Mazmur 28:5

28:5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,

or the way he carries out justice. ¹ 

The Lord ²  will permanently demolish them. ³ 

Mazmur 32:6

32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers ⁴  should pray to you

while there is a window of opportunity. ⁵ 

Certainly ⁶  when the surging water ⁷  rises,

it will not reach them. ⁸ 

Mazmur 78:20

78:20 Yes, ⁹  he struck a rock and water flowed out,

streams gushed forth.

But can he also give us food?

Will he provide meat for his people?”

Mazmur 142:4

142:4 Look to the right and see!

No one cares about me. ¹⁰ 

I have nowhere to run; ¹¹ 

no one is concerned about my life. ¹² 

[28:5]  ¹ tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the Lord’s actions” and “the work of his hands” probably refer to the way he carries out justice by vindicating the godly and punishing the wicked. (Note the final line of the verse, which refers to divine judgment. See also Ps 92:4-7.) Evil men do not “understand” God’s just ways; they fail to realize he will protect the innocent. Consequently they seek to harm the godly, as if they believe they will never be held accountable for their actions.

[28:5]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord, who is referred to in the two immediately preceding lines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:5]  ³ tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.

[32:6]  ⁴ tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).

[32:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the Lord]” and seek his forgiveness (cf. NIV). Some emend the text by combining מְצֹא (mÿtso’, “finding”) with the following term רַק (raq, “only, surely”) and read either ר[וֹ]מָצ (matsor, “distress”; see Ps 31:22) or ק[וֹ]מָצ (matsoq, “hardship”; see Ps 119:143). In this case, one may translate “in a time of distress/hardship” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[32:6]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.

[32:6]  ⁷ sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.

[32:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.

[78:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “look.”

[142:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”

[142:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”

[142:4]  ¹² tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”