Psalms 54:4

Context

54:4 Look, God is my deliverer!¹

The Lord is among those who support me.²

Psalms 55:18

Context

55:18 He will rescue³ me and protect me from those who attack me,⁴

even though⁵ they greatly outnumber me.⁶

Psalms 55:1

Context

Psalm 55⁷

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song⁸ by David.

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

Do not ignore⁹ my appeal for mercy!

Psalms 12:1

Context

Psalm 12¹⁰

For the music director; according to the sheminith style;¹¹ a psalm of David.

12:1 Deliver, Lord!

For the godly¹² have disappeared;¹³

people of integrity¹⁴ have vanished.¹⁵

[54:4] ¹tn Or “my helper.”

[54:4] ²tn Or “sustain my life.”

[55:18] ³tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).

[55:18] ⁴tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”

[55:18] ⁵tn Or “for.”

[55:18] ⁶tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (’immad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.

[55:1] ⁷sn 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] ⁸tn 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] ⁹tn Heb “hide yourself from.”

[12:1] ¹⁰sn Psalm 12. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed. When the Lord announces his intention to defend the oppressed, the psalmist affirms his confidence in the divine promise.

[12:1] ¹¹tn The meaning of the Hebrew term שְׁמִינִית (shÿminit) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. See 1 Chr 15:21.

[12:1] ¹²tn The singular form is collective or representative. Note the plural form “faithful [ones]” in the following line. A “godly [one]” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[12:1] ¹³tn Or “have come to an end.”

[12:1] ¹⁴tn Heb “the faithful [ones] from the sons of man.”

[12:1] ¹⁵tn The Hebrew verb פָּסַס (pasas) occurs only here. An Akkadian cognate means “efface, blot out.”