Psalms 18:4

18:4 The waves ¹  of death engulfed me,

the currents ²  of chaos ³  overwhelmed me. ⁴ 

Psalms 31:24

31:24 Be strong and confident, ⁵ 

all you who wait on the Lord!

Psalms 55:4

55:4 My heart beats violently ⁶  within me;

the horrors of death overcome me. ⁷ 

Psalms 73:19

73:19 How desolate they become in a mere moment!

Terrifying judgments make their demise complete! ⁸ 

Psalms 78:33

78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied ⁹ 

and filled with terror. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 83:15

83:15 chase them with your gale winds,

and terrify ¹¹  them with your windstorm.

Psalms 84:12

84:12 O Lord who rules over all, ¹² 

how blessed are those who trust in you! ¹³ 

Psalms 89:9

89:9 You rule over the proud sea. ¹⁴ 

When its waves surge, ¹⁵  you calm them.

Psalms 97:4

97:4 His lightning bolts light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

Psalms 99:3

99:3 Let them praise your great and awesome name!

He ¹⁶  is holy!

Psalms 106:22

106:22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,

mighty ¹⁷  acts by the Red Sea.

[18:4]  ¹ tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.

[18:4]  ² tn The Hebrew noun נַחַל (nakhal) usually refers to a river or stream, but in this context the plural form likely refers to the currents of the sea (see vv. 15-16).

[18:4]  ³ tn The noun בְלִיַּעַל (vÿliyya’al) is used here as an epithet for death. Elsewhere it is a common noun meaning “wickedness, uselessness.” It is often associated with rebellion against authority and other crimes that result in societal disorder and anarchy. The phrase “man/son of wickedness” refers to one who opposes God and the order he has established. The term becomes an appropriate title for death, which, through human forces, launches an attack against God’s chosen servant.

[18:4]  ⁴ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. (Note the perfect verbal form in the parallel/preceding line.) The verb בָּעַת (ba’at) sometimes by metonymy carries the nuance “frighten,” but the parallelism (see “engulfed”) favors the meaning “overwhelm” here.

[31:24]  ⁵ tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”

[55:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”

[55:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”

[73:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”

[78:33]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”

[78:33]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and their years in terror.”

[83:15]  ²¹ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 15 express the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[84:12]  ²⁵ tn Traditionally “Lord of hosts.”

[84:12]  ²⁶ tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here 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 plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.

[89:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”

[89:9]  ³⁰ tn Heb “rise up.”

[99:3]  ³³ tn The pronoun refers to the Lord himself (see vv. 5, 9).

[106:22]  ³⁷ tn Or “awe-inspiring.”