Psalms 18:9

18:9 He made the sky sink ¹  as he descended;

a thick cloud was under his feet.

Psalms 38:9

38:9 O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire; ² 

my groaning is not hidden from you.

Psalms 66:14

66:14 which my lips uttered

and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.

Psalms 66:19

66:19 However, God heard;

he listened to my prayer.

Psalms 69:33

69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;

he does not despise his captive people. ³ 

Psalms 119:26

119:26 I told you about my ways ⁴  and you answered me.

Teach me your statutes!

Psalms 119:130

119:130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. ⁵ 

They give ⁶  insight to the untrained. ⁷ 

Psalms 141:3

141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!

Protect the opening ⁸  of my lips! ⁹ 

[18:9]  ¹ tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[cause to] bend, bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm.

[38:9]  ² tn Heb “O Lord, before you [is] all my desire.”

[69:33]  ³ tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”

[119:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”

[119:130]  ⁵ tn Heb “the doorway of your words gives light.” God’s “words” refer here to the instructions in his law (see vv. 9, 57).

[119:130]  ⁶ tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”

[119:130]  ⁷ tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Pss 19:7; 116:6.

[141:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.

[141:3]  ⁷ sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.