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 67:1

Psalm 67 ⁴ 

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

67:1 May God show us his favor ⁵  and bless us! ⁶ 

May he smile on us! ⁷  (Selah)

Psalms 76:1

Psalm 76 ⁸ 

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

76:1 God has revealed himself in Judah; ⁹ 

in Israel his reputation ¹⁰  is great.

Psalms 54:1

Psalm 54 ¹¹ 

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ¹²  by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” ¹³ 

54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! ¹⁴ 

Vindicate me ¹⁵  by your power!

[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.”

[67:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world.

[67:1]  ⁵ tn Or “have mercy on us.”

[67:1]  ⁶ tn The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (ya’er) in the next line.

[67:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.”

[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.

[54:1]  ¹⁰ sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.

[54:1]  ¹¹ 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.

[54:1]  ¹² tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”

[54:1]  ¹³ tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).

[54:1]  ¹⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.