¹sn Winged angels (Heb “cherubs”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Ps 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind.
²tn Heb “shine forth.”
sn Reveal your splendor. The psalmist may allude to Deut 33:2, where God “shines forth” from Sinai and comes to superintend Moses’ blessing of the tribes.
³tn Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”
⁴tn Heb “come for our deliverance.”
⁵tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
⁶tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.
⁷tn Heb “Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form yhla before twabx (“hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but <yhla hwhy precedes twabx in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. In this context the term “hosts” (meaning “armies”) has been rendered “invincible warrior.”
⁸tn Heb “How long will you remain angry during the prayer of your people.” Some take the preposition -b in an adversative sense here (“at/against the prayer of your people”), but the temporal sense is preferable. The psalmist expects persistent prayer to pacify God.
⁹tn Heb “you have fed them the food of tears.”
¹⁰tn Heb “[by] the third part [of a measure].” The Hebrew term vylv (“third part [of a measure]”) occurs only here and in Isa 40:12.
¹¹tn Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”
¹²tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form yhla before twabx (“hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but <yhla precedes twabx in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also v. 4 for a similar construction.
¹³tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
¹⁴tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.
¹⁵sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).
¹⁶tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”
¹⁷tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”
¹⁸tn Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name la (“God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative (see HALOT 50).
¹⁹tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.
²⁰tn Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.
²¹sn The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).
²²tn Heb “pluck it.”
²³tn The Hebrew verb <srk “to eat away; to ruin,” occurs only here in the OT (see HALOT 499).
²⁴tn The precise referent of the Hebrew word translated “insects,” which occurs only here and in Ps 50:11, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic, and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets (see HALOT 268).
²⁵tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form yhla before twabx (“hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but <yhla precedes twabx in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7 for a similar construction.
²⁶tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 emends the form to HN`K^ (“its shoot”).
²⁷tn Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, /b (“son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. See Gen 49:22 and BDB 121.
²⁸tn Heb “burned with fire.”
²⁹tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”
³⁰tn Heb “may your hand be upon the man of your right hand.” The referent of the otherwise unattested phrase “man of your right hand,” is unclear. It may refer to the nation collectively as a man. (See the note on the word “yourself” in v. 17b.)
³¹tn Heb “upon the son of man you strengthened for yourself.” In its only other use in the Book of Psalms, the phrase “son of man” refers to the human race in general (see Ps 8:4). Here the phrase may refer to the nation collectively as a man. Note the use of the statement “you strengthened for yourself” both here and in v. 15, where the “son” (i.e., the branch of the vine) refers to Israel.
³²tn Heb “and in your name we will call.”
³³tn Heb “O Lord, God, hosts.” One expects the construct form yhla before twabx (“hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but <yhla precedes twabx in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7, 14 for a similar construction.
³⁴tn The idiom “cause your face to shine” probably refers to a smile (see Eccl 8:1), which in turn suggests favor and blessing (see Num 6:25; Pss 4:6; 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 89:15; Dan 9:17).
³⁵tn Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.
³⁶sn Psalm 81. The psalmist calls God’s people to assemble for a festival and then proclaims God’s message to them. The divine speech (vv. 6-16) recalls how God delivered the people from Egypt, reminds Israel of their rebellious past, expresses God’s desire for his people to obey him, and promises divine protection in exchange for obedience.
³⁷tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term tytgh (gittith) is uncertain; it probably refers to a musical style or instrument. See the superscription to Ps 8.