Psalms 22:4

22:4 In you our ancestors ¹  trusted;

they trusted in you ²  and you rescued them.

Psalms 71:1

Psalm 71 ³ 

71:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!

Never let me be humiliated!

Psalms 87:3

87:3 People say wonderful things about you, ⁴ 

O city of God. (Selah)

Psalms 87:7

87:7 As for the singers, as well as the pipers –

all of them sing within your walls. ⁵ 

[22:4]  ¹ tn Heb “fathers.”

[22:4]  ² tn The words “in you” are supplied in the translation. They are understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

[71:1]  ³ sn Psalm 71. The psalmist prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him. The first three verses are very similar to Ps 31:1-3a.

[87:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “glorious things are spoken about you.” The translation assumes this is a general reference to compliments paid to Zion by those who live within her walls and by those who live in the surrounding areas and lands. Another option is that this refers to a prophetic oracle about the city’s glorious future. In this case one could translate, “wonderful things are announced concerning you.”

[87:7]  ⁷ tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (kholÿlim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated lamed (ל) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (mÿkholÿlim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol-ma’yanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ’anu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ’anah, “sing”).