Psalms 44:2-3

Context

44:2 You, by your power,¹ defeated nations and settled our fathers on their land;²

you crushed³ the people living there⁴ and enabled our ancestors to occupy it.⁵

44:3 For they did not conquer⁶ the land by their swords,

and they did not prevail by their strength,⁷

but rather by your power,⁸ strength⁹ and good favor,¹⁰

for you were partial to¹¹ them.

Psalms 136:17-22

Context

136:17 to the one who struck down great kings,

for his loyal love endures,

136:18 and killed powerful kings,

for his loyal love endures,

136:19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his loyal love endures,

136:20 Og, king of Bashan,

for his loyal love endures,

136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance,

for his loyal love endures,

136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant,

for his loyal love endures,

[44:2] ¹tn Heb “you, your hand.”

[44:2] ²tn Heb “dispossessed nations and planted them.” The third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1). See Ps 80:8, 15.

[44:2] ³tn The verb form in the Hebrew text is a Hiphil preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive) from רָעַע (ra’a’, “be evil; be bad”). If retained it apparently means, “you injured; harmed.” Some prefer to derive the verb from רָעַע (“break”; cf. NEB “breaking up the peoples”), in which case the form must be revocalized as Qal (since this verb is unattested in the Hiphil).

[44:2] ⁴tn Or “peoples.”

[44:2] ⁵tn Heb “and you sent them out.” The translation assumes that the third masculine plural pronoun “them” refers to the fathers (v. 1), as in the preceding parallel line. See Ps 80:11, where Israel, likened to a vine, “spreads out” its tendrils to the west and east. Another option is to take the “peoples” as the referent of the pronoun and translate, “and you sent them away,” though this does not provide as tight a parallel with the corresponding line.

[44:3] ⁶tn Or “take possession of.”

[44:3] ⁷tn Heb “and their arm did not save them.” The “arm” here symbolizes military strength.

[44:3] ⁸tn Heb “your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver (see Pss 17:7; 20:6; 21:8).

[44:3] ⁹tn Heb “your arm.”

[44:3] ¹⁰tn Heb “light of your face.” The idiom “light of your face” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19; 89:15; Dan 9:17).

[44:3] ¹¹tn Or “favorable toward.”