Psalms 9:13-14

9:13 when they prayed: ¹ 

“Have mercy on me, ²  Lord!

See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, ³ 

O one who can snatch me away ⁴  from the gates of death!

9:14 Then I will ⁵  tell about all your praiseworthy acts; ⁶ 

in the gates of Daughter Zion ⁷  I will rejoice because of your deliverance.” ⁸ 

Psalms 30:9

30:9 “What ⁹  profit is there in taking my life, ¹⁰ 

in my descending into the Pit? ¹¹ 

Can the dust of the grave ¹²  praise you?

Can it declare your loyalty? ¹³ 

Psalms 51:14-15

51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, ¹⁴  O God, the God who delivers me!

Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. ¹⁵ 

51:15 O Lord, give me the words! ¹⁶ 

Then my mouth will praise you. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 118:18-19

118:18 The Lord severely ¹⁸  punished me,

but he did not hand me over to death.

118:19 Open for me the gates of the just king’s temple! ¹⁹ 

I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

Isaiah 38:19

38:19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks,

as I do today.

A father tells his sons about your faithfulness.

[9:13]  ¹ 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 Lord answered this request, prompting the present song of thanksgiving.

[9:13]  ² tn Or “show me favor.”

[9:13]  ³ tn Heb “see my misery from the ones who hate me.”

[9:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “one who lifts me up.”

[9:14]  ⁵ tn Or “so that I might.”

[9:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “all your praise.” “Praise” stands by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt it.

[9:14]  ⁷ sn Daughter Zion is an idiomatic title for Jerusalem. It appears frequently in the prophets, but only here in the psalms.

[9:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “in your deliverance.”

[30:9]  ⁹ sn The following two verses (vv. 9-10) contain the prayer (or an excerpt of the prayer) that the psalmist offered to the Lord during his crisis.

[30:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “What profit [is there] in my blood?” “Blood” here represents his life.

[30:9]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew term שָׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 49:9; 55:24; 103:4).

[30:9]  ¹² tn Heb “dust.” The words “of the grave” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[30:9]  ¹³ tn The rhetorical questions anticipate the answer, “Of course not!”

[51:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.

[51:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).

[51:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.

[51:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”

[118:18]  ¹⁸ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the following verbal idea.

[118:19]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the gates of justice.” The gates of the Lord’s temple are referred to here, as v. 20 makes clear. They are called “gates of justice” because they are the entrance to the just king’s palace. This has been specified in the translation for clarity.