Psalms 10:8-9

10:8 He waits in ambush near the villages; ¹ 

in hidden places he kills the innocent.

His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. ² 

10:9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket; ³ 

he lies in ambush, waiting to catch ⁴  the oppressed;

he catches the oppressed ⁵  by pulling in his net. ⁶ 

Psalms 64:5

64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. ⁷ 

They plan how to hide ⁸  snares,

and boast, ⁹  “Who will see them?” ¹⁰ 

Psalms 142:3

142:3 Even when my strength leaves me, ¹¹ 

you watch my footsteps. ¹² 

In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me.

Psalms 142:1

Psalm 142 ¹³ 

A well-written song ¹⁴  by David, when he was in the cave; ¹⁵  a prayer.

142:1 To the Lord I cry out; ¹⁶ 

to the Lord I plead for mercy. ¹⁷ 

Psalms 18:21

18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; ¹⁸ 

I have not rebelled against my God. ¹⁹ 

Psalms 23:1

Psalm 23 ²⁰ 

A psalm of David.

23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, ²¹ 

I lack nothing. ²² 

Matthew 26:4

26:4 They ²³  planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

Acts 23:12-15

The Plot to Kill Paul

23:12 When morning came, ²⁴  the Jews formed ²⁵  a conspiracy ²⁶  and bound themselves with an oath ²⁷  not to eat or drink anything ²⁸  until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ²⁹  23:14 They ³⁰  went ³¹  to the chief priests ³²  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ³³  not to partake ³⁴  of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council ³⁵  request the commanding officer ³⁶  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ³⁷  his case ³⁸  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ³⁹  We are ready to kill him ⁴⁰  before he comes near this place.” ⁴¹ 

[10:8]  ¹ tn Heb “he sits in the ambush of the villages.”

[10:8]  ² tn Heb “his eyes for an unfortunate person lie hidden.” The language may picture a lion (see v. 9) peering out from its hiding place in anticipation that an unsuspecting victim will soon come strolling along.

[10:9]  ³ tn Or “in its den.”

[10:9]  ⁴ tn The verb, which also appears in the next line, occurs only here and in Judg 21:21.

[10:9]  ⁵ tn The singular form is collective (see v. 10) or refers to the typical or representative oppressed individual.

[10:9]  ⁶ tn Or “when he [i.e., the wicked man] pulls in his net.”

[64:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “they give strength to themselves, an evil matter [or “word”].”

[64:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “they report about hiding.”

[64:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “they say.”

[64:5]  ¹⁰ tn If this is a direct quotation (cf. NASB, NIV), the pronoun “them” refers to the snares mentioned in the previous line. If it is an indirect quotation, then the pronoun may refer to the enemies themselves (cf. NEB, which is ambiguous). Some translations retain the direct quotation but alter the pronoun to “us,” referring clearly to the enemies (cf. NRSV).

[142:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”

[142:3]  ¹² tn Heb “you know my path.”

[142:1]  ¹³ sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.

[142:1]  ¹⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[142:1]  ¹⁵ sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.

[142:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”

[142:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”

[18:21]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the Lord.” The phrase “ways of the Lord” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.

[18:21]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “I have not acted wickedly from my God.” The statement is elliptical; the idea is, “I have not acted wickedly and, in so doing, departed from my God.”

[23:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 23. In vv. 1-4 the psalmist pictures the Lord as a shepherd who provides for his needs and protects him from danger. The psalmist declares, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and then extends and develops that metaphor, speaking as if he were a sheep. In vv. 5-6 the metaphor changes as the psalmist depicts a great royal banquet hosted by the Lord. The psalmist is a guest of honor and recipient of divine favor, who enjoys unlimited access to the divine palace and the divine presence.

[23:1]  ²¹ sn The LORD is my shepherd. The opening metaphor suggests the psalmist is assuming the role of a sheep. In vv. 1b-4 the psalmist extends the metaphor and explains exactly how the LORD is like a shepherd to him. At the surface level the language can be understood in terms of a shepherd’s relationship to his sheep. The translation of vv. 1-4 reflects this level. But, of course, each statement also points to an underlying reality.

[23:1]  ²² tn The imperfect verbal form is best understood as generalizing; the psalmist highlights his typical or ongoing experience as a result of having the LORD as his shepherd (habitual present use). The next verse explains more specifically what he means by this statement.

[26:4]  ²³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[23:12]  ²⁴ tn Grk “when it was day.”

[23:12]  ²⁵ tn Grk “forming a conspiracy, bound.” The participle ποιήσαντες (poihsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:12]  ²⁶ tn L&N 30.72 has ‘some Jews formed a conspiracy’ Ac 23:12”; BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 has “Judeans came together in a mob 23:12. But in the last pass. the word may also mean – 2. the product of a clandestine gathering, plot, conspiracy” (see also Amos 7:10; Ps 63:3).

[23:12]  ²⁷ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” On such oaths see m. Shevi’it 3:1-5. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[23:12]  ²⁸ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[23:13]  ²⁹ tn L&N 30.73 defines συνωμοσία (sunwmosia) as “a plan for taking secret action someone or some institution, with the implication of an oath binding the conspirators – ‘conspiracy, plot.’ …‘there were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy’ Ac 23:13.”

[23:14]  ³⁰ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[23:14]  ³¹ tn Grk “going.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:14]  ³² sn They went to the chief priests. The fact that the high priest knew of this plot and did nothing shows the Jewish leadership would even become accomplices to murder to stop Paul. They would not allow Roman justice to take its course. Paul’s charge in v. 3 of superficially following the law is thus shown to be true.

[23:14]  ³³ tn Or “bound ourselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” The pleonastic use ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν (literally “we have cursed ourselves with a curse”) probably serves as an intensifier following Semitic usage, and is represented in the translation by the word “solemn.” On such oaths see m. Nedarim 3:1, 3.

[23:14]  ³⁴ tn This included both food and drink (γεύομαι [geuomai] is used of water turned to wine in John 2:9).

[23:15]  ³⁵ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:15]  ³⁶ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:15]  ³⁷ tn Or “decide.” BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω has “ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ to make a more thorough examination of his case Ac 23:15.”

[23:15]  ³⁸ tn Grk “determine the things about him.”

[23:15]  ³⁹ tn The expression “more thorough inquiry” reflects the comparative form of ἀκριβέστερον (akribesteron).

[23:15]  ⁴⁰ sn “We are ready to kill him.” Now those Jews involved in the conspiracy, along with the leaders as accomplices, are going to break one of the ten commandments.

[23:15]  ⁴¹ tn The words “this place” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.