Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 36[a]

For the music director, an oracle, written by the Lord’s servant David.[b]

36 An evil man is rebellious to the core.[c]
He does not fear God,[d]
for he is too proud
to recognize and give up his sin.[e]
The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;
he does not care about doing what is wise and right.[f]
While he lies in bed he plans ways to sin.
He is committed to a sinful lifestyle;[g]
he does not reject what is evil.[h]
O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky,[i]
your faithfulness to the clouds.[j]
Your justice is like the highest mountains,[k]
your fairness like the deepest sea;
you, Lord, preserve[l] mankind and the animal kingdom.[m]
How precious[n] is your loyal love, O God!
The human race finds shelter under your wings.[o]
They are filled with food from your house,
and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.[p]
10 Extend[q] your loyal love to your faithful followers,[r]
and vindicate[s] the morally upright.[t]
11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,
or let evil men make me homeless.[u]
12 I can see the evildoers! They have fallen.[v]
They have been knocked down and are unable to get up.[w]

Psalm 37[x]

By David.

37 Do not fret[y] when wicked men seem to succeed.[z]
Do not envy evildoers.
For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants.[aa]
Trust in the Lord and do what is right.
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity.[ab]
Then you will take delight in the Lord,[ac]
and he will answer your prayers.[ad]
Commit your future to the Lord.[ae]
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.[af]
He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause.[ag]
Wait patiently for the Lord![ah]
Wait confidently[ai] for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,[aj]
a man who carries out wicked schemes.
Do not be angry and frustrated.[ak]
Do not fret. That only leads to trouble.
Wicked men[al] will be wiped out,[am]
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.[an]
10 Evil men will soon disappear;[ao]
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.[ap]
11 But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity.[aq]
12 Evil men plot against the godly[ar]
and viciously attack them.[as]
13 The Lord laughs in disgust[at] at them,
for he knows that their day is coming.[au]
14 Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down[av] the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly.[aw]
15 Their swords will pierce[ax] their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men,[ay]
17 for evil men will lose their power,[az]
but the Lord sustains[ba] the godly.
18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day,[bb]
and they possess a permanent inheritance.[bc]
19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come;[bd]
when famine comes they will have enough to eat.[be]
20 But[bf] evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated[bg]
they will go up in smoke.[bh]
21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous.[bi]
22 Surely[bj] those favored by the Lord[bk] will possess the land,
but those rejected[bl] by him will be wiped out.[bm]
23 The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable.[bn]
24 Even if[bo] he trips, he will not fall headlong,[bp]
for the Lord holds[bq] his hand.
25 I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen the godly abandoned,
or their children[br] forced to search for food.[bs]
26 All day long they show compassion and lend to others,[bt]
and their children[bu] are blessed.
27 Turn away from evil. Do what is right.[bv]
Then you will enjoy lasting security.[bw]
28 For the Lord promotes[bx] justice,
and never abandons[by] his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure,[bz]
but the children[ca] of the wicked are wiped out.[cb]
29 The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice.[cc]
31 The law of their God controls their thinking;[cd]
their[ce] feet do not slip.
32 The wicked set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them.[cf]
33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.[cg]
34 Rely[ch] on the Lord. Obey his commands.[ci]
Then he will permit you[cj] to possess the land;
you will see the demise of the wicked.[ck]
35 I have seen ruthless, wicked people[cl]
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.[cm]
36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared.[cn]
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
37 Take note of the one who has integrity. Observe the upright.
For the one who promotes peace has a future.[co]
38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;[cp]
the wicked have no future.[cq]
39 But the Lord delivers the godly;[cr]
he protects them in times of trouble.[cs]
40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from the wicked and delivers them,[ct]
for they seek his protection.

Psalm 38[cu]

A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention.[cv]

