34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words 1
or use deceptive speech! 2
37:30 The godly speak wise words
and promote justice. 3
50:19 You do damage with words, 4
and use your tongue to deceive. 5
78:36 But they deceived him with their words, 6
and lied to him. 7
106:33 for they aroused 8 his temper, 9
and he spoke rashly. 10
144:8 who speak lies,
and make false promises. 11
1 tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”
2 tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”
3 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
5 tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”
6 tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”
7 tn Heb “with their mouth.”
8 tn Heb “and with their tongue they lied to him.”
9 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
10 tn Heb “his spirit.”
11 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
11 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).