Psalms 27:13

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? ¹ 

Psalms 78:22

78:22 because they did not have faith in God,

and did not trust his ability to deliver them. ² 

Psalms 78:32

78:32 Despite all this, they continued to sin,

and did not trust him to do amazing things. ³ 

Psalms 78:37

78:37 They were not really committed to him, ⁴ 

and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

Psalms 89:37

89:37 it will remain stable, like the moon, ⁵ 

his throne will endure like the skies.” ⁶  (Selah)

Psalms 111:7

111:7 His acts are characterized by ⁷  faithfulness and justice;

all his precepts are reliable. ⁸ 

Psalms 119:66

119:66 Teach me proper discernment ⁹  and understanding!

For I consider your commands to be reliable. ¹⁰ 

[27:13]  ¹ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” The words “Where would I be” are supplied in the translation to clarify the intent of the statement.

[78:22]  ² tn Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”

[78:32]  ³ tn Heb “and did not believe in his amazing deeds.”

[78:37]  ⁴ tn Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”

[89:37]  ⁵ tn Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”

[89:37]  ⁶ tn Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (vÿ’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22-23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, shÿkhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.

[111:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “the deeds of his hands [are].”

[111:7]  ⁷ tn That is, fair and for man’s good.

[119:66]  ⁷ tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.

[119:66]  ⁸ tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”