Psalms 18:44

18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. ¹ 

Foreigners are powerless ²  before me;

Psalms 72:6

72:6 He ³  will descend like rain on the mown grass, ⁴ 

like showers that drench ⁵  the earth. ⁶ 

Psalms 78:9

78:9 The Ephraimites ⁷  were armed with bows, ⁸ 

but they retreated in the day of battle. ⁹ 

Psalms 89:47

89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! ¹⁰ 

Why do you make all people so mortal? ¹¹ 

Psalms 107:8

107:8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,

and for the amazing things he has done for people! ¹² 

Psalms 107:15

107:15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,

and for the amazing things he has done for people! ¹³ 

Psalms 107:21

107:21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,

and for the amazing things he has done for people! ¹⁴ 

Psalms 107:31

107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,

and for the amazing things he has done for people! ¹⁵ 

Psalms 115:16

115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, ¹⁶ 

but the earth he has given to mankind. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 135:20

135:20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord!

You loyal followers ¹⁸  of the Lord, praise the Lord!

Psalms 147:13

147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.

He blesses your children ¹⁹  within you.

Psalms 149:2

149:2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator!

Let the people ²⁰  of Zion delight in their king! ²¹ 

[18:44]  ¹ tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.

[18:44]  ² tn For the meaning “be weak, powerless” for כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. The next line (see v. 45a), in which “foreigners” are also mentioned, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15; cf. NIV “cringe”; NRSV “came cringing”).

[72:6]  ³ tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).

[72:6]  ⁴ tn The rare term zg refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.

[72:6]  ⁵ tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS in textual note b on this verse suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirzÿfu). The translation assumes the latter.

[72:6]  ⁶ sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.

[78:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “the sons of Ephraim.” Ephraim probably stands here by synecdoche (part for whole) for the northern kingdom of Israel.

[78:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “ones armed, shooters of bow.” It is possible that the term נוֹשְׁקֵי (noshÿqey, “ones armed [with]”) is an interpretive gloss for the rare רוֹמֵי (romey, “shooters of”; on the latter see BDB 941 s.v. I רָמָה). The phrase נוֹשְׁקֵי קֶשֶׁת (noshÿqey qeshet, “ones armed with a bow”) appears in 1 Chr 12:2; 2 Chr 17:17.

[78:9]  ⁷ sn They retreated. This could refer to the northern tribes’ failure to conquer completely their allotted territory (see Judg 1), or it could refer generally to the typical consequence (military defeat) of their sin (see vv. 10-11).

[89:47]  ⁷ tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).

[89:47]  ⁸ tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).

[107:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”

[107:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.

[107:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.

[107:31]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.

[115:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the Lord.”

[115:16]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “to the sons of man.”

[135:20]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “fearers.”

[147:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “your sons.”

[149:2]  ²³ tn Heb “sons.”

[149:2]  ²⁴ sn The Lord is the king here, as the parallelism in the previous line (“their creator”) indicates.