Psalm 138–145

Footnotes

1. 12 Psalm 138. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord for his deliverance and protection.
2. 1 The referent of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is unclear. It refers either to the angelic assembly (see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5) or to the pagan gods (see Pss 82:1, 6; 86:8; 97:7), in which case the psalmist’s praise takes on a polemical tone.
3. 2 The reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.” If retained, this must mean that God’s mighty intervention, in fulfillment of his word of promise, surpassed anything he had done prior to this. However, the statement is odd and several emendations have been proposed. Some read, “for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,” while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.” The translation assumes an emendation of “your name” to “your heavens” (a construction that appears in Pss 8:3 and 144:5). The point is that God has been faithful to his promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all. For a fuller discussion of these options, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (), .
4. 3 Heb “in the day.”
5. 4 Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”
6. 5 The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks … and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.
7. 6 Heb “the words of your mouth.”
8. 7 Heb “ways.”
9. 8 Heb “great.”
10. 9 Or “distress.”
11. 10 Heb “against the anger of my enemies you extend your hand.”
12. 11 Heb “avenges on my behalf.” For the meaning “to avenge” for the verb גָּמַר (gamar), see גמר.
13. 12 Heb “the works of your hands.” Many medieval Hebrew read the singular, “work of your hands.”
14. 13 Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.
15. 1 The statement is understood as generalizing—the psalmist describes what God typically does.
16. 2 Heb “my traveling and my lying down you measure.” The verb זָרָה (zarah, “to measure”) is probably here a denominative from זָרָת (zarat, “a span; a measure”), though some derive it from זָרָה (zarat, “to winnow; to sift”; see 279–80 זָרָה).
17. 3 Heb “all my ways.”
18. 4 Or “for.”
19. 5 Heb “look, O Lord, you know all of it.”
20. 6 Heb “too amazing [is this] knowledge for me, it is elevated, I cannot attain to it.”
21. 7 Heb “Where can I go from your spirit, and where from your face can I flee?” God’s “spirit” may refer here (1) to his presence (note the parallel term, “your face,” and see Ps 104:29–30, where God’s “face” is his presence and his “spirit” is the life-giving breath he imparts) or (2) to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
22. 8 The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see 2:788–90).
23. 9 Heb “look, you.”
24. 10 Heb “rise up.”
25. 11 On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
26. 12 Heb “at the end.”
27. 13 The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (), . Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (yesukkeniy), from the root שׂכך (“to cover,” an alternate form of סכך), a reading assumed in the present translation.
28. 14 Heb “and night, light, around me.”
29. 15 The words “to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
30. 16 Heb “shines like.”
31. 17 Heb “like darkness, like light.”
32. 18 Or “for.”
33. 19 Heb “my kidneys.” The kidneys were sometimes viewed as the seat of one’s emotions and moral character (cf. Pss 7:9; 26:2). A number of translations, recognizing that “kidneys” does not communicate this idea to the modern reader, have generalized the concept: “inmost being” (, ); “inward parts” (, ); “the delicate, inner parts of my body” (). In the last instance, the focus is almost entirely on the physical body rather than the emotions or moral character. The present translation, by using a hendiadys (one concept expressed through two terms), links the concepts of emotion (heart) and moral character (mind).
34. 20 The Hebrew verb סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave together”) is an alternate form of שָׂכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave”) used in Job 10:11.
35. 21 Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (pala’) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (pala’; see §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 [], , ). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נפלאים, the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (nifla’ot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).
36. 22 Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yoda’at), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yada’ta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (), .
37. 23 The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) should probably be emended to כֲּאַשֶׁר (ka’asher, “when”). The kaf (ך) may have been lost by haplography (note the kaf at the end of the preceding form).
38. 24 The phrase depths of the earth may be metaphorical (euphemistic) or it may reflect a prescientific belief about the origins of the embryo deep beneath the earth’s surface (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 96–97). Job 1:21 also closely associates the mother’s womb with the earth.
