Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 83[a]

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83 O God, do not be silent.
Do not ignore us.[b] Do not be inactive, O God.
For look, your enemies are making a commotion;
those who hate you are hostile.[c]
They carefully plot[d] against your people,
and make plans to harm[e] the ones you cherish.[f]
They say, “Come on, let’s annihilate them so they are no longer a nation.[g]
Then the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”
Yes,[h] they devise a unified strategy;[i]
they form an alliance[j] against you.
It includes[k] the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,[l]
Gebal,[m] Ammon, and Amalek,
Philistia and the inhabitants of Tyre.
Even Assyria has allied with them,
lending its strength to the descendants of Lot.[n] (Selah)
Do to them as you did to Midian[o]
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.[p]
10 They were destroyed at Endor;[q]
their corpses were like manure[r] on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,[s]
and all their rulers like Zebah and Zalmunna,[t]
12 who said,[u] “Let’s take over[v] the pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like dead thistles,[w]
like dead weeds blown away by[x] the wind.
14 Like the fire that burns down the forest,
or the flames that consume the mountainsides,[y]
15 chase them with your gale winds,
and terrify[z] them with your windstorm.
16 Cover[aa] their faces with shame,
so they might seek[ab] you,[ac] O Lord.
17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified.[ad]
May they die in shame.[ae]
18 Then they will know[af] that you alone are the Lord,[ag]
the Most High[ah] over all the earth.

Psalm 84[ai]

For the music director, according to the gittith style;[aj] written by the Korahites, a psalm.

84 How lovely is the place where you live,[ak]
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies![al]
I desperately want to be[am]
in the courts of the Lord’s temple.[an]
My heart and my entire being[ao] shout for joy
to the living God.
Even the birds find a home there,
and the swallow[ap] builds a nest,
where she can protect her young[aq]
near your altars, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
my King and my God.
How blessed[ar] are those who live in your temple
and praise you continually. (Selah)
How blessed are those who[as] find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple.[at]
As they pass through the Baca Valley,[au]
he provides a spring for them.[av]
The rain[aw] even covers it with pools of water.[ax]
They are sustained as they travel along;[ay]
each one appears[az] before God in Zion.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,[ba]
hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob. (Selah)
O God, take notice of our shield.[bb]
Show concern for your chosen king.[bc]
10 Certainly[bd] spending just one day in your temple courts is better
than spending a thousand elsewhere.[be]
I would rather stand at the entrance[bf] to the temple of my God
than live[bg] in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.[bh]
The Lord bestows favor[bi] and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.[bj]
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[bk]
how blessed are those who trust in you.[bl]

Psalm 85[bm]

For the music director, written by the Korahites, a psalm.

85 O Lord, you showed favor to your land;
you restored the well-being of Jacob.[bn]
You pardoned[bo] the wrongdoing of your people;
you forgave[bp] all their sin. (Selah)
You withdrew all your fury;
you turned back from your raging anger.[bq]
Restore us, O God our deliverer.
Do not be displeased with us.[br]
Will you stay mad at us forever?
Will you remain angry throughout future generations?[bs]
Will you not revive us once more?
Then your people will rejoice in you.
O Lord, show us your loyal love.
Bestow on us your deliverance.
I will listen to what God the Lord says.[bt]
For he will make[bu] peace with his people, his faithful followers.[bv]
Yet they must not[bw] return to their foolish ways.
Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;[bx]
then his splendor will again appear in our land.[by]
10 Loyal love and faithfulness meet;[bz]
deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss.[ca]
11 Faithfulness grows from the ground,
and deliverance looks down from the sky.[cb]
12 Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings,[cc]
and our land will yield[cd] its crops.
13 Deliverance goes[ce] before him,
and prepares[cf] a pathway for him.[cg]

Psalm 86[ch]

A prayer of David.

