¹ 

my arms can bend even the strongest bow. ² 

Psalms 34:11

34:11 Come children! Listen to me!

I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. ³ 

Psalms 51:13

51:13 Then I will teach ⁴  rebels your merciful ways, ⁵ 

and sinners will turn ⁶  to you.

Psalms 71:17

71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,

and I am still declaring ⁷  your amazing deeds.

Psalms 94:10

94:10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?

He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!

Psalms 94:12

94:12 How blessed is the one ⁸  whom you instruct, O Lord,

the one whom you teach from your law,

Psalms 119:66

119:66 Teach me proper discernment ⁹  and understanding!

For I consider your commands to be reliable. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 119:71

119:71 It was good for me to suffer,

so that I might learn your statutes.

Psalms 119:99

119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your rules.

Psalms 119:108

119:108 O Lord, please accept the freewill offerings of my praise! ¹¹ 

Teach me your regulations!

[18:34]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[34:11]  ³ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord I will teach you.” In vv. 13-14 the psalmist explains to his audience what it means to “fear” the Lord.

[51:13]  ⁵ tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.

[51:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).

[51:13]  ⁷ tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.

[71:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”

[94:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.

[119:66]  ¹¹ tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.

[119:66]  ¹² tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”

[119:108]  ¹³ tn Heb “of my mouth.”