Psalms 92:10-12

92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox. ¹ 

I am covered ²  with fresh oil.

92:11 I gloat in triumph over those who tried to ambush me; ³ 

I hear the defeated cries of the evil foes who attacked me. ⁴ 

92:12 The godly ⁵  grow like a palm tree;

they grow high like a cedar in Lebanon. ⁶ 

[92:10]  ¹ sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).

[92:10]  ² tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”

[92:11]  ³ tn Heb “my eye gazes upon those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. The form שׁוּרָי (shuray) should be emended to שׁוֹרְרָי (shorÿray).

[92:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “those who rise up against me, evil [foes], my ears hear.”

[92:12]  ⁵ tn The singular is used in a representative sense, with the typical godly person being in view.

[92:12]  ⁶ sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size.