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Psalm 32

Psalm 32^[a]

By David; a well-written song.^[b]

32 How blessed^[c] is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven,^[d]
whose sin is pardoned.^[e]
²How blessed is the one^[f] whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish,^[g]
in whose spirit there is no deceit.^[h]
³When I refused to confess my sin,^[i]
my whole body wasted away,^[j]
while I groaned in pain all day long.
⁴For day and night you tormented me;^[k]
you tried to destroy me^[l] in the intense heat^[m] of summer.^[n] (Selah)
⁵Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess^[o] my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins.^[p] (Selah)
⁶For this reason every one of your faithful followers^[q] should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity.^[r]
Certainly^[s] when the surging water^[t] rises,
it will not reach them.^[u]
⁷You are my hiding place;
you protect me from distress.
You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance.^[v] (Selah)
⁸I will instruct and teach you^[w] about how you should live.^[x]
I will advise you as I look you in the eye.^[y]
⁹Do not be^[z] like an unintelligent horse or mule,^[aa]
which will not obey you
unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit.^[ab]
¹⁰An evil person suffers much pain,^[ac]
but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.^[ad]
¹¹Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright!^[ae]

Footnotes

Psalm 32:1 sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.
Psalm 32:1 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.
Psalm 32:1 tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.
Psalm 32:1 tn Heb “lifted up.”
Psalm 32:1 tn Heb “covered over.”
Psalm 32:2 tn Heb “man.” The word choice reflects the perspective of the psalmist, who is male. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender and age specific “man” has been translated with the more neutral “one.”
Psalm 32:2 tn Heb “blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord does not impute wrongdoing.”
Psalm 32:2 sn In whose spirit there is no deceit. The point is not that the individual is sinless and pure. In this context, which focuses on confession and forgiveness of sin, the psalmist refers to one who refuses to deny or hide his sin, but instead honestly confesses it to God.
Psalm 32:3 tn Heb “when I was silent.”
Psalm 32:3 tn Heb “my bones became brittle.” The psalmist pictures himself as aging and growing physically weak. Trying to cover up his sin brought severe physical consequences.
Psalm 32:4 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
Psalm 32:4 tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (l^eshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (l^eshuddi, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.
Psalm 32:4 tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”
Psalm 32:4 sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.
Psalm 32:5 tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”
Psalm 32:5 tn Heb “the wrongdoing of my sin.” By joining synonyms for “sin” in this way, the psalmist may be emphasizing the degree of his wrongdoing.
Psalm 32:6 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
Psalm 32:6 tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the Lord]” and seek his forgiveness (cf. NIV). Some emend the text by combining מְצֹא (m^etsoʾ, “finding”) with the following term רַק (raq, “only, surely”) and read either ר[וֹ]מָצ (matsor, “distress”; see Ps 31:22) or ק[וֹ]מָצ (matsoq, “hardship”; see Ps 119:143). In this case, one may translate “in a time of distress/hardship” (cf. NEB, NRSV).
Psalm 32:6 tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.
Psalm 32:6 sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.
Psalm 32:6 tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.
Psalm 32:7 tn Heb “[with] shouts of joy of deliverance you surround me.”
Psalm 32:8 tn The second person pronominal forms in this verse are singular. The psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually (see also the note on the word “eye” in the next line). A less likely option (but one which is commonly understood) is that the Lord addresses the psalmist in vv. 8-9 (cf. NASB “I will instruct you and teach you…I will counsel you with My eye upon you”).
Psalm 32:8 tn Heb “I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way [in] which you should walk.”
Psalm 32:8 tn Heb “I will advise, upon you my eye,” that is, “I will offer advice [with] my eye upon you.” In 2 Chr 20:12 the statement “our eye is upon you” means that the speakers are looking to the Lord for intervention. Here the expression “my eye upon you” may simply mean that the psalmist will teach his pupils directly and personally.
Psalm 32:9 tn The verb form is plural (i.e., “do not all of you be”); the psalmist addresses the whole group.
Psalm 32:9 tn Heb “like a horse, like a mule without understanding.”
Psalm 32:9 tn Heb “with a bridle and bit, its [?] to hold, not to come near to you.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun עֲדִי (ʿadiy) is uncertain. Normally the word refers to “jewelry,” so some suggest the meaning “trappings” here (cf. NASB). Some emend the form to לְחֵיהֶם (l^ekhehem, “their jawbones”) but it is difficult to see how the present Hebrew text, even if defective, could have derived from this proposed original reading. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 265) takes the form from an Arabic root and translates “whose gallop.” Cf. also NRSV “whose temper must be curbed.”
Psalm 32:10 tn Heb “many [are the] pains of evil [one].” The singular form is representative here; the typical evildoer, representative of the larger group of wicked people, is in view.
Psalm 32:10 tn Heb “but the one who trusts in the Lord, faithfulness surrounds him.”
Psalm 32:11 tn Heb “all [you] 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; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

