¹tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
²tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew text, even though “all who chase me” in v. 1 refers to a whole group of enemies. The singular is also used in vv. 4-5, but the psalmist returns to the plural in v. 6. The singular is probably collective, emphasizing the united front that the psalmist’s enemies present. This same alternation between a collective singular and a plural referring to enemies appears in Pss 9:3, 6; 13:4; 31:4, 8; 41:6, 10-11; 42:9-10; 55:3; 64:1-2; 74:3-4; 89:22-23; 106:10-11; 143:3, 6, 9.
³tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to vpn is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
⁴tn Heb “tearing and there is no one rescuing.” The verbal form translated “tearing” is a singular active participle.
⁵tn Heb “if I have done this.”
⁶tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.
⁷tn Heb “if I have repaid the one at peace with me evil.” The form ymlwv (“the one at peace with me”) probably refers to a close friend or ally, i.e., one with whom the psalmist has made a formal agreement. See BDB 1023.
⁸tn Heb “or rescued my enemy in vain.” The preterite with vav consecutive (the verb form is pseudo-cohortative, see IBHS 576-77) carries on the hypothetical nuance of the perfect in the preceding line. Some regard the statement as a parenthetical assertion that the psalmist is kind to his enemies. Others define Jlj as “despoil” (cf. NASB, NRSV “plundered”; NIV “robbed”), an otherwise unattested nuance for this verb. Still others emend the verb to Jjl, “oppress.” Most construe the adverb <qyr, “emptily, vainly,” with “my enemy,” i.e., the one who is my enemy in vain.” The present translation (1) assumes an emendation of yr]r+ox, “my enemy,” to orr+ox, “his (i.e., the psalmist’s ally’s) enemy,” (2) understands the final mem on <qyr as enclitic, and (3) takes qyr as an adjective modifying “his enemy.” (For other examples of a suffixed noun followed by an attributive adjective without the article, see Pss 18:17 (“my strong enemy”), 99:3 (“your great and awesome name”) and 143:10 (“your good spirit”). The adjective qyr occurs with the sense “lawless” in Judg 9:4; 11:3; 2 Chr 13:7. In this case the psalmist affirms that he has not wronged his ally, nor has he given aid to his ally’s enemies. Ancient Near Eastern treaties typically included such clauses, with one or both parties agreeing not to lend aid to the treaty partner’s enemies.
⁹tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.
¹⁰tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to vpn is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.
¹¹tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.
¹²tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”
¹³tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend yd]obk=, “my honor,” to yd]b@k=, “my liver” (as the seat of life, see HALOT 456), but the term yd]obk= is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.
¹⁴tn Heb “in your anger.”
¹⁵tn Heb “Lift yourself up in the angry outbursts of my enemies.” Many understand the preposition prefixed to twrbu, “angry outbursts,” as adversative, “against,” and the following genitive “enemies” as subjective. In this case one could translate, “spring into action against my furious enemies” (cf. NIV, NRSV). The present translation, however, takes the preposition as indicating manner (cf. “in your anger” in the previous line) and understands the plural form of the noun as indicating an abstract quality (“fury”) or excessive degree (“raging fury”). Cf. Job 21:30.
¹⁶tc Heb “Wake up to me [with the] judgment [which] you have commanded.” The LXX understands yl!a@, “my God,” instead of yl^a@, “to me.” (The LXX reading is followed by NEB, NIV, NRSV.) If the reading of the MT is retained, the preposition probably has the sense of “on account of, for the sake of.” The noun fpvm (“judgment”) is probably an adverbial accusative, modifying the initial imperative, “wake up.” In this case tywx (“[which] you have commanded”) is an asyndetic relative clause. Some take the perfect as precative. In this case one could translate the final line, “Wake up for my sake! Decree judgment!” (cf. NIV). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
¹⁷tn Heb “and the assembly of the peoples surrounds you.” Some understand the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may the assembly of the peoples surround you.”
