44:21 would not God discover it,
for he knows 1 one’s thoughts? 2
29:15 Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, 3
who do their work in secret and boast, 4
“Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” 5
1 tn The active participle describes what is characteristically true.
2 tn Heb “would not God search out this, for he knows the hidden things of [the] heart?” The expression “search out” is used metonymically here, referring to discovery, the intended effect of a search. The “heart” (i.e., mind) is here viewed as the seat of one’s thoughts. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course he would!” The point seems to be this: There is no way the Israelites who are the speakers in the psalm would reject God and turn to another god, for the omniscient God would easily discover such a sin.
3 tn Heb “Woe [to] those who deeply hide counsel from the Lord.” This probably alludes to political alliances made without seeking the Lord’s guidance. See 30:1-2 and 31:1.
4 tn Heb “and their works are in darkness and they say.”
5 tn The rhetorical questions suggest the answer, “no one.” They are confident that their deeds are hidden from others, including God.
6 tn Or “concealed.”
7 sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice verbs here (“be revealed,” be made known”) see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known, though the stress with the images of darkness and what is hidden in vv. 2-3 is on the attempt to conceal.
8 tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.