Mazmur 38:12

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; ¹ 

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

Mazmur 40:14

40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ² 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ³ 

Mazmur 59:3

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ⁴ 

powerful men stalk ⁵  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ⁶ 

Mazmur 70:2

70:2 May those who are trying to take my life

be embarrassed and ashamed! ⁷ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ⁸ 

Mazmur 86:14

86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; ⁹ 

a gang ¹⁰  of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. ¹¹ 

[38:12]  ¹ tn Heb “lay snares.”

[40:14]  ² tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”

[40:14]  ³ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[40:14]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[59:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.

[59:3]  ⁶ sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the Lord.

[70:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”

[70:2]  ⁸ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[70:2]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

[86:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “rise up against me.”

[86:14]  ¹⁰ tn Or “assembly.”

[86:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.