31:20 You hide them with you, where they are safe from the attacks 1 of men; 2
you conceal them in a shelter, where they are safe from slanderous attacks. 3
31:21 The Lord deserves praise 4
for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. 5
31:22 I jumped to conclusions and said, 6
“I am cut off from your presence!” 7
But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.
31:23 Love the Lord, all you faithful followers 8 of his!
The Lord protects those who have integrity,
but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. 9
31:24 Be strong and confident, 10
all you who wait on the Lord!
1 tn The noun רֹכֶס (rokhes) occurs only here. Its meaning is debated; some suggest “snare,” while others propose “slander” or “conspiracy.”
2 tn Heb “you hide them in the hiding place of your face from the attacks of man.” The imperfect verbal forms in this verse draw attention to God’s typical treatment of the faithful.
3 tn Heb “you conceal them in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”
4 tn Heb “blessed [be] the
5 tn Heb “for he caused his faithfulness to be amazing to me in a besieged city.” The psalmist probably speaks figuratively here. He compares his crisis to being trapped in a besieged city, but the
6 tn Heb “and I, I said in my haste.”
7 tn Heb “from before your eyes.”
8 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
9 tn The participial forms in the second and third lines characterize the Lord as one who typically protects the faithful and judges the proud.
10 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”