Psalms 119:61

119:61 The ropes of the wicked tighten around ¹  me,

but I do not forget your law.

Psalms 20:8

20:8 They will fall down, ² 

but we ³  will stand firm. ⁴ 

Psalms 147:6

147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,

but knocks ⁵  the wicked to the ground.

Psalms 50:7

50:7 He says: ⁶ 

“Listen my people! I am speaking!

Listen Israel! I am accusing you! ⁷ 

I am God, your God!

Psalms 81:8

81:8 I said, ⁸  ‘Listen, my people!

I will warn ⁹  you!

O Israel, if only you would obey me! ¹⁰ 

Psalms 146:9

146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;

he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, ¹¹ 

but he opposes the wicked. ¹² 

[119:61]  ¹ tn Heb “surround.”

[20:8]  ² tn Or “stumble and fall down.”

[20:8]  ³ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronominal subject) highlights the contrast between God’s victorious people and the defeated enemies mentioned in the previous line. The perfect verbal forms either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle. They describe the demise of the enemy as being as good as done.

[20:8]  ⁴ tn Or “rise up and remain upright.” On the meaning of the Hitpolel of עוּד (’ud), see HALOT 795 s.v. I עוד. The verbal forms (a perfect followed by a prefixed form with vav [ו] consecutive) either generalize or, more likely, state rhetorically the people’s confidence as they face the approaching battle.

[147:6]  ³ tn Heb “brings down.”

[50:7]  ⁴ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.

[50:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[81:8]  ⁵ tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the Lord commanded the generation of Israelites that experienced the events described in v. 7. Note the statement in v. 11, “my people did not listen to me.”

[81:8]  ⁶ tn Or perhaps “command.”

[81:8]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew particle אִם (“if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (GKC 321 §109.b). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.

[146:9]  ⁶ sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident aliens, the fatherless, and widows.

[146:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.