Psalm 9 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 9!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

  1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
  2. The verse in Hebrew and English.[1]
  3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.[2]
  4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.[3]
  5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Superscription (v. 1)

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
1a לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַלְמ֥וּת לַבֵּ֗ן For the director, according to Muth-labben.
1b מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ A psalm by David.

Expanded Paraphrase

For the director, according to Muth-labben. A psalm (written) by David.

Grammatical Diagram

Psalm 009 - Semantic v. 1.jpg

Notes

  • The phrase עַלמוּת לַבֵּן has been a source of differences among translations. Compare, for example the NIV ‘To the tune of “The Death of the Son”’; the NKJV ‘upon Muthlabben’; the NET ‘...according to the alumoth-labben style’, etc. The issue may be approached by asking two questions. (1) Should the word עלמות be read as one word or two? (2) If read as one word, what is the meaning? A few ancient versions and some Hebrew manuscripts[4] reflect two words here על מות, in which case the full phrase על מות לבן due to the grammar must mean ‘regarding a death of the son’.[5]‘The genitive is usually avoided and replaced by ל when the second noun is determinate but the first one is logically indeterminate’[6] Upon an initial reading, however, this phrase is unlikely, since ‘a death’ would suggest that the son referred to experiences more than one death. Thus, if trying to interpret the Masoretic Text[7] reading two words here results in a meaning that makes little sense. If read as one word, the consonants עלמות may give rise to several readings due to the number of words whose root are the letters עלם. The LXX translates these consonants as κρυφίων ‘(of the) secrets’ which would presumabely reflect the vocalisation עֲלֻמוֹת ‘those things which are concealed’[8] from the root עלם ‘to conceal’. A few ancient witnesses use a greek word meaning ‘youthfulness’[9] in which case the vocalisation is as it stands in the MT—עַלמוּת—and is interpreted as an abstract noun from the same root from which the words עֶלֶם ‘young man’ and עַלְמָה ‘young woman’ are derived.[10] In this connection one should note the similar form עֲלָמוֹת in Psalm 46:1 which Deltzsch (1871, 93) glosses pullae puberes ‘young girls’. In any case, the Masoretes did evidently receive a tradition where the two words are different, and the variety of opinion within Judaism alone is too vast to cover here[11]. With many of commentators[12] we understand the term as most likely a musical term whose precise meaning still remains unknown. We therefore transcribe the name in our Close-but-Clear translation.

Praise of the King (vv. 2-11)

vv. 2-5

v. 2

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
2a אוֹדֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לִבִּ֑י I will praise YHWH with all my heart;
2b אֲ֝סַפְּרָ֗ה כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ I will tell about all your wonderful works!

Expanded Paraphrase

I will praise YHWH with all my heart; I will tell about all your wonderful works (with which you terrify your enemies)!

Grammatical Diagram

Ps92pl.jpg

Notes

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
3a אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה בָ֑ךְ I will rejoice and exult because of you;
3b אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֣ עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ I will sing praise to your name, Most High!

Expanded Paraphrase

I will rejoice and exult because of you; I will sing praise to your name (, which is revealed through those wonderful works), Most High!

Grammatical Diagram

Ps93pl.jpg

Notes

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
4a בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י אָח֑וֹר When my enemies turn back,
4b יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃ they stumble and perish because of your presence,

Expanded Paraphrase

When my enemies (who are foreign nations) turn back, they stumble and perish because of your (terrifying) presence, (for the wicked cannot stand before you [Psa 1:4; 5:6])!

Grammatical Diagram

Ps94pl.jpg

Notes

v. 5

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
5a כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י וְדִינִ֑י because you have accomplished my right and my claim;
5b יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ לְ֝כִסֵּ֗א שׁוֹפֵ֥ט צֶֽדֶק׃ you have sat on a throne as a righteous judge.

Expanded Paraphrase

because you have accomplished my right and my claim (that I have because I am unjustly afflicted); (you are a king,) (whose responsibilities include judging and caring for the poor, afflicted and oppressed). You have sat on a throne as a righteous judge.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps95pl.jpg

Notes

vv. 6-7

v. 6

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
6a גָּעַ֣רְתָּ ג֭וֹיִם אִבַּ֣דְתָּ רָשָׁ֑ע You rebuked nations; you destroyed the wicked;
6b ׃שְׁמָ֥ם מָ֝חִ֗יתָ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ you blotted out their name forever and ever.

Expanded Paraphrase

(In the past,) (when wicked nations attacked as they are attacking now) You rebuked nations (due to their hostility towards you [cf. Psa 2; Isa 17:13) (when they defiled your land with innocent blood); you destroyed the wicked; you blotted out their name forever and ever (so that their acts would never again be remembered).

Grammatical Diagram

Ps96pl.jpg

Notes

v. 7

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
7a הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ תַּ֥מּוּ חֳרָב֗וֹת לָ֫נֶ֥צַח The enemy came to an end in ruins forever,
7b וְעָרִ֥ים נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ and you uprooted cities.
7c אָבַ֖ד זִכְרָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃ The very memory of them perished.

