Psalms 3:7

3:7 Rise up, ¹  Lord!

Deliver me, my God!

Yes, ²  you will strike ³  all my enemies on the jaw;

you will break the teeth ⁴  of the wicked. ⁵ 

Psalms 7:1

Psalm 7 ⁶ 

A musical composition ⁷  by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning ⁸  a Benjaminite named Cush. ⁹ 

7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. ¹⁰ 

Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!

Psalms 12:1

Psalm 12 ¹¹ 

For the music director; according to the sheminith style; ¹²  a psalm of David.

12:1 Deliver, Lord!

For the godly ¹³  have disappeared; ¹⁴ 

people of integrity ¹⁵  have vanished. ¹⁶ 

Psalms 20:6

20:6 Now I am sure ¹⁷  that the Lord will deliver ¹⁸  his chosen king; ¹⁹ 

he will intervene for him ²⁰  from his holy heavenly temple, ²¹ 

and display his mighty ability to deliver. ²² 

Psalms 31:2

31:2 Listen to me! ²³ 

Quickly deliver me!

Be my protector and refuge, ²⁴ 

a stronghold where I can be safe! ²⁵ 

Psalms 44:3

44:3 For they did not conquer ²⁶  the land by their swords,

and they did not prevail by their strength, ²⁷ 

but rather by your power, ²⁸  strength ²⁹  and good favor, ³⁰ 

for you were partial to ³¹  them.

Psalms 54:1

Psalm 54 ³² 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ³³  by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” ³⁴ 

54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! ³⁵ 

Vindicate me ³⁶  by your power!

Psalms 98:1

Psalm 98 ³⁷ 

A psalm.

98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, ³⁸ 

for he performs ³⁹  amazing deeds!

His right hand and his mighty arm

accomplish deliverance. ⁴⁰ 

[3:7]  ¹ tn In v. 2 the psalmist describes his enemies as those who “confront” him (קָמִים [qamim], literally, “rise up against him”). Now, using the same verbal root (קוּם, qum) he asks the Lord to rise up (קוּמָה, qumah) in his defense.

[3:7]  ² tn Elsewhere in the psalms the particle כִּי (ki), when collocated with a perfect verbal form and subordinated to a preceding imperative directed to God, almost always has an explanatory or causal force (“for, because”) and introduces a motivating argument for why God should respond positively to the request (see Pss 5:10; 6:2; 12:1; 16:1; 41:4; 55:9; 56:1; 57:1; 60:2; 69:1; 74:20; 119:94; 123:3; 142:6; 143:8). (On three occasions the כִּי is recitative after a verb of perception [“see/know that,” see Pss 4:3; 25:19; 119:159]). If כִּי is taken as explanatory here, then the psalmist is arguing that God should deliver him now because that is what God characteristically does. However, such a motivating argument is not used in the passages cited above. The motivating argument usually focuses on the nature of the psalmist’s dilemma or the fact that he trusts in the Lord. For this reason it is unlikely that כִּי has its normal force here. Most scholars understand the particle כִּי as having an asseverative (emphasizing) function here (“indeed, yes”; NEB leaves the particle untranslated).

[3:7]  ³ tn If the particle כִּי (ki) is taken as explanatory, then the perfect verbal forms in v. 7b would describe God’s characteristic behavior. However, as pointed out in the preceding note on the word “yes,” the particle probably has an asseverative force here. If so, the perfects may be taken as indicating rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s assault on his enemies as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm, as expressed before (vv. 3-6) and after this (v. 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“Strike all my enemies on the jaw, break the teeth of the wicked”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.

[3:7]  ⁴ sn The expression break the teeth may envision violent hand-to hand combat, though it is possible that the enemies are pictured here as a dangerous animal (see Job 29:17).

[3:7]  ⁵ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[7:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.

[7:1]  ⁷ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.

[7:1]  ⁸ tn Or “on account of.”

[7:1]  ⁹ sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.

[7:1]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

[12:1]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn Or “have come to an end.”

[12:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”

[12:1]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”

[20:6]  ¹⁶ tn Or “know.”

[20:6]  ¹⁷ tn The perfect verbal form is probably used rhetorically to state that the deliverance is as good as done. In this way the speaker emphasizes the certainty of the deliverance. Another option is to take the statement as generalizing; the psalmist affirms that the Lord typically delivers the king.

[20:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “his anointed one.” This title refers to the Davidic king. See Pss 2:2 and 18:50.

[20:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he will answer him.”

[20:6]  ²⁰ tn Heb “from his holy heavens.”

[20:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “with mighty acts of deliverance of his right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Ps 17:7).

[31:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”

[31:2]  ²² tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”

[31:2]  ²³ tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”

[44:3]  ²⁶ tn Or “take possession of.”

[44:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.

[44:3]  ²⁸ tn Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).

[44:3]  ²⁹ tn Heb “your arm.”

[44:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[44:3]  ³¹ tn Or “favorable toward.”

[54:1]  ³¹ sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.

[54:1]  ³² 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 52.

[54:1]  ³³ tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”

[54:1]  ³⁴ tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).

[54:1]  ³⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.

[98:1]  ³⁶ sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.

[98:1]  ³⁷ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.

[98:1]  ³⁸ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.

[98:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.