Psalms 41:12

41:12 As for me, you uphold ¹  me because of my integrity; ² 

you allow ³  me permanent access to your presence. ⁴ 

Psalms 42:2

42:2 I thirst ⁵  for God,

for the living God.

I say, ⁶  “When will I be able to go and appear in God’s presence?” ⁷ 

[41:12]  ¹ tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.

[41:12]  ² sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.

[41:12]  ³ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).

[41:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”

[42:2]  ⁵ tn Or “my soul thirsts.”

[42:2]  ⁶ tn The words “I say” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.

[42:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “When will I go and appear [to] the face of God?” Some emend the Niphal verbal form אֵרָאֶה (’era’eh, “I will appear”) to a Qal אֶרְאֶה (’er’eh, “I will see”; see Gen 33:10), but the Niphal can be retained if one understands ellipsis of אֶת (’et) before “face” (see Exod 34:24; Deut 31:11).