Psalms 8:4

8:4 Of what importance is the human race, ¹  that you should notice ²  them?

Of what importance is mankind, ³  that you should pay attention to them, ⁴ 

Psalms 11:4

11:4 The Lord is in his holy temple; ⁵ 

the Lord’s throne is in heaven. ⁶ 

His eyes ⁷  watch; ⁸ 

his eyes ⁹  examine ¹⁰  all people. ¹¹ 

Psalms 14:2

14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven ¹²  at the human race, ¹³ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ¹⁴  and seeks God. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 22:6

22:6 But I ¹⁶  am a worm, ¹⁷  not a man; ¹⁸ 

people insult me and despise me. ¹⁹ 

Psalms 32:2

32:2 How blessed is the one ²⁰  whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish, ²¹ 

in whose spirit there is no deceit. ²² 

Psalms 36:6-7

36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains, ²³ 

your fairness like the deepest sea;

you preserve ²⁴  mankind and the animal kingdom. ²⁵ 

36:7 How precious ²⁶  is your loyal love, O God!

The human race finds shelter under your wings. ²⁷ 

Psalms 45:2

45:2 You are the most handsome of all men! ²⁸ 

You speak in an impressive and fitting manner! ²⁹ 

For this reason ³⁰  God grants you continual blessings. ³¹ 

Psalms 49:2

49:2 Pay attention, all you people, ³² 

both rich and poor!

Psalms 56:11

56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ³³  do to me? ³⁴ 

Psalms 58:11

58:11 Then ³⁵  observers ³⁶  will say,

“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! ³⁷ 

Yes indeed, there is a God who judges ³⁸  in the earth!”

Psalms 64:9

64:9 and all people will fear. ³⁹ 

They will proclaim ⁴⁰  what God has done,

and reflect on his deeds.

Psalms 66:5

66:5 Come and witness ⁴¹  God’s exploits! ⁴² 

His acts on behalf of people are awesome! ⁴³ 

Psalms 80:17

80:17 May you give support to the one you have chosen, ⁴⁴ 

to the one whom you raised up for yourself! ⁴⁵ 

Psalms 89:47

89:47 Take note of my brief lifespan! ⁴⁶ 

Why do you make all people so mortal? ⁴⁷ 

[8:4]  ¹ tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.

[8:4]  ² tn Heb “remember him.”

[8:4]  ³ tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.

[8:4]  ⁴ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.

[11:4]  ⁵ tn Because of the royal imagery involved here, one could translate “lofty palace.” The Lord’s heavenly temple is in view here (see Mic 1:2-4).

[11:4]  ⁶ sn The Lord’s throne is in heaven. The psalmist is confident that the Lord reigns as sovereign king, “keeps an eye on” all people, and responds in a just manner to the godly and wicked.

[11:4]  ⁷ sn His eyes. The anthropomorphic language draws attention to God’s awareness of and interest in the situation on earth. Though the enemies are hidden by the darkness (v. 2), the Lord sees all.

[11:4]  ⁸ tn The two Hebrew imperfect verbal forms in this verse describe the Lord’s characteristic activity.

[11:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “eyelids.”

[11:4]  ¹⁰ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 7:9; 26:2; 139:23.

[11:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “test the sons of men.”

[14:2]  ⁹ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[14:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[14:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[14:2]  ¹² sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[22:6]  ¹³ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.

[22:6]  ¹⁴ tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).

[22:6]  ¹⁵ tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.

[22:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”

[32:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “man.” The word choice reflects the perspective of the psalmist, who is male. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender and age specific “man” has been translated with the more neutral “one.”

[32:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord does not impute wrongdoing.”

[32:2]  ¹⁹ sn In whose spirit there is no deceit. The point is not that the individual is sinless and pure. In this context, which focuses on confession and forgiveness of sin, the psalmist refers to one who refuses to deny or hide his sin, but instead honestly confesses it to God.

[36:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (’el, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[36:6]  ²² tn Or “deliver.”

[36:6]  ²³ sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.

[36:7]  ²⁵ tn Or “valuable.”

[36:7]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and the sons of man in the shadow of your wings find shelter.” The preservation of physical life is in view, as the next verse makes clear.

[45:2]  ²⁹ tn Heb “you are handsome from the sons of man.” The preposition “from” is used in a comparative (“more than”) sense. The peculiar verb form יָפְיָפִיתָ (yafyafita) is probably the result of dittography of yod-pe (יפ) and should be emended to יָפִיתָ (yafita). See GKC 152 §55.e.

[45:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “favor is poured out on your lips.” “Lips” probably stands by metonymy for the king’s speech. Some interpret the Hebrew term חֵן (khen) as referring here to “gracious (i.e., kind and polite) speech”, but the word probably refers more generally to “attractive” speech that is impressively articulated and fitting for the occasion. For other instances of the term being used of speech, see Prov 22:11 and Eccl 10:12.

[45:2]  ³¹ tn Or “this demonstrates.” The construction עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore”) usually indicates what logically follows from a preceding statement. However, here it may infer the cause from the effect, indicating the underlying basis or reason for what precedes (see BDB 487 s.v. I כֵּן 3.f; C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 1:386).

[45:2]  ³² tn Or “blesses you forever.” Here “bless” means to “endue with the power and skill to rule effectively,” as the following verses indicate.

[49:2]  ³³ tn Heb “even the sons of mankind, even the sons of man.” Because of the parallel line, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, some treat these expressions as polar opposites, with בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes (cf. NIV, NRSV). But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; 62:9; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand “even the sons of mankind” and “even the sons of man” as synonymous expressions (cf. NEB “all mankind, every living man”). The repetition emphasizes the need for all people to pay attention, for the psalmist’s message is relevant to everyone.

[56:11]  ³⁷ tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”

[56:11]  ³⁸ tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.

[58:11]  ⁴¹ tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.

[58:11]  ⁴² tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.

[58:11]  ⁴³ tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”

[58:11]  ⁴⁴ tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.

[64:9]  ⁴⁵ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read וַיִּרְאוּ (vayyir’u, “and they will see”) instead of וַיִּירְאוּ (vayyirÿ’u, “and they will proclaim”).

[64:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the work of God,” referring to the judgment described in v. 7.

[66:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “see.”

[66:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “acts” (see Ps 46:8).

[66:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “awesome [is] an act toward the sons of man.” It is unclear how the prepositional phrase relates to what precedes. If collocated with “act,” it may mean “on behalf of” or “toward.” If taken with “awesome” (see 1 Chr 16:25; Pss 89:7; 96:4; Zeph 2:11), one might translate “his awesome acts are beyond human comprehension” or “his awesome acts are superior to anything men can do.”

[80:17]  ⁵³ tn Heb “may your hand be upon the man of your right hand.” The referent of the otherwise unattested phrase “man of your right hand,” is unclear. It may refer to the nation collectively as a man. (See the note on the word “yourself” in v. 17b.)

[80:17]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “upon the son of man you strengthened for yourself.” In its only other use in the Book of Psalms, the phrase “son of man” refers to the human race in general (see Ps 8:4). Here the phrase may refer to the nation collectively as a man. Note the use of the statement “you strengthened for yourself” both here and in v. 15, where the “son” (i.e., the branch of the vine) refers to Israel.

[89:47]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).

[89:47]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “For what emptiness do you create all the sons of mankind?” In this context the term שָׁוְא (shavah) refers to mankind’s mortal nature and the brevity of life (see vv. 45, 48).