Psalms 8:8

8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea

and everything that moves through the currents ¹  of the seas.

Psalms 18:12

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals. ² 

Psalms 48:4

48:4 For ³  look, the kings assemble; ⁴ 

they advance together.

Psalms 78:13

78:13 He divided the sea and led them across it;

he made the water stand in a heap.

Psalms 80:12

80:12 Why did you break down its walls, ⁵ 

so that all who pass by pluck its fruit? ⁶ 

Psalms 81:6

81:6 It said: ⁷  “I removed the burden from his shoulder;

his hands were released from holding the basket. ⁸ 

Psalms 89:38

89:38 But you have spurned ⁹  and rejected him;

you are angry with your chosen king. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 89:41

89:41 All who pass by ¹¹  have robbed him;

he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.

Psalms 104:9

104:9 You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,

so that they would not cover the earth again. ¹² 

Psalms 119:39

119:39 Take away the insults that I dread! ¹³ 

Indeed, ¹⁴  your regulations are good.

Psalms 124:4

124:4 The water would have overpowered us;

the current ¹⁵  would have overwhelmed ¹⁶  us. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 141:10

141:10 Let the wicked fall ¹⁸  into their ¹⁹  own nets,

while I escape. ²⁰ 

Psalms 148:6

148:6 He established them so they would endure; ²¹ 

he issued a decree that will not be revoked. ²² 

[8:8]  ¹ tn Heb “paths.”

[18:12]  ² tc Heb “from the brightness in front of him his clouds came, hail and coals of fire.” 2 Sam 22:13 reads, “from the brightness in front of him burned coals of fire.” The Lucianic family of texts within the Greek tradition of 2 Sam 22:13 seems to assume the underlying Hebrew text: מנגה נגדו עברו ברד וגחלי אשׁ, “from the brightness in front of him came hail and coals of fire” (the basis for the present translation). The textual situation is perplexing and the identity of the original text uncertain. The verbs עָבָרוּ (’avaru; Ps 18:12) and בָּעֲרוּ (ba’aru; 2 Sam 22:13) appear to be variants involving a transposition of the first two letters. The noun עָבָיו (’avayv, “his clouds,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the following עָבְרוּ, ’avru), or it could have accidentally dropped out from the text of 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). The noun בָּרָד (barad, “hail,” Ps 18:12) may be virtually dittographic (note the preceding עָבְרוּ), or it could have dropped out from 2 Sam 22:13 by virtual haplography (note the preceding בָּעֲרוּ, which might have originally read עָבְרוּ). For a fuller discussion of the text and its problems, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 74-76.

[48:4]  ³ tn The logical connection between vv. 3-4 seems to be this: God is the protector of Zion and reveals himself as the city’s defender – this is necessary because hostile armies threaten the city.

[48:4]  ⁴ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 4-6 are understood as descriptive. In dramatic style (note הִנֵּה, hinneh, “look”) the psalm describes an enemy attack against the city as if it were occurring at this very moment. Another option is to take the perfects as narrational (“the kings assembled, they advanced”), referring to a particular historical event, such as Sennacherib’s siege of the city in 701 b.c. (cf. NIV, NRSV). Even if one translates the verses in a dramatic-descriptive manner (as the present translation does), the Lord’s victory over the Assyrians was probably what served as the inspiration of the description (see v. 8).

[80:12]  ⁴ sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).

[80:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “pluck it.”

[81:6]  ⁵ tn The words “It said” are not included in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[81:6]  ⁶ sn I removed the burden. The Lord speaks metaphorically of how he delivered his people from Egyptian bondage. The reference to a basket/burden probably alludes to the hard labor of the Israelites in Egypt, where they had to carry loads of bricks (see Exod 1:14).

[89:38]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.

[89:38]  ⁷ tn Heb “your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (mÿshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; 132:10, 17).

[89:41]  ⁷ tn Heb “all the passersby on the road.”

[104:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “a boundary you set up, they will not cross, they will not return to cover the earth.”

[119:39]  ⁹ tn Heb “my reproach that I fear.”

[119:39]  ¹⁰ tn Or “for.”

[124:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “stream.”

[124:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “would have passed over.”

[124:4]  ¹² tn Heb “our being.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).

[141:10]  ¹¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”

[141:10]  ¹² tn Heb “his.”

[141:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

[148:6]  ¹² tn Or “forever and ever.”

[148:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “and it will not pass away.”