5:8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness 1
because of those who wait to ambush me, 2
remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! 3
54:5 May those who wait to ambush me 4 be repaid for their evil! 5
As a demonstration of your faithfulness, 6 destroy them!
56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat 7 attack me all day long.
Indeed, 8 many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. 9
56:6 They stalk 10 and lurk; 11
they watch my every step, 12
as 13 they prepare to take my life. 14
1 tn God’s providential leading is in view. His צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) includes here the deliverance that originates in his righteousness; he protects and vindicates the one whose cause is just. For other examples of this use of the word, see BDB 842 s.v.
2 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 27:11; 56:2.
3 tn Heb “make level before me your way.” The imperative “make level” is Hiphil in the Kethib (consonantal text); Piel in the Qere (marginal reading). God’s “way” is here the way in which he leads the psalmist providentially (see the preceding line, where the psalmist asks the Lord to lead him).
4 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
5 tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.
6 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
7 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
8 tn Or “for.”
9 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The
10 tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.
11 tn Or “hide.”
12 tn Heb “my heels.”
13 tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”
14 tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”