Exodus 11:7

11:7 But against any of the Israelites not even a dog will bark against either people or animals, so that you may know that the Lord distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.’

Psalms 63:11

63:11 But the king will rejoice in God;

everyone who takes oaths in his name will boast,

for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up.

Psalms 107:42

107:42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,

and every sinner shuts his mouth.

Romans 3:19

3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.


tn Or perhaps “growl”; Heb “not a dog will sharpen his tongue.” The expression is unusual, but it must indicate that not only would no harm come to the Israelites, but that no unfriendly threat would come against them either – not even so much as a dog barking. It is possible this is to be related to the watchdog (see F. C. Fensham, “Remarks on Keret 114b – 136a,” JNSL 11 [1983]: 75).

tn Heb “against man or beast.”

tn The verb פָּלָה (palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also Exod 8:22 (18 HT); 9:4; 33:16.

sn The psalmist probably refers to himself in the third person here.

tn Heb “who swears [an oath] by him.”

tn The Niphal of this verb occurs only here and in Gen 8:2, where it is used of God “stopping” or “damming up” the great deep as he brought the flood to an end.

tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil.

tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”