Psalms 40:8

40:8 I want to do what pleases you, ¹  my God.

Your law dominates my thoughts.” ² 

Psalms 22:14

22:14 My strength drains away like water; ³ 

all my bones are dislocated;

my heart ⁴  is like wax;

it melts away inside me.

Psalms 71:6

71:6 I have leaned on you since birth; ⁵ 

you pulled me ⁶  from my mother’s womb.

I praise you continually. ⁷ 

[40:8]  ¹ tn Or “your will.”

[40:8]  ² tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.

[22:14]  ³ tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”

[22:14]  ⁴ sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.

[71:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the womb.”

[71:6]  ⁶ tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”).

[71:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”