Mazmur 5:2

5:2 Pay attention to my cry for help,

my king and my God,

for I am praying to you!

Mazmur 55:2

55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!

I am so upset ¹  and distressed, ²  I am beside myself, ³ 

Mazmur 69:3

69:3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;

my throat is sore; ⁴ 

my eyes grow tired of looking for my God. ⁵ 

Mazmur 119:136

119:136 Tears stream down from my eyes, ⁶ 

because people ⁷  do not keep your law.

Mazmur 119:147

119:147 I am up before dawn crying for help.

I find hope in your word.

Mazmur 119:169

ת (Tav)

119:169 Listen to my cry for help, ⁸  O Lord!

Give me insight by your word!

[55:2]  ¹ tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.

[55:2]  ² tn Heb “in my complaint.”

[55:2]  ³ tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (vÿ’ehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (vÿ’ehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).

[69:3]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “raw”; Heb “burned; enflamed.”

[69:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “my eyes fail from waiting for my God.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision.

[119:136]  ⁶ tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”

[119:136]  ⁷ tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[119:169]  ⁸ tn Heb “may my cry approach before you.”