¹tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).
²sn One who treats the poor properly. The psalmist is characterizing himself as such an individual and supplying a reason why God has responded favorably to his prayer. The Lord’s attitude toward the merciful mirrors their treatment of the poor.
³tn Heb “in the day of trouble” (see Ps 27:5).
⁴tn That is, the one who has been kind to the poor. The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive of prayer (“may the Lord deliver,” see v. 2), but the preceding parallel line is a declaration of fact, not a prayer per se. The imperfect can be taken here as future (“will deliver,” cf. NEB, NASB) or as generalizing (“delivers,” cf. NIV, NRSV). The parallel line, which has a generalizing tone, favors the latter. At the same time, though the psalmist uses a generalizing style here, he clearly has himself primarily in view.
⁵tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.
⁶tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb rva also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).
⁷tn The negative particle la before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to al, which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen” (see also BDB 39). In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.
⁸tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).
⁹tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive, continuing the prayer of v. 2, but the parallel line in v. 3b employs the perfect, suggesting that the psalmist is again speaking in the indicative mood (see v. 1b). The imperfect can be understood as future or as generalizing (see v. 1).
¹⁰tn Heb “all his bed you turn in his illness.” The perfect is used here in a generalizing sense (see v. 1) or in a rhetorical manner to emphasize that the healing is as good as done.
¹¹sn In vv. 4-10 the psalmist recites the prayer of petition and lament he offered to the Lord.
¹²tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
¹³tn Heb “and his name perish.”
¹⁴tn Heb “to see.”
¹⁵tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”
¹⁶tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”
¹⁷tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”
¹⁸tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of vjl refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
¹⁹tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).
²⁰tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.
²¹tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of qxy is used.
²²tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”
²³tn Heb “man of my peace.” The phrase here refers to one’s trusted friend (see Jer 38:22; Obad 7).
²⁴tn Heb “has made a heel great against me.” The precise meaning of this phrase, which appears only here, is uncertain.
sn The language of this verse is applied to Judas Iscariot in John 13:18.
²⁵tn The cohortative with prefixed vav here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.
²⁶sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 319, 321.
²⁷tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).
²⁸tn Heb “shout.”
²⁹tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.
³⁰sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.
³¹tn The prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).
³²tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”
³³tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
³⁴tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.” See 1 Chr 16:36; Neh 9:5; Pss 90:2; 106:48.
³⁵tn Heb “surely and surely” (/m@a*w+ /m@a*, i.e., “amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
³⁶sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalms 42 and 43 into a single psalm.
³⁷tn The meaning of the Hebrew term lykcm (“maskil”) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise” (see BDB 968). 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.