Psalms 20:7-8

20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, ¹ 

but we ²  depend on ³  the Lord our God.

20:8 They will fall down, ⁴ 

but we ⁵  will stand firm. ⁶ 

Psalms 33:17

33:17 A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; ⁷ 

despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

Amos 2:14-16

2:14 Fast runners will find no place to hide; ⁸ 

strong men will have no strength left; ⁹ 

warriors will not be able to save their lives.

2:15 Archers ¹⁰  will not hold their ground; ¹¹ 

fast runners will not save their lives,

nor will those who ride horses. ¹² 

2:16 Bravehearted ¹³  warriors will run away naked in that day.”

The Lord is speaking!

[20:7]  ¹ tn Heb “these in chariots and these in horses.” No verb appears; perhaps the verb “invoke” is to be supplied from the following line. In this case the idea would be that some “invoke” (i.e., trust in) their military might for victory (cf. NEB “boast”; NIV “trust”; NRSV “take pride”). Verse 8 suggests that the “some/others” mentioned here are the nation’s enemies.

[20:7]  ² tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s faithful people and the others mentioned in the previous line.

[20:7]  ³ tn Heb “we invoke the name of.” The Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar), when combined with the phrase “in the name,” means “to invoke” (see Josh 23:7; Isa 48:1; Amos 6:10). By invoking the Lord’s name in prayer, the people demonstrate their trust in him.

[20:8]  ⁴ tn Or “stumble and fall down.”

[20:8]  ⁵ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s victorious people and the defeated enemies mentioned in the previous line. The perfect verbal forms either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle. They describe the demise of the enemy as being as good as done.

[20:8]  ⁶ tn Or “rise up and remain upright.” On the meaning of the Hitpolel of עוּד (’ud), see HALOT 795 s.v. I עוד. The verbal forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle.

[33:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “a lie [is] the horse for victory.”

[2:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “and a place of refuge will perish from the swift.”

[2:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “the strong will not increase his strength.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the one who holds the bow.”

[2:15]  ¹¹ tn For the idiom of “holding [or “standing”] one’s ground” in battle, there is a similar phrase in Ezek 13:5; also related is the expression “to hold one’s own against” (or “to withstand”) in Judg 2:14; 2 Kgs 10:4; Dan 8:7 (see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 97). Other options include “will not endure” or “will not survive.”

[2:15]  ¹² tn The last two lines read literally, “The one fast in his feet will not rescue [his life], and the rider of the horse will not rescue his life.” The phrase “his life” does double duty in the parallelism and should be understood in both lines.

[2:16]  ¹³ tn Or “the most stouthearted” (NAB); NRSV “those who are stout of heart.”