38 O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger.
Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury.[cw]
For your arrows pierce[cx] me,
and your hand presses me down.[cy]
My whole body is sick because of your judgment;[cz]
I am deprived of health because of my sin.[da]
For my sins overwhelm me;[db]
like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.
My wounds[dc] are infected and starting to smell,[dd]
because of my foolish sins.[de]
I am dazed[df] and completely humiliated;[dg]
all day long I walk around mourning.
For I am overcome with shame,[dh]
and my whole body is sick.[di]
I am numb with pain and severely battered;[dj]
I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel.[dk]
O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire;[dl]
my groaning is not hidden from you.
10 My heart beats quickly;
my strength leaves me.
I can hardly see.[dm]
11 Because of my condition,[dn] even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance;[do]
my neighbors stand far away.[dp]
12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me;[dq]
those who want to harm me speak destructive words.
All day long they say deceitful things.
13 But I am like a deaf man—I hear nothing;
I am like a mute who cannot speak.[dr]
14 I am like a man who cannot hear
and is incapable of arguing his defense.[ds]
15 Yet[dt] I wait for you, O Lord!
You will respond, O Lord, my God!
16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me;[du]
when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me.[dv]
17 For I am about to stumble,
and I am in constant pain.[dw]
18 Yes,[dx] I confess my wrongdoing,
and I am concerned about my sins.
19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous;[dy]
those who hate me without cause outnumber me.[dz]
20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;
though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.[ea]
21 Do not abandon me, O Lord.
My God, do not remain far away from me.
22 Hurry and help me,[eb] O Lord, my deliverer.

Psalm 39[ec]

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

39 I decided,[ed] “I will watch what I say
and make sure I do not sin with my tongue.[ee]
I will put a muzzle over my mouth
while in the presence of an evil person.”[ef]
I was stone silent;[eg]
I held back the urge to speak.[eh]
My frustration grew;[ei]
my anxiety intensified.[ej]
As I thought about it, I became impatient.[ek]
Finally I spoke these words:[el]
“O Lord, help me understand my mortality
and the brevity of life.[em]
Let me realize how quickly my life will pass.[en]
Look, you make my days short-lived,[eo]
and my life span is nothing from your perspective.[ep]
Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.[eq] (Selah)
Surely people go through life as mere ghosts.[er]
Surely they accumulate worthless wealth
without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”[es]
But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?
You are my only hope![et]
Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion.
Do not make me the object of fools’ insults.
I am silent and cannot open my mouth
because of what you have done.[eu]
10 Please stop wounding me.[ev]
You have almost beaten me to death.[ew]
11 You severely discipline people for their sins;[ex]
like a moth you slowly devour their strength.[ey]
Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord.
Listen to my cry for help.
Do not ignore my sobbing.[ez]
For I am a resident foreigner with you,
a temporary settler,[fa] just as all my ancestors were.
13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy
before I pass away.[fb]

Psalm 40[fc]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

40 I relied completely[fd] on the Lord,
and he turned toward me
and heard my cry for help.
He lifted me out of the watery pit,[fe]
out of the slimy mud.[ff]
He placed my feet on a rock
and gave me secure footing.[fg]
He gave me reason to sing a new song,[fh]
praising our God.[fi]
May many see what God has done,
so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord.[fj]
How blessed[fk] is the one[fl] who trusts in the Lord[fm]
and does not seek help from[fn] the proud or from liars.[fo]
O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us.[fp]
No one can thwart you.[fq]
I want to declare your deeds and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount.[fr]
Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern.[fs]
You make that quite clear to me.[ft]
You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.
Then I say,
“Look, I come!
What is written in the scroll pertains to me.[fu]
I want to do what pleases you,[fv] my God.
Your law dominates my thoughts.”[fw]
I have told the great assembly[fx] about your justice.[fy]
Look, I spare no words.[fz]
O Lord, you know this is true.
10 I have not failed to tell about your justice;[ga]
I spoke about your reliability and deliverance.
I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness.[gb]
11 O Lord, you do not withhold[gc] your compassion from me.
May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me![gd]
12 For innumerable dangers[ge] surround me.
My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see;
they outnumber the hairs of my head
so my strength fails me.[gf]
13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!
O Lord, hurry and help me![gg]
14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed.[gh]
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.[gi]
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be humiliated[gj] and disgraced.[gk]
16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you.
May those who love to experience[gl] your deliverance say continually,[gm]
“May the Lord be praised!”[gn]
17 I am oppressed and needy.[go]
May the Lord pay attention to me.[gp]
You are my helper and my deliverer.
O my God, do not delay.

