Psalms 2:4

2:4 The one enthroned ¹  in heaven laughs in disgust; ² 

the Lord taunts ³  them.

Psalms 11:4

11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; ⁴ 

the Lord’s throne is in heaven. ⁵ 

His eyes ⁶  watch; ⁷ 

his eyes ⁸  examine ⁹  all people. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 113:5-6

113:5 Who can compare to the Lord our God,

who sits on a high throne? ¹¹ 

113:6 He bends down to look ¹² 

at the sky and the earth.

Psalms 115:3

115:3 Our God is in heaven!

He does whatever he pleases! ¹³ 

Isaiah 57:15

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ¹⁴  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ¹⁵ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ¹⁶ 

Isaiah 66:1

66:1 This is what the Lord says:

“The heavens are my throne

and the earth is my footstool.

Where then is the house you will build for me?

Where is the place where I will rest?

Matthew 6:9

6:9 So pray this way: ¹⁷ 

Our Father ¹⁸  in heaven, may your name be honored, ¹⁹ 

[2:4]  ¹ tn Heb “sitting.” The Hebrew verb יָשַׁב (yashav) is here used metonymically of “sitting enthroned” (see Pss 9:7; 29:10; 55:19; 102:12; 123:1).

[2:4]  ² tn As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter. The Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in vv. 4-5 describe the action from the perspective of an eyewitness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

[2:4]  ³ tn Or “scoffs at”; “derides”; “mocks.”

[11:4]  ⁴ tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The Lord’s heavenly temple is in view here (see Mic 1:2-4).

[11:4]  ⁵ sn The Lord’s throne is in heaven. The psalmist is confident that the Lord reigns as sovereign king, “keeps an eye on” all people, and responds in a just manner to the godly and wicked.

[11:4]  ⁶ sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.

[11:4]  ⁷ tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the Lord’s characteristic activity.

[11:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “eyelids.”

[11:4]  ⁹ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.

[11:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “test the sons of men.”

[113:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the one who makes high to sit.”

[113:6]  ¹² tn Heb “the one who makes low to see.”

[115:3]  ¹³ sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).

[57:15]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[6:9]  ¹⁷ sn Pray this way. What follows, although traditionally known as the Lord’s prayer, is really the disciples’ prayer. It represents how they are to approach God, by acknowledging his uniqueness and their need for his provision and protection.

[6:9]  ¹⁸ sn God is addressed in terms of intimacy (Father). The original Semitic term here was probably Abba. The term is a little unusual in a personal prayer, especially as it lacks qualification. It is not the exact equivalent of “daddy” (as is sometimes popularly suggested), but it does suggest a close, familial relationship.

[6:9]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”