Psalms 71
71
Psalm 71#sn Psalm 71. The psalmist prays for divine intervention and expresses his confidence that God will protect and vindicate him. The first three verses are very similar to Ps 31:1-3a.
1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
2 Vindicate me by rescuing me!#tn Heb “in your vindication rescue me and deliver me.” Ps 31:1 omits “and deliver me.”
Listen to me!#tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.” Deliver me!#tn Ps 31:2 adds “quickly” before “deliver.”
3 Be my protector and refuge,#tc Heb “become for me a rocky summit of a dwelling place.” The Hebrew term מָעוֹן (ma’on, “dwelling place”) should probably be emended to מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “refuge”; see Ps 31:2).
a stronghold where I can be safe!#tc Heb “to enter continually, you commanded to deliver me.” The Hebrew phrase לָבוֹא תָּמִיד צִוִּיתָ (lavo’ tamid tsivvita, “to enter continually, you commanded”) should be emended to לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת (lÿvet mÿtsudot, “a house of strongholds”; see Ps 31:2).
For you are my high ridge#sn You are my high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28. and my stronghold.
4 My God, rescue me from the power#tn Heb “hand.” of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor!
5 For you give me confidence,#tn Heb “for you [are] my hope.” O Lord;
O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young.#tn Heb “O Lord, my source of confidence from my youth.”
6 I have leaned on you since birth;#tn Heb “from the womb.”
you pulled me#tc The form in the MT is derived from גָזָה (gazah, “to cut off”), perhaps picturing God as the one who severed the psalmist’s umbilical cord. Many interpreters and translators prefer to emend the text to גֹחִי (gokhiy), from גוּח (gukh) or גִיח, (gikh, “pull out”; see Ps 22:9; cf. the present translation) or to עוּזִּי (’uzziy, “my strength”; cf. NEB “my protector since I left my mother’s womb”). from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually.#tn Heb “in you [is] my praise continually.”
7 Many are appalled when they see me,#tn Heb “like a sign [i.e., portent or bad omen] I am to many.”
but you are my secure shelter.
8 I praise you constantly
and speak of your splendor all day long.#tn Heb “my mouth is filled [with] your praise, all the day [with] your splendor.”
9 Do not reject me in my old age!#tn Heb “do not cast me away at the time of old age.”
When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
10 For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.#tn Heb “those who watch for my life consult together.”
11 They say,#tn Heb “saying.” “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
12 O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me!#tn Heb “hurry to my help.”
13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!
May those who want to harm me#tn Heb “those who seek my harm.” be covered with scorn and disgrace!
14 As for me, I will wait continually,
and will continue to praise you.#tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”
15 I will tell about your justice,
and all day long proclaim your salvation,#tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”
though I cannot fathom its full extent.#tn Heb “though I do not know [the] numbers,” that is, the tally of God’s just and saving acts. HALOT 768 s.v. סְפֹרוֹת understands the plural noun to mean “the art of writing.”
16 I will come and tell about#tn Heb “I will come with.” the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.
I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.
17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring#tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.” your amazing deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,#tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,
and those coming after me about your power.#tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.
19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above;#tn Heb “your justice, O God, [is] unto the height.” The Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “height”) is here a title for the sky/heavens.sn Extends to the skies above. Similar statements are made in Pss 36:5 and 57:10.
you have done great things.#tn Heb “you who have done great things.”
O God, who can compare to you?#tn Or “Who is like you?”
20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress,#tn Heb “you who have caused me to see many harmful distresses.”
revive me once again!#tn Heb “you return, you give me life.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will revive me once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
Bring me up once again#tn Heb “you return, you bring me up.” The Hebrew term שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) is used here in an adverbial sense, indicating repetition of the action described by the following verb. The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.) Another option is to understand this as a statement of confidence, “you will bring me up once again” (cf. NIV, NRSV). from the depths of the earth!
21 Raise me to a position of great honor!#tn Heb “increase my greatness.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer or wish. The psalmist’s request for “greatness” (or “honor”) is not a boastful, self-serving prayer for prominence, but, rather, a request that God would vindicate by elevating him over those who are trying to humiliate him.
Turn and comfort me!#tn The imperfects are understood here as expressing the psalmist’s prayer or wish. (Note the use of a distinctly jussive form at the beginning of v. 21.)
22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,
praising#tn The word “praising” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,
O Holy One of Israel!#sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior.
23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes,#tn Or “when.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) has an emphasizing (asseverative) function here. I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me!#tn Heb “and my life [or “soul”] which you will have redeemed.” The perfect verbal form functions here as a future perfect. The psalmist anticipates praising God, for God will have rescued him by that time.
24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,
for those who want to harm me#tn Heb “those who seek my harm.” will be embarrassed and ashamed.#tn Heb “will have become embarrassed and ashamed.” The perfect verbal forms function here as future perfects, indicating future actions which will precede chronologically the action expressed by the main verb in the preceding line.
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Psalm 71
71
Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent
1 # For ver. 1-3, see Ps. 31:1-3 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
2In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
3Be to me a rock of #[Ps. 90:1; 91:9; Deut. 33:27] refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have #See Ps. 42:8 given the command to save me,
for you are my #See Ps. 18:2rock and my fortress.
4 #
Ps. 140:1, 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5For you, O Lord, are my #Jer. 14:8; 17:13; 50:7; 1 Tim. 1:1hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6Upon you I have leaned #See Ps. 22:10 from before my birth;
you are he who #Ps. 22:9took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.
7I have been as #Isa. 8:18; [1 Cor. 4:9]a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8My #ver. 24mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.
9 # ver. 18 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who #Ps. 56:6 watch for my life #Ps. 83:5; [Ps. 41:7, 8]consult together
11and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”
12O God, be not #See Ps. 10:1 far from me;
O my God, #Ps. 70:5; See Ps. 40:13make haste to help me!
13May my accusers be #ver. 24; See Ps. 35:4, 26 put to shame and consumed;
#
Ps. 109:29 with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
who #ver. 24; Esth. 9:2; [Ps. 70:2]seek my hurt.
14But I will #ver. 5 hope continually
and will #ver. 22praise you yet more and more.
15My #ver. 8, 24 mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for #See Ps. 40:5their number is past my knowledge.
16With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.
17O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18So even to #Isa. 46:4 old age and gray hairs,
O God, #ver. 9do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
19Your #Ps. 36:5 righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done #Ps. 126:2; 1 Sam. 12:24; Luke 1:49 great things,
O God, #Ps. 35:10who is like you?
20You who have #Ps. 60:3 made me see many troubles and calamities
will #Ps. 80:18; 85:6; 119:25; 138:7; 143:11; Hos. 6:2revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.
22I will also praise you with #Ps. 33:2 the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O #Ps. 78:41; 89:18; 2 Kgs. 19:22; Isa. 60:9Holy One of Israel.
23My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have #Ps. 34:22redeemed.
24And my #[ver. 8, 15]; See Ps. 35:28 tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been #[ver. 13]put to shame and disappointed
who sought to do me hurt.
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