Psalm 41[gq]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

41 How blessed[gr] is the one who treats the poor properly.[gs]
When trouble comes,[gt] may[gu] the Lord deliver him.[gv]
May the Lord protect him and save his life.[gw]
May he be blessed[gx] in the land.
Do not turn him over[gy] to his enemies.[gz]
The Lord supports[ha] him on his sickbed;
you have healed him from his illness.[hb]
As for me, I said:[hc]
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you.
My enemies ask this cruel question about me,[hd]
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’[he]
When someone comes to visit,[hf] he pretends to be friendly;[hg]
he thinks of ways to defame me,[hh]
and when he leaves he slanders me.[hi]
All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another;[hj]
they plan ways to harm me.
They say,[hk]
‘An awful disease[hl] overwhelms him,[hm]
and now that he is bedridden he will never recover.’[hn]
Even my close friend[ho] whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.[hp]
10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!”[hq]
11 By this[hr] I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does[hs] not triumph[ht] over me.
12 As for me, you uphold[hu] me because of my integrity;[hv]
you allow[hw] me permanent access to your presence.[hx]
13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise[hy]
in the future and forevermore.[hz]
We agree! We agree![ia]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 36:1 sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.
  2. Psalm 36:1 tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (ne’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.
  3. Psalm 36:1 tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Hebrew text of Origen’s Hexapla, and the Syriac.
  4. Psalm 36:1 tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.
  5. Psalm 36:2 tn Heb “for it causes to be smooth to him in his eyes to find his sin to hate.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. Perhaps the point is this: His rebellious attitude makes him reject any notion that God will hold him accountable. His attitude also prevents him from recognizing and repudiating his sinful ways.
  6. Psalm 36:3 tn Heb “he ceases to exhibit wisdom to do good.” The Hiphil forms are exhibitive, indicating the outward expression of an inner attitude.
  7. Psalm 36:4 tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.
  8. Psalm 36:4 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.
  9. Psalm 36:5 tn Heb “[is] in the heavens.”
  10. Psalm 36:5 sn The Lord’s loyal love/faithfulness is almost limitless. He is loyal and faithful to his creation and blesses mankind and the animal kingdom with physical life and sustenance (vv. 6-9).
  11. Psalm 36:6 tn Heb “mountains of God.” The divine name אֵל (ʾel, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.
  12. Psalm 36:6 tn Or “deliver.”
  13. Psalm 36:6 sn God’s justice/fairness is firm and reliable like the highest mountains and as abundant as the water in the deepest sea. The psalmist uses a legal metaphor to describe God’s preservation of his creation. Like a just judge who vindicates the innocent, God protects his creation from destructive forces.
  14. Psalm 36:7 tn Or “valuable.”
  15. Psalm 36:7 tn Heb “and the sons of man in the shadow of your wings find shelter.” The preservation of physical life is in view, as the next verse makes clear.
  16. Psalm 36:9 sn Water (note “fountain”) and light are here metaphors for life.
  17. Psalm 36:10 tn Heb “draw out to full length.”
  18. Psalm 36:10 tn Heb “to those who know you.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yadaʿ, “know”) is used here of those who “know” the Lord in the sense that they recognize his royal authority and obey his will (see Jer 22:16).
  19. Psalm 36:10 tn Heb “and your justice to.” The verb “extend” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).
  20. Psalm 36:10 tn Heb “the pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 11:2; 32:11; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
  21. Psalm 36:11 tn Heb “let not a foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the evil ones cause me to wander as a fugitive.”
  22. Psalm 36:12 tn Heb “there the workers of wickedness have fallen.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the evildoers lying fallen at a spot that is vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.).
  23. Psalm 36:12 tn The psalmist uses perfect verbal forms in v. 12 to describe the demise of the wicked as if it has already taken place.
  24. Psalm 37:1 sn Psalm 37. The psalmist urges his audience not to envy the wicked, but to trust in and obey the Lord, for he will destroy sinners and preserve the godly. When the smoke of judgment clears, the wicked will be gone, but the godly will remain and inherit God’s promised blessings. The psalm is an acrostic; every other verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
  25. Psalm 37:1 tn The verb form is singular (see vv. 3-10 as well, where the second person verbs and pronouns are also singular). The psalmist’s exhortation has a wisdom flavor to it; it is personalized for each member of his audience.
  26. Psalm 37:1 tn Heb “over sinners.” The context indicates that the psalmist has in mind the apparent power and success of sinners. See v. 7b.
  27. Psalm 37:2 tn Heb “like green vegetation.”
  28. Psalm 37:3 tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (raʿah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (ʾemunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.
