Psalms 16:7

16:7 I will praise ¹  the Lord who ²  guides ³  me;

yes, during the night I reflect and learn. ⁴ 

Psalms 62:4

62:4 They ⁵  spend all their time planning how to bring him ⁶  down. ⁷ 

They love to use deceit; ⁸ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ⁹  (Selah)

[16:7]  ¹ tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”

[16:7]  ² tn Or “because.”

[16:7]  ³ tn Or “counsels, advises.”

[16:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “yes, [during] nights my kidneys instruct [or “correct”] me.” The “kidneys” are viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s moral character (see Ps 26:2). In the quiet darkness the Lord speaks to his inner being, as it were, and enables him to grow in moral understanding.

[62:4]  ⁵ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁶ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ⁹ sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.