Mazmur 35:20

35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, ¹ 

but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. ² 

Yeremia 9:3

The Lord Laments That He Has No Choice But to Judge Them

9:3 The Lord says, ³ 

“These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows.

Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. ⁴ 

They have become powerful in the land,

but they have not done so by honest means. ⁵ 

Indeed, they do one evil thing after another ⁶ 

and do not pay attention to me. ⁷ 

[35:20]  ¹ tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”

[35:20]  ² tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.

[9:3]  ³ tn The words “The Lord says” have been moved up from the end of the verse to make clear that a change in speaker has occurred.

[9:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “They have readied [or strung] their tongue as their bow for lies.”

[9:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “but not through honesty.”

[9:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “they go from evil to evil.”

[9:3]  ⁷ tn Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” But “knowing” in Hebrew thought often involves more than intellectual knowledge; it involves emotional and volitional commitment as well. For יָדַע meaning “acknowledge” see 1 Chr 28:9; Isa 29:21; Hos 2:20; Prov 3:6. This word is also found in ancient Near Eastern treaty contexts where it has the idea of a vassal king acknowledging the sovereignty of a greater king (cf. H. Huffmon, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew yada,” BASOR 181 [1966]: 31-37).