  29. Psalm 37:4 tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).
  30. Psalm 37:4 tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”
  31. Psalm 37:5 tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.
  32. Psalm 37:5 tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.
  33. Psalm 37:6 tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”
  34. Psalm 37:7 tn Heb “Be quiet before the Lord!”
  35. Psalm 37:7 tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vehitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vetokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yehvah) and (2) the final ל (lamed) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).
  36. Psalm 37:7 tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”
  37. Psalm 37:8 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
  38. Psalm 37:9 tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.
  39. Psalm 37:9 tn Or “cut off, removed.”
  40. Psalm 37:9 tn Heb “and those who wait on the Lord, they will possess the land.”
  41. Psalm 37:10 tn Heb “and yet, a little, there will be no wicked [one].”
  42. Psalm 37:10 tn Heb “and you will carefully look upon his place, but he will not be [there].” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer is in view.
  43. Psalm 37:11 tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”
  44. Psalm 37:12 tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.
  45. Psalm 37:12 tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.
  46. Psalm 37:13 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
  47. Psalm 37:13 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
  48. Psalm 37:14 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
  49. Psalm 37:14 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
  50. Psalm 37:15 tn Heb “enter into.”
  51. Psalm 37:16 tn Heb “Better [is] a little to the godly one than the wealth of many evil ones.” The following verses explain why this is true. Though a godly individual may seem to have only meager possessions, he always has what he needs and will eventually possess the land. The wicked may prosper for a brief time, but will eventually be destroyed by divine judgment and lose everything.
  52. Psalm 37:17 tn Heb “for the arms of the evil ones will be broken.”
  53. Psalm 37:17 tn The active participle here indicates this is characteristically true.
  54. Psalm 37:18 tn Heb “the Lord knows the days of the innocent ones.” He “knows” their days in the sense that he is intimately aware of and involved in their daily struggles. He meets their needs and sustains them.
  55. Psalm 37:18 tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”
  56. Psalm 37:19 tn Heb “in a time of trouble.”
  57. Psalm 37:19 tn Heb “in days of famine they will be satisfied.”
  58. Psalm 37:20 tn Or “for,” but Hebrew כִּי (ki) in this case would have to extend all the way back to v. 17a. Another option is to understand the particle as asseverative, “surely” (see v. 22).
  59. Psalm 37:20 tc The meaning of the MT (כִּיקַר כָּרִים [kiqar karim], “like what is precious among the pastures/rams”) is uncertain. One possibility is to take the noun כָּרִים as “pastures” and interpret “what is precious” as referring to flowers that blossom but then quickly disappear (see v. 2 and BDB 430 s.v. יָקָר 3). If כָּרִים is taken as “rams,” then “what is precious” might refer to the choicest portions of rams. The present translation follows a reading in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpPs37), כיקוד כורם (“like the burning of an oven”). The next line, which pictures the Lord’s enemies being consumed in smoke, supports this reading, which assumes confusion of the Hebrew letters ר (resh) and ד (dalet) at the end of the first word in the sequence.
  60. Psalm 37:20 tn Heb “they perish in smoke, they perish.” In addition to repeating the verb for emphasis, the psalmist uses the perfect form of the verb to picture the enemies’ demise as if it had already taken place. In this way he draws attention to the certitude of their judgment.
  61. Psalm 37:21 tn Heb “an evil [man] borrows and does not repay, but a godly [man] is gracious and gives.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The three active participles and one imperfect (“repay”) draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the two types.
  62. Psalm 37:22 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is best understood as asseverative or emphatic here.
  63. Psalm 37:22 tn Heb “those blessed by him.” The pronoun “him” must refer to the Lord (see vv. 20, 23), so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  64. Psalm 37:22 tn Heb “cursed.”
  65. Psalm 37:22 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed” (see v. 9).
  66. Psalm 37:23 tn Heb “from the Lord the steps of a man are established, and in his way he delights.” The second line qualifies the first. The man whose behavior is commendable in God’s sight is the one whose ways are established by God. Another option is that the second line refers to the godly man delighting in God’s “way,” namely the lifestyle which he prescribes for men. In this case one might translate, “The Lord grants success to the one who desires to obey his commands.”
  67. Psalm 37:24 tn Other translation options for כִּי (ki) in this context are “when” (so NASB) or “though” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).
  68. Psalm 37:24 tn Heb “be hurled down.”
  69. Psalm 37:24 tn The active participle indicates this is characteristically true. See v. 17.
