9:16 The Lord revealed himself;
he accomplished justice;
the wicked were ensnared by their own actions. 2 (Higgaion. 3 Selah)
55:23 But you, O God, will bring them 4 down to the deep Pit. 5
Violent and deceitful people 6 will not live even half a normal lifespan. 7
But as for me, I trust in you.
24:21 Fear the Lord, my child, 8 as well as the king,
and do not associate 9 with rebels, 10
24:22 for suddenly their destruction will overtake them, 11
and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring? 12
1 tn Heb “come to.”
2 tn Heb “by the work of his hands [the] wicked [one] was ensnared. The singular form רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) is collective or representative here (see vv. 15, 17). The form נוֹקֵשׁ (noqesh) appears to be an otherwise unattested Qal form (active participle) from נָקַשׁ (naqash), but the form should be emended to נוֹקַשׁ (noqash), a Niphal perfect from יָקַשׁ (yaqash).
3 tn This is probably a technical musical term.
4 tn The pronominal suffix refers to the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 19).
5 tn Heb “well of the pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 103:4).
6 tn Heb “men of bloodshed and deceit.”
7 tn Heb “will not divide in half their days.”
8 tn Heb “my son,” but there is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to male children.
9 tn Heb “do not get mixed up with”; cf. TEV “Have nothing to do with”; NIV “do not join with.” The verb עָרַב (’arav) is used elsewhere meaning “to exchange; to take on pledge.” In the Hitpael stem it means “to have fellowship; to share; to associate with.” Some English versions (e.g., KJV) interpret as “to meddle” in this context, because “to have fellowship” is certainly not what is meant.
10 tn The form rendered “rebellious” is difficult; it appears to be the Qal active participle, plural, from שָׁנָה (shanah), “to change” – “those who change.” The RV might have thought of the idea of “change” when they rendered it “political agitators.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 24:21 have “fools,” the Latin has “detractors,” and the LXX reads, “do not disobey either of them,” referring to God and the king in the first line. Accordingly the ruin predicted in the next line would be the ruin that God and the king can inflict. If the idea of “changers” is retained, it would have to mean people who at one time feared God and the king but no longer do.
11 tn Heb “will rise” (so NASB).
12 tn Heb “the ruin of the two of them.” Judgment is sent on the rebels both by God and the king. The term פִּיד (pid, “ruin; disaster”) is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the sentence of judgment (= “ruinous judgment” in the translation; cf. NLT “punishment”). The word “two of them” is a subjective genitive – they two bring the disaster on the rebels. The referents (the