Psalms 55:1

Psalm 55 ¹ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ²  by David.

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

Do not ignore ³  my appeal for mercy!

Psalms 61:1

Psalm 61 ⁴ 

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!

Psalms 76:1

Psalm 76 ⁵ 

For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.

76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah; ⁶ 

in Israel his reputation ⁷  is great.

Psalms 77:6

77:6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;

I will think very carefully.”

I tried to make sense of what was happening. ⁸ 

[55:1]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “hide yourself from.”

[61:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 61. The psalmist cries out for help and expresses his confidence that God will protect him.

[76:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.

[76:1]  ⁸ tn Or “God is known in Judah.”

[76:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[77:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.