Psalm 76–150

Footnotes

1. 20 Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.
2. 1 Or “God is known in Judah.”
3. 2 Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
4. 3 Salem is a shorter name for Jerusalem (see Gen 14:18).
5. 4 Heb “and his place of refuge is in Salem, and his lair in Zion.” God may be likened here to a lion (see v. 4).
6. 5 Heb “flames of the bow,” i.e., arrows.
7. 6 Heb “shield and sword and battle.” “Battle” probably here stands by metonymy for the weapons of war in general. This verse may allude to the miraculous defeat of the Assyrians in 701 b.c. (see Isa 36–37).
8. 7 Heb “radiant [are] you, majestic from the hills of prey.” God is depicted as a victorious king and as a lion that has killed its victims.
9. 8 Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).
10. 9 The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).
11. 10 Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: “cast into a deep sleep”; “fall senseless”; “lie still”; “lay stunned.”
12. 11 Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”
13. 12 Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (ga’ar), which is often understood to mean “rebuke.” In some cases it is apparent that scolding or threatening is in view (see Gen 37:10; Ruth 2:16; Zech 3:2). However, in militaristic contexts this translation is inadequate, for the verb refers in this setting to the warrior’s battle cry, which terrifies and paralyzes the enemy. See A. Caquot, 3:53, and note the use of the verb in Pss 68:30; 106:9; Nah 1:4, as well as the related noun in Job 26:11; Pss 9:5; 18:15; 104:7; Isa 50:2; 51:20; 66:15.
14. 13 Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.
15. 14 Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.
16. 15 Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (me’az, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (me’oz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).
17. 16 Heb “a [legal] decision,” or “sentence.”
18. 17 “The earth” stands here by metonymy for its inhabitants.
19. 18 Or “for.”
20. 19 Heb “the anger of men will praise you.” This could mean that men’s anger (subjective genitive), when punished by God, will bring him praise, but this interpretation does not harmonize well with the next line. The translation assumes that God’s anger is in view here (see v. 7) and that “men” is an objective genitive. God’s angry judgment against men brings him praise because it reveals his power and majesty (see vv. 1–4).
21. 20 Heb “the rest of anger you put on.” The meaning of the statement is not entirely clear. Perhaps the idea is that God, as he prepares for battle, girds himself with every last ounce of his anger, as if it were a weapon.
22. 21 The phrase “all those who surround him” may refer to the surrounding nations (v. 12 may favor this), but in Ps 89:7 the phrase refers to God’s heavenly assembly.
23. 22 Heb “he reduces the spirit of princes.” According to II בצר, the Hebrew verb בָּצַר (batsar) is here a meaning “reduce, humble.” The statement is generalizing, with the imperfect tense highlighting God’s typical behavior.
24. 23 Heb “[he is] awesome to the kings of the earth.”
25. 24 Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.
26. 1 Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.
27. 2 The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. , ). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3–4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13–20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2–12).
28. 3 Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
29. 4 Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.
30. 5 Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see 660 נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
31. 6 Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
32. 7 Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
33. 8 The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
34. 9 Heb “the years of antiquity.”
35. 10 Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.
36. 11 As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7–9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
37. 12 Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
38. 13 Heb “Most High.” This divine title (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
39. 14 Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’ ” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khallotiy) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khalotiy), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shénot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.
40. 15 Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.” The psalmist refuses to allow skepticism to win out. God has revealed himself to his people in tangible, incontrovertible ways in the past and the psalmist vows to remember the historical record as a source of hope for the future.
41. 16 Verses 13–20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11–12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).
42. 17 Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.
43. 18 Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”
44. 19 Or “redeemed.”
45. 20 Heb “with [your] arm.”
46. 21 The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.
47. 22 The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
48. 23 The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
49. 24 The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
50. 25 Heb “water.”
51. 26 Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”
52. 27 The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the Lord’s “arrows” (see v. 18).
53. 28 The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force. Verses 16–18 depict the Lord coming in the storm to battle his enemies and subdue the sea. There is no record of such a storm in the historical account of the Red Sea crossing. The language the psalmist uses here is stereotypical and originates in Canaanite myth, where the storm god Baal subdues the sea in his quest for kingship. The psalmist has employed the stereotypical imagery to portray the exodus vividly and at the same time affirm that it is not Baal who subdues the sea, but Yahweh.
