119:12 You deserve praise, 1 O Lord!
Teach me your statutes!
119:26 I told you about my ways 2 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, 3
for you are my God.
May your kind presence 4
lead me 5 into a level land. 6
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, 7 revive me! 8
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! 9
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 10 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 11 all who threaten my life, 12
for I am your servant.
1 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
2 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
3 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
4 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
5 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
6 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
7 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
8 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
9 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
10 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
11 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
12 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”