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Book 3 (Psalms 73-89)

Psalm 73[a]

A psalm by Asaph.

73 Certainly God is good to Israel,[b]
and to those whose motives are pure.[c]
But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my feet almost slid out from under me.[d]
For I envied those who are proud,
as I observed[e] the prosperity[f] of the wicked.
For they suffer no pain;[g]
their bodies[h] are strong and well fed.[i]
They are immune to the trouble common to men;
they do not suffer as other men do.[j]
Arrogance is their necklace,[k]
and violence covers them like clothing.[l]
Their prosperity causes them to do wrong;[m]
their thoughts are sinful.[n]
They mock[o] and say evil things;[p]
they proudly threaten violence.[q]
They speak as if they rule in heaven,
and lay claim to the earth.[r]
10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat,
and even suck up the water of the sea.[s]
11 They say, “How does God know what we do?
Is the Most High aware of what goes on?”[t]
12 Take a good look. This is what the wicked are like,[u]
those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer.[v]
13 I concluded,[w] “Surely in vain I have kept my motives[x] pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle.[y]
14 I suffer all day long,
and am punished every morning.”
15 If I had publicized these thoughts,[z]
I would have betrayed your people.[aa]
16 When I tried to make sense of this,
it was troubling to me.[ab]
17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple,[ac]
and understood the destiny of the wicked.[ad]
18 Surely[ae] you put them in slippery places;
you bring them down[af] to ruin.
19 How desolate they become in a mere moment.
Terrifying judgments make their demise complete.[ag]
20 They are like a dream after one wakes up.[ah]
O Lord, when you awake[ai] you will despise them.[aj]
21 Yes,[ak] my spirit was bitter,[al]
and my insides felt sharp pain.[am]
22 I was ignorant[an] and lacked insight;[ao]
I was as senseless as an animal before you.[ap]
23 But I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide[aq] me by your wise advice,
and then you will lead me to a position of honor.[ar]
25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
On earth there is no one I desire but you.[as]
26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak,[at]
but God always[au] protects my heart and gives me stability.[av]
27 Yes,[aw] look! Those far from you[ax] die;
you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you.[ay]
28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need.[az]
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
as[ba] I declare all the things you have done.

Psalm 74[bb]

A well-written song[bc] by Asaph.

74 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us?[bd]
Why does your anger burn[be] against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your people[bf] whom you acquired in ancient times,
whom you rescued[bg] so they could be your very own nation,[bh]
as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell.
Hurry[bi] to the permanent ruins,
and to all the damage the enemy has done to the temple.[bj]
Your enemies roar[bk] in the middle of your sanctuary;[bl]
they set up their battle flags.[bm]
They invade like lumberjacks
swinging their axes in a thick forest.[bn]
And now[bo] they are tearing down[bp] all its engravings[bq]
with axes[br] and crowbars.[bs]
They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground.[bt]
They say to themselves,[bu]
“We will oppress all of them.”[bv]
They burn down all the places in the land where people worship God.[bw]
We do not see any signs of God’s presence;[bx]
there are no longer any prophets,[by]
and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.[bz]
10 How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
11 Why do you remain inactive?
Intervene and destroy him.[ca]
12 But God has been my[cb] king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth.[cc]
13 You destroyed[cd] the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster[ce] in the water.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;[cf]
you fed[cg] him to the people who live along the coast.[ch]
15 You broke open the spring and the stream;[ci]
you dried up perpetually flowing rivers.[cj]
16 You established the cycle of day and night;[ck]
you put the moon[cl] and sun in place.[cm]
17 You set up all the boundaries[cn] of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter.[co]
18 Remember how[cp] the enemy hurls insults, O Lord,[cq]
and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name.
19 Do not hand the life of your dove[cr] over to a wild animal.
Do not continue to disregard[cs] the lives of your oppressed people.
20 Remember your covenant promises,[ct]
for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.[cu]
21 Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame.
Let the oppressed and poor praise your name.[cv]
22 Rise up, O God. Defend your honor.[cw]
Remember how fools insult you all day long.[cx]
23 Do not disregard[cy] what your enemies say,[cz]
or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you.[da]

Psalm 75[db]

For the music director, according to the al-tashcheth style;[dc] a psalm of Asaph, a song.

