Mazmur 11:5

11:5 The Lord approves of ¹  the godly, ² 

but he ³  hates ⁴  the wicked and those who love to do violence. ⁵ 

Mazmur 11:7

11:7 Certainly ⁶  the Lord is just; ⁷ 

he rewards godly deeds; ⁸ 

the upright will experience his favor. ⁹ 

Mazmur 12:3

12:3 May the Lord cut off ¹⁰  all flattering lips,

and the tongue that boasts! ¹¹ 

Mazmur 31:18

31:18 May lying lips be silenced –

lips ¹²  that speak defiantly against the innocent ¹³ 

with arrogance and contempt!

Mazmur 34:9

34:9 Remain loyal to ¹⁴  the Lord, you chosen people of his, ¹⁵ 

for his loyal followers ¹⁶  lack nothing!

Mazmur 36:1

Psalm 36 ¹⁷ 

For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle. ¹⁸ 

36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core. ¹⁹ 

He does not fear God, ²⁰ 

Mazmur 36:10

36:10 Extend ²¹  your loyal love to your faithful followers, ²² 

and vindicate ²³  the morally upright! ²⁴ 

Mazmur 37:14

37:14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down ²⁵  the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly. ²⁶ 

Mazmur 51:13

51:13 Then I will teach ²⁷  rebels your merciful ways, ²⁸ 

and sinners will turn ²⁹  to you.

Mazmur 53:2

53:2 God looks down from heaven ³⁰  at the human race, ³¹ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ³²  and seeks God. ³³ 

Mazmur 60:12

60:12 By God’s power we will conquer; ³⁴ 

he will trample down ³⁵  our enemies.

Mazmur 64:5-6

64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. ³⁶ 

They plan how to hide ³⁷  snares,

and boast, ³⁸  “Who will see them?” ³⁹ 

64:6 They devise ⁴⁰  unjust schemes;

they disguise ⁴¹  a well-conceived plot. ⁴² 

Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. ⁴³ 

Mazmur 72:4

72:4 He will defend ⁴⁴  the oppressed among the people;

he will deliver ⁴⁵  the children ⁴⁶  of the poor

and crush the oppressor.

Mazmur 74:4

74:4 Your enemies roar ⁴⁷  in the middle of your sanctuary; ⁴⁸ 

they set up their battle flags. ⁴⁹ 

Mazmur 74:20

74:20 Remember your covenant promises, ⁵⁰ 

for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 76:9

76:9 when God arose to execute judgment,

and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

Mazmur 78:57

78:57 They were unfaithful ⁵²  and acted as treacherously as ⁵³  their ancestors;

they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow. ⁵⁴ 

Mazmur 83:1

Psalm 83 ⁵⁵ 

A song, a psalm of Asaph.

83:1 O God, do not be silent!

Do not ignore us! ⁵⁶  Do not be inactive, O God!

Mazmur 86:14

86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; ⁵⁷ 

a gang ⁵⁸  of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. ⁵⁹ 

Mazmur 97:7

97:7 All who worship idols are ashamed,

those who boast about worthless idols.

All the gods bow down before him. ⁶⁰ 

Mazmur 109:12

109:12 May no one show him kindness! ⁶¹ 

May no one have compassion ⁶²  on his fatherless children!

Mazmur 111:10

111:10 To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; ⁶³ 

all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. ⁶⁴ 

He will receive praise forever. ⁶⁵ 

Mazmur 139:8

139:8 If I were to ascend ⁶⁶  to heaven, you would be there.

If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. ⁶⁷ 

Mazmur 140:1

Psalm 140 ⁶⁸ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! ⁶⁹ 

Protect me from violent men, ⁷⁰ 

Mazmur 140:11

140:11 A slanderer ⁷¹  will not endure on ⁷²  the earth;

calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down. ⁷³ 

[11:5]  ¹ tn Heb “examines,” the same verb used in v. 4b. But here it is used in a metonymic sense of “examine and approve” (see Jer 20:12).

[11:5]  ² tn The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form “pure (of heart)” in v. 2.

[11:5]  ³ tn Heb “his [very] being.” A נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, soul”) is also attributed to the Lord in Isa 1:14, where a suffixed form of the noun appears as the subject of the verb “hate.” Both there and here the term is used of the seat of one’s emotions and passions.

[11:5]  ⁴ sn He hates the wicked. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds, and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 5:5.

[11:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “the wicked [one] and the lover of violence.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked [ones]”) in vv. 2 and 6.

[11:7]  ⁶ tn Or “for.”

[11:7]  ⁷ tn Or “righteous.”

[11:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “he loves righteous deeds.” The “righteous deeds” are probably those done by godly people (see v. 5). The Lord “loves” such deeds in the sense that he rewards them. Another option is to take צְדָקוֹת (tsÿdaqot) as referring to God’s acts of justice (see Ps 103:6). In this case one could translate, “he loves to do just deeds.”

[11:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “the upright will see his face.” The singular subject (“upright”) does not agree with the plural verb. However, collective singular nouns can be construed with a plural predicate (see GKC 462 §145.b). Another possibility is that the plural verb יֶחֱזוּ (yekhezu) is a corruption of an original singular form. To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 17:15 and Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזָה (khazah), is used]). On the form פָנֵימוֹ (fanemo, “his face”) see GKC 300-301 §103.b, n. 3.

