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1I will sing continually about the Lord ’s faithful deeds;[#tn Or “forever.”]
to future generations I will proclaim your faithfulness.
2For I say, “Loyal love is permanently established;[#tn Heb “built.”]
in the skies you set up your faithfulness.”
3The Lord said,[#tn The words “the Lord said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. It is clear that the words of vv. 3-4 are spoken by the Lord, in contrast to vv. 1-2, which are spoken by the psalmist.]
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:
4‘I will give you an eternal dynasty[#tn Heb “forever I will establish your offspring.”]
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’” (Selah)
5O Lord , the heavens praise your amazing deeds,[#tn As the following context makes clear, the personified “heavens” here stand by metonymy for the angelic beings that surround God’s heavenly throne.]
as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly.
6For who in the skies can compare to the Lord ?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings,
7a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly,[#tn Heb “feared.”; #tn Heb “in the great assembly of the holy ones.”]
and more awesome than all who surround him?
8O Lord , sovereign God![#tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the Lord as enthroned in the midst of the angelic hosts of heaven.]
Who is strong like you, O Lord ?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
9You rule over the proud sea.[#tn Heb “the majesty of the sea.”]
When its waves surge, you calm them.
10You crushed the Proud One and killed it;[#tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.; #tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”]
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11The heavens belong to you, as does the earth.
You made the world and all it contains.
12You created the north and the south.
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
13Your arm is powerful,
your hand strong,
your right hand victorious.
14Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne.[#sn The Lord’s throne symbolizes his kingship.]
Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule.
15How blessed are the people who worship you![#tn Heb “who know the shout.” “Shout” here refers to the shouts of the Lord’s worshipers (see Pss 27:6; 33:3; 47:5).]
O Lord , they experience your favor.
16They rejoice in your name all day long,
and are vindicated by your justice.
17For you give them splendor and strength.[#tn Heb “for the splendor of their strength [is] you.”]
By your favor we are victorious.
18For our shield belongs to the Lord ,[#tn The phrase “our shield” refers metaphorically to the Davidic king, who, as God’s vice-regent, was the human protector of the people. Note the parallelism with “our king" here and with “your anointed one” in Ps 84:9.]
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19Then you spoke through a vision to your faithful followers and said:[#tn The pronoun “you” refers to the Lord, who is addressed here. The quotation that follows further develops the announcement of vv. 3-4.; #tc Many medieval mss read the singular here, “your faithful follower.” In this case the statement refers directly to Nathan’s oracle to David (see 2 Sam 7:17).]
“I have energized a warrior;
I have raised up a young man from the people.
20I have discovered David, my servant.
With my holy oil I have anointed him as king.
21My hand will support him,[#tn Heb “with whom my hand will be firm.”]
and my arm will strengthen him.
22No enemy will be able to exact tribute from him;[#tn Heb “an enemy will not exact tribute.” The imperfect is understood in a modal sense, indicating capability or potential.; #tn The translation understands the Hiphil of נָשַׁא (nasha’) in the sense of “act as a creditor.” This may allude to the practice of a conqueror forcing his subjects to pay tribute in exchange for “protection.” Another option is to take the verb from a homonymic verbal root meaning “to deceive,” “to trick.” Still another option is to emend the form to יִשָּׂא (yisa’), a Qal imperfect from נָאַשׂ (na’as, “rise up”) and to translate “an enemy will not rise up against him” (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 2:317).]
a violent oppressor will not be able to humiliate him.
23I will crush his enemies before him;
I will strike down those who hate him.
24He will experience my faithfulness and loyal love,[#tn Heb “and my faithfulness and my loyal love [will be] with him.”]
and by my name he will win victories.
25I will place his hand over the sea,
his right hand over the rivers.
26He will call out to me,
‘You are my father, my God, and the protector who delivers me.’
27I will appoint him to be my firstborn son,[#sn The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.]
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
28I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure.
29I will give him an eternal dynasty,[#tn Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”]
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above.
30If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
31if they break my rules[#tn Or “desecrate.”]
and do not keep my commandments,
32I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club,[#tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).]
their sin by inflicting them with bruises.
33But I will not remove my loyal love from him,[#tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.]
nor be unfaithful to my promise.