75 We give thanks to you, O God. We give thanks.
You reveal your presence;[dd]
people tell about your amazing deeds.
God says,[de]
“At the appointed times,[df]
I judge[dg] fairly.
When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear,[dh]
I make its pillars secure.”[di] (Selah)
[dj] I say to the proud, “Do not be proud,”
and to the wicked, “Do not be so confident of victory.[dk]
Do not be so certain you have won.[dl]
Do not speak with your head held so high.[dm]
For victory does not come from the east or west,
or from the wilderness.[dn]
For God is the judge.[do]
He brings one down and exalts another.[dp]
For the Lord holds in his hand a cup
full of foaming wine mixed with spices,[dq]
and pours it out.[dr]
Surely all the wicked of the earth
will slurp it up and drink it to its very last drop.”[ds]
As for me, I will continually tell what you have done;[dt]
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 God says,[du]
“I will bring down all the power of the wicked;
the godly will be victorious.”[dv]

Psalm 76[dw]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of Asaph, a song.

76 God has revealed himself in Judah;[dx]
in Israel his reputation[dy] is great.
He lives in Salem;[dz]
he dwells in Zion.[ea]
There he shattered the arrows,[eb]
the shield, the sword, and the rest of the weapons of war.[ec] (Selah)
You shine brightly and reveal your majesty,
as you descend from the hills where you killed your prey.[ed]
The bravehearted[ee] were plundered;[ef]
they “fell asleep.”[eg]
All the warriors were helpless.[eh]
At the sound of your battle cry,[ei] O God of Jacob,
both rider[ej] and horse “fell asleep.”[ek]
You are awesome! Yes, you!
Who can withstand your intense anger?[el]
From heaven you announced what their punishment would be.[em]
The earth[en] was afraid and silent
when God arose to execute judgment,
and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)
10 Certainly[eo] your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise;[ep]
you reveal your anger in full measure.[eq]
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them.
Let all those who surround him[er] bring tribute to the awesome one.
12 He humbles princes;[es]
the kings of the earth regard him as awesome.[et]

Psalm 77[eu]

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

77 I will cry out to God[ev] and call for help.
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention[ew] to me.
In my time of trouble I sought[ex] the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.[ey]
I[ez] refused to be comforted.
I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.”[fa] (Selah)
You held my eyelids open;[fb]
I was troubled and could not speak.[fc]
I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.[fd]
I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening.[fe]
I asked,[ff] “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise[fg] failed forever?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?” (Selah)
10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High[fh] might become inactive.[fi]
11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.[fj]
12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
13 [fk] O God, your deeds are extraordinary.[fl]
What god can compare to our great God?[fm]
14 You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
15 You delivered[fn] your people by your strength[fo]
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
16 The waters[fp] saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled.[fq]
Yes, the depths of the sea[fr] shook with fear.[fs]
17 The clouds poured down rain;[ft]
the skies thundered.[fu]
Yes, your arrows[fv] flashed about.
18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.[fw]
19 You walked through the sea;[fx]
you passed through the surging waters,[fy]
but left no footprints.[fz]
20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 73:1 sn Psalm 73. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist offers a personal testimony of his struggle with the age-old problem of the prosperity of the wicked. As he observed evil men prosper, he wondered if a godly lifestyle really pays off. In the midst of his discouragement, he reflected upon spiritual truths and realities. He was reminded that the prosperity of the wicked is only temporary. God will eventually vindicate his people.
  2. Psalm 73:1 tn Since the psalm appears to focus on an individual’s concerns, not the situation of Israel, this introduction may be a later addition designed to apply the psalm’s message to the entire community. To provide a better parallel with the next line, some emend the Hebrew phrase לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהִים (leyisra’el ʾelohim, “to Israel, God”) to אֱלֹהִים [or אֵל] לָיָּשָׁר (layyashar ʾelohim [or ʾel], “God [is good] to the upright one”).