[12:3]  ¹⁰ tn The verb form is a jussive, indicating that the statement is imprecatory (“May the Lord cut off”), not indicative (“The Lord will cut off”; see also Ps 109:15 and Mal 2:12). The psalmist appeals to God to destroy the wicked, rather than simply stating his confidence that he will. In this way he seeks to activate divine judgment by appealing to God’s just character. For an example of the power of such a curse, see Judg 9:7-57.

[12:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a tongue speaking great [things].”

[31:18]  ¹² tn Heb “the [ones which].”

[31:18]  ¹³ tn Or “godly.”

[34:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “fear.”

[34:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “O holy ones of his.”

[34:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[36:1]  ¹⁷ sn Psalm 36. Though evil men plan to harm others, the psalmist is confident that the Lord is the just ruler of the earth who gives and sustains all life. He prays for divine blessing and protection and anticipates God’s judgment of the wicked.

[36:1]  ¹⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the word נאם (“oracle”) appears at the beginning of the next verse (v. 2 in the Hebrew text because the superscription is considered v. 1). The resulting reading, “an oracle of rebellion for the wicked [is] in the midst of my heart” (cf. NIV) apparently means that the psalm, which foresees the downfall of the wicked, is a prophetic oracle about the rebellion of the wicked which emerges from the soul of the psalmist. One could translate, “Here is a poem written as I reflected on the rebellious character of evil men.” Another option, followed in the translation above, is to attach נאם (nÿ’um, “oracle”) with the superscription. For another example of a Davidic poem being labeled an “oracle,” see 2 Sam 23:1.

[36:1]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[the] rebellion of an evil man [is] in the midst of my heart.” The translation assumes a reading “in the midst of his heart” (i.e., “to the core”) instead of “in the midst of my heart,” a change which finds support in a a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Hebrew text of Origen’s Hexapla, and the Syriac.

[36:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “there is no dread of God before his eyes.” The phrase “dread of God” refers here to a healthy respect for God which recognizes that he will punish evil behavior.

[36:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “draw out to full length.”

[36:10]  ²² tn Heb “to those who know you.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “know”) is used here of those who “know” the Lord in the sense that they recognize his royal authority and obey his will (see Jer 22:16).

[36:10]  ²³ tn Heb “and your justice to.” The verb “extend” is understood by ellipsis in the second line (see the previous line).

[36:10]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the 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; 11:2; 32:11; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).

[37:14]  ²⁵ tn Heb “to cause to fall.”

[37:14]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.

[51:13]  ²⁷ tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.

[51:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).

[51:13]  ²⁹ tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.

[53:2]  ³⁰ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[53:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[53:2]  ³² tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[53:2]  ³³ tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[60:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 108:13; 118:15-16).

[60:12]  ³⁵ sn Trample down. On this expression see Ps 44:5.

[64:5]  ³⁶ tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”

[64:5]  ³⁷ tn Heb “they report about hiding.”

[64:5]  ³⁸ tn Heb “they say.”

[64:5]  ³⁹ tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).

[64:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”

[64:6]  ⁴¹ tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew mss in reading טָמְנוּ (tomnu, “they hide”), a Qal perfect third common plural form from the verbal root טָמַן (taman).

[64:6]  ⁴² tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.

[64:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.

[72:4]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “judge [for].”

[72:4]  ⁴⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.

[72:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “sons.”

[74:4]  ⁴⁷ tn This verb is often used of a lion’s roar, so the psalmist may be comparing the enemy to a raging, devouring lion.

[74:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “your meeting place.”

[74:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “they set up their banners [as] banners.” The Hebrew noun אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) here refers to the enemy army’s battle flags and banners (see Num 2:12).

[74:20]  ⁵⁰ tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix. The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word (כִּי) begins with kaf (כ).

[74:20]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).

[78:57]  ⁵² tn Heb “they turned back.”

[78:57]  ⁵³ tn Or “acted treacherously like.”

[78:57]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “they turned aside like a deceitful bow.”

[83:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Psalm 83. The psalmist asks God to deliver Israel from the attacks of foreign nations. Recalling how God defeated Israel’s enemies in the days of Deborah and Gideon, he prays that the hostile nations would be humiliated.

[83:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[86:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “rise up against me.”

[86:14]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “assembly.”

[86:14]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.

[97:7]  ⁶⁰ tn The translation assumes that the prefixed verbal form in the first line is an imperfect (“are ashamed”) and that the ambiguous form in the third line is a perfect (“bow down”) because the psalmist appears to be describing the effect of the Lord’s mighty theophany on those who witness it (see vv. 5, 8). Another option is to take the prefixed form in the first line as a jussive (“let all who worship idols be ashamed”) and the ambiguous form in the third line as an imperative (“All you gods, bow down before him!”; cf. NIV).

[109:12]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”

[109:12]  ⁶² tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).

[111:10]  ⁶³ tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the Lord.”

[111:10]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “good sense [is] to all who do them.” The third masculine plural pronominal suffix must refer back to the “precepts” mentioned in v. 7. In the translation the referent has been specified for clarity. The phrase שֵׂכֶל טוֹב (shekhel tov) also occurs in Prov 3:4; 13:15 and 2 Chr 30:22.

[111:10]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “his praise stands forever.”

[139:8]  ⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see DNWSI 2:788-90).

[139:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “look, you.”

[140:1]  ⁶⁸ sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.

[140:1]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).

[140:1]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).

[140:11]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”

[140:11]  ⁷² tn Heb “be established in.”

[140:11]  ⁷³ tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.