78:34 When he struck them down, 1 they sought his favor; 2
they turned back and longed for God.
132:4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,
or my eyelids to slumber,
137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand be crippled! 3
1 tn Or “killed them,” that is, killed large numbers of them.
2 tn Heb “they sought him.”
3 tn Heb “may my right hand forget.” In this case one must supply an object, such as “how to move.” The elliptical nature of the text has prompted emendations (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 236). The translation assumes an emendation to תִּכְשַׁח (tikhshakh), from an otherwise unattested root כשׁח, meaning “to be crippled; to be lame.” See HALOT 502 s.v. כשׁח, which cites Arabic cognate evidence in support of the proposal. The corruption of the MT can be explained as an error of transposition facilitated by the use of שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”) just before this.