Psalm 69

Psalms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150


Ps 69:1

לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ עַֽל־שׁוֹשַׁנִּ֬ים לְדָוִֽד׃ הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֤י בָ֖אוּ מַ֣יִם עַד־נָֽפֶשׁ׃

For the music director, on Shoshanim, by David.  Cause me to be delivered, oh God, because the waters come over the soul.

Paraphrase:  This song was written by David for the choir director and is to be sung to the tune of Shoshanim.  “Rescue me, oh God, because great waves of water are rolling over my head and threatening to drown me.  I can’t breathe.”

Comments:

“The Psalms of the OT remarkably enough have no single, well recognized, universally accepted name by which they are designated in the Hebrew Scriptures.” source

For לַמְנַצֵּחַ see the the lamed auctoris.

There is no consensus on the meaning of שׁוֹשַׁנִּים.

 


Ps 69:2

טָבַ֤עְתִּי׀ בִּיוֵ֣ן מְ֭צוּלָה וְאֵ֣ין מָעֳמָ֑ד בָּ֥אתִי בְמַעֲמַקֵּי־מַ֝֗יִם וְשִׁבֹּ֥לֶת שְׁטָפָֽתְנִי׃

I sink in deep mud and there is no standing; I come in depths of water and the flowing water engulfs me.

Paraphrase:  I feel like I am sinking into mud, and there is nothing on which I can stand.  I just keep sinking farther and farther.  It’s like I am struggling to stay afloat in deep water where my feet can’t reach the bottom.  The waves just keep rolling over my head, and I can’t last much longer.

Comments:

 


Ps 69:3

יָגַ֣עְתִּי בְקָרְאִי֮ נִחַ֪ר גְּר֫וֹנִ֥י כָּל֥וּ עֵינַ֑י מְ֝יַחֵ֗ל לֵאלֹהָֽי׃

I am growing weary with my weeping; my throat is parched.  My eyes fail while waiting for my God.

Paraphrase:  I am so tired and worn out; I have no tears left to weep.  My throat is sore with crying.  I’ve been looking and waiting for God’s help, and it never seems to come.  I’m feel like I’m completely finished.

Comments:

בְקָרְאִי is an infinitive with a pronoun suffix; see here.

 


Ps 69:4

רַבּ֤וּ׀ מִשַּׂעֲר֣וֹת רֹאשִׁי֮ שֹׂנְאַ֪י חִ֫נָּ֥ם עָצְמ֣וּ מַ֭צְמִיתַי אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־גָ֝זַ֗לְתִּי אָ֣ז אָשִֽׁיב׃

My haters, for no just reason, are more than the hairs of my head; my destroyers are mighty; my enemies falsely.  What I did not steal, this I returned.

Paraphrase:  There are so many people who hate me and for what reason?  There is no just reason for their hatred.  Every day, my enemies grow stronger and stronger; their influence keeps on growing, and they are determined to destroy me.  Some of them even accused me of stealing and demanded that I return what I stole.  As a gesture of good will, I returned what they claimed I had stolen even though I had not taken it in the first place!

Comments:

Note the comparative use of the preposition min on מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת.

 


Ps 69:5

אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ לְאִוַּלְתִּ֑י וְ֝אַשְׁמוֹתַ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא־נִכְחָֽדוּ׃

Oh God, You know my folly and and my guilt; they are not hidden from You.

Paraphrase:  Oh God, You know the truth.  Nothing is hidden from Your sight; before Your all-seeing eye, everything is plainly visible. (Hebrews 4:13)  You know perfectly well what I have done foolishly and what I have done well.  If I am guilty of theft, you will certainly bring me to account.  I wouldn’t even think of trying to hide something from you.    

Comments:

 


Ps 69:6

אַל־יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ בִ֨י׀ קֹוֶיךָ֮ אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֗ה צְבָ֫א֥וֹת אַל־יִכָּ֣לְמוּ בִ֣י מְבַקְשֶׁ֑יךָ אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Those who are waiting for you, Lord YHWH of armies, let them not be ashamed because of me.  Those who are seeking you, let them not be humiliated because of me, oh God of Israel.

Paraphrase:  Oh YHWH, Great King of heaven, remember all those who are looking expectantly to you for salvation.  Please don’t let all these people be ashamed because of what I’ve done.  All these people are crying out to you and trusting in your mighty arm.  Oh God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Keeper of all the promises made to the fathers, please don’t let their confidence in you be disappointed.

Comments:

יֵבֹשׁוּ = jussive  When a second person, YQTL occurs with אַל, the verb is a prohibition.  The verb here is third person.

 


Ps 69:7

כִּֽי־עָ֭לֶיךָ נָשָׂ֣אתִי חֶרְפָּ֑ה כִּסְּתָ֖ה כְלִמָּ֣ה פָנָֽי׃

 


Ps 69:8

מ֭וּזָר הָיִ֣יתִי לְאֶחָ֑י וְ֝נָכְרִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃


Ps 69:9

כִּֽי־קִנְאַ֣ת בֵּיתְךָ֣ אֲכָלָ֑תְנִי וְחֶרְפּ֥וֹת ח֝וֹרְפֶ֗יךָ נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי׃

Ps 69:10 וָאֶבְכֶּ֣ה בַצּ֣וֹם נַפְשִׁ֑י וַתְּהִ֖י לַחֲרָפ֣וֹת לִֽי׃

Ps 69:11 וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לְבוּשִׁ֣י שָׂ֑ק וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמָשָֽׁל׃

