Discovery BoxPsalms 56:9-13
Context56:9 My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help; 1
I know that God is on my side. 2
56:10 In God – I boast in his promise 3 –
in the Lord – I boast in his promise 4 –
56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 5 do to me? 6
56:12 I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God; 7
I will give you the thank-offerings you deserve, 8
56:13 when you deliver 9 my life from death.
You keep my feet from stumbling, 10
[56:9] 1 tn Heb “then my enemies will turn back in the day I cry out.” The Hebrew particle אָז (’az, “then”) is probably used here to draw attention to the following statement.
[56:9] 2 tn Heb “this I know, that God is for me.”
[56:10] 3 tn Heb “in God I praise a word.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult. The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except that the third person pronominal suffix is omitted here, where the text has simply “a word” instead of “his word.” (1) One could translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” refers to a song of praise. (2) If one assumes that God’s word is in view, as in v. 4, then one option is to translate, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” In this case the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and “[his] word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. (3) The present translation reflects another option: In this case “I praise [his] word” is a parenthetical statement, with “[his] word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in v. 11, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:10] 4 tn The phrase “in the
[56:11] 5 tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”
[56:11] 6 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:12] 7 tn Heb “upon me, O God, [are] your vows.”
[56:12] 8 tn Heb “I will repay thank-offerings to you.”
[56:13] 9 tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the
[56:13] 10 tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.
[56:13] 11 tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.
[56:13] 12 tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.
