Psalms 41:2

41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! ¹ 

May he be blessed ²  in the land!

Do not turn him over ³  to his enemies! ⁴ 

Psalms 46:8

46:8 Come! Witness the exploits ⁵  of the Lord,

who brings devastation to the earth! ⁶ 

Psalms 46:10

46:10 He says, ⁷  “Stop your striving and recognize ⁸  that I am God!

I will be exalted ⁹  over ¹⁰  the nations! I will be exalted over ¹¹  the earth!”

Psalms 58:2

58:2 No! ¹²  You plan how to do what is unjust; ¹³ 

you deal out violence in the earth. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 58:11

58:11 Then ¹⁵  observers ¹⁶  will say,

“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! ¹⁷ 

Yes indeed, there is a God who judges ¹⁸  in the earth!”

Psalms 67:4

67:4 Let foreigners ¹⁹  rejoice and celebrate!

For you execute justice among the nations,

and govern the people living on earth. ²⁰  (Selah)

Psalms 74:8

74:8 They say to themselves, ²¹ 

“We will oppress all of them.” ²² 

They burn down all the places where people worship God in the land. ²³ 

Psalms 140:11

140:11 A slanderer ²⁴  will not endure on ²⁵  the earth;

calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down. ²⁶ 

Psalms 142:5

142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

my security ²⁷  in the land of the living.”

Psalms 143:10

143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, ²⁸ 

for you are my God.

May your kind presence ²⁹ 

lead me ³⁰  into a level land. ³¹ 

[41:2]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.

[41:2]  ² tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).

[41:2]  ³ tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.

[41:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).

[46:8]  ⁵ sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).

[46:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.

[46:10]  ⁹ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[46:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “do nothing/be quiet (see 1 Sam 15:16) and know.” This statement may be addressed to the hostile nations, indicating they should cease their efforts to destroy God’s people, or to Judah, indicating they should rest secure in God’s protection. Since the psalm is an expression of Judah’s trust and confidence, it is more likely that the words are directed to the nations, who are actively promoting chaos and are in need of a rebuke.

[46:10]  ¹¹ tn Elsewhere in the psalms the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”) when used of God, refers to his exalted position as king (Pss 18:46; 99:2; 113:4; 138:6) and/or his self-revelation as king through his mighty deeds of deliverance (Pss 21:13; 57:5, 11).

[46:10]  ¹² tn Or “among.”

[46:10]  ¹³ tn Or “in.”

[58:2]  ¹³ tn The particle אַף (’af, “no”) is used here as a strong adversative emphasizing the following statement, which contrasts reality with the rulers’ claim alluded to in the rhetorical questions (see Ps 44:9).

[58:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “in the heart unjust deeds you do.” The phrase “in the heart” (i.e., “mind”) seems to refer to their plans and motives. The Hebrew noun עַוְלָה (’avlah, “injustice”) is collocated with פָּעַל (pa’al, “do”) here and in Job 36:23 and Ps 119:3. Some emend the plural form עוֹלֹת (’olot, “unjust deeds”; see Ps 64:6) to the singular עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”; see Job 34:32), taking the final tav (ת) as dittographic (note that the following verbal form begins with tav). Some then understand עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”) as a genitive modifying “heart” and translate, “with a heart of injustice you act.”

[58:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “in the earth the violence of your hands you weigh out.” The imagery is from the economic realm. The addressees measure out violence, rather than justice, and distribute it like a commodity. This may be ironic, since justice was sometimes viewed as a measuring scale (see Job 31:6).

[58:11]  ¹⁷ tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.

[58:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.

[58:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”

[58:11]  ²⁰ tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.

[67:4]  ²¹ tn Or “peoples.”

[67:4]  ²² tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).

[74:8]  ²⁵ tn Heb “in their heart.”

[74:8]  ²⁶ tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).

[74:8]  ²⁷ tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”

[140:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”

[140:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “be established in.”

[140:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.

[142:5]  ³³ tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

[143:10]  ³⁷ tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.

[143:10]  ³⁸ tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).

[143:10]  ³⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

[143:10]  ⁴⁰ sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.