5:6 You destroy 1 liars; 2
the Lord despises 3 violent and deceitful people. 4
For the music director, to be accompanied by wind instruments; 6 a psalm of David.
5:1 Listen to what I say, 7 Lord!
Carefully consider my complaint! 8
By David.
25:1 O Lord, I come before you in prayer. 10
31:4 You will free me 11 from the net they hid for me,
for you are my place of refuge.
31:2 Listen to me! 12
Quickly deliver me!
Be my protector and refuge, 13
a stronghold where I can be safe! 14
A prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 16
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 17
1 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates God’s typical response to such individuals. Another option is to translate the verb as future (“You will destroy”); the psalmist may be envisioning a time of judgment when God will remove the wicked from the scene.
2 tn Heb “those who speak a lie.” In the OT a “lie” does not refer in a general philosophical sense to any statement that fails to correspond to reality. Instead it refers more specifically to a slanderous and/or deceitful statement that promotes one’s own selfish, sinful interests and/or exploits or harms those who are innocent. Note the emphasis on violence and deceit in the following line.
3 tn The imperfect verbal form highlights the
4 tn Heb “a man of bloodshed and deceit.” The singular אִישׁ (’ish, “man”) is used here in a collective or representative sense; thus the translation “people” is appropriate here. Note the plural forms in vv. 5-6a.
5 sn Psalm 5. Appealing to God’s justice and commitment to the godly, the psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from evildoers.
6 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word נְחִילוֹת (nÿkhilot), which occurs only here, is uncertain. Many relate the form to חָלִיל (khalil, “flute”).
7 tn Heb “my words.”
8 tn Or “sighing.” The word occurs only here and in Ps 39:3.
9 sn Psalm 25. The psalmist asks for divine protection, guidance and forgiveness as he affirms his loyalty to and trust in the Lord. This psalm is an acrostic; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except for v. 18, which, like v. 19, begins with ר (resh) instead of the expected ק (qof). The final verse, which begins with פ (pe), stands outside the acrostic scheme.
10 tn Heb “to you, O
11 tn Heb “bring me out.” The translation assumes that the imperfect verbal form expresses the psalmist’s confidence about the future. Another option is to take the form as expressing a prayer, “free me.”
12 tn Heb “turn toward me your ear.”
13 tn Heb “become for me a rocky summit of refuge.”
14 tn Heb “a house of strongholds to deliver me.”
15 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
16 tn Heb “hear,
17 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”