Psalms 89

NETnotes

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Psalms 89:1

9 tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).

10 tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”

Psalms 89:2

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Psalms 89:3

14 The Bible.org ministry has provided the NET Bible® at no cost for inclusion in this Bible study software. You can learn about bible.org’s Ministry First model where we share the NET Bible and thousands of other copyrighted biblical materials at www.bible.org/ministryfirst . Ministry First means what it implies, that we’ve chosen to put ministry ahead of money. We believe that the Bible teaches the ministry first concept very clearly – and we think everyone in the world should have free access to trustworthy Bibles and study materials. Tell your friends to get their free NET Bible and free access to thousands of trustworthy Bible study materials online at www.bible.org . This free NET Bible® module includes all the translators’ notes for the first chapter of each book plus all the notes on verses 1-3 for the remaining 1,123 chapters in the Bible.

Psalms 89:4

16 The Bible.org ministry has provided the NET Bible® at no cost for inclusion in this Bible study software. You can learn about bible.org’s Ministry First model where we share the NET Bible and thousands of other copyrighted biblical materials at www.bible.org/ministryfirst . Ministry First means what it implies, that we’ve chosen to put ministry ahead of money. We believe that the Bible teaches the ministry first concept very clearly – and we think everyone in the world should have free access to trustworthy Bibles and study materials. Tell your friends to get their free NET Bible and free access to thousands of trustworthy Bible study materials online at www.bible.org . This free NET Bible® module includes all the translators’ notes for the first chapter of each book plus all the notes on verses 1-3 for the remaining 1,123 chapters in the Bible.

Psalms 89:5

Psalms 89:6

Psalms 89:7

Psalms 89:8

Psalms 89:9

Psalms 89:11

1 sn Psalms 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.

2 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Psalms 57, 59, and 75.

3 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Psalms 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

4 tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ‘ayil, “ram”; see Exodus 15:15; Ezekiel 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Psalms 52:3; Isaiah 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.

5 tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezekiel 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)

Psalms 89:12

6 tn The particle אַף (‘af, “no”) is used here as a strong adversative emphasizing the following statement, which contrasts reality with the rulers’ claim alluded to in the rhetorical questions (see Psalms 44:9).

7 tn Heb “in the heart unjust deeds you do.” The phrase “in the heart” (i.e., “mind”) seems to refer to their plans and motives. The Hebrew noun עַוְלָה (‘avlah, “injustice”) is collocated with פָּעַל (pa’al, “do”) here and in Job 36:23 and Psalms 119:3. Some emend the plural form עוֹלֹת (‘olot, “unjust deeds”; see Psalms 64:6) to the singular עָוֶל (‘avel, “injustice”; see Job 34:32), taking the final tav (ת) as dittographic (note that the following verbal form begins with tav). Some then understand עָוֶל (‘avel, “injustice”) as a genitive modifying “heart” and translate, “with a heart of injustice you act.”

8 tn Heb “in the earth the violence of your hands you weigh out.” The imagery is from the economic realm. The addressees measure out violence, rather than justice, and distribute it like a commodity. This may be ironic, since justice was sometimes viewed as a measuring scale (see Job 31:6).

Psalms 89:13

9 tn Heb “from the womb.”

10 tn Heb “speakers of a lie go astray from the womb.”

Psalms 89:14

Psalms 89:15

Psalms 89:17

Psalms 89:18

Psalms 89:19

Psalms 89:20

Psalms 89:21

Psalms 89:23

1 sn Psalms 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.

2 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Psalms 57-58, 75.

3 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Psalms 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

4 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”

sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Samuel 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.

5 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”

6 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”

Psalms 89:24

7 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”

8 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”

Psalms 89:25

9 tn Heb “my life.”

10 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isaiah 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Psalms 56:8.

11 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the Lord.

Psalms 89:26

12 The Bible.org ministry has provided the NET Bible® at no cost for inclusion in this Bible study software. You can learn about bible.org’s Ministry First model where we share the NET Bible and thousands of other copyrighted biblical materials at www.bible.org/ministryfirst . Ministry First means what it implies, that we’ve chosen to put ministry ahead of money. We believe that the Bible teaches the ministry first concept very clearly – and we think everyone in the world should have free access to trustworthy Bibles and study materials. Tell your friends to get their free NET Bible and free access to thousands of trustworthy Bible study materials online at www.bible.org . This free NET Bible® module includes all the translators’ notes for the first chapter of each book plus all the notes on verses 1-3 for the remaining 1,123 chapters in the Bible.

