Mazmur 39:13

39:13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy

before I pass away. ¹ 

Mazmur 88:7

88:7 Your anger bears down on me,

and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Selah)

Mazmur 88:15-18

88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. ² 

I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain. ³ 

88:16 Your anger overwhelms me; ⁴ 

your terrors destroy me.

88:17 They surround me like water all day long;

they join forces and encircle me. ⁵ 

88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance; ⁶ 

those who know me leave me alone in the darkness. ⁷ 

[39:13]  ¹ tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.

[88:15]  ² tn Heb “and am dying from youth.”

[88:15]  ³ tn Heb “I carry your horrors [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew form אָפוּנָה (’afunah), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. It may be an adverb meaning “very much” (BDB 67 s.v.), though some prefer to emend the text to אָפוּגָה (’afugah, “I am numb”) from the verb פוּג (pug; see Pss 38:8; 77:2).

[88:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “passes over me.”

[88:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “they encircle me together.”

[88:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “you cause to be far from me friend and neighbor.”

[88:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “those known by me, darkness.”