Mazmur 2:12

2:12 Give sincere homage! ¹ 

Otherwise he ²  will be angry, ³ 

and you will die because of your behavior, ⁴ 

when his anger quickly ignites. ⁵ 

How blessed ⁶  are all who take shelter in him! ⁷ 

Mazmur 5:10

5:10 Condemn them, ⁸  O God!

May their own schemes be their downfall! ⁹ 

Drive them away ¹⁰  because of their many acts of insurrection, ¹¹ 

for they have rebelled against you.

Mazmur 19:13

19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant ¹²  sins;

do not allow such sins to control me. ¹³ 

Then I will be blameless,

and innocent of blatant ¹⁴  rebellion.

Mazmur 22:26

22:26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled! ¹⁵ 

Let those who seek his help praise the Lord!

May you ¹⁶  live forever!

Mazmur 26:1

Psalm 26 ¹⁷ 

By David.

26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have integrity, ¹⁸ 

and I trust in the Lord without wavering.

Mazmur 28:1

Psalm 28 ¹⁹ 

By David.

28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!

My protector, ²⁰  do not ignore me! ²¹ 

If you do not respond to me, ²² 

I will join ²³  those who are descending into the grave. ²⁴ 

Mazmur 31:9

31:9 Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!

My eyes grow dim ²⁵  from suffering. ²⁶ 

I have lost my strength. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 40:17

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ²⁸ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ²⁹ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Mazmur 41:2

41:2 May the Lord protect him and save his life! ³⁰ 

May he be blessed ³¹  in the land!

Do not turn him over ³²  to his enemies! ³³ 

Mazmur 43:3

43:3 Reveal ³⁴  your light ³⁵  and your faithfulness!

They will lead me, ³⁶ 

they will escort ³⁷  me back to your holy hill, ³⁸ 

and to the place where you live. ³⁹ 

Mazmur 50:21

50:21 When you did these things, I was silent, ⁴⁰ 

so you thought I was exactly like you. ⁴¹ 

But now I will condemn ⁴²  you

and state my case against you! ⁴³ 

Mazmur 51:14

51:14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder, ⁴⁴  O God, the God who delivers me!

Then my tongue will shout for joy because of your deliverance. ⁴⁵ 

Mazmur 55:15

55:15 May death destroy them! ⁴⁶ 

May they go down alive into Sheol! ⁴⁷ 

For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.

Mazmur 59:12-13

59:12 They speak sinful words. ⁴⁸ 

So let them be trapped by their own pride

and by the curses and lies they speak!

59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!

Let them know that God rules

in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)

Mazmur 61:2

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ⁴⁹ 

I call out to you in my despair. ⁵⁰ 

Lead me ⁵¹  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ⁵² 

Mazmur 62:9

62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;

human beings are unreliable. ⁵³ 

When they are weighed in the scales,

all of them together are lighter than air. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 68:1-2

Psalm 68 ⁵⁵ 

For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.

68:1 God springs into action! ⁵⁶ 

His enemies scatter;

his adversaries ⁵⁷  run from him. ⁵⁸ 

68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. ⁵⁹ 

As wax melts before fire,

so the wicked are destroyed before God.

Mazmur 68:35

68:35 You are awe-inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple! ⁶⁰ 

It is the God of Israel ⁶¹  who gives the people power and strength.

God deserves praise! ⁶² 

Mazmur 70:4

70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ⁶³  your deliverance say continually, ⁶⁴ 

“May God ⁶⁵  be praised!” ⁶⁶ 

Mazmur 71:18

71:18 Even when I am old and gray, ⁶⁷ 

O God, do not abandon me,

until I tell the next generation about your strength,

and those coming after me about your power. ⁶⁸ 

Mazmur 77:1

Psalm 77 ⁶⁹ 

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.

77:1 I will cry out to God ⁷⁰  and call for help!

I will cry out to God and he will pay attention ⁷¹  to me.

Mazmur 79:10

79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants

be avenged among the nations! ⁷² 

Mazmur 86:17

86:17 Show me evidence of your favor! ⁷³ 

Then those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, ⁷⁴ 

for you, O Lord, will help me and comfort me. ⁷⁵ 

Mazmur 95:7

95:7 For he is our God;

we are the people of his pasture,

the sheep he owns. ⁷⁶ 

Today, if only you would obey him! ⁷⁷ 

Mazmur 102:1

Psalm 102 ⁷⁸ 

The prayer of an oppressed man, as he grows faint and pours out his lament before the Lord.

102:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!

Pay attention to my cry for help! ⁷⁹ 

Mazmur 106:47

106:47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God!

Gather us from among the nations!

Then we will give thanks ⁸⁰  to your holy name,

and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. ⁸¹ 

Mazmur 132:12

132:12 If your sons keep my covenant

and the rules I teach them,

their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”

Mazmur 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ⁸²  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ⁸³ 

Mazmur 140:10

140:10 May he rain down ⁸⁴  fiery coals upon them!

May he throw them into the fire!

From bottomless pits they will not escape. ⁸⁵ 

Mazmur 141:4

141:4 Do not let me have evil desires, ⁸⁶ 

or participate in sinful activities

with men who behave wickedly. ⁸⁷ 

I will not eat their delicacies. ⁸⁸ 

Mazmur 142:4

142:4 Look to the right and see!

No one cares about me. ⁸⁹ 

I have nowhere to run; ⁹⁰ 

no one is concerned about my life. ⁹¹ 

[2:12]  ¹ tn Traditionally, “kiss the son” (KJV). But בַּר (bar) is the Aramaic word for “son,” not the Hebrew. For this reason many regard the reading as suspect. Some propose emendations of vv. 11b-12a. One of the more popular proposals is to read בִּרְעָדָה נַשְּׁקוּ לְרַגְלָיו (bir’adah nashÿqu lÿraslayv, “in trembling kiss his feet”). It makes better sense to understand בַּר (bar) as an adjective meaning “pure” (see Pss 24:4; 73:1 and BDB 141 s.v. בַּר 3) functioning here in an adverbial sense. If read this way, then the syntactical structure of exhortation (imperative followed by adverbial modifier) corresponds to the two preceding lines (see v. 11). The verb נָשַׁק (nashaq, “kiss”) refers metonymically to showing homage (see 1 Sam 10:1; Hos 13:2). The exhortation in v. 12a advocates a genuine expression of allegiance and warns against insincerity. When swearing allegiance, vassal kings would sometimes do so insincerely, with the intent of rebelling when the time was right. The so-called “Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon” also warn against such an attitude. In this treaty the vassal is told: “If you, as you stand on the soil where this oath [is sworn], swear the oath with your words and lips [only], do not swear with your entire heart, do not transmit it to your sons who will live after this treaty, if you take this curse upon yourselves but do not plan to keep the treaty of Esarhaddon…may your sons and grandsons because of this fear in the future” (see J. B. Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East, 2:62).

[2:12]  ² tn Throughout the translation of this verse the third person masculine pronouns refer to the Lord (cf. v. 11).

[2:12]  ³ tn The implied subject of the verb is the Lord, mentioned in v. 11. Elsewhere the subject of this verb is consistently the Lord, suggesting it may be a technical term for divine anger. Anger is here used metonymically for judgment, as the following statement makes clear. A Moabite cognate occurs in the Mesha inscription, where it is used of the Moabite god Chemosh’s anger at his people (see J. B. Pritchard, ed., The Ancient Near East, 1:209).

[2:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “and you will perish [in the] way.” The Hebrew word דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to their rebellious behavior (not to a pathway, as often understood). It functions syntactically as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb “perish.”

[2:12]  ⁵ tn Or “burns.” The Lord’s anger is compared here to fire, the most destructive force known in ancient Israel.

[2:12]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[2:12]  ⁷ sn Who take shelter in him. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[5:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “declare/regard them as guilty.” Declaring the psalmist’s adversaries guilty is here metonymic for judging them or paying them back for their wrongdoing.

[5:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “may they fall from their plans.” The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation. The psalmist calls judgment down on the evildoers. Their plans will be their downfall in that God will judge them for their evil schemes.

[5:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “banish them.”

[5:10]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew noun used here, פֶּשַׁע (pesha’), refers to rebellious actions. The psalmist pictures his enemies as rebels against God (see the next line).

[19:13]  ¹² tn Or “presumptuous.”

