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Psalm 93[a]

93 The Lord reigns.
He is robed in majesty.
The Lord is robed;
he wears strength around his waist.[b]
Indeed, the world is established; it cannot be moved.
Your throne has been secure from ancient times;
you have always been king.[c]
The waves[d] roar, O Lord,
the waves roar,
the waves roar and crash.[e]
Above the sound of the surging water,[f]
and the mighty waves of the sea,
the Lord sits enthroned in majesty.[g]
The rules you set down[h] are completely reliable.[i]
Holiness[j] aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever.[k]

Psalm 94[l]

94 O Lord, the God who avenges!
O God who avenges, reveal your splendor.[m]
Rise up, O judge of the earth.
Pay back the proud.
O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked celebrate?[n]
They spew out threats[o] and speak defiantly;
all the evildoers boast.[p]
O Lord, they crush your people;
they oppress the nation that belongs to you.[q]
They kill the widow and the resident foreigner,
and they murder the fatherless.[r]
Then they say, “The Lord does not see this;
the God of Jacob does not take notice of it.”[s]
Take notice of this,[t] you ignorant people.[u]
You fools, when will you ever understand?
Does the one who makes the human ear not hear?
Does the one who forms the human eye not see?[v]
10 Does the one who disciplines the nations not punish?
He is the one who imparts knowledge to human beings!
11 The Lord knows that peoples’ thoughts
are morally bankrupt.[w]
12 How blessed is the one[x] whom you instruct, O Lord,
the one whom you teach from your law,
13 in order to protect him from times of trouble,[y]
until the wicked are destroyed.[z]
14 Certainly[aa] the Lord does not forsake his people;
he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him.[ab]
15 For justice will prevail,[ac]
and all the morally upright[ad] will be vindicated.[ae]
16 Who will rise up to defend me[af] against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?[ag]
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.[ah]
18 If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.
19 When worries threaten to overwhelm me,[ai]
your soothing touch makes me happy.[aj]
20 Cruel rulers[ak] are not your allies,
those who make oppressive laws.[al]
21 They conspire against[am] the blameless,[an]
and condemn to death the innocent.[ao]
22 But the Lord will protect me,[ap]
and my God will shelter me.[aq]
23 He will pay them back for their sin.[ar]
He will destroy them because of[as] their evil;
the Lord our God will destroy them.

Psalm 95[at]

95 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord.
Let us shout out praises to our Protector who delivers us.[au]
Let us enter his presence[av] with thanksgiving.
Let us shout out to him in celebration.[aw]
For the Lord is a great God,
a great king who is superior to[ax] all gods.
The depths of the earth are in his hand,[ay]
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and worship.[az]
Let us kneel before the Lord, our Creator.
For he is our God;
we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep he owns.[ba]
Today, if only you would obey him.[bb]
He says,[bc] “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah,[bd]
like they were that day at Massah[be] in the wilderness,[bf]
where your ancestors challenged my authority,[bg]
and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I was continually disgusted[bh] with that generation,
and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray;[bi]
they do not obey my commands.’[bj]
11 So I made a vow in my anger,
‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’”[bk]

Psalm 96[bl]

96 Sing to the Lord a new song.[bm]
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord. Praise his name.
Announce every day how he delivers.[bn]
Tell the nations about his splendor.
Tell[bo] all the nations about his amazing deeds.
For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods.[bp]
For all the gods of the nations are worthless,[bq]
but the Lord made the sky.
Majestic splendor emanates from him;[br]
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful.[bs]
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves.[bt]
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
Worship the Lord in holy attire.[bu]
Tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established; it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy.
Let the sea and everything in it shout.
12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate.
Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes.
For he comes to judge the earth.
He judges the world fairly,[bv]
and the nations in accordance with his justice.[bw]

Psalm 97[bx]

