Psalms 119:24

119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;

they give me guidance. ¹ 

Psalms 26:9

26:9 Do not sweep me away ²  with sinners,

or execute me along with violent people, ³ 

Psalms 76:5

76:5 The bravehearted ⁴  were plundered; ⁵ 

they “fell asleep.” ⁶ 

All the warriors were helpless. ⁷ 

Psalms 55:23

55:23 But you, O God, will bring them ⁸  down to the deep Pit. ⁹ 

Violent and deceitful people ¹⁰  will not live even half a normal lifespan. ¹¹ 

But as for me, I trust in you.

[119:24]  ¹ tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.

[26:9]  ² tn Heb “do not gather up my life with.”

[26:9]  ³ tn Heb “or with men of bloodshed my life.” The verb is supplied; it is understood by ellipsis (see the preceding line).

[76:5]  ³ tn Heb “strong of heart.” In Isa 46:12, the only other text where this phrase appears, it refers to those who are stubborn, but here it seems to describe brave warriors (see the next line).

[76:5]  ⁴ tn The verb is a rare Aramaized form of the Hitpolel (see GKC 149 §54.a, n. 2); the root is שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder”).

[76:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “they slept [in] their sleep.” “Sleep” here refers to the “sleep” of death. A number of modern translations take the phrase to refer to something less than death, however: NASB “cast into a deep sleep”; NEB “fall senseless”; NIV “lie still”; NRSV “lay stunned.”

[76:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “and all the men of strength did not find their hands.”

[55:23]  ⁴ tn The pronominal suffix refers to the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 19).

[55:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “well of the pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 103:4).

[55:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “men of bloodshed and deceit.”

[55:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “will not divide in half their days.”