Psalms 31:23

31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers ¹  of his!

The Lord protects those who have integrity,

but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. ² 

Psalms 137:8

137:8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! ³ 

How blessed will be the one who repays you

for what you dished out to us! ⁴ 

Psalms 137:2

137:2 On the poplars in her midst

we hang our harps,

Psalms 4:1

Psalm 4 ⁵ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.

4:1 When I call out, answer me,

O God who vindicates me! ⁶ 

Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. ⁷ 

Have mercy on me ⁸  and respond to ⁹  my prayer!

Revelation 18:6

18:6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; ¹⁰  pay her back double ¹¹  corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her.

[31:23]  ¹ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[31:23]  ² tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.

[137:8]  ³ tn Heb “O devastated daughter of Babylon.” The psalmist dramatically anticipates Babylon’s demise.

[137:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “O the happiness of the one who repays you your wage which you paid to us.”

[4:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 4. The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer, expresses his confidence that the Lord will intervene, and urges his enemies to change their ways and place their trust in God. He concludes with another prayer for divine intervention and again affirms his absolute confidence in God’s protection.

[4:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “God of my righteousness.”

[4:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his 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 deliverance as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). 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.

[4:1]  ⁸ tn Or “show me favor.”

[4:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “hear.”

[18:6]  ¹⁰ tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:6]  ¹¹ tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”