39. 25 Heb “Your eyes saw my shapeless form.” The Hebrew noun גֹּלֶם (golem) occurs only here in the OT. In later Hebrew the word refers to “a lump, a shapeless or lifeless substance,” and to “unfinished matter, a vessel wanting finishing” ( 222 גּוֹלֶם). The translation employs the dynamic rendering “when I was inside the womb” to clarify that the speaker was still in his mother’s womb at the time he was “seen” by God.
40. 26 Heb “and on your scroll all of them were written, [the] days [which] were formed, and [there was] not one among them.” This “scroll” may be the “scroll of life” mentioned in Ps 69:28 (see the note on the word “living” there).
41. 27 Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1–6, 17b–18).
42. 28 Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.
43. 29 Heb “I awake and I [am] still with you.” A reference to the psalmist awaking from sleep makes little, if any, sense contextually. For this reason some propose an emendation to הֲקִצּוֹתִי (haqitsoti), a Hiphil perfect form from an otherwise unattested verb קָצַץ (qatsats) understood as a denominative of קֵץ (qets, “end”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (), .
44. 30 The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (see Pss 81:8; 95:7, as well as §109.b).
45. 31 Heb “men of bloodshed.”
46. 32 Heb “who.”
47. 33 Heb “they speak [of] you.” The suffixed form of the verb אָמַר (’amar, “to speak”) is peculiar. The translation assumes an emendation to יַמְרֻךָ (yamrukha), a Hiphil form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”; see Ps 78:40).
48. 34 Heb “by deceit.”
49. 35 Heb “lifted up for emptiness, your cities.” The Hebrew text as it stands makes no sense. The form נָשֻׂא (nasu’; a Qal passive participle) should be emended to נָשְׂאוּ (noséu; a Qal perfect, third common plural, “[they] lift up”). Many emend עָרֶיךָ (’arekha, “your cities”) to עָלֶיךָ (’alekha, “against you”), but it is preferable to understand the noun as an Aramaism and translate “your enemies” (see Dan 4:16 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 [], ).
50. 36 Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqomémekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvémitqomémekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed mem [ם] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the , though a few medieval Hebrew have it).
51. 37 Heb “[with] completeness of hatred I hate them.”
52. 38 Heb “and know my heart.”
53. 39 The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sar’apay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.
54. 40 Many understand the Hebrew term עֹצֶב (’otsev) as a noun meaning “pain,” and translate the phrase דֶּרֶךְ עֹצֶב (derekh ’otsev) as “of pain,” but this makes little sense here. (Some interpret it to refer to actions which bring pain to others.) It is preferable to take עֹצֶב as “idol” (see I עֹצֶב) and understand “way of an idol” to refer to idolatrous actions or tendency. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (), .
55. 41 Heb “in the path of antiquity.” This probably refers to the moral path prescribed by the Lord at the beginning of Israel’s history. See Jer 6:16; 18:15, as well as L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 (), .
56. 42 Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
57. 1 Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
58. 2 Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
59. 3 Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
60. 4 Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yégaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
61. 5 Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
62. 6 The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
63. 7 Heb “under.”
64. 8 Heb “hands.”
65. 9 Heb “to push down my steps.”
66. 10 Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khovélim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
67. 11 Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”
68. 12 Heb “cover.”
69. 13 Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
70. 14 Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).
71. 15 Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).
72. 16 Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.
73. 17 The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.
74. 18 Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition -בְּ (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.
75. 19 Heb “a man of a tongue.”
76. 20 Heb “be established in.”
77. 21 Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.
78. 22 The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.
79. 23 Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”
80. 24 Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.
81. 1 Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
82. 2 Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
83. 3 My mouth … my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
84. 4 Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
85. 5 Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
86. 6 Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
87. 7 The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yéna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 [], ). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
88. 8 May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
89. 9 Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
90. 10 Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.
91. 11 It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.
92. 12 Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
93. 13 Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
94. 14 Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
95. 15 Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
96. 16 The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
97. 17 Heb “his.”