97 The Lord reigns.
Let the earth be happy.
Let the many coastlands rejoice.
Dark clouds surround him;
equity and justice are the foundation of his throne.[by]
Fire goes before him;
on every side[bz] it burns up his enemies.
His lightning bolts light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of the whole earth.
The sky declares his justice,
and all the nations see his splendor.
All who worship idols are ashamed,
those who boast about worthless idols.
All the gods bow down before him.[ca]
Zion hears and rejoices,
the towns[cb] of Judah are happy,
because of your judgments, O Lord.
For you, O Lord, are the Most High[cc] over the whole earth;
you are elevated high above all gods.
10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects[cd] the lives of his faithful followers;
he delivers them from the power[ce] of the wicked.
11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy.[cf]
12 You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord.
Give thanks to his holy name.[cg]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 93:1 sn Psalm 93. The psalmist affirms that the Lord is the king of the universe who preserves order and suppresses the destructive forces in the world.
  2. Psalm 93:1 sn Strength is compared here to a belt that one wears for support. The Lord’s power undergirds his rule.
  3. Psalm 93:2 tn Heb “from antiquity [are] you.” As the context suggests, this refers specifically to God’s royal position, not his personal existence.
  4. Psalm 93:3 tn The Hebrew noun translated “waves” often refers to rivers or streams, but here it appears to refer to the surging waves of the sea (see v. 4, Ps 24:2).
  5. Psalm 93:3 tn Heb “the waves lift up, O Lord, the waves lift up their voice, the waves lift up their crashing.”
  6. Psalm 93:4 tn Heb “mighty waters.”sn The surging waters here symbolizes the hostile enemies of God who seek to destroy the order he has established in the world (see Pss 18:17; 29:3; 32:6; 77:20; 144:7; Isa 17:13; Jer 51:55; Ezek 26:19; Hab 3:15). But the Lord is depicted as elevated above and sovereign over these raging waters.
  7. Psalm 93:4 tn Heb “mighty on high [is] the Lord.”
  8. Psalm 93:5 tn Traditionally “your testimonies.” The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (ʿedut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law. See Ps 19:7.
  9. Psalm 93:5 sn The rules you set down. God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
  10. Psalm 93:5 sn Holiness refers here to God’s royal transcendence (see vv. 1-4), as well as his moral authority and perfection (see v. 5a).
  11. Psalm 93:5 tn Heb “for your house holiness is fitting, O Lord, for length of days.”
  12. Psalm 94:1 sn Psalm 94. The psalmist asks God to judge the wicked and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
  13. Psalm 94:1 tn Heb “shine forth” (see Pss 50:2; 80:1).
  14. Psalm 94:3 tn Or “exult.”
  15. Psalm 94:4 tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”
  16. Psalm 94:4 tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (ʾamar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).
  17. Psalm 94:5 tn Or “your inheritance.”
  18. Psalm 94:6 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
  19. Psalm 94:7 tn Heb “does not understand.”
  20. Psalm 94:8 tn Heb “understand.” The verb used in v. 7 is repeated here for rhetorical effect. The people referred to here claim God is ignorant of their actions, but the psalmist corrects their faulty viewpoint.
  21. Psalm 94:8 tn Heb “[you] brutish among the people.”
  22. Psalm 94:9 tn Heb “The one who plants an ear, does he not hear? The one who forms an eye, does he not see?”
  23. Psalm 94:11 tn Heb “the Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are emptiness.” The psalmist thinks specifically of the “thoughts” expressed in v. 7.
  24. Psalm 94:12 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness [of] the man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm 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 more neutral “one.” The generic masculine pronoun is used in v. 2.
  25. Psalm 94:13 tn Heb “to give him rest from the days of trouble.”
  26. Psalm 94:13 tn Heb “until a pit is dug for the wicked.”
  27. Psalm 94:14 tn Or “for.”
  28. Psalm 94:14 tn Or “his inheritance.”
  29. Psalm 94:15 tn Heb “for judgment will return to justice.”
  30. Psalm 94:15 tn Heb “all 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; 36:10; 64:10; 97:11).
  31. Psalm 94:15 tn Heb “and after it [are] the pure of heart.”
  32. Psalm 94:16 tn Heb “for me.”
  33. Psalm 94:16 sn Who will stand up for me…? The questions anticipate the answer, “No one except God” (see v. 17).
  34. Psalm 94:17 tn Heb “If the Lord [were] not my help, quickly my life would have dwelt in silence.” The psalmist, perhaps speaking as the nation’s representative, recalls God’s past intervention. For other examples of conditional sentences with the term לוּלֵי (lule, “if not”) in the protasis and a perfect verbal form in the apodosis, see Pss 119:92 and 124:2-5.
  35. Psalm 94:19 tn Heb “when my worries are many within me.”
