20:11 But the Lord is with me to help me like an awe-inspiring warrior. 1
Therefore those who persecute me will fail and will not prevail over me.
They will be thoroughly disgraced because they did not succeed.
Their disgrace will never be forgotten.
35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!
May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! 2
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 3
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 4
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, 5 “May the Lord be praised, 6 for he wants his servant to be secure.” 7
40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 8
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 9
70:2 May those who are trying to take my life
be embarrassed and ashamed! 10
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed! 11
83:17 May they be humiliated and continually terrified! 12
May they die in shame! 13
83:18 Then they will know 14 that you alone are the Lord, 15
the sovereign king 16 over all the earth.
1 sn This line has some interesting ties with Jer 15:20-21 where Jeremiah is assured by God that he is indeed with him as he promised him when he called him (1:8, 19) and will deliver him from the clutches of wicked and violent people. The word translated here “awe-inspiring” is the same as the word “violent people” there. Jeremiah is confident that his “awe-inspiring” warrior will overcome “violent people.” The statement of confidence here is, by the way, a common element in the psalms of petition in the Psalter. The common elements of that type of psalm are all here: invocation (v. 7), lament (vv. 7-10), confession of trust/confidence in being heard (v. 11), petition (v. 12), thanksgiving or praise (v. 13). For some examples of this type of psalm see Pss 3, 7, 26.
2 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See also the distinct jussive form in v. 6.
3 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”
4 tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.
5 tn The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27a are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-26).
6 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the
7 tn Heb “the one who desires the peace of his servant.”
8 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”
9 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
10 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”
11 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.
12 tn Heb “and may they be terrified to perpetuity.” The Hebrew expression עֲדֵי־עַד (’adey-’ad, “to perpetuity”) can mean “forevermore” (see Pss 92:7; 132:12, 14), but here it may be used hyperbolically, for the psalmist asks that the experience of judgment might lead the nations to recognize (v. 18) and even to seek (v. 16) God.
13 tn Heb “may they be ashamed and perish.” The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling severe judgment down on his enemies. The strong language of the imprecation seems to run contrary to the positive outcome of divine judgment envisioned in v. 16b. Perhaps the language of v. 17 is overstated for effect. Another option is that v. 16b expresses an ideal, while the strong imprecation of vv. 17-18 anticipates reality. It would be nice if the defeated nations actually pursued a relationship with God, but if judgment does not bring them to that point, the psalmist asks that they be annihilated so that they might at least be forced to acknowledge God’s power.
14 tn After the preceding jussives (v. 17), the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose (“so that they may know”) or result.
15 tn Heb “that you, your name [is] the
16 tn Traditionally “the Most High.”