Discovery BoxPsalms 86:1
ContextA prayer of David.
86:1 Listen 2 O Lord! Answer me!
For I am oppressed and needy.
Psalms 8:1--9:20
ContextFor the music director, according to the gittith style; 4 a psalm of David.
how magnificent 6 is your reputation 7 throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above! 8
8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies
you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, 9
so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 10
8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 11
8:4 Of what importance is the human race, 12 that you should notice 13 them?
Of what importance is mankind, 14 that you should pay attention to them, 15
8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? 16
You grant mankind 17 honor and majesty; 18
8:6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; 19
you have placed 20 everything under their authority, 21
8:7 including all the sheep and cattle,
as well as the wild animals, 22
8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea
and everything that moves through the currents 23 of the seas.
how magnificent 25 is your reputation 26 throughout the earth! 27
For the music director; according to the alumoth-labben style; 29 a psalm of David.
9:1 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds! 30
9:2 I will be happy and rejoice in you!
I will sing praises to you, O sovereign One! 31
9:3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated 32 before you.
9:4 For you defended my just cause; 33
from your throne you pronounced a just decision. 34
9:5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry; 35
you destroyed the wicked; 36
you permanently wiped out all memory of them. 37
9:6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins; 38
you destroyed their cities; 39
all memory of the enemies has perished. 40
9:7 But the Lord 41 rules 42 forever;
he reigns in a just manner. 43
9:8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations. 44
9:9 Consequently 45 the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; 46
he provides safety in times of trouble. 47
9:10 Your loyal followers trust in you, 48
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help. 49
9:11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules 50 in Zion!
Tell the nations what he has done! 51
9:12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; 52
he did not overlook 53 their cry for help 54
“Have mercy on me, 56 Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, 57
O one who can snatch me away 58 from the gates of death!
9:14 Then I will 59 tell about all your praiseworthy acts; 60
in the gates of Daughter Zion 61 I will rejoice because of your deliverance.” 62
9:15 The nations fell 63 into the pit they had made;
their feet were caught in the net they had hidden. 64
9:16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice;
the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. 65 (Higgaion. 66 Selah)
9:17 The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; 67
this is the destiny of 68 all the nations that ignore 69 God,
9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, 70
the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. 71
Don’t let men be defiant! 73
May the nations be judged in your presence!
Let the nations know they are mere mortals! 75 (Selah)
[86:1] 1 sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.
[86:1] 2 tn Heb “turn your ear.”
[8:1] 3 sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
[8:1] 4 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הגתית is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.
[8:1] 5 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:1] 6 tn Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
[8:1] 7 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:1] 8 tc Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (tÿnah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
[8:2] 5 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] 6 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.
[8:3] 7 tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
[8:4] 9 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] 10 tn Heb “remember him.”
[8:4] 11 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] 12 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 11 tn Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him…”) of the preceding statement (see GKC 328 §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him….” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26-27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26-27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26-27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The LXX (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).
[8:5] 12 tn Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.
[8:5] 13 sn Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 13 tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
[8:6] 14 tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26-30).
[8:6] 15 tn Heb “under his feet.”
[8:7] 15 tn Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
[8:9] 19 tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the
[8:9] 20 tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
[8:9] 21 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
[8:9] 22 sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.
[9:1] 21 sn Psalm 9. The psalmist, probably speaking on behalf of Israel or Judah, praises God for delivering him from hostile nations. He celebrates God’s sovereignty and justice, and calls on others to join him in boasting of God’s greatness. Many Hebrew
[9:1] 22 tc The meaning of the Hebrew term עַלְמוּת (’almut) is uncertain. Some
[9:1] 23 tn The cohortative forms in vv. 1-2 express the psalmist’s resolve to praise God publicly.
[9:2] 23 tn Heb “[to] your name, O Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyo/) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[9:3] 25 tn Or “perish”; or “die.” The imperfect verbal forms in this line either emphasize what typically happens or describe vividly the aftermath of a recent battle in which the
[9:4] 27 tn Heb “for you accomplished my justice and my legal claim.”
[9:4] 28 tn Heb “you sat on a throne [as] one who judges [with] righteousness.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 4 probably allude to a recent victory (see vv. 5-7). Another option is to understand the verbs as describing what is typical (“you defend…you sit on a throne”).
[9:5] 29 tn The verb גָּעַר (ga’ar) is often understood to mean “rebuke” and in this context taken to refer to the
[9:5] 30 tn The singular form is collective (note “nations” and “their name”). In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). In this context the hostile nations who threaten Israel/Judah are in view.
[9:5] 31 tn Heb “their name you wiped out forever and ever.” The three perfect verbal forms in v. 5 probably refer to a recent victory (definite past or present perfect use), although they might express what is typical (characteristic use).