Expanded Paraphrase

The enemy came to an end in ruins forever, and you uprooted cities. The very memory of them perished.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps97pl.jpg

Notes

vv. 8-11

v. 8

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
8a וַֽ֭יהוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם יֵשֵׁ֑ב But YHWH will sit enthroned forever;
8b כּוֹנֵ֖ן לַמִּשְׁפָּ֣ט כִּסְאֽוֹ׃ he has established his throne for justice,

Expanded Paraphrase

But YHWH (unlike the wicked whose memory has perished) will sit enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,

Grammatical Diagram

Ps98pl.jpg

Notes

v. 9

Watch the Overview video on v. 9.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
9a וְה֗וּא יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק and he will judge the world with righteousness;
9b יָדִ֥ין לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃ he will execute justice for the peoples with fairness.

Expanded Paraphrase

and he will judge the world (of which he is the creator) with righteousness; he will execute justice for the peoples with fairness.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps99pl.jpg

Notes

v. 10

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
10a וִ֘יהִ֤י יְהוָ֣ה מִשְׂגָּ֣ב לַדָּ֑ךְ And may YHWH be a refuge for the oppressed,
10b מִ֝שְׂגָּ֗ב לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃ a refuge in distressing times.

Expanded Paraphrase

And may YHWH (who, being creator, is the only one who has the power to reverse the social order [1 Sam 2:8]) be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in distressing times.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps910pl.jpg

Notes

v. 11

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
11a וְיִבְטְח֣וּ בְ֭ךָ יוֹדְעֵ֣י שְׁמֶ֑ךָ And may those who know your name put their trust in you,
11b כִּ֤י לֹֽא־עָזַ֖בְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ יְהוָֽה׃ because you have not abandoned those who seek you, YHWH.

Expanded Paraphrase

And may those who know your name (and your promises) put their trust in you, because you have not abandoned those who seek you, YHWH(, in accordance with your promise that those who seek you find you [Deut 4:29]).

Grammatical Diagram

Ps911pl.jpg

Notes

Petition the King (vv. 12-21)

vv. 12-15

v. 12

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
12a זַמְּר֗וּ לַ֭יהוָה יֹשֵׁ֣ב צִיּ֑וֹן Sing praise to YHWH, who sits enthroned in Zion!
12b הַגִּ֥ידוּ בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו׃ Tell about his deeds among the peoples,

Expanded Paraphrase

Sing praise to YHWH, who sits enthroned in Zion (the place from which YHWH rules) (because his presence there secures the city) (and ensures justice) (as was the responsibility of the king)! Tell about his deeds among the peoples,

Grammatical Diagram

Ps912pl.jpg

Notes

v. 13

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
13a כִּֽי־דֹרֵ֣שׁ דָּ֭מִים אוֹתָ֣ם זָכָ֑ר because the one who requires a reckoning for bloodshed has remembered them;
13b לֹֽא־שָׁ֝כַ֗ח צַעֲקַ֥ת עניים עֲנָוִֽים׃ he has not ignored the outcry of the afflicted.

Expanded Paraphrase

because the one who requires a reckoning for bloodshed has remembered them (since bloodshed pollutes his land); he has not ignored the outcry of the afflicted (whose innocent blood is spilled at the hands of the wicked).

Grammatical Diagram

Ps913pl.jpg

Notes

v. 14

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
14a חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי יְהוָ֗ה רְאֵ֣ה עָ֭נְיִי מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י Have mercy on me, YHWH! See my affliction from those who hate me,
14b מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃ you who lift me up from the gates of death,

Expanded Paraphrase

(I am among those who are afflicted yet innocent!) Have mercy on me, YHWH! (Since you have destroyed wicked nations before) See my affliction from those (foreign enemies) who hate me, you who lifts my head from the gates of death (who saves me) (from deaths inescapable power). (I am near death at the hands of my enemies and) (so I am asking you to save me!)

Grammatical Diagram

Ps914pl.jpg

Notes

v. 15

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
15a לְמַ֥עַן אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה כָּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ so that I may tell about all your praiseworthy actions
15b בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֥י בַת־צִיּ֑וֹן at the gates of daughter Zion,
15c אָ֝גִ֗ילָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ [and so that] I may be glad because of your salvation!

Expanded Paraphrase

so that I may tell about all your praiseworthy actions (not at the gates of death, but) at the gates of daughter Zion (among your holy people) (in the city over which you rule), [and so that] I may be glad because of your salvation!