Psalm 51

Psalm 51^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba.^[b]

51 Have mercy on me, O God, because of^[c] your loyal love.
Because of^[d] your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts.^[e]
²Wash away my wrongdoing.^[f]
Cleanse me of my sin.^[g]
³For I am aware of^[h] my rebellious acts;
I am forever conscious of my sin.^[i]
⁴Against you—you above all^[j]—I have sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
So^[k] you are just when you confront me;^[l]
you are right when you condemn me.^[m]
⁵Look, I was guilty of sin from birth,
a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.^[n]
⁶Look,^[o] you desire^[p] integrity in the inner man;^[q]
you want me to possess wisdom.^[r]
⁷Cleanse me^[s] with hyssop^[t] and I will be pure;^[u]
wash me^[v] and I will be whiter than snow.^[w]
⁸Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven.^[x]
May the bones^[y] you crushed rejoice.^[z]
⁹Hide your face^[aa] from my sins.
Wipe away^[ab] all my guilt.
¹⁰Create for me a pure heart, O God.^[ac]
Renew a resolute spirit within me.^[ad]
¹¹Do not reject me.^[ae]
Do not take your holy Spirit^[af] away from me.^[ag]
¹²Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance.
Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey.^[ah]
¹³Then I will teach^[ai] rebels your merciful ways,^[aj]
and sinners will turn^[ak] to you.
¹⁴Rescue me from the guilt of murder,^[al] O God, the God who delivers me.
Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your righteousness.^[am]
¹⁵O Lord, give me the words.^[an]
Then my mouth will praise you.^[ao]
¹⁶Certainly^[ap] you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it;^[aq]
you do not desire a burnt sacrifice.^[ar]
¹⁷The sacrifice God desires is a humble spirit^[as]—
O God, a humble and repentant heart^[at] you will not reject.^[au]
¹⁸Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her.^[av]
Fortify^[aw] the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹Then you will accept^[ax] the proper sacrifices, burnt sacrifices and whole offerings;
then bulls will be sacrificed^[ay] on your altar.^[az]