86 Listen,[ci] O Lord. Answer me.
For I am oppressed and needy.
Protect me,[cj] for I am loyal.
You are my God; deliver your servant who trusts in you.
Have mercy on me,[ck] O Lord,
for I cry out to you all day long.
Make your servant[cl] glad,
for to you, O Lord, I pray.[cm]
Certainly,[cn] O Lord, you are kind[co] and forgiving,
and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my plea for mercy.
In my time of trouble I cry out to you,
for you will answer me.
None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord.
Your exploits are incomparable.[cp]
All the nations, whom you created,
will come and worship you,[cq] O Lord.
They will honor your name.
10 For you are great and do amazing things.
You alone are God.
11 O Lord, teach me how you want me to live.[cr]
Then I will obey your commands.[cs]
Make me wholeheartedly committed to you.[ct]
12 O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart.
I will honor your name continually.[cu]
13 For you will extend your great loyal love to me,[cv]
and will deliver my life[cw] from the depths of Sheol.[cx]
14 O God, arrogant men attack me;[cy]
a gang[cz] of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life.[da]
15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient[db] and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.[dc]
16 Turn toward me and have mercy on me.
Give your servant your strength.
Deliver this son of your female servant.[dd]
17 Show me evidence of your favor.[de]
Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed,[df]
for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me.[dg]

Psalm 87[dh]

Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.