[9:6] 31 tn Heb “the enemy – they have come to an end [in] ruins permanently.” The singular form אוֹיֵב (’oyev, “enemy”) is collective. It is placed at the beginning of the verse to heighten the contrast with יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the
[9:6] 32 tn Heb “you uprooted cities.”
[9:6] 33 tn Heb “it has perished, their remembrance, they.” The independent pronoun at the end of the line is in apposition to the preceding pronominal suffix and lends emphasis (see IBHS 299 §16.3.4). The referent of the masculine pronoun is the nations/enemies (cf. v. 5), not the cities (the Hebrew noun עָרִים [’arim, “cities”] is grammatically feminine). This has been specified in the present translation for clarity; many modern translations retain the pronoun “them,” resulting in ambiguity (cf. NRSV “their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished”).
[9:7] 33 tn The construction vav (ו) + subject highlights the contrast between the exalted
[9:7] 34 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, see v. 4). The imperfect verbal form highlights the generalization.
[9:7] 35 tn Heb “he establishes for justice his throne.”
[9:8] 35 tn Heb “the peoples.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 8 either describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions (“will judge…”).
[9:9] 37 tn Following the imperfect in v. 9, the construction vav (ו) conjunctive + shortened form of the prefixed verb הָיָה (hayah) indicates a consequence or result of the preceding statement. The construction functions this same way in Pss 81:15 and 104:20.
[9:9] 38 tn Heb “and the
[9:9] 39 tn Heb “[he is] an elevated place for times in trouble.” Here an “elevated place” refers to a stronghold, a defensible, secure position that represents a safe haven in times of unrest or distress (cf. NEB “tower of strength”; NIV, NRSV “stronghold”).
[9:10] 39 tn Heb “and the ones who know your name trust in you.” The construction vav (ו) conjunctive + imperfect at the beginning of the verse expresses another consequence of the statement made in v. 8. “To know” the
[9:10] 40 tn Heb “the ones who seek you.”
[9:11] 41 tn Heb “sits” (i.e., enthroned, and therefore ruling – see v. 4). Another option is to translate as “lives” or “dwells.”
[9:11] 42 tn Heb “declare among the nations his deeds.”
[9:12] 43 tn Heb “for the one who seeks shed blood remembered them.” The idiomatic expression “to seek shed blood” seems to carry the idea “to seek payment/restitution for one’s shed blood.” The plural form דָּמִים (damim, “shed blood”) occurs only here as the object of דָּרַשׁ (darash); the singular form דָּם (dam, “blood”) appears with the verb in Gen 9:5; 42:22; Ezek 33:6. “Them,” the pronominal object of the verb “remembered,” refers to the oppressed, mentioned specifically in the next line, so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:12] 44 tn Heb “did not forget.”
[9:12] 45 tn Heb “the cry for help of the oppressed.” In this context the “oppressed” are the psalmist and those he represents, whom the hostile nations have threatened.
[9:13] 45 tn The words “when they prayed,” though not represented in the Hebrew text, are supplied in the translation for clarification. The petition in vv. 13-14 is best understood as the cry for help which the oppressed offered to God when the nations threatened. The
[9:13] 46 tn Or “show me favor.”
[9:13] 47 tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”
[9:13] 48 tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”
[9:14] 47 tn Or “so that I might.”
[9:14] 48 tn Heb “all your praise.” “Praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt it.
[9:14] 49 sn Daughter Zion is an idiomatic title for Jerusalem. It appears frequently in the prophets, but only here in the psalms.
[9:14] 50 tn Heb “in your deliverance.”
[9:15] 50 sn The hostility of the nations against God’s people is their downfall, for it prompts God to intervene and destroy them. See also Ps 7:15-16.
[9:16] 51 tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).
[9:16] 52 tn This is probably a technical musical term.
[9:17] 53 tn Heb “the wicked turn back to Sheol.” The imperfect verbal form either emphasizes what typically happens or describes vividly the aftermath of the
[9:17] 54 tn The words “this is the destiny of” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The verb “are turned back” is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).
[9:17] 55 tn Heb “forget.” “Forgetting God” refers here to worshiping false gods and thereby refusing to recognize his sovereignty (see also Deut 8:19; Judg 3:7; 1 Sam 12:9; Isa 17:10; Jer 3:21; Ps 44:20). The nations’ refusal to acknowledge God’s sovereignty accounts for their brazen attempt to attack and destroy his people.
[9:18] 56 tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.
[9:19] 57 sn Rise up,
[9:20] 59 tn Heb “place,
[9:20] 60 tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).
