Psalms 8:2

8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies

you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, ¹ 

so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ² 

Psalms 32:6

32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers ³  should pray to you

while there is a window of opportunity. ⁴ 

Certainly ⁵  when the surging water ⁶  rises,

it will not reach them. ⁷ 

Psalms 42:11

42:11 Why are you depressed, ⁸  O my soul? ⁹ 

Why are you upset? ¹⁰ 

Wait for God!

For I will again give thanks

to my God for his saving intervention. ¹¹ 

Psalms 43:5

43:5 Why are you depressed, ¹²  O my soul? ¹³ 

Why are you upset? ¹⁴ 

Wait for God!

For I will again give thanks

to my God for his saving intervention. ¹⁵ 

[8:2]  ¹ tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.

[8:2]  ² tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.

[32:6]  ³ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[32:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the Lord]” and seek his forgiveness (cf. NIV). Some emend the text by combining מְצֹא (mÿtso’, “finding”) with the following term רַק (raq, “only, surely”) and read either ר[וֹ]מָצ (matsor, “distress”; see Ps 31:22) or ק[וֹ]מָצ (matsoq, “hardship”; see Ps 119:143). In this case, one may translate “in a time of distress/hardship” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[32:6]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.

[32:6]  ⁶ sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.

[32:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.

[42:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”

[42:11]  ⁶ sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.

[42:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”

[42:11]  ⁸ tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God”), that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is almost identical to the one in v. 5. See also Ps 43:5.

[43:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “Why do you bow down?”

[43:5]  ⁸ sn For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.

[43:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”

[43:5]  ¹⁰ tc Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (yÿshu’ot fÿney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is identical to the one in Ps 42:11. See also 42:5, which differs only slightly.