Psalms 64:4

64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent ¹  in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. ² 

Psalms 119:33

ה (He)

119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, ³ 

so that I might observe it continually. ⁴ 

Psalms 119:102

119:102 I do not turn aside from your regulations,

for you teach me.

Psalms 25:8

25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; ⁵ 

that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. ⁶ 

Psalms 25:12

25:12 The Lord shows his faithful followers

the way they should live. ⁷ 

Psalms 27:11

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; ⁸ 

lead me along a level path ⁹  because of those who wait to ambush me! ¹⁰ 

Psalms 32:8

32:8 I will instruct and teach you ¹¹  about how you should live. ¹² 

I will advise you as I look you in the eye. ¹³ 

Psalms 64:7

64:7 But God will shoot ¹⁴  at them;

suddenly they will be ¹⁵  wounded by an arrow. ¹⁶ 

Psalms 45:4

45:4 Appear in your majesty and be victorious! ¹⁷ 

Ride forth for the sake of what is right, ¹⁸ 

on behalf of justice! ¹⁹ 

Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts! ²⁰ 

Psalms 86:11

86:11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live! ²¹ 

Then I will obey your commands. ²² 

Make me wholeheartedly committed to you! ²³ 

Psalms 11:2

11:2 For look, the wicked ²⁴  prepare ²⁵  their bows, ²⁶ 

they put their arrows on the strings,

to shoot in the darkness ²⁷  at the morally upright. ²⁸ 

[64:4]  ¹ tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.

[64:4]  ² tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[119:33]  ³ tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”

[119:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”

[25:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “good and just.”

[25:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”

[25:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “Who is this man, the one who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.” The singular (note “man”) is representative here (see v. 14, where the plural is used), and has thus been translated as a plural (“followers…they”).

[27:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.

[27:11]  ¹⁰ sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).

[27:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.

[32:8]  ¹¹ tn The second person pronominal forms in this verse are singular. The psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually (see also the note on the word “eye” in the next line). A less likely option (but one which is commonly understood) is that the Lord addresses the psalmist in vv. 8-9 (cf. NASB “I will instruct you and teach you…I will counsel you with My eye upon you”).

[32:8]  ¹² tn Heb “I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way [in] which you should walk.”

[32:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “I will advise, upon you my eye,” that is, “I will offer advice [with] my eye upon you.” In 2 Chr 20:12 the statement “our eye is upon you” means that the speakers are looking to the Lord for intervention. Here the expression “my eye upon you” may simply mean that the psalmist will teach his pupils directly and personally.

[64:7]  ¹³ tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive is normally used in narrative contexts to describe completed past actions. It is possible that the conclusion to the psalm (vv. 7-10) was added to the lament after God’s judgment of the wicked in response to the psalmist’s lament (vv. 1-6). The translation assumes that these verses are anticipatory and express the psalmist’s confidence that God would eventually judge the wicked. The psalmist uses a narrative style as a rhetorical device to emphasize his certitude. See GKC 329-30 §111.w.

[64:7]  ¹⁴ tn The perfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s certitude about the coming demise of the wicked.

[64:7]  ¹⁵ tn The translation follows the traditional accentuation of the MT. Another option is to translate, “But God will shoot them down with an arrow, suddenly they will be wounded” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[45:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and your majesty, be successful.” The syntax is awkward. The phrase “and your majesty” at the beginning of the verse may be accidentally repeated (dittography); it appears at the end of v. 3.

[45:4]  ¹⁶ tn Or “for the sake of truth.”

[45:4]  ¹⁷ tc The precise meaning of the MT is uncertain. The form עַנְוָה (’anvah) occurs only here. One could emend the text to עֲנָוָה וְצֶדֶק (’anavah vÿtsedeq, “[for the sake of truth], humility, and justice”). In this case “humility” would perhaps allude to the king’s responsibility to “serve” his people by promoting justice (cf. NIV “in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יַעַן (ya’an, “because; on account of”) which would form a suitable parallel to עַל־דְּבַר (’al-dÿvar, “because; for the sake of”) in the preceding line.

[45:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and your right hand will teach you mighty acts”; or “and may your right hand teach you mighty acts.” After the imperatives in the first half of the verse, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive likely indicates purpose (“so that your right hand might teach you mighty acts”) or result (see the present translation). The “right hand” here symbolizes the king’s military strength. His right hand will “teach” him mighty acts by performing them and thereby causing him to experience their magnificence.

[86:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles he expects the psalmist to follow. See Pss 25:4; 27:11.

[86:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I will walk in your truth.” The Lord’s commandments are referred to as “truth” here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will. See Ps 25:5.

[86:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Bind my heart to the fearing of your name.” The verb translated “bind” occurs only here in the Piel stem. It appears twice in the Qal, meaning “be joined” in both cases (Gen 49:6; Isa 14:20). To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for him which in turn motivates one to obey his commands (see Pss 61:5; 102:15).

[11:2]  ¹⁹ tn In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and threaten his people (Ps 3:8).

[11:2]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form depicts the enemies’ hostile action as underway.

[11:2]  ²¹ tn Heb “a bow.”

[11:2]  ²² sn In the darkness. The enemies’ attack, the precise form of which is not indicated, is compared here to a night ambush by archers; the psalmist is defenseless against this deadly attack.

[11:2]  ²³ tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).