Psalms 115:17

115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,

nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. ¹ 

Psalms 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ² 

Do not reject me, ³ 

or I will join ⁴  those descending into the grave. ⁵ 

[115:17]  ¹ tn Heb “silence,” a metonymy here for death (see Ps 94:17).

[143:7]  ² tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ³ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[143:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.