1sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers. 2tn Or “good.” 3tn Traditionally “O Most High.” 4tn The words “it is fitting” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Verses 1-3 are actually one long sentence in the Hebrew text, but this has been divided up into two shorter sentences in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style. 5tn Heb “the works of your hands.” 6tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15. 7tn Heb “the brutish man does not know, and the fool does not understand this.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 49:10; 73:22; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8). 8tn Or “flourish.” 9tn Heb “in order that they might be destroyed permanently.”sn God allows the wicked to prosper temporarily so that he might reveal his justice. When the wicked are annihilated, God demonstrates that wickedness does not pay off. 10tn Heb “[are elevated] on high.” 11tn Or “for.” 12tn Or “for.” 13sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17). 14tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.” 15tn Heb “my eye gazes upon those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. The form שׁוּרָי (shuray) should be emended to שׁוֹרְרָי (shor˙ray). 16tn Heb “those who rise up against me, evil [foes], my ears hear.” 17tn The singular is used in a representative sense, with the typical godly person being in view. 18sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size. 19tn Heb “they are juicy and fresh.” 20tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the Lord, my rocky summit, and there is no injustice in him.”
1sn Psalm 92. The psalmist praises God because he defeats the wicked and vindicates his loyal followers.
2tn Or “good.”
3tn Traditionally “O Most High.”
4tn The words “it is fitting” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Verses 1-3 are actually one long sentence in the Hebrew text, but this has been divided up into two shorter sentences in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
5tn Heb “the works of your hands.”
6tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15.
7tn Heb “the brutish man does not know, and the fool does not understand this.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 49:10; 73:22; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
8tn Or “flourish.”
9tn Heb “in order that they might be destroyed permanently.”
sn God allows the wicked to prosper temporarily so that he might reveal his justice. When the wicked are annihilated, God demonstrates that wickedness does not pay off.
10tn Heb “[are elevated] on high.”
11tn Or “for.”
12tn Or “for.”
13sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).
14tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”
15tn Heb “my eye gazes upon those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. The form שׁוּרָי (shuray) should be emended to שׁוֹרְרָי (shor˙ray).
16tn Heb “those who rise up against me, evil [foes], my ears hear.”
17tn The singular is used in a representative sense, with the typical godly person being in view.
18sn The cedars of the Lebanon forest were well-known in ancient Israel for their immense size.
19tn Heb “they are juicy and fresh.”
20tn Heb “so that [they] proclaim that upright [is] the Lord, my rocky summit, and there is no injustice in him.”