translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PSA

label: NET translator note

text: The Hebrew expression shushan-eduth means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title. See the superscription to .


text: Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”


text: Heb “come for our deliverance.”


text: 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 ).


text: Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav ( ו ) indicates purpose/result.


text: Heb “ Lord , God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי (’ elohey ) before צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot ; “hosts”; see Ps 89:9 ), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים ( yehvah ’ elohim ) precedes צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot ) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. In this context the term “hosts” (meaning “armies”) has been rendered “invincible warrior.”


text: Heb “How long will you remain angry during the prayer of your people.” Some take the preposition - בְּ ( bet ) 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.


text: Heb “you have fed them the food of tears.”


text: Heb “[by] the third part [of a measure].” The Hebrew term שָׁלִישׁ ( shalish , “third part [of a measure]”) occurs only here and in Isa 40:12 .


text: Heb “you have made us an object of contention to our neighbors.”


text: Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot , “hosts”; see Ps 89:9 ), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים ( yehvah ’ elohim ) precedes צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot ) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also v. 4 for a similar construction.


text: Heb “you cleared away before it.”


text: Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”


text: Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (’ al , “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.


text: Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.


text: Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.


text: Heb “pluck it.”


text: The Hebrew verb כִּרְסֵם ( kirsem , “to eat away; to ruin”) occurs only here in the OT.


text: 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.


text: Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot , “hosts”; see Ps 89:9 ), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים ( yehvah ’ elohim ) precedes צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot ) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7 for a similar construction.


text: The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן emends the form to כַּנָּהּ ( kannah , “its shoot”).


text: Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, בֵּן ( ben , “son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. Cf. Gen 49:22 .


text: Heb “burned with fire.”


text: Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”


text: 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. 17 b.)


text: 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.


text: Heb “and in your name we will call.”


text: Heb “O Lord , God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot , “hosts”; see Ps 89:9 ), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים ( yehvah ’ elohim ) precedes צְבָאוֹת ( tsÿva ’ ot ) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7, 14 for a similar construction.


text: 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 ).


text: Heb “cause your face to shine in order that we may be delivered.” After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav ( ו ) indicates purpose/result.