87 The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.[di]
The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
People say wonderful things about you,[dj]
O city of God. (Selah)
I mention Rahab[dk] and Babylon to my followers.[dl]
Here are[dm] Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia.[dn]
It is said of them, “This one was born there.”[do]
But it is said of Zion’s residents,[dp]
“Each one of these[dq] was born in her,
and the Most High[dr] makes her secure.”
The Lord writes in the census book of the nations,[ds]
“This one was born there.”[dt] (Selah)
As for the singers, as well as the pipers—
all of them sing within your walls.[du]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.
  2. Psalm 83:1 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
  3. Psalm 83:2 tn Heb “lift up [their] head[s].” The phrase “lift up [the] head” here means “to threaten; to be hostile,” as in Judg 8:28.
  4. Psalm 83:3 tn Heb “they make crafty a plot.”
  5. Psalm 83:3 tn Heb “and consult together against.”
  6. Psalm 83:3 tn The passive participle of the Hebrew verb צָפַן (tsafan, “to hide”) is used here in the sense of “treasured; cherished.”
  7. Psalm 83:4 tn Heb “we will cause them to disappear from [being] a nation.”
  8. Psalm 83:5 tn Or “for.”
  9. Psalm 83:5 tn Heb “they consult [with] a heart together.”
  10. Psalm 83:5 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
  11. Psalm 83:6 tn The words “it includes” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  12. Psalm 83:6 sn The Hagrites are also mentioned in 1 Chr 5:10, 19-20.
  13. Psalm 83:7 sn Some identify Gebal with the Phoenician coastal city of Byblos (see Ezek 27:9, where the name is spelled differently), though others locate this site south of the Dead Sea (see BDB 148 s.v. גְּבַל; HALOT 174 s.v. גְּבַל).
  14. Psalm 83:8 tn Heb “they are an arm for the sons of Lot.” The “arm” is here a symbol of military might.sn The descendants of Lot were the Moabites and Ammonites.
  15. Psalm 83:9 tn Heb “do to them like Midian.”
  16. Psalm 83:9 sn The psalmist alludes here to Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (see Judg 7-8) and to Barak’s victory over Jabin’s army, which was led by his general Sisera (Judg 4-5).
  17. Psalm 83:10 sn Endor is not mentioned in the accounts of Gideon’s or Barak’s victories, but both battles took place in the general vicinity of the town. (See Y. Aharoni and M. Avi-Yonah, The Macmillan Bible Atlas, 46, 54.) Because Sisera and Jabin are mentioned in v. 9b, many understand them to be the subject of the verbs in v. 10, though they relate v. 10 to Gideon’s victory, which is referred to in v. 9a, 11. (See, for example, Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible, 263.)
  18. Psalm 83:10 tn Heb “they were manure.” In addition to this passage, corpses are compared to manure in 2 Kgs 9:37; Jer 8:2; 9:21; 16:4; 25:33.
  19. Psalm 83:11 sn Oreb and Zeeb were the generals of the Midianite army that was defeated by Gideon. The Ephraimites captured and executed both of them and sent their heads to Gideon (Judg 7:24-25).
  20. Psalm 83:11 sn Zebah and Zalmunna were the Midianite kings. Gideon captured them and executed them (Judg 8:1-21).
  21. Psalm 83:12 tn The translation assumes that “Zebah and Zalmunna” are the antecedents of the relative pronoun (“who [said]”). Another option is to take “their nobles…all their rulers” as the antecedent and to translate, “those who say.”
  22. Psalm 83:12 tn Heb “let’s take possession for ourselves.”
  23. Psalm 83:13 tn Or “tumbleweed.” The Hebrew noun גַּלְגַּל (galgal) refers to a “wheel” or, metaphorically, to a whirling wind (see Ps 77:18). If taken in the latter sense here, one could understand the term as a metonymical reference to dust blown by a whirlwind (cf. NRSV “like whirling dust”). However, HALOT 190 s.v. II גַּלְגַּל understands the noun as a homonym referring to a “dead thistle” here and in Isa 17:13. The parallel line, which refers to קַשׁ (qash, “chaff”), favors this interpretation.
  24. Psalm 83:13 tn Heb “before.”
  25. Psalm 83:14 sn The imagery of fire and flames suggests unrelenting, destructive judgment.
  26. Psalm 83:15 tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 15 express the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
  27. Psalm 83:16 tn Heb “fill.”
  28. Psalm 83:16 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose or result (“then they will seek”).
  29. Psalm 83:16 tn Heb “your name,” which stands here for God’s person.
  30. Psalm 83:17 tn Heb “and may they be terrified to perpetuity.” The Hebrew expression עֲדֵי־עַד (ʿade ʿad, “to perpetuity”) can mean “forevermore” (see Pss 92:7; 132:12, 14), but here it may be used hyperbolically, for the psalmist asks that the experience of judgment might lead the nations to recognize (v. 18) and even to seek (v. 16) God.