Footnotes

Psalm 51:1 sn Psalm 51. The psalmist confesses his sinfulness to God and begs for forgiveness and a transformation of his inner character. According to the psalm superscription, David offered this prayer when Nathan confronted him with his sin following the king’s affair with Bathsheba (see 2 Sam 11-12). However, the final two verses of the psalm hardly fit this situation, for they assume the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed and that the sacrificial system has been temporarily suspended. These verses are probably an addition to the psalm made during the period of exile following the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. The exiles could relate to David’s experience, for they, like him, and had been forced to confront their sin. They appropriated David’s ancient prayer and applied it to their own circumstances.
Psalm 51:1 tn Heb “a psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him when he had gone to Bathsheba.”
Psalm 51:1 tn Or “according to.”
Psalm 51:1 tn Or “according to.”
Psalm 51:1 tn Traditionally “blot out my transgressions.” Because of the reference to washing and cleansing in the following verse, it is likely that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to wiping an object clean (note the use of the verb מָחָה (makhah) in the sense of “wipe clean; dry” in 2 Kgs 21:13; Prov 30:20; Isa 25:8). Another option is that the psalmist is comparing forgiveness to erasing or blotting out names from a register (see Exod 32:32-33). In this case one might translate, “erase all record of my rebellious acts.”
Psalm 51:2 tn Heb “Thoroughly wash me from my wrongdoing.”
Psalm 51:2 sn In vv. 1b-2 the psalmist uses three different words to emphasize the multifaceted character and degree of his sin. Whatever one wants to call it (“rebellious acts,” “wrongdoing,” “sin”), he has done it and stands morally polluted in God’s sight. The same three words appear in Exod 34:7, which emphasizes that God is willing to forgive sin in all of its many dimensions. In v. 2 the psalmist compares forgiveness and restoration to physical cleansing. Perhaps he likens spiritual cleansing to the purification rites of priestly law.
Psalm 51:3 tn Heb “know.”
Psalm 51:3 tn Heb “and my sin [is] in front of me continually.”
Psalm 51:4 tn Heb “only you,” as if the psalmist had sinned exclusively against God and no other. Since the Hebrew verb חָטָא (hataʾ, “to sin”) is used elsewhere of sinful acts against people (see BDB 306 s.v. 2.a) and David (the presumed author) certainly sinned when he murdered Uriah (2 Sam 12:9), it is likely that the psalmist is overstating the case to suggest that the attack on Uriah was ultimately an attack on God himself. To clarify the point of the hyperbole, the translation uses “above all,” rather than the potentially confusing “only.”
Psalm 51:4 tn The Hebrew term לְמַעַן (l^emaʿan) normally indicates purpose (“in order that”), but here it introduces a logical consequence of the preceding statement. (Taking the clause as indicating purpose here would yield a theologically preposterous idea—the psalmist purposely sinned so that God’s justice might be vindicated!) For other examples of לְמַעַן indicating result, see 2 Kgs 22:17; Jer 27:15; Amos 2:7, as well as IBHS 638-40 §38.3.
Psalm 51:4 tn Heb “when you speak.” In this context the psalmist refers to God’s word of condemnation against his sin delivered through Nathan (cf. 2 Sam 12:7-12).
Psalm 51:4 tn Heb “when you judge.”
Psalm 51:5 tn Heb “Look, in wrongdoing I was brought forth, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The prefixed verbal form in the second line is probably a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive), stating a simple historical fact. The psalmist is not suggesting that he was conceived through an inappropriate sexual relationship (although the verse has sometimes been understood to mean that, or even that all sexual relationships are sinful). The psalmist’s point is that he has been a sinner from the very moment his personal existence began. By going back beyond the time of birth to the moment of conception, the psalmist makes his point more emphatically in the second line than in the first.
Psalm 51:6 sn The juxtaposition of two occurrences of “look” in vv. 5-6 draws attention to the sharp contrast between the sinful reality of the psalmist’s condition and the lofty ideal God has for him.
Psalm 51:6 tn The perfect is used in a generalizing sense here.
Psalm 51:6 tn Heb “in the covered [places],” i.e., in the inner man.
Psalm 51:6 tn Heb “in the secret [place] wisdom you cause me to know.” The Hiphil verbal form is causative, while the imperfect is used in a modal sense to indicate God’s desire (note the parallel verb “desire”).sn You want me to possess wisdom. Here “wisdom” does not mean “intelligence” or “learning,” but refers to moral insight and skill.
Psalm 51:7 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
Psalm 51:7 sn “Hyssop” was a small plant (see 1 Kgs 4:33) used to apply water or blood in purification rites (see Exod 12:22; Lev 14:4-6, 49-52; Num 19:6-18). The psalmist uses the language and imagery of such rites to describe spiritual cleansing through forgiveness.