  36. Psalm 94:19 tn Heb “your comforts cause my soul to delight.”
  37. Psalm 94:20 tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.
  38. Psalm 94:20 tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.
  39. Psalm 94:21 tn Or “attack.”
  40. Psalm 94:21 tn Heb “the life of the blameless.”
  41. Psalm 94:21 tn Heb “and the blood of the innocent they declare guilty.”
  42. Psalm 94:22 tn Heb “and the Lord has become my elevated place.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
  43. Psalm 94:22 tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”
  44. Psalm 94:23 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.
  45. Psalm 94:23 tn Or “in.”
  46. Psalm 95:1 sn Psalm 95. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God as the creator of the world and the nation’s protector, but he also reminds the people not to rebel against God.
  47. Psalm 95:1 tn Heb “to the rocky summit of our deliverance.”
  48. Psalm 95:2 tn Heb “meet his face.”
  49. Psalm 95:2 tn Heb “with songs of joy.”
  50. Psalm 95:3 tn Heb “above.”
  51. Psalm 95:4 tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.
  52. Psalm 95:6 tn Heb “kneel down.”
  53. Psalm 95:7 tn Heb “of his hand.”
  54. Psalm 95:7 tn Heb “if only you would listen to his voice.” The Hebrew particle אִם (ʾim, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (cf. Ps 81:8). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
  55. Psalm 95:8 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).
  56. Psalm 95:8 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
  57. Psalm 95:8 sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).
  58. Psalm 95:8 tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”
  59. Psalm 95:9 tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”
  60. Psalm 95:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.
  61. Psalm 95:10 tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”
  62. Psalm 95:10 tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the Lord’s “ways” are his commands, viewed as a pathway from which his people, likened to wayward sheep (see v. 7), wander.
  63. Psalm 95:11 tn Heb “my resting place.” The promised land of Canaan is here viewed metaphorically as a place of rest for God’s people, who are compared to sheep (see v. 7).
  64. Psalm 96:1 sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.
  65. Psalm 96:1 sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See also Pss 33:3; 40:3; 98:1.
  66. Psalm 96:2 tn Heb “announce from day to day his deliverance.”
  67. Psalm 96:3 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
  68. Psalm 96:4 tn Or perhaps “and feared by all gods.” See Ps 89:7.
  69. Psalm 96:5 tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (ʾelilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.
  70. Psalm 96:6 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
  71. Psalm 96:6 tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”
  72. Psalm 96:8 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”
  73. Psalm 96:9 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
  74. Psalm 96:13 tn The verbal forms in v. 13 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions, in which case they could be translated “will judge the world.”
  75. Psalm 96:13 tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”
  76. Psalm 97:1 sn Psalm 97. The psalmist depicts the Lord as the sovereign, just king of the world who comes in power to vindicate his people.
  77. Psalm 97:2 sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.
  78. Psalm 97:3 tn Heb “all around.”
  79. Psalm 97:7 tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verbal form in the first line is an imperfect (“are ashamed”) and that the ambiguous form in the third line is a perfect (“bow down”) because the psalmist appears to be describing the effect of the Lord’s mighty theophany on those who witness it (see vv. 5, 8). Another option is to take the prefixed form in the first line as a jussive (“let all who worship idols be ashamed”) and the ambiguous form in the third line as an imperative (“All you gods, bow down before him!”; cf. NIV).
  80. Psalm 97:8 tn Heb “daughters.” The term “daughters” refers to the cities of Judah surrounding Zion (see Ps 48:11 and H. Haag, TDOT 2:336).
  81. Psalm 97:9 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.
  82. Psalm 97:10 tn The participle may be verbal, though it might also be understood as substantival and appositional to “the Lord.” In this case one could translate, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord, the one who protects the lives…and delivers them.”
  83. Psalm 97:10 tn Heb “hand.”
  84. Psalm 97:11 tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zaraʿ, “planted”) to זָרַח (zarakh, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.
  85. Psalm 97:12 tn Heb “to his holy remembrance.” The Hebrew noun זָכַר (zakhar, “remembrance”) here refers to the name of the Lord as invoked in liturgy and praise. Cf. Pss 6:5; 30:4. The Lord’s “name” is “holy” in the sense that it is a reminder of his uniqueness and greatness.