Psalms 34:9

34:9 Remain loyal to ¹  the Lord, you chosen people of his, ² 

for his loyal followers ³  lack nothing!

Psalms 66:16

66:16 Come! Listen, all you who are loyal to God! ⁴ 

I will declare what he has done for me.

Psalms 89:7

89:7 a God who is honored ⁵  in the great angelic assembly, ⁶ 

and more awesome than ⁷  all who surround him?

Psalms 111:9

111:9 He delivered his people; ⁸ 

he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. ⁹ 

His name is holy and awesome.

Psalms 141:5

141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!

May my head not refuse ¹⁰  choice oil! ¹¹ 

Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. ¹² 

[34:9]  ¹ tn Heb “fear.”

[34:9]  ² tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”

[34:9]  ³ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[66:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “all of the fearers of God.”

[89:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “feared.”

[89:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”

[89:7]  ⁹ tn Or perhaps “feared by.”

[111:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “redemption he sent for his people.”

[111:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he commanded forever his covenant.”

[141:5]  ¹³ tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.

[141:5]  ¹⁴ sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.

[141:5]  ¹⁵ tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.