Mazmur 17:10

17:10 They are calloused; ¹ 

they speak arrogantly. ² 

Mazmur 29:6

29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf

and Sirion ³  like a young ox. ⁴ 

Mazmur 94:11

94:11 The Lord knows that

peoples’ thoughts are morally bankrupt. ⁵ 

Mazmur 139:4

139:4 Certainly ⁶  my tongue does not frame a word

without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. ⁷ 

[17:10]  ¹ tn Heb “their fat they close.” The Hebrew term חֵלֶב (khelev, “fat”) appears to stand by metonymy for their calloused hearts. They attack the psalmist without feeling any pity or remorse. Some propose emending the text to חֵלֶב לִבָּמוֹ (khelev libbamo, “fat of their heart[s]; cf. Ps 119:70, “their heart is insensitive like fat”). This assumes haplography of the לב (lamed-bet) consonantal sequence.

[17:10]  ² tn Heb “[with] their mouth they speak with arrogance.”

[29:6]  ³ sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).

[29:6]  ⁴ sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.

[94:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “the Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are emptiness.” The psalmist thinks specifically of the “thoughts” expressed in v. 7.

[139:4]  ⁶ tn Or “for.”

[139:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “look, O Lord, you know all of it.”