Psalms 37:21

37:21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,

but the godly show compassion and are generous. ¹ 

Psalms 41:10-12

41:10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,

so I can pay them back!” ² 

41:11 By this ³  I know that you are pleased with me,

for my enemy does ⁴  not triumph ⁵  over me.

41:12 As for me, you uphold ⁶  me because of my integrity; ⁷ 

you allow ⁸  me permanent access to your presence. ⁹ 

Proverbs 24:16

24:16 Although ¹⁰  a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again,

but the wicked will be brought down ¹¹  by calamity.

[37:21]  ¹ tn Heb “an evil [man] borrows and does not repay; but a godly [man] is gracious and gives.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The three active participles and one imperfect (“repay”) draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the two types.

[41:10]  ² tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) here indicates purpose or result (“Then I will repay them”) after the preceding imperatives.

[41:11]  ³ sn By this. Having recalled his former lament and petition, the psalmist returns to the confident mood of vv. 1-3. The basis for his confidence may be a divine oracle of deliverance, assuring him that God would intervene and vindicate him. The demonstrative pronoun “this” may refer to such an oracle, which is assumed here, though its contents are not included. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 319, 321.

[41:11]  ⁴ tn Or “will.” One may translate the imperfect verbal form as descriptive (present, cf. NIV) or as anticipatory (future, cf. NEB).

[41:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “shout.”

[41:12]  ⁶ tn Or “have upheld.” The perfect verbal form can be taken as generalizing/descriptive (present) or as a present perfect.

[41:12]  ⁷ sn Because of my integrity. See Pss 7:8; 25:21; 26:1, 11.

[41:12]  ⁸ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect. It is either generalizing/descriptive (present) or has a present perfect nuance (“you have allowed”).

[41:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “and you cause me to stand before you permanently.”

[24:16]  ¹⁰ tn The clause beginning with כִּי (ki) could be interpreted as causal or conditional; but in view of the significance of the next clause it seems better to take it as a concessive clause (“although”). Its verb then receives a modal nuance of possibility. The apodosis is then “and he rises up,” which could be a participle or a perfect tense; although he may fall, he gets up (or, will get up).

[24:16]  ¹¹ tn The verb could be translated with an English present tense (“are brought down,” so NIV) to express what happens to the wicked in this life; but since the saying warns against being like the wicked, their destruction is more likely directed to the future.