Mazmur 59:5-7

59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, ¹  the God of Israel,

rouse yourself and punish ²  all the nations!

Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)

59:6 They return in the evening;

they growl ³  like a dog

and prowl around outside ⁴  the city.

59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me

and openly threaten to kill me, ⁵ 

for they say, ⁶ 

“Who hears?”

[59:5]  ¹ tn Heb “Lord, God, Hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי (’elohey) before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”). See Ps 89:9, but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yÿhvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 80:4, 19; 84:8 as well.

[59:5]  ² tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).

[59:6]  ³ tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”

[59:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “go around.”

[59:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”

[59:7]  ⁶ tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.