Psalms 40:11

40:11 O Lord, you do not withhold ¹  your compassion from me.

May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! ² 

Psalms 57:3

57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me ³ 

from my enemies who hurl insults! ⁴  (Selah)

May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!

Psalms 97:11

97:11 The godly bask in the light;

the morally upright experience joy. ⁵ 

Psalms 119:105

נ (Nun)

119:105 Your word ⁶  is a lamp to walk by,

and a light to illumine my path. ⁷ 

Psalms 119:2

119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,

and seek him with all their heart,

Psalms 15:1

Psalm 15 ⁸ 

A psalm of David.

15:1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home? ⁹ 

Who may live on your holy hill? ¹⁰ 

Micah 7:8

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ¹¹  do not gloat ¹²  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ¹³ 

Micah 7:20

7:20 You will be loyal to Jacob

and extend your loyal love to Abraham, ¹⁴ 

which you promised on oath to our ancestors ¹⁵ 

in ancient times. ¹⁶ 

John 1:4

1:4 In him was life, ¹⁷  and the life was the light of mankind. ¹⁸ 

John 1:17

1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but ¹⁹  grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

[40:11]  ¹ tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (lo’), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).

[40:11]  ² tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.

[57:3]  ³ tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).

[57:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”

[97:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.

[119:105]  ⁶ tn Many medieval Hebrew mss read the plural (“words”).

[119:105]  ⁷ tn Heb “[is] a lamp for my foot and a light for my path.”

[15:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 15. This psalm describes the character qualities that one must possess to be allowed access to the divine presence.

[15:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “Who may live as a resident alien in your tent?”

[15:1]  ¹⁰ sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.

[7:8]  ¹¹ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ¹² tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ¹³ sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[7:20]  ¹⁴ tn More literally, “You will extend loyalty to Jacob, and loyal love to Abraham.

[7:20]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “our fathers.” The Hebrew term refers here to more distant ancestors, not immediate parents.

[7:20]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “which you swore [or, “pledged”] to our fathers from days of old.”

[1:4]  ¹⁷ tn John uses ζωή (zwh) 37 times: 17 times it occurs with αἰώνιος (aiwnios), and in the remaining occurrences outside the prologue it is clear from context that “eternal” life is meant. The two uses in 1:4, if they do not refer to “eternal” life, would be the only exceptions. (Also 1 John uses ζωή 13 times, always of “eternal” life.)

[1:4]  ¹⁸ tn Or “humanity”; Grk “of men” (but ἄνθρωπος [anqrwpo"] is used in a generic sense here, not restricted to males only, thus “mankind,” “humanity”).

[1:17]  ¹⁹ tn “But” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the implied contrast between the Mosaic law and grace through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 seems to indicate clearly that the Old Covenant (Sinai) was being contrasted with the New. In Jewish sources the Law was regarded as a gift from God (Josephus, Ant. 3.8.10 [3.223]; Pirqe Avot 1.1; Sifre Deut 31:4 §305). Further information can be found in T. F. Glasson, Moses in the Fourth Gospel (SBT).