Psalm 51:7 tn After the preceding imperfect, the imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates result.
Psalm 51:7 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
Psalm 51:7 sn I will be whiter than snow. Whiteness here symbolizes the moral purity resulting from forgiveness (see Isa 1:18).
Psalm 51:8 tn Heb “cause me to hear happiness and joy.” The language is metonymic: the effect of forgiveness (joy) has been substituted for its cause. The psalmist probably alludes here to an assuring word from God announcing that his sins are forgiven (a so-called oracle of forgiveness). The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. The synonyms “happiness” and “joy” are joined together as a hendiadys to emphasize the degree of joy he anticipates.
Psalm 51:8 sn May the bones you crushed rejoice. The psalmist compares his sinful condition to that of a person who has been physically battered and crushed. Within this metaphorical framework, his “bones” are the seat of his emotional strength.
Psalm 51:8 tn In this context of petitionary prayer, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, expressing the psalmist’s wish or request.
Psalm 51:9 sn In this context Hide your face from my sins means “Do not hold me accountable for my sins.”
Psalm 51:9 tn See the note on the similar expression “wipe away my rebellious acts” in v. 1.
Psalm 51:10 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s motives and moral character.
Psalm 51:10 tn Heb “and a reliable spirit renew in my inner being.”
Psalm 51:11 tn Heb “do not cast me away from before you.”
Psalm 51:11 sn Your holy Spirit. The personal Spirit of God is mentioned frequently in the OT, but only here and in Isa 63:10-11 is he called “your/his holy Spirit.”
Psalm 51:11 sn Do not take…away. The psalmist expresses his fear that, due to his sin, God will take away the Holy Spirit from him. NT believers enjoy the permanent gift of the Holy Spirit and need not make such a request nor fear such a consequence. However, in the OT God’s Spirit empowered certain individuals for special tasks and only temporarily resided in them. For example, when God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him, the divine Spirit left Saul and came upon David (1 Sam 16:13-14). An alternative understanding of this verse is that the term Holy Spirit is simply metaphorical for the Lord’s presence, but this is unlikely given the other use of the term in Isa 63:10, where the Holy Spirit is personal and distinct from God himself.
Psalm 51:12 tn Heb “and [with] a willing spirit sustain me.” The psalmist asks that God make him the kind of person who willingly obeys the divine commandments. The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
Psalm 51:13 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.
Psalm 51:13 tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).
Psalm 51:13 tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.
Psalm 51:14 tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.
Psalm 51:14 tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your righteousness.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).
Psalm 51:15 tn Heb “open my lips.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
Psalm 51:15 tn Heb “and my mouth will declare your praise.”
Psalm 51:16 tn Or “For.” The translation assumes the particle is asseverative (i.e., emphasizing: “certainly”). (Some translations that consider the particle asseverative leave it untranslated.) If taken as causal or explanatory (“for”, cf. NRSV), the verse would explain why the psalmist is pleading for forgiveness, rather than merely offering a sacrifice.
Psalm 51:16 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative is used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “You do not want a sacrifice, should I offer [it]” (cf. NEB). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortative is part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.)
Psalm 51:16 sn You do not desire a burnt sacrifice. The terminology used in v. 16 does not refer to expiatory sacrifices, but to dedication and communion offerings. This is not a categorical denial of the sacrificial system in general or of the importance of such offerings. The psalmist is talking about his specific situation. Dedication and communion offerings have their proper place in worship (see v. 19), but God requires something more fundamental, a repentant and humble attitude (see v. 17), before these offerings can have real meaning.
Psalm 51:17 tn Heb “a broken spirit.”
Psalm 51:17 tn Heb “a broken and crushed heart.”
Psalm 51:17 tn Or “despise.”
Psalm 51:18 tn Heb “do what is good for Zion in your favor.”
Psalm 51:18 tn Or “Build.” The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
Psalm 51:19 tn Or “desire, take delight in.”
Psalm 51:19 tn Heb “then they will offer up bulls.” The third plural subject is indefinite.
Psalm 51:19 sn Verses 18-19 appear to reflect the exilic period, when the city’s walls lay in ruins and the sacrificial system had been disrupted.