  3. Psalm 73:1 tn Heb “to the pure of heart.”
  4. Psalm 73:2 tn The Hebrew verb normally means “to pour out,” but here it must have the nuance “to slide.”sn My feet almost slid out from under me. The language is metaphorical. As the following context makes clear, the psalmist almost “slipped” in a spiritual sense. As he began to question God’s justice, the psalmist came close to abandoning his faith.
  5. Psalm 73:3 tn The imperfect verbal form here depicts the action as continuing in a past time frame.
  6. Psalm 73:3 tn Heb “peace” (שָׁלוֹם, shalom).
  7. Psalm 73:4 tn In Isa 58:6, the only other occurrence of this word in the OT, the term refers to “bonds” or “ropes.” In Ps 73:4 it is used metaphorically of pain and suffering that restricts one’s enjoyment of life.
  8. Psalm 73:4 tn Or “bellies.”
  9. Psalm 73:4 tc Or “fat.” The MT of v. 4 reads as follows: “for there are no pains at their death, and fat [is] their body.” Since a reference to the death of the wicked seems incongruous in the immediate context (note v. 5) and premature in the argument of the psalm (see vv. 18-20, 27), some prefer to emend the text by redividing it. The term לְמוֹתָם (lemotam, “at their death”) is changed to לָמוֹ תָּם (lamo tam, “[there are no pains] to them, strong [and fat are their bodies]”). The term תָּם (tam, “complete; sound”) is used of physical beauty in Song 5:2; 6:9. This emendation is the basis for the present translation. However, in defense of the MT (the traditional Hebrew text), one may point to an Aramaic inscription from Nerab which views a painful death as a curse and a nonpainful death in one’s old age as a sign of divine favor. See ANET 661.
  10. Psalm 73:5 tn Heb “in the trouble of man they are not, and with mankind they are not afflicted.”
  11. Psalm 73:6 sn Arrogance is their necklace. The metaphor suggests that their arrogance is something the wicked “wear” proudly. It draws attention to them, just as a beautiful necklace does to its owner.
  12. Psalm 73:6 tn Heb “a garment of violence covers them.” The metaphor suggests that violence is habitual for the wicked. They “wear” it like clothing; when one looks at them, violence is what one sees.
  13. Psalm 73:7 tc The MT reads “it goes out from fatness their eye,” which might be paraphrased, “their eye protrudes [or “bulges”] because of fatness.” This in turn might refer to their greed; their eyes “bug out” when they see rich food or produce (the noun חֵלֶב [khelev, “fatness”] sometimes refers to such food or produce). However, when used with the verb יָצָא (yatsaʾ, “go out”) the preposition מִן (“from”) more naturally indicates source. For this reason it is preferable to emend עֵינֵמוֹ (ʿenemo, “their eye”) to עֲוֹנָמוֹ, (ʿavonamo, “their sin”) and read, “and their sin proceeds forth from fatness,” that is, their prosperity gives rise to their sinful attitudes. If one follows this textual reading, another interpretive option is to take חֵלֶב (“fatness”) in the sense of “unreceptive, insensitive” (see its use in Ps 17:10). In this case, the sin of the wicked proceeds forth from their spiritual insensitivity.
  14. Psalm 73:7 tn Heb “the thoughts of [their] heart [i.e., mind] cross over” (i.e., violate God’s moral boundary, see Ps 17:3).
  15. Psalm 73:8 tn The verb מוּק (muq, “mock”) occurs only here in the OT.
  16. Psalm 73:8 tn Heb “and speak with evil.”
  17. Psalm 73:8 tn Heb “oppression from an elevated place they speak.” The traditional accentuation of the MT places “oppression” with the preceding line. In this case, one might translate, “they mock and speak with evil [of] oppression, from an elevated place [i.e., “proudly”] they speak.” By placing “oppression” with what follows, one achieves better poetic balance in the parallelism.
  18. Psalm 73:9 tn Heb “they set in heaven their mouth, and their tongue walks through the earth.” The meaning of the text is uncertain. Perhaps the idea is that they lay claim to heaven (i.e., speak as if they were ruling in heaven) and move through the earth declaring their superiority and exerting their influence. Some take the preposition ב (bet) the first line as adversative and translate, “they set their mouth against heaven,” that is, they defy God.
