1 Raja-raja 8:29

8:29 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. ¹  May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. ² 

Mazmur 4:2

4:2 You men, ³  how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? ⁴ 

How long ⁵  will you love what is worthless ⁶ 

and search for what is deceptive? ⁷  (Selah)

[8:29]  ¹ tn Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”

[8:29]  ² tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”

[4:2]  ³ tn Heb “sons of man.”

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”

[4:2]  ⁵ tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[4:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “emptiness.”

[4:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.