Psalms 20:9

20:9 The Lord will deliver the king; ¹ 

he will answer us ²  when we call to him for help! ³ 

Psalms 60:5

60:5 Deliver by your power ⁴  and answer me, ⁵ 

so that the ones you love may be safe. ⁶ 

Psalms 108:6

108:6 Deliver by your power ⁷  and answer me,

so that the ones you love may be safe. ⁸ 

Psalms 118:25

118:25 Please Lord, deliver!

Please Lord, grant us success! ⁹ 

Psalms 28:9

28:9 Deliver your people!

Empower ¹⁰  the nation that belongs to you! ¹¹ 

Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms ¹²  at all times! ¹³ 

Psalms 12:1

Psalm 12 ¹⁴ 

For the music director; according to the sheminith style; ¹⁵  a psalm of David.

12:1 Deliver, Lord!

For the godly ¹⁶  have disappeared; ¹⁷ 

people of integrity ¹⁸  have vanished. ¹⁹ 

Psalms 44:3

44:3 For they did not conquer ²⁰  the land by their swords,

and they did not prevail by their strength, ²¹ 

but rather by your power, ²²  strength ²³  and good favor, ²⁴ 

for you were partial to ²⁵  them.

Psalms 98:1

Psalm 98 ²⁶ 

A psalm.

98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, ²⁷ 

for he performs ²⁸  amazing deeds!

His right hand and his mighty arm

accomplish deliverance. ²⁹ 

[20:9]  ¹ tc This translation assumes an emendation of the verbal form הוֹשִׁיעָה (hoshi’ah). As it stands, the form is an imperative. In this case the people return to the petitionary mood with which the psalm begins (“O Lord, deliver”). But the immediate context is one of confidence (vv. 6-8), not petition (vv. 1-5). If one takes the final he on the verb “deliver” as dittographic (note the initial he (ה) on the following phrase, “the king”), one can repoint the verbal form as a perfect and understand it as expressing the people’s confidence, “the Lord will deliver the king” (see v. 6). The Hebrew scribal tradition takes “the king” with the following line, in which case it would be best interpreted as a divine title, “may the King answer us” or “the king will answer us” (see Pss 98:6; 145:1). However, the poetic parallelism is better balanced if “the king” is taken with the first line. In this case the referent is the Davidic king, who is earlier called the Lord’s “anointed one” (cf. note on “chosen king” in v. 6; see Pss 21:7; 45:5, 11; 63:11).

[20:9]  ² tn If the imperative is retained in the preceding line, then the prefixed verbal form is best taken as a jussive of prayer, “may he answer us.” However, if the imperative in the previous line is emended to a perfect, the prefixed form is best taken as imperfect, “he will answer us” (see the note on the word “king” at the end of the previous line).

[20:9]  ³ tn Heb “in the day we call.”

[60:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “right hand.”

[60:5]  ⁵ tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”

[60:5]  ⁶ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text, “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

[108:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “right hand.”

[108:6]  ⁸ tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text: “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”

[118:25]  ¹⁰ sn A petition for deliverance and success seems odd in a psalm thanking God for deliverance, but it is not unique (see Ps 9:19-20). The people ask God to continue to intervene for them as he has for the psalmist.

[28:9]  ¹³ tn Or “bless.”

[28:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.

[28:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”

[28:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “forever.”

[12:1]  ¹⁶ sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.

[12:1]  ¹⁷ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.

[12:1]  ¹⁸ tn The singular form is collective or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[12:1]  ¹⁹ tn Or “have come to an end.”

[12:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”

[12:1]  ²¹ tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”

[44:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “take possession of.”

[44:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.

[44:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).

[44:3]  ²² tn Heb “your arm.”

[44:3]  ²³ tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[44:3]  ²⁴ tn Or “favorable toward.”

[98:1]  ²² sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.

[98:1]  ²³ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.

[98:1]  ²⁴ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.

[98:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.