  19. Psalm 73:10 tc Heb “therefore his people return [so Qere (marginal reading); Kethib (consonantal text) has “he brings back”] to here, and waters of abundance are sucked up by them.” The traditional Hebrew text (MT) defies explanation. The present translation reflects M. Dahood’s proposed emendations (Psalms [AB], 2:190) and reads the Hebrew text as follows: לָכֵן יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם וּמֵי מָלֵא יָמֹצּוּ לָמוֹ (“therefore they are filled with food, and waters of abundance they suck up for themselves”). The reading יִשְׂבְעוּם לֶחֶם (yisveʿum lekhem, “they are filled with food”) assumes (1) an emendation of יָשִׁיב עַמּוֹ (yashiv ʿammo, “he will bring back his people”) to יִשְׂבְעוּם (yisveʿum, “they will be filled”; a Qal imperfect third masculine plural form from שָׂבַע [savaʿ] with enclitic mem [ם]), and (2) an emendation of הֲלֹם (halom, “to here”) to לֶחֶם (“food”). The expression “be filled/fill with food” appears elsewhere at least ten times (see Ps 132:15, for example). In the second line the Niphal form יִמָּצוּ (yimmatsu, derived from מָצָה, matsah, “drain”) is emended to a Qal form יָמֹצּוּ (yamotsu), derived from מָצַץ (matsats, “to suck”). In Isa 66:11 the verbs שָׂבַע (savaʿ; proposed in Ps 73:10a) and מָצַץ (proposed in Ps 73:10b) are parallel. The point of the emended text is this: Because they are seemingly sovereign (v. 9), they become greedy and grab up everything they need and more.
  20. Psalm 73:11 tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).
  21. Psalm 73:12 tn Heb “Look, these [are] the wicked.”
  22. Psalm 73:12 tn Heb “the ones who are always at ease [who] increase wealth.”
  23. Psalm 73:13 tn The words “I concluded” are supplied in the translation. It is apparent that vv. 13-14 reflect the psalmist’s thoughts at an earlier time (see vv. 2-3), prior to the spiritual awakening he describes in vv. 17-28.
  24. Psalm 73:13 tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
  25. Psalm 73:13 tn Heb “and washed my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The reference to “hands” suggests actions.
  26. Psalm 73:15 tn Heb “If I had said, ‘I will speak out like this.’”
  27. Psalm 73:15 tn Heb “look, the generation of your sons I would have betrayed.” The phrase “generation of your [i.e., God’s] sons” occurs only here in the OT. Some equate the phrase with “generation of the godly” (Ps 14:5), “generation of the ones seeking him” (Ps 24:6), and “generation of the upright” (Ps 112:2). In Deut 14:1 the Israelites are referred to as God’s “sons.” Perhaps the psalmist refers here to those who are “Israelites” in the true sense because of their loyalty to God (note the juxtaposition of “Israel” with “the pure in heart” in v. 1).
  28. Psalm 73:16 tn Heb “and [when] I pondered to understand this, troubling it [was] in my eyes.”
  29. Psalm 73:17 tn The plural of the term מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash) probably refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 68:35; Jer 51:51).
  30. Psalm 73:17 tn Heb “I discerned their end.” At the temple the psalmist perhaps received an oracle of deliverance announcing his vindication and the demise of the wicked (see Ps 12) or heard songs of confidence (for example, Ps 11), wisdom psalms (for example, Pss 1, 37), and hymns (for example, Ps 112) that describe the eventual downfall of the proud and wealthy.
  31. Psalm 73:18 tn The use of the Hebrew term אַךְ (ʾakh, “surely”) here literarily counteracts its use in v. 13. The repetition draws attention to the contrast between the two statements, the first of which expresses the psalmist’s earlier despair and the second his newly discovered confidence.
  32. Psalm 73:18 tn Heb “cause them to fall.”
  33. Psalm 73:19 tn Heb “they come to an end, they are finished, from terrors.”
  34. Psalm 73:20 tn Heb “like a dream from awakening.” They lack any real substance; their prosperity will last for only a brief time.
