Psalms 17:2

17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! ¹ 

Decide what is right! ² 

Psalms 17:14

17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, ³ 

from the murderers of this world! ⁴ 

They enjoy prosperity; ⁵ 

you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. ⁶ 

They have many children,

and leave their wealth to their offspring. ⁷ 

[17:2]  ¹ tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsa’) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.

[17:2]  ² tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)

[17:14]  ³ tc Heb “from men [by] your hand, Lord.” The translation assumes an emendation (both here and in the following line) of מִמְתִים (mimtim, “from men”) to מִמְמִתִים (mimmitim, “from those who kill”). For other uses of the plural form of the Hiphil participle of מוּת (mut, “die”), see 2 Kgs 17:26 (used with lions as subject), Job 33:22 (apparently referring to the agents of death), and Jer 26:15 (used of those seeking Jeremiah’s life).

[17:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”

[17:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “their portion, in life.”

[17:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”

[17:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”