Psalms 4:2

4:2 You men, ¹  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ² 

How long ³  will you love what is worthless ⁴ 

and search for what is deceptive? ⁵  (Selah)

Psalms 48:8

48:8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds, now we have seen them, ⁶ 

in the city of the Lord, the invincible Warrior, ⁷ 

in the city of our God.

God makes it permanently secure. ⁸  (Selah)

Psalms 52:8

52:8 But I ⁹  am like a flourishing ¹⁰  olive tree in the house of God;

I continually ¹¹  trust in God’s loyal love.

Psalms 70:1

Psalm 70 ¹² 

For the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. ¹³ 

70:1 O God, please be willing to rescue me! ¹⁴ 

O Lord, hurry and help me! ¹⁵ 

Psalms 73:28

73:28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. ¹⁶ 

I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter,

as ¹⁷  I declare all the things you have done.

[4:2]  ¹ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ² tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ³ tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.

[48:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “As we have heard, so we have seen.” The community had heard about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history. Having personally witnessed his saving power with their own eyes, they could now affirm that the tradition was not exaggerated or inaccurate.

[48:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Pss 24:10; 46:7, 11).

[48:8]  ⁸ tn Or “God makes it secure forever.” The imperfect highlights the characteristic nature of the generalizing statement.

[52:8]  ¹¹ tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.

[52:8]  ¹² tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”

[52:8]  ¹³ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”

[70:1]  ¹⁶ sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.

[70:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).

[70:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “Lord” rather than “God.”

[70:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.

[73:28]  ²¹ tn Heb “but as for me, the nearness of God for me [is] good.”

[73:28]  ²² tn The infinitive construct with -לְ (lÿ) is understood here as indicating an attendant circumstance. Another option is to take it as indicating purpose (“so that I might declare”) or result (“with the result that I declare”).