  31. Psalm 83:17 tn Heb “may they be ashamed and perish.” The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling severe judgment down on his enemies. The strong language of the imprecation seems to run contrary to the positive outcome of divine judgment envisioned in v. 16b. Perhaps the language of v. 17 is overstated for effect. Another option is that v. 16b expresses an ideal, while the strong imprecation of vv. 17-18 anticipates reality. It would be nice if the defeated nations actually pursued a relationship with God, but if judgment does not bring them to that point, the psalmist asks that they be annihilated so that they might at least be forced to acknowledge God’s power.
  32. Psalm 83:18 tn After the preceding jussives (v. 17), the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose (“so that they may know”) or result.
  33. Psalm 83:18 tn Heb “that you, your name [is] the Lord, you alone.”
  34. Psalm 83:18 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.
  35. Psalm 84:1 sn Psalm 84. The psalmist expresses his desire to be in God’s presence in the Jerusalem temple, for the Lord is the protector of his people.
  36. Psalm 84:1 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term הַגִּתִּית (haggittit) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument.
  37. Psalm 84:1 tn Or “your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the Lord’s special dwelling place (see Pss 43:3; 46:4; 132:5, 7).
  38. Psalm 84:1 tn Traditionally, “Lord of hosts.” The title draws attention to God’s sovereign position (see Ps 69:6).
  39. Psalm 84:2 tn Heb “my soul longs, it even pines for.”
  40. Psalm 84:2 tn Heb “the courts of the Lord” (see Ps 65:4).
  41. Psalm 84:2 tn Heb “my flesh,” which stands for his whole person and being.
  42. Psalm 84:3 tn The word translated “swallow” occurs only here and in Prov 26:2.
  43. Psalm 84:3 tn Heb “even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, [in] which she places her young.”sn The psalmist here romanticizes the temple as a place of refuge and safety. As he thinks of the birds nesting near its roof, he envisions them finding protection in God’s presence.
  44. Psalm 84:4 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see v. 12 and Pss 1:1; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
  45. Psalm 84:5 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here was certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to in v. 5a is representative of followers of God, as the use of plural forms in vv. 5b-7 indicates.
  46. Psalm 84:5 tn Heb “roads [are] in their heart[s].” The roads are here those that lead to Zion (see v. 7).
  47. Psalm 84:6 tn The translation assumes that the Hebrew phrase עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא (ʿemeq habbakhaʾ) is the name of an otherwise unknown arid valley through which pilgrims to Jerusalem passed. The term בָּכָא (bakhaʾ) may be the name of a particular type of plant or shrub that grew in this valley. O. Borowski (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 130) suggests it is the black mulberry. Some take the phrase as purely metaphorical and relate בָּכָא to the root בָּכָה (bakhah, “to weep”). In this case one might translate, “the valley of weeping” or “the valley of affliction.”
  48. Psalm 84:6 tc The MT reads “a spring they make it,” but this makes little sense. Many medieval Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX, understand God to be the subject and the valley to be the object, “he [God] makes it [the valley] [into] a spring.”
  49. Psalm 84:6 tn This rare word may refer to the early (or autumn) rains (see Joel 2:23).
  50. Psalm 84:6 tc The MT reads בְּרָכוֹת (berakhot, “blessings”) but the preceding reference to a “spring” favors an emendation to בְּרֵכוֹת (berekhot, “pools”).sn Pools of water. Because water is so necessary for life, it makes an apt symbol for divine favor and blessing. As the pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem, God provided for their physical needs and gave them a token of his favor and of the blessings awaiting them at the temple.
  51. Psalm 84:7 tn Heb “they go from strength to strength.” The phrase “from strength to strength” occurs only here in the OT. With a verb of motion, the expression “from [common noun] to [same common noun]” normally suggests movement from one point to another or through successive points (see Num 36:7; 1 Chr 16:20; 17:5; Ps 105:13; Jer 25:32). Ps 84:7 may be emphasizing that the pilgrims move successively from one “place of strength” to another as they travel toward Jerusalem. All along the way they find adequate provisions and renewed energy for the trip.
  52. Psalm 84:7 tn The psalmist returns to the singular (see v. 5a), which he uses in either a representative or distributive (“each one”) sense.
  53. Psalm 84:8 tn HebLord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsevaʾot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9) but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ʾelohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת in Pss 59:5 and 80:4, 19 as well.
  54. Psalm 84:9 tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “your anointed one” here and with “our king” in Ps 89:18.
  55. Psalm 84:9 tn Heb “look [on] the face of your anointed one.” The Hebrew phrase מְשִׁיחֶךָ (meshikhekha, “your anointed one”) refers here to the Davidic king (see Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17).