  70. Psalm 37:25 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
  71. Psalm 37:25 tn Heb “or his offspring searching for food.” The expression “search for food” also appears in Lam 1:11, where Jerusalem’s refugees are forced to search for food and to trade their valuable possessions for something to eat.
  72. Psalm 37:26 tn The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
  73. Psalm 37:26 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
  74. Psalm 37:27 tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).
  75. Psalm 37:27 tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.
  76. Psalm 37:28 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the Lord’s commitment to principles of justice causes him to actively promote these principles as he governs the world. The active participle describes characteristic behavior.
  77. Psalm 37:28 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.
  78. Psalm 37:28 tn Or “protected forever.”
  79. Psalm 37:28 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
  80. Psalm 37:28 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.
  81. Psalm 37:30 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
  82. Psalm 37:31 tn Heb “the law of his God [is] in his heart.” The “heart” is here the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
  83. Psalm 37:31 tn Heb “his.” The pronoun has been translated as plural to agree with the representative or typical “godly” in v. 30.
  84. Psalm 37:32 tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
  85. Psalm 37:33 tn Heb “the Lord does not abandon him into his hand or condemn him when he is judged.” The imperfects draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic behavior in this regard.
  86. Psalm 37:34 tn Or “wait.”
  87. Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “keep his way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.
  88. Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.
  89. Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”
  90. Psalm 37:35 tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.
  91. Psalm 37:35 tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mitʿareh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (ʿarah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (ʿalah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (ʾezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.
  92. Psalm 37:36 tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).
  93. Psalm 37:37 tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).
  94. Psalm 37:38 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
  95. Psalm 37:38 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
  96. Psalm 37:39 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the Lord.”
  97. Psalm 37:39 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
  98. Psalm 37:40 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.
  99. Psalm 38:1 sn Psalm 38. The author asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. He confesses his sin and recognizes that the crisis he faces is the result of divine discipline. Yet he begs the Lord not to reject him.
  100. Psalm 38:1 tn The Hebrew text reads simply, “to cause to remember.” The same form, the Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the heading of Ps 70. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
  101. Psalm 38:1 tn The words “continue to” are supplied in the translation of both lines. The following verses make it clear that the psalmist is already experiencing divine rebuke/punishment. He asks that it might cease.sn Cf. Ps 38:1 with Ps 6:1, which has similar wording.
  102. Psalm 38:2 tn The verb Hebrew נָחַת (nakhat) apparently here means “penetrate, pierce” (note the use of the Qal in Prov 17:10). The psalmist pictures the Lord as a warrior who shoots arrows at him (see Ps 7:12-13).
  103. Psalm 38:2 tn Heb “and your hand [?] upon me.” The meaning of the verb נָחַת (nakhat) is unclear in this context. It could mean “your hand comes down on me.” It may be preferable to emend the form to וַתָּנַח (vattanakh) from the verb נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”). In this case the text would read literally, “and your hand rests upon me” (see Isa 25:10, though the phrase is used in a positive sense there, unlike Ps 38:2).
  104. Psalm 38:3 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh from before your anger.” “Anger” here refers metonymically to divine judgment, which is the practical effect of God’s anger at the psalmist’s sin.
  105. Psalm 38:3 tn Heb “there is no health in my bones from before my sin.”
  106. Psalm 38:4 tn Heb “pass over my head.”
  107. Psalm 38:5 sn The reference to wounds may be an extension of the metaphorical language of v. 2. The psalmist pictures himself as one whose flesh is ripped and torn by arrows.
  108. Psalm 38:5 tn Heb “my wounds stink, they are festering” (cf. NEB).
  109. Psalm 38:5 tn Heb “from before my foolishness.”
  110. Psalm 38:6 tn The verb’s precise shade of meaning in this context is not entirely clear. The verb, which literally means “to bend,” may refer to the psalmist’s posture. In Isa 21:3 it seems to mean “be confused, dazed.”
  111. Psalm 38:6 tn Heb “I am bowed down to excess.”
  112. Psalm 38:7 tn Heb “for my loins are filled with shame.” The “loins” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s emotions. The present translation assumes that נִקְלֶה (niqleh) is derived from קָלָה (qalah, “be dishonored”). Some derive it instead from a homonymic root קָלָה (qalah), meaning “to roast.” In this case one might translate “fever” (cf. NEB “my loins burn with fever”).
