Psalms 28:1

Psalm 28 ¹ 

By David.

28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!

My protector, ²  do not ignore me! ³ 

If you do not respond to me, ⁴ 

I will join ⁵  those who are descending into the grave. ⁶ 

Psalms 47:9

47:9 The nobles of the nations assemble,

along with the people of the God of Abraham, ⁷ 

for God has authority over the rulers ⁸  of the earth.

He is highly exalted! ⁹ 

Psalms 62:8

62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!

Pour out your hearts before him! ¹⁰ 

God is our shelter! (Selah)

Psalms 95:10

95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted ¹¹  with that generation,

and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; ¹² 

they do not obey my commands.’ ¹³ 

Psalms 104:25

104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, ¹⁴ 

which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, ¹⁵ 

living things both small and large.

Psalms 126:2

126:2 At that time we laughed loudly

and shouted for joy. ¹⁶ 

At that time the nations said, ¹⁷ 

“The Lord has accomplished great things for these people.”

Psalms 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ¹⁸ 

Do not reject me, ¹⁹ 

or I will join ²⁰  those descending into the grave. ²¹ 

[28:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.

[28:1]  ² tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

[28:1]  ³ tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”

[28:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”

[28:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[28:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.

[47:9]  ⁷ tc The words “along with” do not appear in the MT. However, the LXX has “with,” suggesting that the original text may have read עִם עַם (’im ’am, “along with the people”). In this case the MT is haplographic (the consonantal sequence ayin-mem [עם] being written once instead of twice). Another option is that the LXX is simply and correctly interpreting “people” as an adverbial accusative and supplying the appropriate preposition.

[47:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “for to God [belong] the shields of the earth.” Perhaps the rulers are called “shields” because they are responsible for protecting their people. See Ps 84:9, where the Davidic king is called “our shield,” and perhaps also Hos 4:18.

[47:9]  ⁹ tn The verb עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”) appears once more (see v. 5), though now in the Niphal stem.

[62:8]  ¹³ tn To “pour out one’s heart” means to offer up to God intense, emotional lamentation and petitionary prayers (see Lam 2:19).

[95:10]  ¹⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.

[95:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”

[95:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the Lord’s “ways” are his commands, viewed as a pathway from which his people, likened to wayward sheep (see v. 7), wander.

[104:25]  ²⁵ tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”

[104:25]  ²⁶ tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”

[126:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with a shout.”

[126:2]  ³² tn Heb “they said among the nations.”

[143:7]  ³⁷ tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ³⁸ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[143:7]  ³⁹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.