44:10 You made us retreat 1 from the enemy.
Those who hate us take whatever they want from us. 2
65:3 Our record of sins overwhelms me, 3
but you forgive 4 our acts of rebellion.
78:2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;
I will make insightful observations about the past. 5
139:19 If only 6 you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men! 7
1 tn Heb “you caused us to turn backward.”
2 tn Heb “plunder for themselves.” The prepositional phrase לָמוֹ (lamo, “for themselves”) here has the nuance “at their will” or “as they please” (see Ps 80:6).
3 tn Heb “the records of sins are too strong for me.”
4 tn Or “make atonement for.”
5 tn Heb “I will open with a wise saying my mouth, I will utter insightful sayings from long ago.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה+מָשָׁל (mashal + khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6), and an insightful song that reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent death (Ps 49:4).
7 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (see Pss 81:8; 95:7, as well as GKC 321 §109.b).
8 tn Heb “men of bloodshed.”