37:38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; 1
evil men have no future. 2
139:9 If I were to fly away 3 on the wings of the dawn, 4
and settle down on the other side 5 of the sea,
1 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
2 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
3 tn Heb “rise up.”
4 sn On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
5 tn Heb “at the end.”