Mazmur 140:5

140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me;

evil men ¹  spread a net by the path;

they set traps for me. (Selah)

Mazmur 140:8

140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! ² 

Do not allow their ³  plan to succeed when they attack! ⁴  (Selah)

[140:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khovÿlim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).

[140:8]  ² tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”

[140:8]  ³ tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).

[140:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).