Psalms 7:1

Context

Psalm 7¹

A musical composition² by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning³ a Benjaminite named Cush.⁴

7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter.⁵

Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!

Daniel 9:4

Context
9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:

“O Lord,⁶ great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant⁷ with those who love him and keep his commandments,

Habakkuk 1:12

Context

Habakkuk Voices Some Concerns

1:12 Lord, you have been active from ancient times;⁸

my sovereign God,⁹ you are immortal.¹⁰

Lord, you have made them¹¹ your instrument of judgment.¹²

Protector,¹³ you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment.¹⁴

[7:1] ¹sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.

[7:1] ²tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.

[7:1] ³tn Or “on account of.”

[7:1] ⁴sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.

[7:1] ⁵tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

[9:4] ⁶tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 7, 9, 15, 16, and 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:4] ⁷tn Heb “who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.

[1:12] ⁸tn Heb “Are you not from antiquity, O Lord?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, of course.” The present translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question, rendering it as an affirmation. When used in a temporal sense the phrase מִקֶדֶם (miqedem) means “from antiquity, ancient times,” often referring to earlier periods in Israel’s history. See its use in Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10; Mic 5:2.

[1:12] ⁹tn Heb “My God, my holy one.” God’s “holiness” in this context is his sovereign transcendence as the righteous judge of the world (see vv. 12b-13a), thus the translation “My sovereign God.”

[1:12] ¹⁰tc The MT reads, “we will not die,” but an ancient scribal tradition has “you [i.e., God] will not die.” This is preferred as a more difficult reading that can explain the rise of the other variant. Later scribes who copied the manuscripts did not want to associate the idea of death with God in any way, so they softened the statement to refer to humanity.

[1:12] ¹¹tn Heb “him,” a collective singular referring to the Babylonians. The plural pronoun “them” has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.

[1:12] ¹²tn Heb “for judgment.”

[1:12] ¹³tn Heb “Rock” or “Cliff.” This divine epithet views God as a place where one can go to be safe from danger. The translation “Protector” conveys the force of the metaphor (cf. KJV, NEB “O mighty God”).

[1:12] ¹⁴tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”