Psalms 2:3

2:3 They say, ¹  “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us! ² 

Let’s free ourselves from ³  their ropes!”

Psalms 119:29

119:29 Remove me from the path of deceit! ⁴ 

Graciously give me ⁵  your law!

Psalms 119:115

119:115 Turn away from me, you evil men,

so that I can observe ⁶  the commands of my God. ⁷ 

¹ tn The words “they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The quotation represents the words of the rebellious kings.

² tn Heb “their (i.e., the Lord’s and the king’s) shackles.” The kings compare the rule of the Lord and his vice-regent to being imprisoned.

³ tn Heb “throw off from us.”

⁴ tn The “path of deceit” refers to a lifestyle characterized by deceit and disloyalty to God. It stands in contrast to the “way of faithfulness” in v. 30.

⁵ tn Heb “be gracious to me.” The verb is used metonymically here for “graciously giving” the law. (See Gen 33:5, where Jacob uses this verb in describing how God had graciously given him children.)

⁷ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

⁸ tn The psalmist has already declared that he observes God’s commands despite persecution, so here the idea must be “so that I might observe the commands of my God unhindered by threats.”