Mazmur 56:2

56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat ¹  attack me all day long.

Indeed, ²  many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. ³ 

Mazmur 56:6

56:6 They stalk ⁴  and lurk; ⁵ 

they watch my every step, ⁶ 

as ⁷  they prepare to take my life. ⁸ 

[56:2]  ¹ tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.

[56:2]  ² tn Or “for.”

[56:2]  ³ tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The Lord is pictured as enthroned “on high” in Ps 92:8. (Note the substantival use of the term in Isa 24:4 and see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:34), who prefer to place the term at the beginning of the next verse.)

[56:6]  ⁴ tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.

[56:6]  ⁵ tn Or “hide.”

[56:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “my heels.”

[56:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”

[56:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”