translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PSA

label: NET translator note

text: The Hebrew phrase מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת ( makhalat lÿ ’ annot ) may mean “illness to afflict.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term מָחֲלַת also appears in the superscription of .


text: 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 .


text: Heb “O Lord God of my deliverance.” In light of the content of the psalm, this reference to God as the one who delivers seems overly positive. For this reason some emend the text to אַלֹהַי שִׁוַּעְתִּי (’ alohay shivva ’ tiy , “[O Lord ] my God, I cry out”). See v. 13 .


text: Heb “may my prayer come before you.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive, indicating the psalmist’s desire or prayer.


text: Heb “turn your ear.”


text: Or “my soul.”


text: Heb “and my life approaches Sheol.”


text: Heb “I am considered with.”


text: Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר ( bor , “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.


text: Heb “I am like a man [for whom] there is no help.”


text: Heb “set free.”


text: Heb “from your hand.”


text: The noun בּוֹר ( bor , “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See v. 4 .


text: Heb “[I am] confined and I cannot go out.”


text: Heb “I spread out my hands to you.” Spreading out the hands toward God was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33 ; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38 ; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29 ; Ezra 9:15 ; Job 11:13 ; Isa 1:15 ). The words “in prayer” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this.


text: Heb “Rephaim,” a term that refers to those who occupy the land of the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14, 19 ).


text: Heb “in Abaddon,” a name for Sheol. The noun is derived from a verbal root meaning “to perish,” “to die.”


text: Heb “known.”


text: Heb “darkness,” here a title for Sheol.


text: Heb “forgetfulness.” The noun, which occurs only here in the OT, is derived from a verbal root meaning “to forget.” sn The rhetorical questions in vv. 10-12 expect the answer, “Of course not!”


text: Heb “[why] do you hide your face from me?”


text: Heb “and am dying from youth.”


text: Heb “I carry your horrors [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew form אָפוּנָה (’ afunah ), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. It may be an adverb meaning “very much” (BDB 67 s.v.), though some prefer to emend the text to אָפוּגָה (’ afugah , “I am numb”) from the verb פוּג ( pug ; see Pss 38:8; 77:2 ).


text: Heb “passes over me.”


text: Heb “they encircle me together.”


text: Heb “you cause to be far from me friend and neighbor.”


text: Heb “those known by me, darkness.”