  35. Psalm 73:20 sn When you awake. The psalmist compares God’s inactivity to sleep and the time of God’s judgment to his awakening from sleep.
  36. Psalm 73:20 tn Heb “you will despise their form.” The Hebrew term צֶלֶם (tselem, “form; image”) also suggests their short-lived nature. Rather than having real substance, they are like the mere images that populate one’s dreams. Note the similar use of the term in Ps 39:6.
  37. Psalm 73:21 tn Or perhaps “when.”
  38. Psalm 73:21 tn The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing attitude in a past time frame.
  39. Psalm 73:21 tn Heb “and [in] my kidneys I was pierced.” The imperfect verbal form here describes a continuing condition in a past time frame.
  40. Psalm 73:22 tn Or “brutish, stupid.”
  41. Psalm 73:22 tn Heb “and I was not knowing.”
  42. Psalm 73:22 tn Heb “an animal I was with you.”
  43. Psalm 73:24 tn The imperfect verbal form here suggests this is the psalmist’s ongoing experience.
  44. Psalm 73:24 tn Heb “and afterward [to] glory you will take me.” Some interpreters view this as the psalmist’s confidence in an afterlife in God’s presence and understand כָּבוֹד (kavod) as a metonymic reference to God’s presence in heaven. But this seems unlikely in the present context. The psalmist anticipates a time of vindication, when the wicked are destroyed and he is honored by God for his godly life style. The verb לָקַח (laqakh, “take”) here carries the nuance “lead, guide, conduct,” as in Num 23:14, 27-28; Josh 24:3 and Prov 24:11.
  45. Psalm 73:25 tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.
  46. Psalm 73:26 tn The Hebrew verb כָלָה (khalah, “to fail; to grow weak”) does not refer here to physical death per se, but to the physical weakness that sometimes precedes death (see Job 33:21; Pss 71:9; 143:7; Prov 5:11).
  47. Psalm 73:26 tn Or “forever.”
  48. Psalm 73:26 tn Heb “is the rocky summit of my heart and my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to a rocky summit where one could go for protection and to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.
  49. Psalm 73:27 tn Or “for.”
  50. Psalm 73:27 sn The following line defines the phrase far from you in a spiritual sense. Those “far” from God are those who are unfaithful and disloyal to him.
  51. Psalm 73:27 tn Heb “everyone who commits adultery from you.”
  52. Psalm 73:28 tn Heb “but as for me, the nearness of God for me [is] good.”
  53. Psalm 73:28 tn The infinitive construct with ל (lamed) is understood here as indicating an attendant circumstance. Another option is to take it as indicating purpose (“so that I might declare”) or result (“with the result that I declare”).
  54. Psalm 74:1 sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 b.c., asks God to consider Israel’s sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people. He describes the ruined temple, recalls God’s mighty deeds in the past, begs for mercy, and calls for judgment upon God’s enemies.
  55. Psalm 74:1 tn 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.
  56. Psalm 74:1 sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.
  57. Psalm 74:1 tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.
  58. Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.
  59. Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).
  60. Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).
  61. Psalm 74:3 tn Heb “lift up your steps to,” which may mean “run, hurry.”
  62. Psalm 74:3 tn Heb “everything [the] enemy has damaged in the holy place.”
  63. Psalm 74:4 tn This verb is often used of a lion’s roar, so the psalmist may be comparing the enemy to a raging, devouring lion.
  64. Psalm 74:4 tn Heb “your meeting place.”
  65. Psalm 74:4 tn Heb “they set up their banners [as] banners.” The Hebrew noun אוֹת (ʾot, “sign”) here refers to the enemy army’s battle flags and banners (see Num 2:12).
  66. Psalm 74:5 tn Heb “it is known like one bringing upwards, in a thicket of wood, axes.” The Babylonian invaders destroyed the woodwork in the temple.
  67. Psalm 74:6 tn This is the reading of the Qere (marginal reading). The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and a time.”
