Psalms 10:2

10:2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed; ¹ 

the oppressed are trapped ²  by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up. ³ 

Psalms 21:11

21:11 Yes, ⁴  they intend to do you harm; ⁵ 

they dream up a scheme, ⁶  but they do not succeed. ⁷ 

Psalms 140:2

140:2 who plan ways to harm me. ⁸ 

All day long they stir up conflict. ⁹ 

Psalms 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ¹⁰  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ¹¹ 

[10:2]  ¹ tn Heb “because of the pride of [the] wicked he burns [i.e. hotly pursues] [the] oppressed.” The singular forms רָשָׁע (rasha’, “wicked”) and עָנִי (’aniy, “oppressed”) are collective and representative, as indicated in the next line, which uses plural verb forms to describe the actions of both.

[10:2]  ² tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 2 describe either what typically happens (from the psalmist’s perspective) or what the psalmist was experiencing at the time he offered this prayer.

[10:2]  ³ tn Heb “they are trapped in the schemes which they have thought up.” The referents of the two pronominal suffixes on the verbs have been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent of the first suffix (“they”) is taken as the oppressed, while the referent of the second (“they”) is taken to be the wicked (cf. NIV, which renders “wicked” in the previous line as a collective singular). Others take the referent of both occurrences of “they” in the line to be the wicked (cf. NRSV, “let them be caught in the schemes they have devised”).

[21:11]  ⁴ tn Or “for.”

[21:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “they extend against you harm.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 11 are taken as generalizing, stating factually what the king’s enemies typically do. Another option is to translate with the past tense (“they intended…planned”).

[21:11]  ⁶ sn See Ps 10:2.

[21:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “they lack ability.”

[140:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”

[140:2]  ⁸ tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.

[140:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”