Grammatical Diagram

Ps915pl.jpg

Notes

vv. 16-17

v. 16

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
16a טָבְע֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם בְּשַׁ֣חַת עָשׂ֑וּ Nations sank in a pit which they had made;
16b בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ טָ֝מָ֗נוּ נִלְכְּדָ֥ה רַגְלָֽם׃ their foot was caught in a net which they had hidden.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Previous nations defiled your world by spilling innocent blood and oppressing the poor and afflicted.) (The only thing that can cover innocent blood is the blood of the one who spilled it [Num. 35:33].) (Israel had a proverb that illustrated this principle of retribution): Nations sank in a pit which they had made; their foot was caught in a net which they had hidden.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps916pl.jpg

Notes

v. 17

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
17a נ֤וֹדַ֨ע ׀ יְהוָה֮ מִשְׁפָּ֪ט עָ֫שָׂ֥ה YHWH, who has accomplished justice, has made himself known,
17b בְּפֹ֣עַל כַּ֭פָּיו נוֹקֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֑ע הִגָּי֥וֹן סֶֽלָה׃ ensnaring the wicked by the work of his hands. Higgaion Selah

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH, who has accomplished justice, has made himself known (through his acts), (namely) ensnaring the wicked by the work of his hands (by which YHWH enacts the principle of retribution).

Grammatical Diagram

Ps917pl.jpg

Notes

vv. 18-21

v. 18

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
18a יָשׁ֣וּבוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה The wicked will return to Sheol,
18b כָּל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם שְׁכֵחֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃ all nations that ignore God.

Expanded Paraphrase

(All people came from nothingness) (and sinful, wicked people will return to this nothingness [Gen 3:19; Job 1:21; 30:23; Psa 90:3; 104:29]). The wicked will return to Sheol, all nations that ignore God (their maker) (and his path to life).

Grammatical Diagram

Ps918pl.jpg

Notes

v. 19

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
19a כִּ֤י לֹ֣א לָ֭נֶצַח יִשָּׁכַ֣ח אֶבְי֑וֹן For the poor will not be ignored forever;
19b תִּקְוַ֥ת עֲ֝נִיִּ֗ים תֹּאבַ֥ד לָעַֽד׃ the hope of the afflicted will [not] perish forever.

Expanded Paraphrase

For the poor will not be ignored forever; the hope of the afflicted will [not] perish forever.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps919pl.jpg

Notes

v. 20

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
20a קוּמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אַל־יָעֹ֣ז אֱנ֑וֹשׁ Rise up, YHWH! Let not humanity prevail;
20b יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ׃ let nations be judged in your presence!

Expanded Paraphrase

Rise up, YHWH! Let not humanity (who will return to nothingness) prevail; let nations be judged in your presence!

Grammatical Diagram

Ps920pl.jpg

Notes

v. 21

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v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
21a שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ מוֹרָ֗ה לָ֫הֶ֥ם YHWH, put a fearful thing among them;
21b יֵדְע֥וּ גוֹיִ֑ם אֱנ֖וֹשׁ הֵ֣מָּה סֶּֽלָה׃ let the nations know that they are human. Selah

Expanded Paraphrase

YHWH (you make yourself known) (through your terrifying acts), put a fearful thing among them; (act to save the oppressed before them!) let the nations know that they are human.

Grammatical Diagram

Ps921pl.jpg

Notes

Bibliography

Legends

Grammatical diagram

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

(For more information, click "Phrase-level Legend" below.)

Expanded paraphrase

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)

References

9

  1. The Hebrew text comes from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which presents the text of the Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic text). The English text is our own "Close-but-clear" translation (CBC). The CBC is a “wooden” translation that exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text. It is essentially an interlinear that has been put into English word-order. It is also similar to a “back-translation” (of the Hebrew) often used in Bible translation checking. It is important to remember that the CBC is not intended to be a stand-alone translation, but is rather a tool for using the Layer by Layer materials. The CBC is used as the primary display text (along with the Hebrew) for most analytical visualisations. It is also used as the display text for most videos.
  2. A legend for the expanded paraphrase is available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  3. Legends for both the grammatical diagram and the shapes and colours on the grammatical diagram are available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  4. So Jerome (iuxta Hebraica) pro morte fillii ‘for/of the death of a son’; Targum על מיתותא דגברא די נפק מביני משׁירייתא ‘concerning the death of the man who went out, a general from among the armies (Stec 2004, 38); not a few Hebrew manuscripts read על מות (see De Rosse 1788, 2)
  5. The lamed on לבן suggests that the phrase מות לבן is in construct
  6. Joüon-Muraoka 2006, 445
  7. Some witnesses suggest that the lamed is absent in an earlier version of the text. E.g., the Secunda reads ἀλμὼθ βέν (where ἀλμὼθ does not reflect על מות read as two words). Symmachus reads περὶ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ ‘on the death of the son’ with the article
  8. cf. the masculine singular passive participle in Psa. 90.8 עֲלֻמֵ֗נוּ ‘our secret’
  9. So Aquilla's νεανιότητος and Sexta's νεανικότης; althoygh Aquila translates equally perplexing noun עֲלָמֽוֹת in 1 Chron. 15:20 with νεανικότητων (see Yelena 2014, 156)
  10. Quinta and Theodotion further bring out this sense by translating with the term ἀκμή ‘prime’
  11. See Gillingham 2018, 83–85
  12. See e.g., Delitzsch (1871, 159–60); Briggs (1906, 69–70); Craigie (2004, 114)