5:31 May all your enemies perish like this, O Lord!
But may those who love you shine
like the rising sun at its brightest!” 1
And the land had rest for forty years.
58:10 The godly 2 will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
58:11 Then 3 observers 4 will say,
“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! 5
Yes indeed, there is a God who judges 6 in the earth!”
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 7 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 8 all who threaten my life, 9
for I am your servant.
143:2 Do not sit in judgment on 10 your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you. 11
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4:1 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me! 13
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. 14
Have mercy on me 15 and respond to 16 my prayer!
1 tn Heb “But may those who love him be like the going forth of the sun in its strength.”
2 tn The singular is representative here, as is the singular from “wicked” in the next line.
3 tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.
4 tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.
5 tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”
6 tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.
7 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
8 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
9 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”
10 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
11 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
12 sn Psalm 4. The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer, expresses his confidence that the Lord will intervene, and urges his enemies to change their ways and place their trust in God. He concludes with another prayer for divine intervention and again affirms his absolute confidence in God’s protection.
13 tn Heb “God of my righteousness.”
14 tn Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
15 tn Or “show me favor.”
16 tn Heb “hear.”
17 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
18 tn Grk “voice, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
19 tn The expression ἕως πότε (ews pote) was translated “how long.” Cf. BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.γ.
20 tn The Greek term here is δεσπότης (despoths; see L&N 37.63).