Psalms 55:7

55:7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;

I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)

Psalms 65:12

65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture, ¹ 

and the hills are clothed with joy. ² 

Psalms 75:6

75:6 For victory does not come from the east or west,

or from the wilderness. ³ 

Psalms 78:19

78:19 They insulted God, saying, ⁴ 

“Is God really able to give us food ⁵  in the wilderness?

Psalms 95:8

95:8 He says, ⁶  “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, ⁷ 

like they were that day at Massah ⁸  in the wilderness, ⁹ 

Psalms 102:6

102:6 I am like an owl ¹⁰  in the wilderness;

I am like a screech owl ¹¹  among the ruins. ¹² 

Psalms 106:9

106:9 He shouted at ¹³  the Red Sea and it dried up;

he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.

Psalms 107:4

107:4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;

they found no city in which to live.

Psalms 107:35

107:35 As for his people, ¹⁴  he turned ¹⁵  a desert into a pool of water,

and a dry land into springs of water.

[65:12]  ¹ tn Heb “drip.”

[65:12]  ² tn That is, with rich vegetation that brings joy to those who see it.

[75:6]  ¹ tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.

[78:19]  ¹ tn Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”

[78:19]  ² tn Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”

[95:8]  ¹ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).

[95:8]  ² sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.

[95:8]  ³ sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).

[95:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”

[102:6]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term קָאַת (qa’at) refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (see Zeph 2:14). Modern translations have frequently rendered this as some type of owl (NIV, REB “desert owl”; NRSV “owl”).

[102:6]  ² tn The Hebrew term כוֹס (khos) refers to a bird (see Lev 11:17; Deut 14:16), probably a type of owl (cf. NIV, REB “owl”; NRSV “little owl”).

[102:6]  ³ sn By comparing himself to a screech owl among the ruins, the psalmist may be highlighting his loneliness (see v. 7), though he may also be comparing his cries for help to the owl’s screech.

[106:9]  ¹ tn Or “rebuked.”

[107:35]  ¹ tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion.

[107:35]  ² tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33.