Psalms 3:3

3:3 But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; ¹ 

you are my glory ²  and the one who restores me. ³ 

Psalms 22:19

22:19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away!

You are my source of strength! ⁴  Hurry and help me! ⁵ 

Psalms 41:10

41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,

so I can pay them back!” ⁶ 

Psalms 59:8

59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; ⁷ 

you taunt ⁸  all the nations.

Psalms 89:38

89:38 But you have spurned ⁹  and rejected him;

you are angry with your chosen king. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 102:12

102:12 But you, O Lord, rule forever, ¹¹ 

and your reputation endures. ¹² 

Psalms 109:28

109:28 They curse, but you will bless. ¹³ 

When they attack, they will be humiliated, ¹⁴ 

but your servant will rejoice.

[3:3]  ¹ tn Heb “a shield round about me.”

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “my glory,” or “my honor.” The psalmist affirms that the Lord is his source of honor, i.e., the one who gives him honor in the sight of others. According to BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 7, the phrase refers to God as the one to whom the psalmist gives honor. But the immediate context focuses on what God does for the psalmist, not vice-versa.

[3:3]  ³ tn Heb “[the one who] lifts my head.” This phrase could be understood to refer to a general strengthening of the psalmist by God during difficult circumstances. However, if one takes the suggestion of the superscription that this is a Davidic psalm written during the revolt of Absalom, the phrase “lift the head” could refer to the psalmist’s desire for restoration to his former position (cf. Gen 40:13 where the same phrase is used). Like the Hebrew text, the present translation (“who restores me”) can be understood in either sense.

[22:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “O my strength.”

[22:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “hurry to my help.”

[41:10]  ⁷ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.

[59:8]  ¹⁰ sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.

[59:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).

[89:38]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.

[89:38]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 132:10, 17).

[102:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “sit” (i.e., sit enthroned, see Ps 9:7). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.

[102:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.”

[109:28]  ¹⁹ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).

[109:28]  ²⁰ tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.