31:13 For I hear what so many are saying, 1
the terrifying news that comes from every direction. 2
When they plot together against me,
they figure out how they can take my life.
36:3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;
he does not care about doing what is wise and right. 3
36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; 4
he does not reject what is evil. 5
38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; 6
those who want to harm me speak destructive words;
all day long they say deceitful things.
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; 7
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 8
64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent 9 in secluded places.
They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. 10
64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. 11
They plan how to hide 12 snares,
and boast, 13 “Who will see them?” 14
64:6 They devise 15 unjust schemes;
they disguise 16 a well-conceived plot. 17
Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. 18
140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 19
All day long they stir up conflict. 20
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent; 21
a viper’s 22 venom is behind 23 their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power 24 of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over. 25
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men 26 spread a net by the path;
they set traps for me. (Selah)
11:19 Before this I had been like a docile lamb ready to be led to the slaughter.
I did not know they were making plans to kill me. 27
I did not know they were saying, 28
“Let’s destroy the tree along with its fruit! 29
Let’s remove Jeremiah 30 from the world of the living
so people will not even be reminded of him any more.” 31
1 tn Heb “the report of many.”
2 tn Heb “the terror from all around.”
3 tn Heb “he ceases to exhibit wisdom to do good.” The Hiphil forms are exhibitive, indicating the outward expression of an inner attitude.
4 tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.
5 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.
6 tn Heb “lay snares.”
7 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
8 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
9 tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.
10 tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
11 tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”
12 tn Heb “they report about hiding.”
13 tn Heb “they say.”
14 tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).
15 tn Heb “search out, examine,” which here means (by metonymy) “devise.”
16 tc The MT has תַּמְנוּ (tamnu, “we are finished”), a Qal perfect first common plural form from the verbal root תָּמַם (tamam). Some understand this as the beginning of a quotation of the enemies’ words and translate, “we have completed,” but the Hiphil would seem to be required in this case. The present translation follows many medieval Hebrew
17 tn Heb “a searched-out search,” which is understood as referring here to a thoroughly planned plot to destroy the psalmist.
18 tn Heb “and the inner part of man, and a heart [is] deep.” The point seems to be that a man’s inner thoughts are incapable of being discovered. No one is a mind reader! Consequently the psalmist is vulnerable to his enemies’ well-disguised plots.
19 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
20 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
21 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
22 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
23 tn Heb “under.”
24 tn Heb “hands.”
25 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
26 tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khovÿlim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
27 tn Heb “against me.” The words “to kill me” are implicit from the context and are supplied in the translation for clarity.
28 tn The words “I did not know that they were saying” are not in the text. The quote is without formal introduction in the original. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
29 tn This word and its pronoun (לַחְמוֹ, lakhmo, “its bread”) is often emended to read “in/with its sap” = “in its prime” (either לֵחוֹ [lekho] or לֵחְמוֹ [lekhÿmo]); the latter would be more likely and the מוֹ (mo) could be explained as a rare use of the old poetic third plural suffix for the third singular; cf. GKC 258 §91.l for general use and Ps 11:7 and Job 27:23 for third singular use. Though this fits the context nicely the emendation is probably unnecessary since the word “bread” is sometimes used of other foodstuff than grain or its products (cf. BDB 537 s.v. לֶחֶם 2.a).
30 tn Heb “cut it [or him] off.” The metaphor of the tree may be continued, though the verb “cut off” is used also of killing people. The rendering clarifies the meaning of the metaphor.
31 tn Heb “so that his name will not be remembered any more.”
32 tn Aram “were saying.”
33 tn Aram “unless we find [it] against him.”
34 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
35 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
36 tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.
37 tn Or “decide.” BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω has “ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ to make a more thorough examination of his case Ac 23:15.”
38 tn Grk “determine the things about him.”
39 tn The expression “more thorough inquiry” reflects the comparative form of ἀκριβέστερον (akribesteron).
40 sn “We are ready to kill him.” Now those Jews involved in the conspiracy, along with the leaders as accomplices, are going to break one of the ten commandments.
41 tn The words “this place” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
42 tn Grk “Requesting a favor against him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation, the understood direct object of “requesting” has been supplied, and the phrase “to do them” supplied for clarity.
43 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The words “they urged him” are in v. 2 in the Greek text.
44 sn Planning an ambush. The Jewish leadership had not forgotten the original plan of several years ago (see 23:16). They did not trust the Roman legal process, but preferred to take matters into their own hands.