Psalm 93

Footnotes

1. 20 Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the Lord is the king of the universe who preserves order and suppresses the destructive forces in the world.
2. 1 Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.
3. 2 Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.
4. 3 The Hebrew noun translated “waves” often refers to rivers or streams, but here it appears to refer to the surging waves of the sea (see v. 4, Ps 24:2).
5. 4 Heb “the waves lift up, O Lord, the waves lift up their voice, the waves lift up their crashing.”
6. 5 Heb “mighty waters.” The surging waters here symbolizes the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy the order he has established in the world (see Pss 18:17; 29:3; 32:6; 77:20; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). But the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over these raging waters.
7. 6 Heb “mighty on high [is] the Lord.”
8. 7 Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.
9. 8 The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
10. 9 Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1–4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).
11. 10 Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O Lord, for length of days.”