Translations
But look! God is my Helper; the Lord is the one who upholds my very life.
But see! Elohim is my Helper; Adonai is as those who sustain my nephesh.
Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Footnotes
Two distinct divine names appear in a single verse: Elohim (cosmic Creator-God) and Adonai (Master/Lord), together underscoring both transcendent power and intimate sovereignty over David's situation. The Hebrew somkhei nephesh is a participial phrase—literally "the sustainers of my nephesh"—which may suggest Adonai acts through human agents of support, though a singular reading is equally defensible. The abrupt turn from lament (v.3) to declared confidence (v.4) mirrors the classic psalmic movement of trust breaking through distress—a rhetorical and spiritual pivot that is itself an act of faith. F.O.G retains Adonai as a transliteration; F.O.G.M renders it "the Lord" following English convention.

