Psalms 50:15

50:15 Pray to me when you are in trouble! ¹ 

I will deliver you, and you will honor me!” ² 

Psalms 87:3

87:3 People say wonderful things about you, ³ 

O city of God. (Selah)

Psalms 149:8

149:8 They bind ⁴  their kings in chains,

and their nobles in iron shackles,

Psalms 50:23

50:23 Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. ⁵ 

To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.” ⁶ 

Psalms 86:12

86:12 O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart!

I will honor your name continually! ⁷ 

Psalms 91:15

91:15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him.

I will be with him when he is in trouble;

I will rescue him and bring him honor.

Psalms 15:4

15:4 He despises a reprobate, ⁸ 

but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. ⁹ 

He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 32:4

32:4 For day and night you tormented me; ¹¹ 

you tried to destroy me ¹²  in the intense heat ¹³  of summer. ¹⁴  (Selah)

Psalms 38:4

38:4 For my sins overwhelm me; ¹⁵ 

like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.

Psalms 86:9

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ¹⁶  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

Psalms 22:23

22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, ¹⁷  praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! ¹⁸ 

[50:15]  ¹ tn Heb “call [to] me in a day of trouble.”

[50:15]  ² sn In vv. 7-15 the Lord makes it clear that he was not rebuking Israel because they had failed to offer sacrifices (v. 8a). On the contrary, they had been faithful in doing so (v. 8b). However, their understanding of the essence of their relationship with God was confused. Apparently they believed that he needed/desired such sacrifices and that offering them would ensure their prosperity. But the Lord owns all the animals of the world and did not need Israel’s meager sacrifices (vv. 9-13). Other aspects of the relationship were more important to the Lord. He desired Israel to be thankful for his blessings (v. 14a), to demonstrate gratitude for his intervention by repaying the vows they made to him (v. 14b), and to acknowledge their absolute dependence on him (v. 15a). Rather than viewing their sacrifices as somehow essential to God’s well-being, they needed to understand their dependence on him.

[87:3]  ³ tn Heb “glorious things are spoken about you.” The translation assumes this is a general reference to compliments paid to Zion by those who live within her walls and by those who live in the surrounding areas and lands. Another option is that this refers to a prophetic oracle about the city’s glorious future. In this case one could translate, “wonderful things are announced concerning you.”

[149:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “to bind.”

[50:23]  ⁷ sn The reference to a thank-offering recalls the earlier statement made in v. 14. Gratitude characterizes genuine worship.

[50:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “and [to one who] sets a way I will show the deliverance of God.” Elsewhere the phrase “set a way” simply means “to travel” (see Gen 30:36; cf. NRSV). The present translation assumes an emendation of וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ (vÿsam derekh) to וְשֹׁמֵר דְּרָכַּי (vÿshomer dÿrakhay, “and [the one who] keeps my ways” [i.e., commands, see Pss 18:21; 37:34). Another option is to read וְשֹׁמֵר דַּרְכּוֹ (vÿshomer darko, “and [the one who] guards his way,” i.e., “the one who is careful to follow a godly lifestyle”; see Ps 39:1).

[86:12]  ⁹ tn Or “forever.”

[15:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “despised in his eyes [is] a rejected [one].” The Hebrew term נִמְאָס (nim’as, “rejected [one]”) apparently refers here to one who has been rejected by God because of his godless behavior. It stands in contrast to “those who fear God” in the following line.

[15:4]  ¹² tn Heb “those who fear the Lord.” The one who fears the Lord respects his sovereignty and obeys his commandments. See Ps 128:1; Prov 14:2.

[15:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “he takes an oath to do harm and does not change.” The phrase “to do harm” cannot mean “do harm to others,” for the preceding verse clearly characterizes this individual as one who does not harm others. In this context the phrase must refer to an oath to which a self-imprecation is attached. The godly individual takes his commitments to others so seriously he is willing to “swear to his own hurt.” For an example of such an oath, see Ruth 1:16-17.

[32:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”

[32:4]  ¹⁴ tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (lÿshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (lÿshuddiy, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.

[32:4]  ¹⁵ tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”

[32:4]  ¹⁶ sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.

[38:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “pass over my head.”

[86:9]  ¹⁷ tn Or “bow down before you.”

[22:23]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[22:23]  ²⁰ tn Heb “fear him.”