Joshua 22:22

22:22 “El, God, the Lord! ¹  El, God, the Lord! He knows the truth! ²  Israel must also know! If we have rebelled or disobeyed the Lord, ³  don’t spare us ⁴  today!

Job 31:4

31:4 Does he not see my ways

and count all my steps?

Psalms 17:3

17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; ⁵ 

you have examined me during the night. ⁶ 

You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.

I am determined I will say nothing sinful. ⁷ 

Psalms 139:1-4

Psalm 139 ⁸ 

For the music director, a psalm of David.

139:1 O Lord, you examine me ⁹  and know.

139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;

even from far away you understand my motives.

139:3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; ¹⁰ 

you are aware of everything I do. ¹¹ 

139:4 Certainly ¹²  my tongue does not frame a word

without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. ¹³ 

[22:22]  ¹ sn Israel’s God is here identified with three names: (1) אֵל (’el), “El” (or “God”); (2) אֱלֹהִים (’elohim), “Elohim” (or “God”), and (3) יְהוָה (yÿhvah), “Yahweh” (or “the Lord”). The name אֵל (’el, “El”) is often compounded with titles, for example, El Elyon, “God Most High.”

[22:22]  ² tn Heb “he knows.”

[22:22]  ³ tn Heb “if in rebellion or if in unfaithfulness against the Lord.”

[22:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “do not save us.” The verb form is singular, being addressed to either collective Israel or the Lord himself. The LXX translates in the third person.

[17:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “you tested my heart.”

[17:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”

[17:3]  ⁷ tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.

[139:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.

[139:1]  ⁹ tn The statement is understood as generalizing – the psalmist describes what God typically does.

[139:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “my traveling and my lying down you measure.” The verb זָרָה (zarah, “to measure”) is probably here a denominative from זָרָת (zarat, “a span; a measure”), though some derive it from זָרָה (zarat, “to winnow; to sift”; see BDB 279-80 s.v. זָרָה).

[139:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “all my ways.”

[139:4]  ¹² tn Or “for.”

[139:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “look, O Lord, you know all of it.”