98. 18 Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”
99. 19 Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
100. 20 The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
101. 21 According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
102. 1 Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”
103. 2 Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”
104. 3 Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
105. 4 Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
106. 5 Heb “you know my path.”
107. 6 Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
108. 7 Heb “a place of refuge perishes from me.”
109. 8 Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
110. 9 Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.
111. 10 Heb “for I am very low.”
112. 11 Heb “bring out my life.”
113. 12 Or “gather around.”
114. 13 The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
115. 14 Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
116. 1 Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
117. 2 Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
118. 3 Or “for.”
119. 4 Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).
120. 5 Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”
121. 6 Or “sit.”
122. 7 Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).
123. 8 Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
124. 9 Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.
125. 10 Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”
126. 11 Heb “the work of your hands.”
127. 12 The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
128. 13 Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
129. 14 Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition -ךְּ (ké, “like”) to -בְּ (bé, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. , ).
130. 15 Heb “my spirit is failing.”
131. 16 Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
132. 17 Heb “I will be equal with.”
133. 18 Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
134. 19 Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love. The morning is sometimes viewed as the time of divine intervention (see Pss 30:5; 59:16; 90:14).
135. 20 The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
136. 21 Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (na’as nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
137. 22 Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (ך) and nun (ן) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.
138. 23 Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
139. 24 Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in ) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
140. 25 The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7–10a.
141. 26 A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
142. 27 Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
143. 28 The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11–12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7–10a.
144. 29 Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
145. 30 Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
146. 31 The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
147. 32 Heb “all the enemies of my life.”
148. 33 Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
149. 1 Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
150. 2 Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”
151. 3 The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
152. 4 Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
153. 5 Or “my elevated place.”
154. 6 Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
155. 7 Heb “What is mankind?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race. See Ps 8:5.
156. 8 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.
157. 9 Heb “take account of him.” The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
158. 10 Heb “man,” or “mankind.”
159. 11 Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
160. 12 The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm. See Ps 18:9.
161. 13 Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.
162. 14 Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.
163. 15 Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17–18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
164. 16 Heb “stretch out your hands.”
165. 17 Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful foreign enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see the next line and Ps 18:16–17).
166. 18 Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
167. 19 Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).
168. 20 Heb “grants deliverance to.”
169. 21 Heb “harmful.”
170. 22 Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
171. 23 Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.
172. 24 Some consider אֲשֶׁר (’asher) problematic, but here it probably indicates the anticipated consequence of the preceding request. (For other examples of אֲשֶׁר indicating purpose/result, see 83 and ) If the psalmist—who appears to be a Davidic king preparing to fight a battle (see vv. 10–11)—is victorious, the whole nation will be spared invasion and defeat (see v. 14) and can flourish. Some prefer to emend the form to אַשְׁרֵי (“how blessed [are our sons]”). A suffixed noun sometimes follows אַשְׁרֵי (’ashrey; see 1 Kgs 10:8; Prov 20:7), but the presence of a comparative element (see “like plants”) after the suffixed noun makes the proposed reading too awkward syntactically.
173. 25 Heb “grown up in their youth.” The translation assumes that “grown up” modifies “plants” (just as “carved” modifies “corner pillars” in the second half of the verse). Another option is to take “grown up” as a predicate in relation to “our sons,” in which case one might translate, “they will be strapping youths.”
174. 26 The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Zech 9:15, where it refers to the corners of an altar.
175. 27 Heb “carved [in] the pattern of a palace.”
176. 28 The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
177. 29 Heb “from kind to kind.” Some prefer to emend the text to מָזוֹן עַל מָזוֹן (mazon ’al mazon, “food upon food”).
178. 30 Heb “they are innumerable.”
179. 31 Heb “in outside places.” Here the term refers to pastures and fields (see Job 5:10; Prov 8:26).
180. 32 Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see 687 סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 [], ).
181. 33 Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
182. 34 Heb “[O] the happiness of the people who [it is] such to them.”
183. 35 Psalm 145. The psalmist praises God because he is a just and merciful king who cares for his people.
184. 1 Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
185. 2 Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
186. 3 Heb “and concerning his greatness there is no searching.”