  113. Psalm 38:7 tn Heb “there is no soundness in my flesh” (see v. 3).
  114. Psalm 38:8 tn Heb “I am numb and crushed to excess.”
  115. Psalm 38:8 tn Heb “I roar because of the moaning of my heart.”
  116. Psalm 38:9 tn Heb “O Lord, before you [is] all my desire.”
  117. Psalm 38:10 tn Heb “and the light of my eyes, even they, there is not with me.” The “light of the eyes” may refer to physical energy (see 1 Sam 14:27, 29), life itself (Ps 13:3), or the ability to see (Prov 29:23).
  118. Psalm 38:11 tn Or “wound,” or “illness.”
  119. Psalm 38:11 tn Heb “stand [aloof].”
  120. Psalm 38:11 tn Heb “and the ones near me off at a distance stand.”
  121. Psalm 38:12 tn Heb “lay snares.”
  122. Psalm 38:13 sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).
  123. Psalm 38:14 tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”
  124. Psalm 38:15 tn Or perhaps “surely.”
  125. Psalm 38:16 tn Heb “For I said, ‘Lest they rejoice over me.’” The psalmist recalls the motivating argument of his petition. He probably prefaced this statement with a prayer for deliverance (see Pss 7:1-2; 13:3-4; 28:1).
  126. Psalm 38:16 tn Heb “they will magnify against me.” See Pss 35:26; 55:13.
  127. Psalm 38:17 tn Heb “and my pain [is] before me continually.”
  128. Psalm 38:18 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
  129. Psalm 38:19 tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinnam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (ʿatsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).
  130. Psalm 38:19 tn Heb “are many.”
  131. Psalm 38:20 tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”
  132. Psalm 38:22 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Ps 22:19.
  133. Psalm 39:1 sn Psalm 39. The psalmist laments his frailty and mortality as he begs the Lord to take pity on him and remove his disciplinary hand.
  134. Psalm 39:1 tn Heb “I said.”
  135. Psalm 39:1 tn Heb “I will watch my ways, from sinning with my tongue.”
  136. Psalm 39:1 sn The psalmist wanted to voice a lament to the Lord (see vv. 4-6), but he hesitated to do so in the presence of evil people, for such words might be sinful if they gave the wicked an occasion to insult God. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 1:345.
  137. Psalm 39:2 tn Heb “I was mute [with] silence.”
  138. Psalm 39:2 tn Heb “I was quiet from good.” He kept quiet, resisting the urge to find emotional release and satisfaction by voicing his lament.sn I held back the urge to speak. For a helpful discussion of the relationship (and tension) between silence and complaint in ancient Israelite lamentation, see E. S. Gerstenberger, Psalms, Part I (FOTL), 166-67.
  139. Psalm 39:2 tn Heb “and my pain was stirred up.” Emotional pain is in view here.
  140. Psalm 39:3 tn Heb “my heart was hot within me.”
  141. Psalm 39:3 tn Heb “In my reflection fire burned.” The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite (past tense) or an imperfect being used in a past progressive or customary sense (“fire was burning”).
  142. Psalm 39:3 tn Heb “I spoke with my tongue.” The phrase “these words” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  143. Psalm 39:4 tn Heb “Cause me to know, O Lord, my end; and the measure of my days, what it is!”
  144. Psalm 39:4 tn Heb “Let me know how transient I am.”
  145. Psalm 39:5 tn Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 309.
  146. Psalm 39:5 tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”
  147. Psalm 39:5 tn Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”
  148. Psalm 39:6 tn Heb “surely, as an image man walks about.” The preposition prefixed to “image” indicates identity here.sn People go through life (Heb “man walks about”). “Walking” is here used as a metaphor for living. The point is that human beings are here today, gone tomorrow. They have no lasting substance and are comparable to mere images or ghosts.
  149. Psalm 39:6 tc Heb “Surely [in] vain they strive, he accumulates and does not know who gathers them.” The MT as it stands is syntactically awkward. The verb forms switch from singular (“walks about”) to plural (“they strive”) and then back to singular (“accumulates and does not know”), even though the subject (generic “man”) remains the same. Furthermore there is no object for the verb “accumulates” and no plural antecedent for the plural pronoun (“them”) attached to “gathers.” These problems can be removed if one emends the text from הֶבֶל יֶהֱמָיוּן (hevel yehemayun, “[in] vain they strive”) to הֶבְלֵי הָמוֹן (hevle hamon, “vain things of wealth”). The present translation follows this emendation.
  150. Psalm 39:7 tn Heb “my hope, for you it [is].”
  151. Psalm 39:9 tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).
  152. Psalm 39:10 tn Heb “remove from upon me your wound.”
  153. Psalm 39:10 tn Heb “from the hostility of your hand I have come to an end.”
  154. Psalm 39:11 tn “with punishments on account of sin you discipline a man.”
  155. Psalm 39:11 tc Heb “you cause to dissolve, like a moth, his desired [thing].” The translation assumes an emendation of חֲמוּדוֹ (khamudo, “his desirable [thing]”) to חֶמְדוֹ (khemdo, “his loveliness” [or “beauty”]), a reading that is supported by a few medieval Hebrew mss.
  156. Psalm 39:12 tn Heb “do not be deaf to my tears.”
