Psalms 68:25

Context

68:25 Singers walk in front;

musicians follow playing their stringed instruments,¹

in the midst of young women playing tambourines.²

Psalms 9:1

Context

Psalm 9³

For the music director; according to the alumoth-labben style;⁴ a psalm of David.

9:1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!

I will tell about all your amazing deeds!⁵

Psalms 46:1

Context

Psalm 46⁶

For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style;⁷ a song.

46:1 God is our strong refuge;⁸

he is truly our helper in times of trouble.⁹

[68:25] ¹tn Heb “after [are] the stringed instrument players.”

[68:25] ²sn To celebrate a military victory, women would play tambourines (see Exod 15:20; Judg 11:34; 1 Sam 18:6).

[9:1] ³sn Psalm 9. The psalmist, probably speaking on behalf of Israel or Judah, praises God for delivering him from hostile nations. He celebrates God’s sovereignty and justice, and calls on others to join him in boasting of God’s greatness. Many Hebrew mss and the ancient Greek version (LXX) combine Psalms 9 and 10 into a single psalm.

[9:1] ⁴tc The meaning of the Hebrew term עַלְמוּת (’almut) is uncertain. Some mss divide the form into עַל מוּת (’al mut, “according to the death [of the son]”), while the LXX assumes a reading עֲלֻמוֹת עַל (’al ’alumot, “according to alumoth”). The phrase probably refers to a particular tune or musical style.

[9:1] ⁵tn The cohortative forms in vv. 1-2 express the psalmist’s resolve to praise God publicly.

[46:1] ⁵sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.

[46:1] ⁶sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.

[46:1] ⁷tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”

[46:1] ⁸tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.