Psalms 50:4

50:4 He summons the heavens above,

as well as the earth, so that he might judge his people. ¹ 

Psalms 50:18

50:18 When you see a thief, you join him; ² 

you associate with men who are unfaithful to their wives. ³ 

Psalms 73:10

73:10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat,

and even suck up the water of the sea. ⁴ 

Psalms 78:37

78:37 They were not really committed to him, ⁵ 

and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

Psalms 78:71

78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep, ⁶ 

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation. ⁷ 

Psalms 89:21

89:21 My hand will support him, ⁸ 

and my arm will strengthen him.

Psalms 89:24

89:24 He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love, ⁹ 

and by my name he will win victories. ¹⁰ 

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 94:14

94:14 Certainly ¹¹  the Lord does not forsake his people;

he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him. ¹² 

Psalms 116:14

116:14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

before all his people.

Psalms 116:18

116:18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

before all his people,

Psalms 135:14

135:14 For the Lord vindicates ¹³  his people,

and has compassion on his servants. ¹⁴ 

[50:4]  ¹ tn Or perhaps “to testify against his people.”

[50:18]  ² tn Heb “you run with him.”

[50:18]  ³ tn Heb “and with adulterers [is] your portion.”

[73:10]  ³ tc Heb “therefore his people return [so Qere (marginal reading); Kethib (consonantal text) has “he brings back”] to here, and waters of abundance are sucked up by them.” The traditional Hebrew text (MT) defies explanation. The present translation reflects M. Dahood’s proposed emendations (Psalms [AB], 2:190) and reads the Hebrew text as follows: לָכֵן יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם וּמֵי מָלֵא יָמֹצּוּ לָמוֹ (“therefore they are filled with food, and waters of abundance they suck up for themselves”). The reading יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם (yisvÿ’um lekhem, “they are filled with food”) assumes (1) an emendation of יָשׁיּב עַמּוֹ (yashyyv, “he will bring back his people”) to יִשְׂבְעוּם (yisvÿ’um, “they will be filled”; a Qal imperfect third masculine plural form from שָׂבַע [sava’] with enclitic mem [ם]), and (2) an emendation of הֲלֹם (halom, “to here”) to לֶחֶם (“food”). The expression “be filled/fill with food” appears elsewhere at least ten times (see Ps 132:15, for example). In the second line the Niphal form יִמָּצוּ (yimmatsu, derived from מָצָה, matsah, “drain”) is emended to a Qal form יָמֹצּוּ (yamotsu), derived from מָצַץ (matsats, “to suck”). In Isa 66:11 the verbs שָׂבַע (sava’; proposed in Ps 73:10a) and מָצַץ (proposed in Ps 73:10b) are parallel. The point of the emended text is this: Because they are seemingly sovereign (v. 9), they become greedy and grab up everything they need and more.

[78:37]  ⁴ tn Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”

[78:71]  ⁵ tn Heb “from after the ewes he brought him.”

[78:71]  ⁶ tn Heb “to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.”

[89:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”

[89:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”

[89:24]  ⁸ tn Heb “and by my name his horn will be lifted up.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[94:14]  ⁸ tn Or “for.”

[94:14]  ⁹ tn Or “his inheritance.”

[135:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the Lord “judges on behalf of” his people. The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic actions.

[135:14]  ¹⁰ sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.