[19:13]  ¹³ tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”

[19:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “great.”

[22:26]  ¹⁵ sn Eat and be filled. In addition to praising the Lord, the psalmist also offers a thank offering to the Lord and invites others to share in a communal meal.

[22:26]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “may your heart[s].”

[26:1]  ¹⁷ sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.

[26:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”

[28:1]  ¹⁹ sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.

[28:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

[28:1]  ²¹ tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”

[28:1]  ²² tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”

[28:1]  ²³ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[28:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.

[31:9]  ²⁵ tn Or perhaps, “are swollen.”

[31:9]  ²⁶ tn Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.

[31:9]  ²⁷ tn Heb “my breath and my stomach [grow weak].” Apparently the verb in the previous line (“grow dim, be weakened”) is to be understood here. The Hebrew term נפשׁ can mean “life,” or, more specifically, “throat, breath.” The psalmist seems to be lamenting that his breathing is impaired because of the physical and emotional suffering he is forced to endure.

[40:17]  ²⁸ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ²⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

[41:2]  ³⁰ tn The prefixed verbal forms are taken as jussives in the translation because the jussive is clearly used in the final line of the verse, suggesting that this is a prayer. The psalmist stops to pronounce a prayer of blessing on the godly individual envisioned in v. 1. Of course, he actually has himself primarily in view. He mixes confidence (vv. 1, 3) with petition (v. 2) because he stands in the interval between the word of assurance and the actual intervention by God.

[41:2]  ³¹ tc The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib), which has a Pual (passive) prefixed form, regarded here as a jussive. The Pual of the verb אָשַׁר (’ashar) also appears in Prov 3:18. The marginal reading (Qere) assumes a vav (ו) consecutive and Pual perfect. Some, with the support of the LXX, change the verb to a Piel (active) form with an objective pronominal suffix, “and may he bless him,” or “and he will bless him” (cf. NIV).

[41:2]  ³² tn The negative particle אַל (’al) before the prefixed verbal form indicates the verb is a jussive and the statement a prayer. Those who want to take v. 2 as a statement of confidence suggest emending the negative particle to לֹא (lo’), which is used with the imperfect. See the earlier note on the verbal forms in line one of this verse. According to GKC 322 §109.e, this is a case where the jussive is used rhetorically to “express that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one might translate, “you will not turn him over to his enemies,” and take the preceding verbal forms as indicative in mood.

[41:2]  ³³ tn Heb “do not give him over to the desire of his enemies” (see Ps 27:12).

[43:3]  ³⁴ tn Heb “send.”

[43:3]  ³⁵ sn God’s deliverance is compared here to a light which will lead the psalmist back home to the Lord’s temple. Divine deliverance will in turn demonstrate the Lord’s faithfulness to his people.

[43:3]  ³⁶ tn Or “may they lead me.” The prefixed verbal forms here and in the next line may be taken as jussives.

[43:3]  ³⁷ tn Heb “bring.”

[43:3]  ³⁸ sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill is Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 15:1; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.

[43:3]  ³⁹ tn Or “to your dwelling place[s].” The plural form of the noun may indicate degree or quality; this is the Lord’s special dwelling place (see Pss 46:4; 84:1; 132:5, 7).

[50:21]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “these things you did and I was silent.” Some interpret the second clause (“and I was silent”) as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, “[When you do these things], should I keep silent?” (cf. NEB). See GKC 335 §112.cc.

[50:21]  sn The Lord was silent in the sense that he delayed punishment. Of course, God’s patience toward sinners eventually runs out. The divine “silence” is only temporary (see v. 3, where the psalmist, having described God’s arrival, observes that “he is not silent”).

[50:21]  ⁴¹ tn The Hebrew infinitive construct (הֱיוֹת, heyot) appears to function like the infinitive absolute here, adding emphasis to the following finite verbal form (אֶהְיֶה, ’ehyeh). See GKC 339-40 §113.a. Some prefer to emend הֱיוֹת (heyot) to the infinitive absolute form הָיוֹ (hayo).

[50:21]  ⁴² tn Or “rebuke” (see v. 8).

[50:21]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and I will set in order [my case against you] to your eyes.” The cohortative form expresses the Lord’s resolve to accuse and judge the wicked.

