Psalms 5:1-2

Psalm 5 ¹ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; ²  a psalm of David.

5:1 Listen to what I say, ³  Lord!

Carefully consider my complaint! ⁴ 

5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,

my king and my God,

for I am praying to you!

Psalms 17:1

Psalm 17 ⁵ 

A prayer of David.

17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! ⁶ 

Pay attention to my cry for help!

Listen to the prayer

I sincerely offer! ⁷ 

Psalms 55:1-2

Psalm 55 ⁸ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ⁹  by David.

55:1 Listen, O God, to my prayer!

Do not ignore ¹⁰  my appeal for mercy!

55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!

I am so upset ¹¹  and distressed, ¹²  I am beside myself, ¹³ 

Psalms 61:1-2

Psalm 61 ¹⁴ 

For the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.

61:1 O God, hear my cry for help!

Pay attention to my prayer!

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ¹⁵ 

I call out to you in my despair. ¹⁶ 

Lead me ¹⁷  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ¹⁸ 

Psalms 61:2

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ¹⁹ 

I call out to you in my despair. ²⁰ 

Lead me ²¹  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ²² 

Psalms 6:1

Psalm 6 ²³ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; ²⁴  a psalm of David.

6:1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger!

Do not discipline me in your raging fury! ²⁵ 

Nehemiah 1:6

1:6 may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed ²⁶  against you – both I myself and my family ²⁷  have sinned.

Nehemiah 1:11

1:11 Please, ²⁸  O Lord, listen attentively ²⁹  to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect ³⁰  to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me ³¹  in the presence of this man.”

Now ³²  I was cupbearer for the king.

Isaiah 37:17

37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! ³³ 

Daniel 9:17-19

9:17 “So now, our God, accept ³⁴  the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to ³⁵  your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. ³⁶  9:18 Listen attentively, ³⁷  my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins ³⁸  and the city called by your name. ³⁹  For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, ⁴⁰  but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.” ⁴¹ 

[5:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.

[5:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).

[5:1]  ³ tn Heb “my words.”

[5:1]  ⁴ tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.

[17:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.

[17:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “hear, Lord, what is just.”

[17:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”

[55:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.

[55:1]  ⁹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.

[55:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hide yourself from.”

[55:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.

[55:2]  ¹² tn Heb “in my complaint.”

[55:2]  ¹³ tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (vÿ’ehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (vÿ’ehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).

[61:1]  ¹⁴ sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.

[61:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).

[61:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “while my heart faints.”

[61:2]  ¹⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[61:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”

[61:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).

[61:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “while my heart faints.”

[61:2]  ²¹ tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[61:2]  ²² tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”

[6:1]  ²³ sn Psalm 6. The psalmist begs the Lord to withdraw his anger and spare his life. Having received a positive response to his prayer, the psalmist then confronts his enemies and describes how they retreat.

[6:1]  ²⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit, “sheminith”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.

[6:1]  ²⁵ sn The implication is that the psalmist has sinned, causing God to discipline him by bringing a life-threatening illness upon him (see vv. 2-7).

[1:6]  ²⁶ tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons – to avoid redundancy in English – this was translated as “committed.”

[1:6]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the house of my father.”

[1:11]  ²⁸ tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).

[1:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”

[1:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “fear.”

[1:11]  ³¹ tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.

[1:11]  ³² tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.

[37:17]  ³³ tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”

[9:17]  ³⁴ tn Heb “hear.” Here the verb refers to hearing favorably, accepting the prayer and responding positively.

[9:17]  ³⁵ tn Heb “let your face shine.” This idiom pictures God smiling in favor. See Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19.

[9:17]  ³⁶ tn Heb “for the sake of my Lord.” Theodotion has “for your sake.” Cf. v. 19.

[9:18]  ³⁷ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[9:18]  ³⁸ tn Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.

[9:18]  ³⁹ tn Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19. This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Amos 9:12.

[9:18]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “praying our supplications before you.”

[9:19]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “for your name is called over your city and your people.” See the note on this expression in v 18.