Psalms 86:17

86:17 Show me evidence of your favor! ¹ 

Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, ² 

for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me. ³ 

Psalms 90:13-15

90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!

How long must this suffering last? ⁴ 

Have pity on your servants! ⁵ 

90:14 Satisfy us in the morning ⁶  with your loyal love!

Then we will shout for joy and be happy ⁷  all our days!

90:15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,

in proportion to the years we have experienced ⁸  trouble!

[86:17]  ¹ tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.

[86:17]  ² tn After the imperative in the preceding line (“work”), the prefixed verb forms with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose or result.

[86:17]  ³ tn The perfect verbal forms are understood here as dramatic/rhetorical, expressing the psalmist’s certitude that such a sign from the Lord will be followed by his intervention. Another option is to understand the forms as future perfects (“for you, O Lord, will have helped me and comforted me”).

[90:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “Return, O Lord! How long?”

[90:13]  ⁵ tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.

[90:14]  ⁶ sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).

[90:14]  ⁷ tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.

[90:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “have seen.”