62:3 How long will you threaten 1 a man?
All of you are murderers, 2
as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. 3
62:4 They 4 spend all their time planning how to bring him 5 down. 6
They love to use deceit; 7
they pronounce blessings with their mouths,
but inwardly they utter curses. 8 (Selah)
1 tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”
2 tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.
3 tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).
4 tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.
5 tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.
6 tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”
7 tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”
8 sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.