Psalms 89:27

15 The Bible.org ministry has provided the NET Bible® at no cost for inclusion in this Bible study software. You can learn about bible.org’s Ministry First model where we share the NET Bible and thousands of other copyrighted biblical materials at www.bible.org/ministryfirst . Ministry First means what it implies, that we’ve chosen to put ministry ahead of money. We believe that the Bible teaches the ministry first concept very clearly – and we think everyone in the world should have free access to trustworthy Bibles and study materials. Tell your friends to get their free NET Bible and free access to thousands of trustworthy Bible study materials online at www.bible.org . This free NET Bible® module includes all the translators’ notes for the first chapter of each book plus all the notes on verses 1-3 for the remaining 1,123 chapters in the Bible.

Psalms 89:28

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Psalms 89:29

Psalms 89:30

Psalms 89:31

Psalms 89:32

Psalms 89:33

Psalms 89:34

Psalms 89:36

Psalms 89:37

Psalms 89:38

Psalms 89:39

Psalms 89:41

1 sn Psalms 60. The psalmist grieves over Israel’s humiliation, but in response to God’s assuring word, he asks for divine help in battle and expresses his confidence in victory.

2 tn The Hebrew expression means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title.

3 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Psalms 16, 56-59, is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”

4 tn Heb “to teach.”

5 tn In Joshua 8:21 and Judges 20:48 the two verbs “turn back” and “strike down” are also juxtaposed. There they refer to a military counter-attack.

6 tn Heb “12,000 of Edom.” Perhaps one should read אֲרַם (‘aram, “Aram”) here rather than אֱדוֹם (’edom, “Edom”).

7 sn The heading apparently refers to the military campaign recorded in 2 Sam 10 and 1 Chr 19.

8 sn You have rejected us. See Psalms 43:2; 44:9, 23.

9 tn Heb “you broke out upon us, you were angry.”

10 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

Psalms 89:42

11 tn The verb פָּצַם (patsam, “split open”) occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “crack,” and an Aramaic cognate is used in Tg. Jeremiah 22:14 with the meaning “break open, frame.” See BDB 822 s.v. and Jastrow 1205 s.v. פְּצַם.

sn You made the earth quake; you split it open. The psalmist uses the imagery of an earthquake to describe the nation’s defeat.

12 sn It is ready to fall. The earth is compared to a wall that has been broken by the force of the earthquake (note the preceding line) and is ready to collapse.

Psalms 89:43

13 tn Heb “you have caused your people to see [what is] hard.”

14 tn Heb “wine of staggering,” that is, intoxicating wine that makes one stagger in drunkenness. Intoxicating wine is here an image of divine judgment that makes its victims stagger like drunkards. See Isaiah 51:17-23.

Psalms 89:44

Psalms 89:45

Psalms 89:46

20 The Bible.org ministry has provided the NET Bible® at no cost for inclusion in this Bible study software. You can learn about bible.org’s Ministry First model where we share the NET Bible and thousands of other copyrighted biblical materials at www.bible.org/ministryfirst . Ministry First means what it implies, that we’ve chosen to put ministry ahead of money. We believe that the Bible teaches the ministry first concept very clearly – and we think everyone in the world should have free access to trustworthy Bibles and study materials. Tell your friends to get their free NET Bible and free access to thousands of trustworthy Bible study materials online at www.bible.org . This free NET Bible® module includes all the translators’ notes for the first chapter of each book plus all the notes on verses 1-3 for the remaining 1,123 chapters in the Bible.

Psalms 89:47

Psalms 89:48

Psalms 89:49

Psalms 89:51

Psalms 89:52

NET Bible Translation Notes

The NET (New English Translation) Bible is a modern English translation produced by a team of over 25 biblical scholars. Its most distinctive feature is over 60,000 translator's notes that explain translation decisions, discuss textual variants, and illuminate the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and …

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Old Testament

GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUT 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZR NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SOS ISA JER LAM EZK DAN HOS JOL AMO OBA JON MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL

New Testament

MAT MRK LUK JHN ACT ROM 1CO 2CO GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TI 2TI TIT PHM HEB JAS 1PE 2PE 1JN 2JN 3JN JUD REV

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