  56. Psalm 84:10 tn Or “for.”
  57. Psalm 84:10 tn Heb “better is a day in your courts than a thousand [spent elsewhere].”
  58. Psalm 84:10 tn Heb “I choose being at the entrance of the house of my God over living in the tents of the wicked.” The verb סָפַף (safaf) appears only here in the OT; it is derived from the noun סַף (saf, “threshold”). Traditionally some have interpreted this as a reference to being a doorkeeper at the temple, though some understand it to mean “lie as a beggar at the entrance to the temple” (see HALOT 765 s.v. ספף).
  59. Psalm 84:10 tn The verb דּוּר (dur, “to live”) occurs only here in the OT.
  60. Psalm 84:11 tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.
  61. Psalm 84:11 tn Or “grace.”
  62. Psalm 84:11 tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”
  63. Psalm 84:12 tn Traditionally “Lord of hosts.”
  64. Psalm 84:12 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man [who] trusts in you.” Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle stated here is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the plural “those.” The individual referred to here is representative of all followers of God, as the use of the plural form in v. 12b indicates.
  65. Psalm 85:1 sn Psalm 85. God’s people recall how he forgave their sins in the past, pray that he might now restore them to his favor, and anticipate renewed blessings.
  66. Psalm 85:1 tn Heb “you turned with a turning [toward] Jacob.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shevut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv). See Pss 14:7; 53:6.
  67. Psalm 85:2 tn Heb “lifted up.”
  68. Psalm 85:2 tn Heb “covered over.”
  69. Psalm 85:3 tn Heb “the rage of your anger.” The phrase “rage of your anger” employs an appositional genitive. Synonyms are joined in a construct relationship to emphasize the single idea. For a detailed discussion of the grammatical point with numerous examples, see Y. Avishur, “Pairs of Synonymous Words in the Construct State (and in Appositional Hendiadys) in Biblical Hebrew,” Semitics 2 (1971): 17-81. See Pss 69:24; 78:49.
  70. Psalm 85:4 tn Heb “break your displeasure with us.” Some prefer to emend הָפֵר (hafer, “break”) to הָסֵר (haser, “turn aside”).
  71. Psalm 85:5 tn Heb “Will your anger stretch to a generation and a generation?”
  72. Psalm 85:8 sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.
  73. Psalm 85:8 tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).
  74. Psalm 85:8 tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.
  75. Psalm 85:8 tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (ʾel), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.
  76. Psalm 85:9 tn Heb “certainly his deliverance [is] near to those who fear him.”
  77. Psalm 85:9 tn Heb “to dwell, glory, in our land.” “Glory” is the subject of the infinitive. The infinitive with ל (lamed), “to dwell,” probably indicates result here (“then”). When God delivers his people and renews his relationship with them, he will once more reveal his royal splendor in the land.
  78. Psalm 85:10 tn The psalmist probably uses the perfect verbal forms in v. 10 in a dramatic or rhetorical manner, describing what he anticipates as if it were already occurring or had already occurred.
  79. Psalm 85:10 sn Deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss. The psalmist personifies these abstract qualities to emphasize that God’s loyal love and faithfulness will yield deliverance and peace for his people.
  80. Psalm 85:11 sn The psalmist already sees undeniable signs of God’s faithfulness and expects deliverance to arrive soon.
  81. Psalm 85:12 tn Heb “what is good.”
  82. Psalm 85:12 tn Both “bestow” and “yield” translate the same Hebrew verb (נָתַן, natan). The repetition of the word emphasizes that agricultural prosperity is the direct result of divine blessing.
  83. Psalm 85:13 tn Or “will go.”
  84. Psalm 85:13 tn Or “will prepare.”
  85. Psalm 85:13 tn Heb “and it prepares for a way his footsteps.” Some suggest emending וְיָשֵׂם (veyasem, “and prepares”) to וְשָׁלוֹם (veshalom, “and peace”) since “deliverance” and “peace” are closely related earlier in v. 13. This could be translated, “and peace [goes ahead, making] a pathway for his footsteps” (cf. NEB).
  86. Psalm 86:1 sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.
  87. Psalm 86:1 tn Heb “turn your ear.”
  88. Psalm 86:2 tn Heb “my life.”
  89. Psalm 86:3 tn Or “show me favor.”
  90. Psalm 86:4 tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”
  91. Psalm 86:4 tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”
  92. Psalm 86:5 tn Or “for.”
  93. Psalm 86:5 tn Heb “good.”
  94. Psalm 86:8 tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”
  95. Psalm 86:9 tn Or “bow down before you.”
  96. Psalm 86:11 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles he expects the psalmist to follow. See Pss 25:4; 27:11.
  97. Psalm 86:11 tn Heb “I will walk in your truth.” The Lord’s commandments are referred to as “truth” here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will. See Ps 25:5.
