41:5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me, 1
‘When will he finally die and be forgotten?’ 2
60:11 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 3
69:18 Come near me and redeem me! 4
Because of my enemies, rescue me!
108:12 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 5
119:98 Your commandments 6 make me wiser than my enemies,
for I am always aware of them.
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection. 7
144:6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them!
Shoot your arrows and rout them! 8
1 tn Heb “my enemies speak evil concerning me.”
2 tn Heb “and his name perish.”
3 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
4 tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the
5 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
6 tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The
7 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (כ) and nun (נ) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.
8 sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).