Psa 89:26-37 | NETfull | STEP | He will call out to me, ‘You are my father, my God, and the protector who delivers me.’

Psalms 89:26-37

26 He will call out to me,
‘You are my father, ^{▼▼ You are my father. The Davidic king was viewed as God’s “son” (see 2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The idiom reflects ancient Near Eastern adoption language associated with covenants of grant, by which a lord would reward a faithful subject by elevating him to special status, referred to as “sonship.” Like a son, the faithful subject received an “inheritance,” viewed as an unconditional, eternal gift. Such gifts usually took the form of land and/or an enduring dynasty. See M. Weinfeld, “The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,” JAOS 90 (1970): 184-203, for general discussion and some striking extra-biblical parallels.} my God, and the protector who delivers me.’ ^{▼▼ Heb “the rocky summit of my deliverance.”}
27 I will appoint him to be my firstborn son, ^{▼▼ The firstborn son typically had special status and received special privileges.}
the most exalted of the earth’s kings.
28 I will always extend my loyal love to him,
and my covenant with him is secure. ^{▼▼ Heb “forever I will keep for him my loyal love and will make my covenant secure for him.”}
29 I will give him an eternal dynasty, ^{▼▼ Heb “and I will set in place forever his offspring.”}
and make his throne as enduring as the skies above. ^{▼▼ Heb “and his throne like the days of the heavens.”}
30 If his sons reject my law
and disobey my regulations,
31 if they break ^{▼▼ Or “desecrate.”} my rules
and do not keep my commandments,
32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, ^{▼▼ Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”} ^{▼▼ 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. ^{▼▼ Heb “with blows their sin.”}
33 But I will not remove ^{▼▼ 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.} my loyal love from him,
nor be unfaithful to my promise. ^{▼▼ Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”}
34 I will not break ^{▼▼ Or “desecrate.”} my covenant
or go back on what I promised. ^{▼▼ Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”}
35 Once and for all I have vowed by my own holiness,
I will never deceive ^{▼▼ Or “lie to.”} David.
36 His dynasty will last forever. ^{▼▼ Heb “his offspring forever will be.”}
His throne will endure before me, like the sun, ^{▼▼ Heb “and his throne like the sun before me.”}
37 it will remain stable, like the moon, ^{▼▼ Heb “like the moon it will be established forever.”}
his throne will endure like the skies.” ^{▼▼ Heb “and a witness in the sky, secure.” Scholars have offered a variety of opinions as to the identity of the “witness” referred to here, none of which is very convincing. It is preferable to join וְעֵד (v^e’ed) to עוֹלָם (’olam) in the preceding line and translate the commonly attested phrase עוֹלָם וְעֵד (“forever”). In this case one may translate the second line, “[it] will be secure like the skies.” Another option (the one reflected in the present translation) is to take עד as a rare noun meaning “throne” or “dais.” This noun is attested in Ugaritic; see, for example, CTA 16 vi 22–23, where ksi (= כִּסֵּא, kisse’, “throne”) and ’d (= עד, “dais”) appear as synonyms in the poetic parallelism (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). Emending בַּשַּׁחַק (bashakhaq, “in the heavens”) to כַּשַׁחַק (kashakhaq, “like the heavens”) – bet/kaf (כ/ב) confusion is widely attested – one can then read “[his] throne like the heavens [is] firm/stable.” Verse 29 refers to the enduring nature of the heavens, while Job 37:18 speaks of God spreading out the heavens (שְׁחָקִים, sh^ekhaqim) and compares their strength to a bronze mirror. Ps 89:29 uses the term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, “skies”) which frequently appears in parallelism to שְׁחָקִים.} (Selah)