Psalms 54:3-5

54:3 For foreigners attack me;

ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. (Selah)

54:4 Look, God is my deliverer!

The Lord is among those who support me.

54:5 May those who wait to ambush me be repaid for their evil!

As a demonstration of your faithfulness, destroy them!


tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read זֵדִים (zedim, “proud ones”) rather than זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”). (No matter which reading one chooses as original, dalet-resh confusion accounts for the existence of the variant.) The term זֵדִים (“proud ones”) occurs in parallelism with עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Ps 86:14 and Isa 13:11. However, זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) is parallel to עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Isa 25:5; 29:5; Ezek 28:7; 31:12.

tn Heb “rise against me.”

tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”

tn Or “my helper.”

tn Or “sustain my life.”

tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.

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.

tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”