  68. Psalm 74:6 tn The imperfect verbal form vividly describes the act as underway.
  69. Psalm 74:6 tn Heb “its engravings together.”
  70. Psalm 74:6 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49-50).
  71. Psalm 74:6 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. An Akkadian cognate refers to a “pickaxe” (cf. NEB “hatchet and pick”; NIV “axes and hatchets”; NRSV “hatchets and hammers”).
  72. Psalm 74:7 tn Heb “to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name.”
  73. Psalm 74:8 tn Heb “in their heart.”
  74. Psalm 74:8 tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).
  75. Psalm 74:8 tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”
  76. Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).
  77. Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”
  78. Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”
  79. Psalm 74:11 tn Heb “Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? From the midst of your chest, destroy!” The psalmist pictures God as having placed his right hand (symbolic of activity and strength) inside his robe against his chest. He prays that God would pull his hand out from under his robe and use it to destroy the enemy.
  80. Psalm 74:12 tn The psalmist speaks as Israel’s representative here.
  81. Psalm 74:12 tn Heb “in the midst of the earth.”
  82. Psalm 74:13 tn The derivation and meaning of the Polel verb form פּוֹרַרְתָּ (porarta) are uncertain. The form may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “break, shatter,” though the biblical Hebrew cognate of this verb always appears in the Hiphil or Hophal stem. BDB 830 s.v. II פָּרַר suggests a homonym here, meaning “to split; to divide.” A Hitpolel form of a root פָּרַר (parar) appears in Isa 24:19 with the meaning “to shake violently.”
  83. Psalm 74:13 tn The Hebrew text has the plural form, “sea monsters” (cf. NRSV “dragons”), but it is likely that an original enclitic mem has been misunderstood as a plural ending. The imagery of the mythological sea monster is utilized here. See the note on “Leviathan” in v. 14.
  84. Psalm 74:14 sn You crushed the heads of Leviathan. The imagery of vv. 13-14 originates in West Semitic mythology. The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon [Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַּנִין (tanin), translated “sea monster” in v. 13] vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling [Ugaritic ʿqltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן (ʿaqallaton), translated “squirming” in Isa 27:1] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (note the use of the plural “heads” here and in v. 13). (See CTA 3.iii.38-39 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 50.) (2) “For all that you smote Leviathan the slippery [Ugaritic brḥ, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ (bariakh), translated “fast moving” in Isa 27:1] serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5.i.1-3 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and, in turn, the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. In the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (see Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the waters of chaos is related to his kingship (see Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Isa 27:1 applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea. Here in Ps 74:13-14 the primary referent is unclear. The psalmist may be describing God’s creation of the world (note vv. 16-17 and see Ps 89:9-12), when he brought order out of a watery mass, or the exodus (see Isa 51:9-10), when he created Israel by destroying the Egyptians in the waters of the sea.
  85. Psalm 74:14 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite in this narrational context.
  86. Psalm 74:14 sn You fed him to the people. This pictures the fragments of Leviathan’s dead corpse washing up on shore and being devoured by those who find them. If the exodus is in view, then it may allude to the bodies of the dead Egyptians which washed up on the shore of the Red Sea (see Exod 14:30).
  87. Psalm 74:15 sn You broke open the spring and the stream. Perhaps this alludes to the way in which God provided water for the Israelites as they traveled in the wilderness following the exodus (see Ps 78:15-16, 20; 105:41).
  88. Psalm 74:15 sn Perpetually flowing rivers are rivers that contain water year round, unlike the seasonal streams that flow only during the rainy season. Perhaps the psalmist here alludes to the drying up of the Jordan River when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan under Joshua (see Josh 3-4).
  89. Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “To you [is] day, also to you [is] night.”
  90. Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “[the] light.” Following the reference to “day and night” and in combination with “sun,” it is likely that the Hebrew term מָאוֹר (maʾor, “light”) refers here to the moon.
  91. Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “you established [the] light and [the] sun.”
  92. Psalm 74:17 tn This would appear to refer to geographical boundaries, such as mountains, rivers, and seacoasts. However, since the day-night cycle has just been mentioned (v. 16) and the next line speaks of the seasons, it is possible that “boundaries” here refers to the divisions of the seasons. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:156.
