54:3 For foreigners 1 attack me; 2
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. 3 (Selah)
54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! 4
The Lord is among those who support me. 5
54:5 May those who wait to ambush me 6 be repaid for their evil! 7
As a demonstration of your faithfulness, 8 destroy them!
1 tc Many medieval Hebrew
2 tn Heb “rise against me.”
3 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
4 tn Or “my helper.”
5 tn Or “sustain my life.”
7 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
8 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.
9 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”