54. 29 Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
55. 30 Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
56. 31 Heb “and your footprints were not known.”
57. 32 Psalm 78. The author of this lengthy didactic psalm rehearses Israel’s history. He praises God for his power, goodness and patience, but also reminds his audience that sin angers God and prompts his judgment. In the conclusion to the psalm the author elevates Jerusalem as God’s chosen city and David as his chosen king.
58. 33 The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of .
59. 1 Heb “Turn your ear to the words of my mouth.”
60. 2 Heb “I will open with a wise saying my mouth, I will utter insightful sayings from long ago.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה+מָשָׁל (mashal + khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6), and an insightful song that reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent death (Ps 49:4).
61. 3 Or “known.”
62. 4 Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 5, 8, 12, 57).
63. 5 The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).
64. 6 Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the Lord.” “Praises” stand by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt worship. Cf. Ps 9:14.
65. 7 The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to God’s command that the older generation teach their children about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history (see Exod 10:2; Deut 4:9; 6:20–25).
66. 8 Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the Lord’s mighty deeds (see vv. 3–4).
67. 9 Heb “in order that they might know, a following generation, sons [who] will be born, they will arise and will tell to their sons.”
68. 10 Heb “keep.”
69. 11 Heb “a generation that did not make firm its heart and whose spirit was not faithful with God.” The expression “make firm the heart” means “to be committed, devoted” (see 1 Sam 7:3).
70. 12 Heb “the sons of Ephraim.” Ephraim probably stands here by synecdoche (part for whole) for the northern kingdom of Israel.
71. 13 Heb “ones armed, shooters of bow.” It is possible that the term נוֹשְׁקֵי (noshéqey, “ones armed [with]”) is an interpretive gloss for the rare רוֹמֵי (romey, “shooters of”; on the latter see 941 I רָמָה). The phrase נוֹשְׁקֵי קֶשֶׁת (noshéqey qeshet, “ones armed with a bow”) appears in 1 Chr 12:2; 2 Chr 17:17.
72. 14 They retreated. This could refer to the northern tribes’ failure to conquer completely their allotted territory (see Judg 1), or it could refer generally to the typical consequence (military defeat) of their sin (see vv. 10–11).
73. 15 Heb “the covenant of God.”
74. 16 Heb “walk in.”
75. 17 Heb “his deeds.”
76. 18 The region of Zoan was located in the Egyptian delta, where the enslaved Israelites lived (see Num 13:22; Isa 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek 30:14).
77. 19 Heb “and caused them to drink, like the depths, abundantly.”
78. 20 Heb “rebelling [against] the Most High.”
79. 21 Heb “and they tested God in their heart.” The “heart” is viewed here as the center of their volition.
80. 22 Heb “they spoke against God, they said.”
81. 23 Heb “to arrange a table [for food].”
82. 24 Heb “look.”
83. 25 Heb “therefore.”
84. 26 Heb “and also anger went up.”
85. 27 Heb “and they did not trust his deliverance.”
86. 28 Manna was apparently shaped like a seed (Exod 16:31), perhaps explaining why it is here compared to grain.
87. 29 Because of the reference to “heaven” in the preceding verse, it is likely that mighty ones refers here to the angels of heaven. The translates “angels” here, as do a number of modern translations (, , ).
88. 30 Heb “provision he sent to them to satisfaction.”
89. 31 Heb “and like the sand of the seas winged birds.”
90. 32 Heb “and they ate and were very satisfied.”
91. 33 Heb “they were not separated from their desire.”
92. 34 Heb “and did not believe in his amazing deeds.”
93. 35 Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”
94. 36 Heb “and their years in terror.”
95. 37 Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.
96. 38 Heb “they sought him.”
97. 39 Heb “my high rocky summit.”
98. 40 Heb “and [that] God Most High [was] their redeemer.”
99. 41 Heb “with their mouth.”
100. 42 Heb “and with their tongue they lied to him.”
101. 43 Heb “and their heart was not firm with him.”
102. 44 One could translate v. 38 in the past tense (“he was compassionate … forgave sin and did not destroy … held back his anger, and did not stir up his fury”), but the imperfect verbal forms are probably best understood as generalizing. Verse 38 steps back briefly from the narrational summary of Israel’s history and lays the theological basis for v. 39, which focuses on God’s mercy toward sinful Israel.