  93. Psalm 74:17 tn Heb “summer and winter, you, you formed them.”
  94. Psalm 74:18 tn Heb “remember this.”
  95. Psalm 74:18 tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the Lord.”
  96. Psalm 74:19 sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.
  97. Psalm 74:19 tn Heb “do not forget forever.”
  98. Psalm 74:20 tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix, which would be written with ך (kaf). The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word, כִּי (ki), begins with כ (kaf) .
  99. Psalm 74:20 tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).
  100. Psalm 74:21 sn Let the oppressed and poor praise your name. The statement is metonymic. The point is this: May the oppressed be delivered from their enemies. Then they will have ample reason to praise God’s name.
  101. Psalm 74:22 tn Or “defend your cause.”
  102. Psalm 74:22 tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”
  103. Psalm 74:23 tn Or “forget.”
  104. Psalm 74:23 tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”
  105. Psalm 74:23 tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”
  106. Psalm 75:1 sn Psalm 75. The psalmist celebrates God’s just rule, which guarantees that the godly will be vindicated and the wicked destroyed.
  107. Psalm 75:1 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-59.
  108. Psalm 75:1 tn Heb “and near [is] your name.”
  109. Psalm 75:2 tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in vv. 2-3.
  110. Psalm 75:2 tn Heb “when I take an appointed time.”
  111. Psalm 75:2 tn Heb “I, [in] fairness, I judge.” The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically executes fair judgment as he governs the world. One could take this as referring to an anticipated (future) judgment, “I will judge.”
  112. Psalm 75:3 tn Heb “melt.”
  113. Psalm 75:3 tn The statement is understood in a generalizing sense; God typically prevents the world from being overrun by chaos. One could take this as referring to an anticipated event, “I will make its pillars secure.”
  114. Psalm 75:4 tn The identity of the speaker in vv. 4-6 is unclear. The present translation assumes that the psalmist, who also speaks in vv. 7-9 (where God/the Lord is spoken of in the third person) here addresses the proud and warns them of God’s judgment. The presence of כִּי (ki, “for”) at the beginning of both vv. 6-7 seems to indicate that vv. 4-9 are a unit. However, there is no formal indication of a new speaker in v. 4 (or in v. 10, where God appears to speak). Another option is to see God speaking in vv. 2-6 and v. 10 and to take only vv. 7-9 as the words of the psalmist. In this case one must interpret כִּי at the beginning of v. 7 in an asseverative or emphatic sense (“surely; indeed”).
  115. Psalm 75:4 tn Heb “do not lift up a horn.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Here the idiom seems to refer to an arrogant attitude that assumes victory has been achieved.
  116. Psalm 75:5 tn Heb “do not lift up on high your horn.”
  117. Psalm 75:5 tn Heb “[do not] speak with unrestrained neck.” The negative particle is understood in this line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).sn The image behind the language of vv. 4-5 is that of a powerful wild ox that confidently raises its head before its enemies.
  118. Psalm 75:6 tn Heb “for not from the east or from the west, and not from the wilderness of the mountains.” If one follows this reading the sentence is elliptical. One must supply “does help come,” or some comparable statement. However, it is possible to take הָרִים (harim) as a Hiphil infinitive from רוּם (rum), the same verb used in vv. 4-5 of “lifting up” a horn. In this case one may translate the form as “victory.” In this case the point is that victory does not come from alliances with other nations.
  119. Psalm 75:7 tn Or “judges.”
  120. Psalm 75:7 tn The imperfects here emphasize the generalizing nature of the statement.
  121. Psalm 75:8 tn Heb “for a cup [is] in the hand of the Lord, and wine foams, it is full of a spiced drink.” The noun מֶסֶךְ (mesekh) refers to a “mixture” of wine and spices.
  122. Psalm 75:8 tn Heb “and he pours out from this.”
  123. Psalm 75:8 tn Heb “surely its dregs they slurp up and drink, all the wicked of the earth.”sn The psalmist pictures God as forcing the wicked to gulp down an intoxicating drink that will leave them stunned and vulnerable. Divine judgment is also depicted this way in Ps 60:3; Isa 51:17-23; Hab 2:16.