Psalm 86

Psalm 86^[a]

A prayer of David.

86 Listen,^[b] O Lord. Answer me.
For I am oppressed and needy.
²Protect me,^[c] for I am loyal.
You are my God; deliver your servant who trusts in you.
³Have mercy on me,^[d] O Lord,
for I cry out to you all day long.
⁴Make your servant^[e] glad,
for to you, O Lord, I pray.^[f]
⁵Certainly,^[g] O Lord, you are kind^[h] and forgiving,
and show great faithfulness to all who cry out to you.
⁶O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my plea for mercy.
⁷In my time of trouble I cry out to you,
for you will answer me.
⁸None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord.
Your exploits are incomparable.^[i]
⁹All the nations, whom you created,
will come and worship you,^[j] O Lord.
They will honor your name.
¹⁰For you are great and do amazing things.
You alone are God.
¹¹O Lord, teach me how you want me to live.^[k]
Then I will obey your commands.^[l]
Make me wholeheartedly committed to you.^[m]
¹²O Lord, my God, I will give you thanks with my whole heart.
I will honor your name continually.^[n]
¹³For you will extend your great loyal love to me,^[o]
and will deliver my life^[p] from the depths of Sheol.^[q]
¹⁴O God, arrogant men attack me;^[r]
a gang^[s] of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life.^[t]
¹⁵But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient^[u] and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.^[v]
¹⁶Turn toward me and have mercy on me.
Give your servant your strength.
Deliver this son of your female servant.^[w]
¹⁷Show me evidence of your favor.^[x]
Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed,^[y]
for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me.^[z]

Footnotes

Psalm 86:1 sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.
Psalm 86:1 tn Heb “turn your ear.”
Psalm 86:2 tn Heb “my life.”
Psalm 86:3 tn Or “show me favor.”
Psalm 86:4 tn Heb “the soul of your servant.”
Psalm 86:4 tn Heb “I lift up my soul.”
Psalm 86:5 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 86:5 tn Heb “good.”
Psalm 86:8 tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”
Psalm 86:9 tn Or “bow down before you.”
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.
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.
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).
Psalm 86:12 tn Or “forever.”
Psalm 86:13 tn Heb “for your loyal love [is] great over me.”
Psalm 86:13 tn Or “for he will have delivered my life.” The verb form indicates a future perfect here.
Psalm 86:13 tn Or “lower Sheol.”
Psalm 86:14 tn Heb “rise up against me.”
Psalm 86:14 tn Or “assembly.”
Psalm 86:14 tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.
Psalm 86:15 tn Heb “slow to anger.”
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.
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.
Psalm 86:17 tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.
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.
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”).

Psalm 122

Psalm 122^[a]

A song of ascents;^[b] by David.

122 I was glad because^[c] they said to me,
“We will go to the Lord’s temple.”
²Our feet are^[d] standing
inside your gates, O Jerusalem.
³Jerusalem is a city designed
to accommodate an assembly.^[e]
⁴The tribes go up^[f] there,^[g]
the tribes of the Lord,
where it is required that Israel
give thanks to the name of the Lord.^[h]
⁵Indeed,^[i] the leaders sit^[j] there on thrones and make legal decisions,
on the thrones of the house of David.^[k]
⁶Pray^[l] for the peace of Jerusalem.
May those who love her prosper.^[m]
⁷May there be peace inside your defenses,
and prosperity^[n] inside your fortresses.^[o]
⁸For the sake of my brothers and my neighbors
I will say, “May there be peace in you.”
⁹For the sake of the temple of the Lord our God
I will pray for you to prosper.^[p]

New English Translation (NET)

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Chronological

Psalm 32[a]

By David; a well-written song.[b]

Footnotes

Psalm 51[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba.[b]

Footnotes

Psalm 86[a]

A prayer of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 122[a]

A song of ascents;[b] by David.

Footnotes

Psalm 32^[a]

By David; a well-written song.^[b]

Psalm 51^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba.^[b]

Psalm 86^[a]

Psalm 122^[a]

A song of ascents;^[b] by David.