Mazmur 12:2

12:2 People lie to one another; ¹ 

they flatter and deceive. ² 

Mazmur 17:2

17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! ³ 

Decide what is right! ⁴ 

Mazmur 34:12

34:12 Do you want to really live? ⁵ 

Would you love to live a long, happy life? ⁶ 

Mazmur 35:11

35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, ⁷ 

and falsely accuse me. ⁸ 

Mazmur 35:20

35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, ⁹ 

but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 44:21

44:21 would not God discover it,

for he knows ¹¹  one’s thoughts? ¹² 

Mazmur 46:8

46:8 Come! Witness the exploits ¹³  of the Lord,

who brings devastation to the earth! ¹⁴ 

Mazmur 66:5

66:5 Come and witness ¹⁵  God’s exploits! ¹⁶ 

His acts on behalf of people are awesome! ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 105:27

105:27 They executed his miraculous signs among them, ¹⁸ 

and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.

Mazmur 107:43

107:43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!

Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!

Mazmur 112:5

112:5 It goes well for the one ¹⁹  who generously lends money,

and conducts his business honestly. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 119:37

119:37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! ²¹ 

Revive me with your word! ²² 

Mazmur 122:5

122:5 Indeed, ²³  the leaders sit ²⁴  there on thrones and make legal decisions,

on the thrones of the house of David. ²⁵ 

[12:2]  ¹ tn Heb “falsehood they speak, a man with his neighbor.” The imperfect verb forms in v. 2 describe what is typical in the psalmist’s experience.

[12:2]  ² tn Heb “[with] a lip of smoothness, with a heart and a heart they speak.” Speaking a “smooth” word refers to deceptive flattery (cf. Ps 5:9; 55:21; Prov 2:16; 5:3; 7:5, 21; 26:28; 28:23; Isa 30:10). “Heart” here refers to their mind, from which their motives and intentions originate. The repetition of the noun indicates diversity (see GKC 396 §123.f, IBHS 116 §7.2.3c, and Deut 25:13, where the phrase “weight and a weight” refers to two different measuring weights). These people have two different types of “hearts.” Their flattering words seem to express kind motives and intentions, but this outward display does not really reflect their true motives. Their real “heart” is filled with evil thoughts and destructive intentions. The “heart” that is seemingly displayed through their words is far different from the real “heart” they keep disguised. (For the idea see Ps 28:3.) In 1 Chr 12:33 the phrase “without a heart and a heart” means “undivided loyalty.”

[17:2]  ³ tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsa’) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.

[17:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)

[34:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “Who is the man who desires life?” The rhetorical question is used to grab the audience’s attention. “Life” probably refers here to quality of life, not just physical existence or even duration of life. See the following line.

[34:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “[Who] loves days to see good?”

[35:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”

[35:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”

[35:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”

[35:20]  ¹⁰ 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.

[44:21]  ¹¹ tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.

[44:21]  ¹² tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.

[46:8]  ¹³ sn In this context the Lord’s exploits are military in nature (see vv. 8b-9).

[46:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “who sets desolations in the earth” (see Isa 13:9). The active participle describes God’s characteristic activity as a warrior.

[66:5]  ¹⁵ tn Or “see.”

[66:5]  ¹⁶ tn Or “acts” (see Ps 46:8).

[66:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “awesome [is] an act toward the sons of man.” It is unclear how the prepositional phrase relates to what precedes. If collocated with “act,” it may mean “on behalf of” or “toward.” If taken with “awesome” (see 1 Chr 16:25; Pss 89:7; 96:4; Zeph 2:11), one might translate “his awesome acts are beyond human comprehension” or “his awesome acts are superior to anything men can do.”

[105:27]  ¹⁸ tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).

[112:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “man.”

[112:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “he sustains his matters with justice.”

[119:37]  ²¹ tn Heb “Make my eyes pass by from looking at what is worthless.”

[119:37]  ²² tn Heb “by your word.”

[122:5]  ²³ tn Or “for.”

[122:5]  ²⁴ tn Or “sat.”

[122:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Indeed, there they sit [on] thrones for judgment, [on] thrones [belonging] to the house of David.”