  124. Psalm 75:9 tn Heb “I will declare forever.” The object needs to be supplied; God’s just judgment is in view.
  125. Psalm 75:10 tn The words “God says” are not in the Hebrew text. They are supplied in the translation to clarify that God speaks in v. 10.
  126. Psalm 75:10 tn Heb “and all the horns of the wicked I will cut off, the horns of the godly will be lifted up.” The imagery of the wild ox’s horn is once more utilized (see vv. 4-5).
  127. Psalm 76:1 sn Psalm 76. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior who destroys Israel’s enemies.
  128. Psalm 76:1 tn Or “God is known in Judah.”
  129. Psalm 76:1 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
  130. Psalm 76:2 sn Salem is a shorter name for Jerusalem (see Gen 14:18).
  131. Psalm 76:2 tn 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).
  132. Psalm 76:3 tn Heb “flames of the bow,” i.e., arrows.
  133. Psalm 76:3 tn Heb “shield and sword and battle.” “Battle” probably here stands by metonymy for the weapons of war in general.sn This verse may allude to the miraculous defeat of the Assyrians in 701 b.c. (see Isa 36-37).
  134. Psalm 76:4 tn 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.
  135. Psalm 76:5 tn 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).
  136. Psalm 76:5 tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).
  137. Psalm 76:5 tn 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: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”
  138. Psalm 76:5 tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”
  139. Psalm 76:6 tn Heb “from your shout.” The noun is derived from the Hebrew verb גָּעַר (gaʿar), 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, TDOT 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.
  140. Psalm 76:6 tn Or “chariot,” but even so the term is metonymic for the charioteer.
  141. Psalm 76:6 tn Heb “he fell asleep, and [the] chariot and [the] horse.” Once again (see v. 5) “sleep” refers here to the “sleep” of death.
  142. Psalm 76:7 tc Heb “and who can stand before you from the time of your anger?” The Hebrew expression מֵאָז (meʾaz, “from the time of”) is better emended to מֵאֹז (meʾoz, “from [i.e., “because of”] the strength of your anger”; see Ps 90:11).
  143. Psalm 76:8 tn Heb “a [legal] decision,” or “sentence.”
  144. Psalm 76:8 tn “The earth” stands here by metonymy for its inhabitants.
  145. Psalm 76:10 tn Or “for.”
  146. Psalm 76:10 tn 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).
  147. Psalm 76:10 tn 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.
  148. Psalm 76:11 tn 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.
  149. Psalm 76:12 tn Heb “he reduces the spirit of princes.” According to HALOT 148 s.v. II בצר, the Hebrew verb בָּצַר (batsar) is here a hapax legomenon meaning “reduce, humble.” The statement is generalizing, with the imperfect tense highlighting God’s typical behavior.
  150. Psalm 76:12 tn Heb “[he is] awesome to the kings of the earth.”
  151. Psalm 77:1 sn 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.
  152. Psalm 77:1 tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qaraʾ, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.
  153. Psalm 77:1 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). 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).
  154. Psalm 77:2 tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
  155. Psalm 77:2 tn 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.
  156. Psalm 77:2 tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
  157. Psalm 77:3 tn 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).
  158. Psalm 77:4 tn 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).
  159. Psalm 77:4 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
  160. Psalm 77:5 tn Heb “the years of antiquity.”
  161. Psalm 77:6 tn 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.
  162. Psalm 77:7 tn 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.
  163. Psalm 77:8 tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
  164. Psalm 77:10 sn The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ʿelyon) 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.
  165. Psalm 77:10 tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khalloti) 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 (khaloti), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbחָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shenot) 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.
  166. Psalm 77:11 tn Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.”sn 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.
  167. Psalm 77:13 sn 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).
  168. Psalm 77:13 tn 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.
  169. Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”
  170. Psalm 77:15 tn Or “redeemed.”
  171. Psalm 77:15 tn Heb “with [your] arm.”
  172. Psalm 77:16 tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.
  173. Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
  174. Psalm 77:16 tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  175. Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
  176. Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “water.”
  177. Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”
  178. Psalm 77:17 tn The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the Lord’s “arrows” (see v. 18).
  179. Psalm 77:18 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.sn 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.
  180. Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
  181. Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
  182. Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”