Psalms 78:51

78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,

the firstfruits of their reproductive power ¹  in the tents of Ham.

Psalms 105:36

105:36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,

the firstfruits of their reproductive power. ² 

Psalms 135:8

135:8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

including both men and animals.

Psalms 136:10

136:10 to the one who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

for his loyal love endures,

Psalms 58:3

58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; ³ 

liars go astray as soon as they are born. ⁴ 

Psalms 69:32

69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!

You who seek God, ⁵  may you be encouraged! ⁶ 

Psalms 89:27

89:27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, ⁷ 

the most exalted of the earth’s kings.

Psalms 119:160

119:160 Your instructions are totally reliable;

all your just regulations endure. ⁸ 

Psalms 132:6

132:6 Look, we heard about it ⁹  in Ephrathah, ¹⁰ 

we found it in the territory of Jaar. ¹¹ 

Psalms 111:10

111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; ¹² 

all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. ¹³ 

He will receive praise forever. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 133:2

133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head

which flows down the beard ¹⁵  –

Aaron’s beard,

and then flows down his garments. ¹⁶ 

[78:51]  ¹ tn Heb “the beginning of strength.” If retained, the plural form אוֹנִים (’onim, “strength”) probably indicates degree (“great strength”), but many ancient witnesses read “their strength,” which presupposes an emendation to אֹנָם (’onam; singular form of the noun with third masculine plural pronominal suffix).

[105:36]  ² tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).

[58:3]  ³ tn Heb “from the womb.”

[58:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “speakers of a lie go astray from the womb.”

[69:32]  ⁴ sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).

[69:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.

[89:27]  ⁵ sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.

[119:160]  ⁶ tn Heb “the head of your word is truth, and forever [is] all your just regulation.” The term “head” is used here of the “sum total” of God’s instructions.

[132:6]  ⁷ tn Rather than having an antecedent, the third feminine singular pronominal suffix here (and in the next line) appears to refer to the ark of the covenant, mentioned in v. 8. (The Hebrew term אָרוֹן [’aron, “ark”] is sometimes construed as grammatically feminine. See 1 Sam 4:17; 2 Chr 8:11.)

[132:6]  ⁸ sn Some understand Ephrathah as a reference to Kiriath-jearim because of the apparent allusion to this site in the next line (see the note on “Jaar”). The ark was kept in Kiriath-jearim after the Philistines released it (see 1 Sam 6:21-7:2). However, the switch in verbs from “heard about” to “found” suggests that Ephrathah not be equated with Jair. The group who is speaking heard about the ark while they were in Ephrath. They then went to retrieve it from Kiriath-jearim (“Jaar”). It is more likely that Ephrathah refers to a site near Bethel (Gen 35:16, 19; 48:7) or to Bethlehem (Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2).

[132:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “fields of the forest.” The Hebrew term יָעַר (ya’ad, “forest”) is apparently a shortened alternative name for קִרְיַת יְעָרִים (qiryat yÿ’arim, “Kiriath-jearim”), the place where the ark was kept after it was released by the Philistines and from which David and his men retrieved it (see 1 Chr 13:6).

[111:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the Lord.”

[111:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.

[111:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his praise stands forever.”

[133:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “[it is] like the good oil on the head, going down on the beard.”

[133:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “which goes down in accordance with his measured things.” The Hebrew phrase מִדּוֹתָיו (middotayv, “his measured things”) refers here to the robes worn by Aaron. HALOT 546 s.v. *מַד derives the form from מַד (midah, “robe”) rather than מִדָּה (middah, “measured thing”). Ugaritic md means “robe” and is pluralized mdt.