Psalms 68:16

68:16 Why do you look with envy, ¹  O mountains ²  with many peaks,

at the mountain where God has decided to live? ³ 

Indeed ⁴  the Lord will live there ⁵  permanently!

Psalms 133:3

133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, ⁶ 

which flows down upon the hills of Zion. ⁷ 

Indeed ⁸  that is where the Lord has decreed

a blessing will be available – eternal life. ⁹ 

[68:16]  ¹ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).

[68:16]  ² tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.

[68:16]  ³ tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.

[68:16]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.

[68:16]  ⁵ tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[133:3]  ⁶ sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.

[133:3]  ⁷ sn The hills of Zion are those surrounding Zion (see Pss 87:1; 125:2). The psalmist does not intend to suggest that the dew from Mt. Hermon in the distant north actually flows down upon Zion. His point is that the same kind of heavy dew that replenishes Hermon may also be seen on Zion’s hills. See A. Cohen, Psalms (SoBB), 439. “Dew” here symbolizes divine blessing, as the next line suggests.

[133:3]  ⁸ tn Or “for.”

[133:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forever.”