  98. Psalm 86:11 tn Heb “Bind my heart to the fearing of your name.” The verb translated “bind” occurs only here in the Piel stem. It appears twice in the Qal, meaning “be joined” in both cases (Gen 49:6; Isa 14:20). To “fear” God’s name means to have a healthy respect for him which in turn motivates one to obey his commands (see Pss 61:5; 102:15).
  99. Psalm 86:12 tn Or “forever.”
  100. Psalm 86:13 tn Heb “for your loyal love [is] great over me.”
  101. Psalm 86:13 tn Or “for he will have delivered my life.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here.
  102. Psalm 86:13 tn Or “lower Sheol.”
  103. Psalm 86:14 tn Heb “rise up against me.”
  104. Psalm 86:14 tn Or “assembly.”
  105. Psalm 86:14 tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.
  106. Psalm 86:15 tn Heb “slow to anger.”
  107. Psalm 86:15 tn Heb “and great of loyal love and faithfulness.”sn The psalmist’s confession of faith in this verse echoes Exod 34:6.
  108. Psalm 86:16 tn Heb “the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 116:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The phrase may be used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant. Or it may be a reference to the psalmist’s own mother who also was a servant of the Lord.
  109. Psalm 86:17 tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.
  110. Psalm 86:17 tn After the imperative in the preceding line (“work”), the prefixed verb forms with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose or result.
  111. Psalm 86:17 tn The perfect verbal forms are understood here as dramatic/rhetorical, expressing the psalmist’s certitude that such a sign from the Lord will be followed by his intervention. Another option is to understand the forms as future perfects (“for you, O Lord, will have helped me and comforted me”).
  112. Psalm 87:1 sn Psalm 87. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s presence in Zion and the special status of its citizens.
  113. Psalm 87:1 tn Heb “his foundation [is] in the hills of holiness.” The expression “his foundation” refers here by metonymy to the Lord’s dwelling place in Zion. The “hills” are the ones surrounding Zion (see Pss 125:2; 133:3).
  114. Psalm 87:3 tn Heb “glorious things are spoken about you.” The translation assumes this is a general reference to compliments paid to Zion by those who live within her walls and by those who live in the surrounding areas and lands. Another option is that this refers to a prophetic oracle about the city’s glorious future. In this case one could translate, “wonderful things are announced concerning you.”
  115. Psalm 87:4 snRahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).
  116. Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the Lord speaks here. The verbal construction (the Hiphil of זָכַר, zakhar, “remember” followed by the preposition ל [lamed] with a substantive) is rare, but the prepositional phrase is best understood as indicating the recipient of the announcement (see Jer 4:16). Some take the preposition in the sense of “among” and translate, “among those who know me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). In this case these foreigners are viewed as the Lord’s people and the psalm is interpreted as anticipating a time when all nations will worship the Lord (see Ps 86:9) and be considered citizens of Zion.
  117. Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “Look.”
  118. Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “Cush.”
  119. Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.
  120. Psalm 87:5 tn Heb “and of Zion it is said.” Another option is to translate, “and to Zion it is said.” In collocation with the Niphal of אָמַר (ʾamar), the preposition ל (lamed) can introduce the recipient of the statement (see Josh 2:2; Jer 4:11; Hos 1:10; Zeph 3:16), carry the nuance “concerning, of” (see Num 23:23), or mean “be named” (see Isa 4:3; 62:4).
  121. Psalm 87:5 tn Heb “a man and a man.” The idiom also appears in Esth 1:8. The translation assumes that the phrase refers to each of Zion’s residents, in contrast to the foreigners mentioned in v. 4. Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand this as a reference to each of the nations, including those mentioned in v. 4.
  122. Psalm 87:5 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.
  123. Psalm 87:6 tn Heb “the Lord records in the writing of the nations.”
  124. Psalm 87:6 tn As noted in v. 4, the translation assumes a contrast between “there” (the various foreign lands) and “in her” (Zion). In contrast to foreigners, the citizens of Zion have special status because of their birthplace (v. 5). In this case vv. 4 and 6 form a structural frame around v. 5.
  125. Psalm 87:7 tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (kholelim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated ל (lamed) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (mekholelim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol maʿyanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ʿanu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ʿanah, “sing”).