34I will not break my covenant[#tn Or “desecrate.”]
or go back on what I promised.
35Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive David.
36His dynasty will last forever.[#tn Heb “his offspring forever will be.”]
His throne will endure before me, like the sun,
37it will remain stable, like the moon,[#tn Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”]
his throne will endure like the skies.” (Selah)
38But you have spurned and rejected him;[#tn The Hebrew construction (conjunction + pronoun, followed by the verb) draws attention to the contrast between what follows and what precedes.]
you are angry with your chosen king.
39You have repudiated your covenant with your servant;[#tn The Hebrew verb appears only here and in Lam 2:7.; #tn Heb “the covenant of your servant.”]
you have thrown his crown to the ground.
40You have broken down all his walls;[#tn The king here represents the land and cities over which he rules.]
you have made his strongholds a heap of ruins.
41All who pass by have robbed him;[#tn Heb “all the passersby on the road.”]
he has become an object of disdain to his neighbors.
42You have allowed his adversaries to be victorious,[#tn Heb “you have lifted up the right hand of his adversaries.” The idiom “the right hand is lifted up” refers to victorious military deeds (see Pss 89:13; 118:16).]
and all his enemies to rejoice.
43You turn back his sword from the adversary,[#tn The perfect verbal form predominates in vv. 38-45. The use of the imperfect in this one instance may be for rhetorical effect. The psalmist briefly lapses into dramatic mode, describing the king’s military defeat as if it were happening before his very eyes.; #tc Heb “you turn back, rocky summit, his sword.” The Hebrew term צוּר (tsur, “rocky summit”) makes no sense here, unless it is a divine title understood as vocative, “you turn back, O Rocky Summit, his sword.” Some emend the form to צֹר (tsor, “flint”) on the basis of Josh 5:2, which uses the phrase חַרְבוֹת צֻרִים (kharvot tsurim, “flint knives”). The noun צֹר (tsor, “flint”) can then be taken as “flint-like edge,” indicating the sharpness of the sword. Others emend the form to אָחוֹר (’akhor, “backward”) or to מִצַּר (mitsar, “from the adversary”). The present translation reflects the latter, assuming an original reading תָּשִׁיב מִצָּר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv mitsar kharbo), which was corrupted to תָּשִׁיב צָר חַרְבּוֹ (tashiv tsar kharbo) by virtual haplography (confusion of bet/mem is well-attested) with צָר (tsar, “adversary”) then being misinterpreted as צוּר in the later tradition.]
and have not sustained him in battle.
44You have brought to an end his splendor,[#tc The Hebrew text appears to read, “you have brought to an end from his splendor,” but the form מִטְּהָרוֹ (mittÿharo) should be slightly emended (the daghesh should be removed from the tet [ת]) and read simply “his splendor” (the initial mem [מ] is not the preposition, but a nominal prefix).]
and have knocked his throne to the ground.
45You have cut short his youth,[#tn Heb “the days of his youth” (see as well Job 33:25).]
and have covered him with shame. (Selah)
46How long, O Lord , will this last?
Will you remain hidden forever?
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
47Take note of my brief lifespan![#tn Heb “remember me, what is [my] lifespan.” The Hebrew term חֶלֶד (kheled) is also used of one’s lifespan in Ps 39:5. Because the Hebrew text is so awkward here, some prefer to emend it to read מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי (meh khadel ’aniy, “[remember] how transient [that is, “short-lived”] I am”; see Ps 39:4).]
Why do you make all people so mortal?
48No man can live on without experiencing death,
or deliver his life from the power of Sheol. (Selah)
49Where are your earlier faithful deeds, O Lord,[#sn The Lord’s faithful deeds are also mentioned in Pss 17:7 and 25:6.; #tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read here יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”).]
the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David?
50Take note, O Lord, of the way your servants are taunted,[#tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read here יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”).; #tn Heb “remember, O Lord, the taunt against your servants.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular here, “your servant” (that is, the psalmist).]
and of how I must bear so many insults from people!
51Your enemies, O Lord , hurl insults;
they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps.
52The Lord deserves praise forevermore![#sn The final verse of Ps 89, v. 52, is a conclusion to this third “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and fourth “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 106:48, respectively).; #tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.]
We agree! We agree!