103. 45 The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive signals a return to the narrative.
104. 46 Heb “and he remembered that they [were] flesh, a wind [that] goes and does not return.”
105. 47 Or “caused him pain.”
106. 48 Heb “and they returned and tested God.” The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate that an earlier action was repeated.
107. 49 Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT.
108. 50 The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah.
109. 51 Heb “his hand,” symbolizing his saving activity and strength, as the next line makes clear.
110. 52 Heb “[the] day [in] which he ransomed them from [the] enemy.”
111. 53 Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
112. 54 Or “portents, omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are referred to here (see vv. 44–51).
113. 55 Heb “and he sent an insect swarm against them and it devoured them.”
114. 56 Heb “and a swarm of frogs and it destroyed them.”
115. 57 Heb “and he turned over to the hail their cattle.”
116. 58 Heb “and their livestock to the flames.” “Flames” here refer to the lightning bolts that accompanied the storm.
117. 59 Heb “he sent against them the rage of his anger.” The phrase “rage of his anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17–81.
118. 60 Heb “fury and indignation and trouble, a sending of messengers of disaster.”
119. 61 Heb “he leveled a path for his anger.” There were no obstacles to impede its progress; it moved swiftly and destructively.
120. 62 Or perhaps “[the] plague.”
121. 63 Heb “the beginning of strength.” If retained, the plural form אוֹנִים (’onim, “strength”) probably indicates degree (“great strength”), but many ancient witnesses read “their strength,” which presupposes an emendation to אֹנָם (’onam; singular form of the noun with third masculine plural pronominal suffix).
122. 64 Heb “this mountain.” The whole land of Canaan seems to be referred to here. In Exod 15:17 the promised land is called the “mountain of your [i.e., God’s] inheritance.”
123. 65 The “right hand” here symbolizes God’s military strength (see v. 55).
124. 66 Heb “he caused to fall [to] them with a measuring line an inheritance.”
125. 67 Heb “and caused the tribes of Israel to settle down in their tents.”
126. 68 Or “tested and rebelled against.”
127. 69 Heb “God, the Most High.”
128. 70 Or “keep.”
129. 71 Heb “his testimonies” (see Ps 25:10).
130. 72 Heb “they turned back.”
131. 73 Or “acted treacherously like.”
132. 74 Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”
133. 75 Traditionally, “high places.”
134. 76 Or “rejected.”
135. 77 Heb “and he gave to captivity his strength.” The expression “his strength” refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant, which was housed in the tabernacle at Shiloh.
136. 78 Heb “and his splendor into the hand of an enemy.” The expression “his splendor” also refers metonymically to the ark of the covenant.
137. 79 Verses 60–61 refer to the Philistines’ capture of the ark in the days of Eli (1 Sam 4:1–11).
138. 80 Heb “his inheritance.”
139. 81 Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
140. 82 Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
141. 83 Heb “were not praised,” that is, in wedding songs. The young men died in masses, leaving no husbands for the young women.
142. 84 Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
143. 85 Heb “his.” The singular pronominal suffix is collective, referring back to God’s “people” (v. 62).
144. 86 Because of the invading army and the ensuing panic, the priests’ widows had no time to carry out the normal mourning rites.
145. 87 Heb “and the master awoke like one sleeping.” The Lord’s apparent inactivity during the time of judgment is compared to sleep.
146. 88 Heb “like a warrior overcome with wine.” The Hebrew verb רוּן (run, “overcome”) occurs only here in the OT. The phrase “overcome with wine” could picture a drunken warrior controlled by his emotions and passions (as in the present translation), or it could refer to a warrior who awakes from a drunken stupor.
147. 89 Heb “a permanent reproach he made them.”
148. 90… Heb “and he built like the exalting [ones] his sanctuary.” The phrase כְּמוֹ־רָמִים (kémo-ramim, “like the exalting [ones]”) is a poetic form of the comparative preposition followed by a participial form of the verb רוּם (rum, “be exalted”). The text should be emended to כִּמְרֹמִים (kimromim, “like the [heavenly] heights”). See Ps 148:1, where “heights” refers to the heavens above.