Psalms 18:49

18:49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, ¹  O Lord!

I will sing praises to you! ² 

Psalms 44:14

44:14 You made us ³  an object of ridicule ⁴  among the nations;

foreigners treat us with contempt. ⁵ 

[18:49]  ¹ sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the Lord in the presence of the defeated nations when they, as his subjects, bring their tribute payments. Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness. See J. H. Eaton, Kingship and the Psalms (SBT), 182-85.

[18:49]  ² tn Heb “to your name.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Lord,” the primary name of Israel’s covenant God which suggests his active presence with his people (see Exod 3:12-15).

[44:14]  ³ tn The prefixed verbal form is a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive).

[44:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “a proverb,” or “[the subject of] a mocking song.”

[44:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “a shaking of the head among the peoples.” Shaking the head was a derisive gesture (see Jer 18:16; Lam 2:15).