Psalms 3:1

Psalm 3 ¹ 

A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. ² 

3:1 Lord, how ³  numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me. ⁴ 

Psalms 12:1

Psalm 12 ⁵ 

For the music director; according to the sheminith style; ⁶  a psalm of David.

12:1 Deliver, Lord!

For the godly ⁷  have disappeared; ⁸ 

people of integrity ⁹  have vanished. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 17:14

17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, ¹¹ 

from the murderers of this world! ¹² 

They enjoy prosperity; ¹³ 

you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. ¹⁴ 

They have many children,

and leave their wealth to their offspring. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 31:19

31:19 How great is your favor, ¹⁶ 

which you store up for your loyal followers! ¹⁷ 

In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter ¹⁸  in you. ¹⁹ 

Psalms 42:1

Book 2
(Psalms 42-72)

Psalm 42 ²⁰ 

For the music director; a well-written song ²¹  by the Korahites.

42:1 As a deer ²²  longs ²³  for streams of water,

so I long ²⁴  for you, O God!

Psalms 44:1

Psalm 44 ²⁵ 

For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song. ²⁶ 

44:1 O God, we have clearly heard; ²⁷ 

our ancestors ²⁸  have told us

what you did ²⁹  in their days,

in ancient times. ³⁰ 

Psalms 46:1

Psalm 46 ³¹ 

For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; ³²  a song.

46:1 God is our strong refuge; ³³ 

he is truly our helper in times of trouble. ³⁴ 

Psalms 53:2

53:2 God looks down from heaven ³⁵  at the human race, ³⁶ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ³⁷  and seeks God. ³⁸ 

Psalms 57:4

57:4 I am surrounded by lions;

I lie down ³⁹  among those who want to devour me; ⁴⁰ 

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are a sharp sword. ⁴¹ 

Psalms 58:1

Psalm 58 ⁴² 

For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ⁴³  a prayer ⁴⁴  of David.

58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? ⁴⁵ 

Do you judge people ⁴⁶  fairly?

Psalms 88:1

Psalm 88 ⁴⁷ 

A song, a psalm written by the Korahites; for the music director; according to the machalath-leannoth style; ⁴⁸  a well-written song ⁴⁹  by Heman the Ezrachite.

88:1 O Lord God who delivers me! ⁵⁰ 

By day I cry out

and at night I pray before you. ⁵¹ 

Psalms 106:38

106:38 They shed innocent blood –

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.

The land was polluted by bloodshed. ⁵² 

Psalms 137:7

137:7 Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did

on the day Jerusalem fell. ⁵³ 

They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, ⁵⁴ 

right to its very foundation!”

[3:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).

[3:1]  ² sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).

[3:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).

[3:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “many rise up against me.”

[12:1]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Or “have come to an end.”

[12:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”

[12:1]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”

[17:14]  ⁹ tc Heb “from men [by] your hand, Lord.” The translation assumes an emendation (both here and in the following line) of מִמְתִים (mimtim, “from men”) to מִמְמִתִים (mimmitim, “from those who kill”). For other uses of the plural form of the Hiphil participle of מוּת (mut, “die”), see 2 Kgs 17:26 (used with lions as subject), Job 33:22 (apparently referring to the agents of death), and Jer 26:15 (used of those seeking Jeremiah’s life).

[17:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”

[17:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “their portion, in life.”

[17:14]  ¹² tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”

[17:14]  ¹³ tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”

[31:19]  ¹³ tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”

[31:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “for those who fear you.”

[31:19]  ¹⁵ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 34:21-22).

[31:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”

[42:1]  ¹⁷ sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalms 42 and 43 into a single psalm.

[42:1]  ¹⁸ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[42:1]  ¹⁹ tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.

[42:1]  ²⁰ tn Or “pants [with thirst].”

[42:1]  ²¹ tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[44:1]  ²¹ sn Psalm 44. The speakers in this psalm (the worshiping community within the nation Israel) were disappointed with God. The psalm begins on a positive note, praising God for leading Israel to past military victories. Verses 1-8 appear to be a song of confidence and petition which the people recited prior to battle. But suddenly the mood changes as the nation laments a recent defeat. The stark contrast between the present and the past only heightens the nation’s confusion. Israel trusted in God for victory, but the Lord rejected them and allowed them to be humiliated in battle. If Israel had been unfaithful to God, their defeat would make sense, but the nation was loyal to the Lord. Comparing the Lord to a careless shepherd, the nation urges God to wake up and to extend his compassion to his suffering people.

[44:1]  ²² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.

[44:1]  ²³ tn Heb “with our ears we have heard.”

[44:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 2; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “fathers” or “ancestors” depending on the context.

[44:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the work you worked.”

[44:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in the days of old.” This refers specifically to the days of Joshua, during Israel’s conquest of the land, as vv. 2-3 indicate.

[46:1]  ²⁵ sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.

[46:1]  ²⁶ sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.

[46:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”

[46:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.

[53:2]  ²⁹ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[53:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[53:2]  ³¹ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[53:2]  ³² tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[57:4]  ³³ tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).

[57:4]  ³⁴ tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).

[57:4]  ³⁵ tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”

[58:1]  ³⁷ sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.

[58:1]  ³⁸ tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.

[58:1]  ³⁹ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[58:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.

[58:1]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)

[88:1]  ⁴¹ sn Psalm 88. The psalmist cries out in pain to the Lord, begging him for relief from his intense and constant suffering. The psalmist regards God as the ultimate cause of his distress, but nevertheless clings to God in hope.

[88:1]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew phrase מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת (makhalat lÿ’annot) may mean “illness to afflict.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term מָחֲלַת also appears in the superscription of Ps 53.

[88:1]  ⁴³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[88:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “O Lord God of my deliverance.” In light of the content of the psalm, this reference to God as the one who delivers seems overly positive. For this reason some emend the text to אַלֹהַי שִׁוַּעְתִּי (’alohay shivva’tiy, “[O Lord] my God, I cry out”). See v. 13.

[88:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “[by] day I cry out, in the night before you.”

[106:38]  ⁴⁵ sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

[137:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem.”

[137:7]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “lay [it] bare, lay [it] bare.”