Mazmur 11:2

11:2 For look, the wicked ¹  prepare ²  their bows, ³ 

they put their arrows on the strings,

to shoot in the darkness ⁴  at the morally upright. ⁵ 

Mazmur 39:5

39:5 Look, you make my days short-lived, ⁶ 

and my life span is nothing from your perspective. ⁷ 

Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. ⁸ 

Mazmur 59:3

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ⁹ 

powerful men stalk ¹⁰  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ¹¹ 

Mazmur 123:2

123:2 Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,

as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, ¹² 

so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.

Mazmur 134:1

Psalm 134 ¹³ 

A song of ascents. ¹⁴ 

134:1 Attention! ¹⁵  Praise the Lord,

all you servants of the Lord,

who serve ¹⁶  in the Lord’s temple during the night.

[11:2]  ¹ tn In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and threaten his people (Ps 3:8).

[11:2]  ² tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form depicts the enemies’ hostile action as underway.

[11:2]  ³ tn Heb “a bow.”

[11:2]  ⁴ sn In the darkness. The enemies’ attack, the precise form of which is not indicated, is compared here to a night ambush by archers; the psalmist is defenseless against this deadly attack.

[11:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[39:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “Look, handbreadths you make my days.” The “handbreadth” (equivalent to the width of four fingers) was one of the smallest measures used by ancient Israelites. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 309.

[39:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “is like nothing before you.”

[39:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “surely, all vapor [is] all mankind, standing firm.” Another option is to translate, “Surely, all mankind, though seemingly secure, is nothing but a vapor.”

[59:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “my life.”

[59:3]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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.

[123:2]  ¹² sn Servants look to their master for food, shelter, and other basic needs.

[134:1]  ¹³ sn Psalm 134. The psalmist calls on the temple servants to praise God (vv. 1-2). They in turn pronounce a blessing on the psalmist (v. 3).

[134:1]  ¹⁴ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[134:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Look!”

[134:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “stand.”