  157. Psalm 39:12 tn The Hebrew terms גֵּר (ger, “resident foreigner”) and תּוֹשָׁב (toshav, “resident/dweller”) have similar meanings. They are not used here with the technical distinctions of most references in Mosaic Law. Ps 39:12 takes up this language from Lev 25:23 where the terms emphasize that Israel would be a guest on God’s land. They were attached to the Lord’s household; they did not own the land. The Psalmist identifies himself with this privileged yet dependent position. Abraham also refers to himself by these terms in Gen 23:4.
  158. Psalm 39:13 tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hashaʿ) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (shaʿaʿ, “smear over”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (shaʿah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (sheʿeh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.
  159. Psalm 40:1 sn Psalm 40. The psalmist combines a song of thanksgiving for a recent act of divine deliverance (vv. 1-11) with a confident petition for renewed divine intervention (vv. 12-17).
  160. Psalm 40:1 tn Heb “relying, I relied.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the verbal idea. The emphasis is reflected in the translation through the adverb “completely.” Another option is to translate, “I waited patiently” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  161. Psalm 40:2 tn Heb “cistern of roaring.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “cistern, pit”) is used metaphorically here of Sheol, the place of death, which is sometimes depicted as a raging sea (see Ps 18:4, 15-16). The noun שָׁאוֹן (shaʾon, “roaring”) refers elsewhere to the crashing sound of the sea’s waves (see Ps 65:7).
  162. Psalm 40:2 tn Heb “from the mud of mud.” The Hebrew phrase translated “slimy mud” employs an appositional genitive. Two 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.
  163. Psalm 40:2 tn Heb “he established my footsteps.”
  164. Psalm 40:3 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.
  165. Psalm 40:3 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”
  166. Psalm 40:3 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the Lord.” The translation assumes that the initial prefixed verbal form is a jussive (“may many see”), rather than an imperfect (“many will see”). The following prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive are taken as indicating purpose or result (“so that they might swear allegiance…and trust”) after the introductory jussive.
  167. Psalm 40:4 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
  168. Psalm 40:4 tn Heb “man.” See the note on the word “one” in Ps 1:1.
  169. Psalm 40:4 tn Heb “who has made the Lord his [object of] trust.”
  170. Psalm 40:4 tn Heb “and does not turn toward.”
  171. Psalm 40:4 tn Heb “those falling away toward a lie.”
  172. Psalm 40:5 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O Lord my God, your amazing deeds and your thoughts toward us.” The precise meaning of the text is not clear, but the psalmist seems to be recalling the Lord’s miraculous deeds on Israel’s behalf (see Pss 9:1; 26:7), as well as his covenantal decrees and promises (see Ps 33:11).
  173. Psalm 40:5 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (ʿarakh ʾel, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
  174. Psalm 40:5 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
  175. Psalm 40:6 tn Heb “sacrifice and offering you do not desire.” The statement is exaggerated for the sake of emphasis (see Ps 51:16 as well). God is pleased with sacrifices, but his first priority is obedience and loyalty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Sacrifices and offerings apart from genuine allegiance are meaningless (see Isa 1:11-20).
  176. Psalm 40:6 tn Heb “ears you hollowed out for me.” The meaning of this odd expression is debated (this is the only collocation of “hollowed out” and “ears” in the OT). It may have been an idiomatic expression referring to making a point clear to a listener. The LXX has “but a body you have prepared for me,” a reading which is followed in Heb 10:5.
  177. Psalm 40:7 tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.
  178. Psalm 40:8 tn Or “your will.”
  179. Psalm 40:8 tn Heb “your law [is] in the midst of my inner parts.” The “inner parts” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s thought life and moral decision making.
  180. Psalm 40:9 sn The great assembly is also mentioned in Pss 22:25 and 35:18.
  181. Psalm 40:9 tn Heb “I proclaim justice in the great assembly.” Though “justice” appears without a pronoun here, the Lord’s just acts are in view (see v. 10). His “justice” (צֶדֶק, tsedeq) is here the deliverance that originates in his justice; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just.
  182. Psalm 40:9 tn Heb “Look! My lips I do not restrain.”
  183. Psalm 40:10 tn Heb “your justice I have not hidden in the midst of my heart.”
  184. Psalm 40:10 tn Heb “I have not hidden your loyal love and reliability.”
  185. Psalm 40:11 tn Some (cf. NIV, NRSV) translate the verb as a request (“do not withhold”), but elsewhere in the psalms the second masculine singular prefixed form, when addressed to God and preceded by לֹא (loʾ), is always indicative in mood and never has the force of a prayer (see Pss 16:10; 22:2; 44:9 51:16-17; 60:10; 108:11; cf. NEB, NASB).
  186. Psalm 40:11 tn In this line the psalmist makes the transition from confidence to petition (see v. 13). Since the prefixed verbal form in the preceding line is imperfect/indicative, one could take the verb in this line as imperfect as well and translate, “your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me” (cf. NEB). However, the כִּי (ki) at the beginning of the next verse, if causal (“because”), is best understood as introducing a motivating argument in support of a petition. For this reason v. 11b is best taken as a prayer with the prefixed form being understood as jussive (cf. NIV, NRSV). For parallels to the proposed construction (jussive followed by כִּי + perfect introducing motivating argument), see Ps 25:21, as well as Pss 10:2-3; 22:8.
