Psalms 6:2

6:2 Have mercy on me, ¹  Lord, for I am frail!

Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking! ² 

Psalms 8:4

8:4 Of what importance is the human race, ³  that you should notice ⁴  them?

Of what importance is mankind, ⁵  that you should pay attention to them, ⁶ 

Psalms 22:11

22:11 Do not remain far away from me,

for trouble is near and I have no one to help me. ⁷ 

Psalms 41:11

41:11 By this ⁸  I know that you are pleased with me,

for my enemy does ⁹  not triumph ¹⁰  over me.

Psalms 49:16

49:16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich ¹¹ 

and his wealth multiplies! ¹² 

Psalms 49:18

49:18 He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive:

“May men praise you, for you have done well!”

Psalms 52:9

52:9 I will continually ¹³  thank you when ¹⁴  you execute judgment; ¹⁵ 

I will rely ¹⁶  on you, ¹⁷  for your loyal followers know you are good. ¹⁸ 

Psalms 71:24

71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,

for those who want to harm me ¹⁹  will be embarrassed and ashamed. ²⁰ 

Psalms 90:4

90:4 Yes, ²¹  in your eyes a thousand years

are like yesterday that quickly passes,

or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. ²² 

Psalms 102:13

102:13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion. ²³ 

For it is time to have mercy on her,

for the appointed time has come.

Psalms 135:3

135:3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good!

Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant! ²⁴ 

Psalms 135:5

135:5 Yes, ²⁵  I know the Lord is great,

and our Lord is superior to all gods.

Psalms 142:6

142:6 Listen to my cry for help,

for I am in serious trouble! ²⁶ 

Rescue me from those who chase me,

for they are stronger than I am.

Psalms 147:1

Psalm 147 ²⁷ 

147:1 Praise the Lord,

for it is good to sing praises to our God!

Yes, ²⁸  praise is pleasant and appropriate!

[6:2]  ¹ tn Or “show me favor.”

[6:2]  ² tn Normally the verb בָּהַל (bahal) refers to an emotional response and means “tremble with fear, be terrified” (see vv. 3, 10). Perhaps here the “bones” are viewed as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. However, the verb may describe one of the effects of his physical ailment, perhaps a fever. In Ezek 7:27 the verb describes how the hands of the people will shake with fear when they experience the horrors of divine judgment.

[8:4]  ³ tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.

[8:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “remember him.”

[8:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.

[8:4]  ⁶ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.

[22:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “and there is no helper.”

[41:11]  ⁷ sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.

[41:11]  ⁸ tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).

[41:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “shout.”

[49:16]  ⁹ sn When a man becomes rich. Why would people fear such a development? The acquisition of wealth makes individuals powerful and enables them to oppress others (see vv. 5-6).

[49:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “when the glory of his house grows great.”

[52:9]  ¹¹ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”

[52:9]  ¹² tn Or “for.”

[52:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (“for you act”) or (3) rhetorical (“for you will act”) use.

[52:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “wait.”

[52:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.

[52:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

[71:24]  ¹³ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[71:24]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.

[90:4]  ¹⁵ tn Or “for.”

[90:4]  ¹⁶ sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”

[102:13]  ¹⁷ tn The imperfect verbal forms are understood as expressing the psalmist’s confidence in God’s intervention. Another option is to take them as expressing the psalmist’s request or wish, “You, rise up and have compassion!”

[135:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for [it is] pleasant.” The translation assumes that it is the Lord’s “name” that is pleasant. Another option is to understand the referent of “it” as the act of praising (see Ps 147:1).

[135:5]  ²¹ tn Or “for.”

[142:6]  ²³ tn Heb “for I am very low.”

[147:1]  ²⁵ sn Psalm 147. The psalmist praises the Lord for he is the sovereign ruler of the world who cares for the needs of his covenant people.

[147:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “for.”