Ps 69:12 יָשִׂ֣יחוּ בִ֭י יֹ֣שְׁבֵי שָׁ֑עַר וּ֝נְגִינ֗וֹת שׁוֹתֵ֥י שֵׁכָֽר׃

Ps 69:13 וַאֲנִ֤י תְפִלָּתִֽי־לְךָ֨׀ יְהוָ֡ה עֵ֤ת רָצ֗וֹן אֱלֹהִ֥ים בְּרָב־חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ עֲ֝נֵ֗נִי בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת יִשְׁעֶֽךָ׃

Ps 69:14 הַצִּילֵ֣נִי מִ֭טִּיט וְאַל־אֶטְבָּ֑עָה אִנָּצְלָ֥ה מִ֝שֹּֽׂנְאַ֗י וּמִמַּֽעֲמַקֵּי־מָֽיִם׃

Ps 69:15 אַל־תִּשְׁטְפֵ֤נִי׀ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת מַ֭יִם וְאַל־תִּבְלָעֵ֣נִי מְצוּלָ֑ה וְאַל־תֶּאְטַר־עָלַ֖י בְּאֵ֣ר פִּֽיהָ׃

Ps 69:16 עֲנֵ֣נִי יְ֭הוָה כִּי־ט֣וֹב חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ כְּרֹ֥ב רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ פְּנֵ֣ה אֵלָֽי׃

Ps 69:17 וְאַל־תַּסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נֶיךָ מֵֽעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־צַר־לִ֝֗י מַהֵ֥ר עֲנֵֽנִי׃

Ps 69:18 קָרְבָ֣ה אֶל־נַפְשִׁ֣י גְאָלָ֑הּ לְמַ֖עַן אֹיְבַ֣י פְּדֵֽנִי׃

Ps 69:19 אַתָּ֤ה יָדַ֗עְתָּ חֶרְפָּתִ֣י וּ֭בָשְׁתִּי וּכְלִמָּתִ֑י נֶ֝גְדְּךָ֗ כָּל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃

Ps 69:20 חֶרְפָּ֤ה׀ שָֽׁבְרָ֥ה לִבִּ֗י וָֽאָ֫נ֥וּשָׁה וָאֲקַוֶּ֣ה לָנ֣וּד וָאַ֑יִן וְ֝לַמְנַחֲמִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א מָצָֽאתִי׃

Ps 69:21 וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ בְּבָרוּתִ֣י רֹ֑אשׁ וְ֝לִצְמָאִ֗י יַשְׁק֥וּנִי חֹֽמֶץ׃

Ps 69:22 יְהִֽי־שֻׁלְחָנָ֣ם לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם לְפָ֑ח וְלִשְׁלוֹמִ֥ים לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃

Ps 69:23 תֶּחְשַׁ֣כְנָה עֵ֭ינֵיהֶם מֵרְא֑וֹת וּ֝מָתְנֵ֗יהֶם תָּמִ֥יד הַמְעַֽד׃

Ps 69:24 שְׁפָךְ־עֲלֵיהֶ֥ם זַעְמֶ֑ךָ וַחֲר֥וֹן אַ֝פְּךָ֗ יַשִּׂיגֵֽם׃

Ps 69:25 תְּהִי־טִֽירָתָ֥ם נְשַׁמָּ֑ה בְּ֝אָהֳלֵיהֶ֗ם אַל־יְהִ֥י יֹשֵֽׁב׃

Ps 69:26 כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־הִכִּ֣יתָ רָדָ֑פוּ וְאֶל־מַכְא֖וֹב חֲלָלֶ֣יךָ יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃

Ps 69:27 תְּֽנָה־עָ֭וֺן עַל־עֲוֺנָ֑ם וְאַל־יָ֝בֹ֗אוּ בְּצִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃

Ps 69:28 יִ֭מָּחֽוּ מִסֵּ֣פֶר חַיִּ֑ים וְעִ֥ם צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים אַל־יִכָּתֵֽבוּ׃

Ps 69:29 וַ֭אֲנִי עָנִ֣י וְכוֹאֵ֑ב יְשׁוּעָתְךָ֖ אֱלֹהִ֣ים תְּשַׂגְּבֵֽנִי׃

Ps 69:30 אֲהַֽלְלָ֣ה שֵׁם־אֱלֹהִ֣ים בְּשִׁ֑יר וַאֲגַדְּלֶ֥נּוּ בְתוֹדָֽה׃

Ps 69:31 וְתִיטַ֣ב לַֽ֭יהוָה מִשּׁ֥וֹר פָּ֗ר מַקְרִ֥ן מַפְרִֽיס׃

Ps 69:32 רָא֣וּ עֲנָוִ֣ים יִשְׂמָ֑חוּ דֹּרְשֵׁ֥י אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים וִיחִ֥י לְבַבְכֶֽם׃

Ps 69:33 כִּֽי־שֹׁמֵ֣עַ אֶל־אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶת־אֲ֝סִירָ֗יו לֹ֣א בָזָֽה׃

Ps 69:34 יְֽ֭הַלְלוּהוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם וָאָ֑רֶץ יַ֝מִּ֗ים וְֽכָל־רֹמֵ֥שׂ בָּֽם׃

Ps 69:35 כִּ֤י אֱלֹהִ֨ים׀ י֘וֹשִׁ֤יעַ צִיּ֗וֹן וְ֭יִבְנֶה עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וְיָ֥שְׁבוּ שָׁ֝֗ם וִירֵשֽׁוּהָ׃

Ps 69:36 וְזֶ֣רַע עֲ֭בָדָיו יִנְחָל֑וּהָ וְאֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁ֝מ֗וֹ יִשְׁכְּנוּ־בָֽהּ׃

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