Psalms 37:11

37:11 But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity. ¹ 

Psalms 37:18

37:18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day ² 

and they possess a permanent inheritance. ³ 

Psalms 32:1

Psalm 32 ⁴ 

By David; a well-written song. ⁵ 

32:1 How blessed ⁶  is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, ⁷ 

whose sin is pardoned! ⁸ 

Psalms 115:15

115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

the creator ⁹  of heaven and earth!

Psalms 128:1

Psalm 128 ¹⁰ 

A song of ascents. ¹¹ 

128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers, ¹² 

each one who keeps his commands! ¹³ 

Proverbs 3:33

3:33 The Lord’s curse ¹⁴  is on the household ¹⁵  of the wicked, ¹⁶ 

but he blesses ¹⁷  the home ¹⁸  of the righteous. ¹⁹ 

[37:11]  ¹ tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”

[37:18]  ² tn Heb “the Lord knows the days of the innocent ones.” He “knows” their days in the sense that he is intimately aware of and involved in their daily struggles. He meets their needs and sustains them.

[37:18]  ³ tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”

[32:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.

[32:1]  ⁵ 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.

[32:1]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.

[32:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “lifted up.”

[32:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “covered over.”

[115:15]  ⁹ tn Or “maker.”

[128:1]  ¹⁰ sn Psalm 128. The psalmist observes that the godly individual has genuine happiness because the Lord rewards such a person with prosperity and numerous children.

[128:1]  ¹¹ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[128:1]  ¹² tn Heb “every fearer of the Lord.”

[128:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “the one who walks in his ways.”

[3:33]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the curse of the Lord.” This expression features a genitive of possession or source: “the Lord’s curse” or “a curse from the Lord.” The noun מְאֵרַה (mÿ’erah, “curse”) connotes banishment or separation from the place of blessing. It is the antonym of בְּרָכָה (bÿrakhah, “blessing”). The curse of God brings ruin and failure to crops, land in general, an individual, or the nation (Deut 28:20; Mal 2:2; 3:9; see BDB 76 s.v. מְאֵרַה; HALOT 541 s.v.).

[3:33]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “house.” The term בֵּית (bet, “house”) functions as a synecdoche of container (= house) for the persons contained (= household). See, e.g., Exod 1:21; Deut 6:22; Josh 22:15 (BDB 109 s.v. 5.a).

[3:33]  ¹⁶ sn The term “wicked” is singular; the term “righteous” in the second half of the verse is plural. In scripture such changes often hint at God’s reluctance to curse, but eagerness to bless (e.g., Gen 12:3).

[3:33]  ¹⁷ sn The term “bless” (בָּרַךְ, barakh) is the antithesis of “curse.” A blessing is a gift, enrichment, or endowment. The blessing of God empowers one with the ability to succeed, and brings vitality and prosperity in the material realm, but especially in one’s spiritual relationship with God.

[3:33]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “habitation.” The noun נָוֶה (naveh, “habitation; abode”), which is the poetic parallel to בֵּית (bet, “house”), usually refers to the abode of a shepherd in the country: “habitation” in the country (BDB 627 s.v. נָוֶה). It functions as a synecdoche of container (= habitation) for the contents (= people in the habitation and all they possess).

[3:33]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew is structured chiastically (AB:BA): “The curse of the Lord / is on the house of the wicked // but the home of the righteous / he blesses.” The word order in the translation is reversed for the sake of smoothness and readability.