Mazmur 14:5

14:5 They are absolutely terrified, ¹ 

for God defends the godly. ² 

Mazmur 78:33

78:33 So he caused them to die unsatisfied ³ 

and filled with terror. ⁴ 

Mazmur 90:11

90:11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? ⁵ 

Your raging fury causes people to fear you. ⁶ 

[14:5]  ¹ tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror.

[14:5]  ² tn Heb “for God is with a godly generation.” The Hebrew noun דּוֹר (dor, “generation”) refers here to the general class of people who are characterized by godliness. See BDB 190 s.v. for other examples where “generation” refers to a class of people.

[78:33]  ³ tn Heb “and he ended in vanity their days.”

[78:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “and their years in terror.”

[90:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “Who knows the strength of your anger?”

[90:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “and like your fear [is] your raging fury.” Perhaps one should emend וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ (ukhyir’otekh, “and like your fear”) to יִרְאָתְךְ (yir’otkh, “your fear”), understanding a virtual dittography (אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךְ, ’apekha ukhyir’otekh) to have occurred. In this case the psalmist asserts “your fear [is] your raging fury,” that is, your raging fury is what causes others to fear you. The suffix on “fear” is understood as objective.