Psalms 40:4

40:4 How blessed ¹  is the one ²  who trusts in the Lord ³ 

and does not seek help from ⁴  the proud or from liars! ⁵ 

Psalms 52:9

52:9 I will continually ⁶  thank you when ⁷  you execute judgment; ⁸ 

I will rely ⁹  on you, ¹⁰  for your loyal followers know you are good. ¹¹ 

Psalms 97:10

97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!

He protects ¹²  the lives of his faithful followers;

he delivers them from the power ¹³  of the wicked.

Psalms 148:14

148:14 He has made his people victorious, ¹⁴ 

and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –

the Israelites, the people who are close to him. ¹⁵ 

Praise the Lord!

[40:4]  ¹ 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).

[40:4]  ² tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.

[40:4]  ³ tn Heb “who has made the Lord his [object of] trust.”

[40:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”

[40:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”

[52:9]  ⁶ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

[52:9]  ⁷ tn Or “for.”

[52:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.

[52:9]  ⁹ tn Or “wait.”

[52:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.

[52:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

[97:10]  ¹¹ tn The participle may be verbal, though it might also be understood as substantival and appositional to “the Lord.” In this case one could translate, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord, the one who protects the lives…and delivers them.”

[97:10]  ¹² tn Heb “hand.”

[148:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the Lord gives his people military victory.

[148:14]  ¹⁷ tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.