Psalms 109:18

109:18 He made cursing a way of life, ¹ 

so curses poured into his stomach like water

and seeped into his bones like oil. ² 

Psalms 109:29

109:29 My accusers will be covered ³  with shame,

and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

Psalms 35:26

35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ⁴ 

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! ⁵ 

Psalms 132:18

132:18 I will humiliate his enemies, ⁶ 

and his crown will shine.

[109:18]  ¹ tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”

[109:18]  ² tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”

[109:29]  ³ tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).

[35:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”

[35:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.

[132:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “his enemies I will clothe [with] shame.”