¹⁸tn Heb “over it (the feminine suffix refers back to the feminine noun “assembly” in the preceding line) on high return.” Some emend hb*Wv, “return,” to hb*v@, “sit [in judgment],” because they find the implication of “return” problematic. But the psalmist does not mean to imply that God has abandoned his royal throne and needs to regain it. Rather he simply urges God, as sovereign king of the world, to once more occupy his royal seat of judgment and execute judgment, as the OT pictures God doing periodically.
¹⁹sn The Lord judges the nations. In hyperbolic fashion the psalmist pictures the nations assembled around the divine throne (v. 7a). He urges God to take his rightful place on the throne (v. 7b) and then pictures him making judicial decisions that vindicate the innocent (see vv. 8-16).
²⁰tn Heb “judge me, O Lord, according to my innocence.”
²¹tn Heb “according to my blamelessness.” The imperative verb translated “vindicate” governs the second line as well.
²²tn The Hebrew form ylu has been traditionally understood as the preposition lu (“over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root hlu, “ascend.” This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see HALOT 824-25, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see J. C. L. Gibson, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms, 1:44-45, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, 98.
²³tn In the psalms the Hebrew term <yuvr (“wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.
²⁴tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.
²⁵tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.
²⁶tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.
²⁷tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.
²⁸tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character (see BDB 525 and 480 respectively).
²⁹tn Traditionally, “my shield is upon God” (cf. NASB). As in v. 8, lu should be understood as a divine title, here compounded with “God” (cf. NIV, “God Most High”). See M. Dahood, Psalms, 1:45-46. The shield metaphor pictures God as a protector against deadly attacks.
³⁰tn Heb “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 11:2; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).
³¹tn Heb “God (the divine name la is used) is angry during all the day.” The verb <uz means “be indignant, be angry, curse.” Here it refers metonymically to the judgment that originates in God’s angry response to wrongdoing and injustice.
³²tn Heb “If he”; the referent (a person who is a sinner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The subject of the first verb is understood as the sinner who fails to repent of his ways and becomes the target of God’s judgment (vv. 9, 14-16).
³³tn Heb “if he does not return, his sword he sharpens.” The referent (God) of the pronominal subject of the second verb (“sharpens”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
³⁴tn Heb “his bow he treads and prepares it.” “Treading the bow” involved stepping on one end of it in order to string it and thus prepare it for battle.
³⁵tn Heb “and for him he prepares the weapons of death.”
³⁶tn Heb “his arrows into flaming [things] he makes.”
³⁷tn Heb “and he conceives harm and gives birth to a lie.”
sn Pregnant with wickedness…gives birth to harmful lies. The psalmist metaphorically pictures the typical sinner as a pregnant woman, who is ready to give birth to wicked, destructive schemes and actions.
³⁸tn Heb “a pit he digs and he excavates it.” Apparently the imagery of hunting is employed; the wicked sinner digs this pit to entrap and destroy his intended victim. The redundancy in the Hebrew text has been simplified in the translation.
³⁹tn The verb forms in vv. 15-16 describe the typical behavior and destiny of those who attempt to destroy others. The image of the evildoer falling into the very trap he set for his intended victim emphasizes the appropriate nature of God’s judgment.
⁴⁰tn Heb “his harm [i.e., the harm he conceived for others, see v. 14] returns on his head.”
⁴¹tn Heb “and on his forehead his violence [i.e., the violence he intended to do to others] comes down.”
⁴²tn Heb “according to.”
⁴³tn Heb “[to] the name of the Lord Most High.” God’s “name” refers metonymically to his divine characteristics as suggested by his name, in this case the compound “Lord Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (/oyl=u#, u#l=yo/) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
⁴⁴sn Psalm 8. In this hymn to the sovereign creator, the psalmist praises God’s majesty and marvels that God has given mankind dominion over the created order.
⁴⁵tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term tytgh is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or type of instrument.