Psalms 18:46

18:46 The Lord is alive! ¹ 

My protector ²  is praiseworthy! ³ 

The God who delivers me ⁴  is exalted as king! ⁵ 

Psalms 114:7

114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –

before the God of Jacob,

Psalms 139:19

139:19 If only ⁶  you would kill the wicked, O God!

Get away from me, you violent men! ⁷ 

Psalms 18:31

18:31 Indeed, ⁸  who is God besides the Lord?

Who is a protector ⁹  besides our God? ¹⁰ 

Psalms 50:22

50:22 Carefully consider this, you who reject God! ¹¹ 

Otherwise I will rip you to shreds ¹² 

and no one will be able to rescue you.

Psalms 143:10

143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, ¹³ 

for you are my God.

May your kind presence ¹⁴ 

lead me ¹⁵  into a level land. ¹⁶ 

Psalms 145:1

Psalm 145 ¹⁷ 

A psalm of praise, by David.

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

I will praise your name continually! ¹⁸ 

[18:46]  ¹ tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the Lord lives,” but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the Lord’s active presence and intervention. In contrast to pagan deities, he demonstrates he is the living God by rescuing and empowering the psalmist.

[18:46]  ² tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection. See similar phrases in vv. 2, 31.

[18:46]  ³ tn Or “blessed [i.e., praised] be.”

[18:46]  ⁴ tn Heb “the God of my deliverance.” 2 Sam 22:48 reads, “the God of the rocky cliff of my deliverance.”

[18:46]  ⁵ tn The words “as king” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”), when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 46:10; 57:5, 11).

[139:19]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (see Pss 81:8; 95:7, as well as GKC 321 §109.b).

[139:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “men of bloodshed.”

[18:31]  ¹¹ tn Or “for.”

[18:31]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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.

[50:22]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[you who] forget God.” “Forgetting God” here means forgetting about his commandments and not respecting his moral authority.

[50:22]  ¹⁷ sn 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]  ²¹ tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.

[143:10]  ²² tn 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]  ²³ tn 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]  ²⁴ sn 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]  ²⁶ sn Psalm 145. The psalmist praises God because he is a just and merciful king who cares for his people.

[145:1]  ²⁷ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”