Psalms 73:1

Book 3
(Psalms 73-89)

Psalm 73 ¹ 

A psalm by Asaph.

73:1 Certainly God is good to Israel, ² 

and to those whose motives are pure! ³ 

Psalms 83:1

Psalm 83 ⁴ 

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not be silent!

Do not ignore us! ⁵  Do not be inactive, O God!

Psalms 83:1

Psalm 83 ⁶ 

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not be silent!

Do not ignore us! ⁷  Do not be inactive, O God!

Psalms 15:1

Psalm 15 ⁸ 

A psalm of David.

15:1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home? ⁹ 

Who may live on your holy hill? ¹⁰ 

Psalms 16:1

Psalm 16 ¹¹ 

A prayer ¹²  of David.

16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. ¹³ 

Psalms 25:2

25:2 My God, I trust in you.

Please do not let me be humiliated;

do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!

Psalms 25:6

25:6 Remember ¹⁴  your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,

for you have always acted in this manner. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 25:2

25:2 My God, I trust in you.

Please do not let me be humiliated;

do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!

Psalms 29:1

Psalm 29 ¹⁶ 

A psalm of David.

29:1 Acknowledge the Lord, you heavenly beings, ¹⁷ 

acknowledge the Lord’s majesty and power! ¹⁸ 

[73:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 73. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist offers a personal testimony of his struggle with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. As he observed evil men prosper, he wondered if a godly lifestyle really pays off. In the midst of his discouragement, he reflected upon spiritual truths and realities. He was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. God will eventually vindicate his people.

[73:1]  ² tn Since the psalm appears to focus on an individual’s concerns, not the situation of Israel, this introduction may be a later addition designed to apply the psalm’s message to the entire community. To provide a better parallel with the next line, some emend the Hebrew phrase לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים (lÿyisra’el ’elohim, “to Israel, God”) to אֱלֹהִים [or אֵל] לָיָּשָׁר (’elohim [or ’el] lÿyyashar, “God [is good] to the upright one”).

[73:1]  ³ tn Heb “to the pure of heart.”

[83:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.

[83:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[83:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.

[83:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[15:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 15. This psalm describes the character qualities that one must possess to be allowed access to the divine presence.

[15:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “Who may live as a resident alien in your tent?”

[15:1]  ¹⁰ sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.

[16:1]  ¹¹ sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.

[16:1]  ¹² tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

[16:1]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).

[25:6]  ¹⁴ tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.

[25:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”

[29:1]  ¹⁶ sn Psalm 29. In this hymn of praise the psalmist calls upon the heavenly assembly to acknowledge the royal splendor of the Lord. He describes the Lord’s devastating power as revealed in the thunderstorm and affirms that the Lord exerts this awesome might on behalf of his people. In its original context the psalm was a bold polemic against the Canaanite storm god Baal, for it affirms that the Lord is the real king who controls the elements of the storm, contrary to pagan belief. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 150 (1994): 280-82.

[29:1]  ¹⁷ tc Heb “sons of gods,” or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the MT, it is likely that the final mem is actually enclitic, rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8.

[29:1]  ¹⁸ tn Or “ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.”