  187. Psalm 40:12 tn Or “sinful deeds.” The Hebrew term used here can have a nonmoral nuance (“dangers”) or a moral one (“sinful deeds”) depending on the context. The next line (see “my sins”) seems to favor the moral sense, but the psalmist also speaks of enemies shortly after this (v. 14).
  188. Psalm 40:12 tn Heb “and my heart abandons me.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of emotional strength and courage. For a similar idea see Ps 38:10.
  189. Psalm 40:13 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
  190. Psalm 40:14 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
  191. Psalm 40:14 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
  192. Psalm 40:15 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
  193. Psalm 40:15 tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”
  194. Psalm 40:16 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.
  195. Psalm 40:16 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.
  196. Psalm 40:16 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.
  197. Psalm 40:17 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
  198. Psalm 40:17 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).
  199. Psalm 41:1 sn Psalm 41. The psalmist is confident (vv. 11-12) that the Lord has heard his request to be healed (vv. 4-10), and he anticipates the joy he will experience when the Lord intervenes (vv. 1-3). One must assume that the psalmist is responding to a divine oracle of assurance (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 319-20). The final verse is a fitting conclusion to this psalm, but it is also serves as a fitting conclusion to the first “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the second, third, and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 72:19; 89:52, and 106:48 respectively).
  200. Psalm 41:1 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
  201. Psalm 41:1 sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
  202. Psalm 41:1 tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
  203. Psalm 41:1 tn The prefixed verb יְמַלְּטֵהוּ (yemalletehu) has the form of the pronominal suffix typical of the jussive not the imperfect (יְמַלְּטֶנּוּ, yemalletennu). The jussive form continues throughout the next verse. The principle that begins v. 1 is the basis for the petition in vv. 1b-2. Verse 3 transitions to a statement of confidence and testimony.
  204. Psalm 41:1 tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor.
  205. Psalm 41:2 tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because of the form of the pronominal suffix (-ehu rather than -ennu) and because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse.
  206. Psalm 41:2 tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (ʾashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
  207. Psalm 41:2 tn The negative particle אַל (ʾal) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (loʾ), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood. However, none of the examples offered in GKC for this use of the jussive are compelling.
  208. Psalm 41:2 tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
  209. Psalm 41:3 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
  210. Psalm 41:3 tn Heb “all his bed you have changed in his illness.” The perfect verb may indicate a testimony of what God has done in the past as part of the statement of confidence.
  211. Psalm 41:4 sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
  212. Psalm 41:5 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
  213. Psalm 41:5 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
  214. Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “to see.”
  215. Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
  216. Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
  217. Psalm 41:6 tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
  218. Psalm 41:7 tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
  219. Psalm 41:8 tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
  220. Psalm 41:8 tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
  221. Psalm 41:8 tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.
  222. Psalm 41:8 tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
  223. Psalm 41:9 tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
  224. Psalm 41:9 tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
  225. Psalm 41:10 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
  226. Psalm 41:11 sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.
  227. Psalm 41:11 tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
  228. Psalm 41:11 tn Heb “shout.”
  229. Psalm 41:12 tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
  230. Psalm 41:12 sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
  231. Psalm 41:12 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
  232. Psalm 41:12 tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
  233. Psalm 41:13 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
  234. Psalm 41:13 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
  235. Psalm 41:13 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [ʾamen veʾamen], i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.