1. I acclaim You, O LORD. The language of this poem from the very beginning recalls the common formulas of the psalms of thanksgiving. The one important difference is that the thanksgiving psalms are usually recited by, or on behalf of, an individual—for example, after recovery from a grave illness—whereas in this poem the thanksgiving is collective or national. The editorial justification for inserting such a psalm at this point is that it comes immediately after the prophecy of national renewal and regeneration in chapter 11.

2. my power. This translation follows the scholarly consensus that zimrah means “power” or “might” and is a homonym for the more common word that means “song” or “hymn.” It must be said, however, that in thanksgiving psalms the root z-m-r, which appears quite frequently, always has the sense of song. This entire line is a verbatim quotation from the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:2), which is appropriate because the earlier text is one of the great poetic celebrations of national triumph through God’s aid.

3. the springs of deliverance. Water sources are always precious in this arid region, as we are reminded in Exodus by the bringing forth of water from the rock for the thirsty people. However, this vivid poetic coinage—“the springs of deliverance”—is original to this text.

5. be it known through all the earth. This is a recurrent theme in biblical literature: God’s powerful intervention in history on behalf of the people of Israel is a manifestation of His supreme dominion over all things, and the peoples of all the earth take note of it.