[51:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “from bloodshed.” “Bloodshed” here stands by metonymy for the guilt which it produces.

[51:14]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “my tongue will shout for joy your deliverance.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a jussive, “may my tongue shout for joy.” However, the pattern in vv. 12-15 appears to be prayer/request (see vv. 12, 14a, 15a) followed by promise/vow (see vv. 13, 14b, 15b).

[55:15]  ⁴⁶ tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ’alemo, “May devastation [be] upon them!”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth-Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ’alemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashi’), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nasha’, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (yeshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled and corrupt text. The preposition עַל (’al) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ’alemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.

[55:15]  ⁴⁷ sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.

[59:12]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”

[61:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “from the end of the earth.” This may indicate (1) the psalmist is exiled in a distant land, or (2) it may be hyperbolic (the psalmist feels alienated from God’s presence, as if he were in a distant land).

[61:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “while my heart faints.”

[61:2]  ⁵¹ tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.

[61:2]  ⁵² tn Heb “on to a rocky summit [that] is higher than I.”

[62:9]  ⁵³ tn Heb “only a breath [are] the sons of mankind, a lie [are] the sons of man.” The phrases “sons of mankind” and “sons of man” also appear together in Ps 49:2. Because of the parallel line there, where “rich and poor” are mentioned, a number of interpreters and translators treat these expressions as polar opposites, בְּנֵי אָדָם (bÿney ’adam) referring to the lower classes and בְּנֵי אִישׁ (bÿney ’ish) to higher classes. But usage does not support such a view. The rare phrase בְּנֵי אִישׁ (“sons of man”) appears to refer to human beings in general in its other uses (see Pss 4:2; Lam 3:33). It is better to understand the phrases as synonymous expressions.

[62:9]  ⁵⁴ tn The noun הֶבֶל (hevel), translated “a breath” earlier in the verse, appears again here.

[68:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Psalm 68. The psalmist depicts God as a mighty warrior and celebrates the fact that God exerts his power on behalf of his people.

[68:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “rises up.” The verb form is an imperfect, not a jussive. The psalmist is describing God’s appearance in battle in a dramatic fashion.

[68:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “those who hate him.”

[68:1]  ⁵⁸ sn The wording of v. 1 echoes the prayer in Num 10:35: “Spring into action, Lord! Then your enemies will be scattered and your adversaries will run from you.”

[68:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “as smoke is scattered, you scatter [them].”

[68:35]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “awesome [is] God from his holy places.” The plural of מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “holy places”) perhaps refers to the temple precincts (see Ps 73:17; Jer 51:51).

[68:35]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “the God of Israel, he.”

[68:35]  ⁶² tn Heb “blessed [be] God.”

[70:4]  ⁶³ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.

[70:4]  ⁶⁴ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.

[70:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”

[70:4]  ⁶⁶ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.

[71:18]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”

[71:18]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.

[77:1]  ⁶⁹ sn Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.

[77:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.

[77:1]  ⁷¹ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3-4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13-20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2-12).

[79:10]  ⁷² tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”

[86:17]  ⁷³ tn Heb “Work with me a sign for good.” The expression “work a sign” also occurs in Judg 6:17.

[86:17]  ⁷⁴ tn After the imperative in the preceding line (“work”), the prefixed verb forms with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose or result.

[86:17]  ⁷⁵ tn The perfect verbal forms are understood here as dramatic/rhetorical, expressing the psalmist’s certitude that such a sign from the Lord will be followed by his intervention. Another option is to understand the forms as future perfects (“for you, O Lord, will have helped me and comforted me”).

[95:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “of his hand.”

[95:7]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “if only you would listen to his voice.” The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (cf. Ps 81:8). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.

[102:1]  ⁷⁸ sn Psalm 102. The psalmist laments his oppressed state, but longs for a day when the Lord will restore Jerusalem and vindicate his suffering people.

[102:1]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and may my cry for help come to you.”

[106:47]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.

[106:47]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”

[140:4]  ⁸² tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ⁸³ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”

[140:10]  ⁸⁴ tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.

[140:10]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition -בְּ (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.

[141:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”

[141:4]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”

[141:4]  ⁸⁸ sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.

[142:4]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”

[142:4]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”

[142:4]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”