Discovery BoxPsalms 17:8-9
Context17:8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! 1
Hide me in the shadow of your wings! 2
17:9 Protect me from 3 the wicked men who attack 4 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 5
Psalms 17:13
Context17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 6 Knock him down! 7
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 8
Psalms 59:1-2
ContextFor the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 10 a prayer 11 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 12
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 13 from those who attack me! 14
59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! 15
Rescue me from violent men! 16
Psalms 140:1-4
ContextFor the music director; a psalm of David.
140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! 18
Protect me from violent men, 19
140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 20
All day long they stir up conflict. 21
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent; 22
a viper’s 23 venom is behind 24 their lips. (Selah)
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power 25 of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over. 26
Psalms 140:2
Context140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 27
All day long they stir up conflict. 28
Psalms 16:1
ContextA prayer 30 of David.
16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. 31
Psalms 16:1
ContextA prayer 33 of David.
16:1 Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you. 34
Psalms 17:1-2
ContextA prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 36
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 37
17:2 Make a just decision on my behalf! 38
Decide what is right! 39
Psalms 17:12-14
Context17:12 He 40 is like a lion 41 that wants to tear its prey to bits, 42
like a young lion crouching 43 in hidden places.
17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 44 Knock him down! 45
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 46
17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 47
from the murderers of this world! 48
They enjoy prosperity; 49
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 50
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 51
Psalms 17:1
ContextA prayer of David.
17:1 Lord, consider my just cause! 53
Pay attention to my cry for help!
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer! 54
[17:8] 1 tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.
[17:8] 2 sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[17:9] 3 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:9] 4 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
[17:9] 5 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (bÿnefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
[17:13] 5 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
[17:13] 6 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
[17:13] 7 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
[59:1] 7 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
[59:1] 8 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.
[59:1] 9 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[59:1] 10 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
[59:1] 11 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
[59:1] 12 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
[59:2] 9 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
[59:2] 10 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
[140:1] 11 sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
[140:1] 12 tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
[140:1] 13 tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
[140:2] 13 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
[140:2] 14 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
[140:3] 15 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
[140:3] 16 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
[140:4] 18 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
[140:2] 19 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
[140:2] 20 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
[16:1] 21 sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.
[16:1] 22 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[16:1] 23 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).
[16:1] 23 sn Psalm 16. The psalmist seeks divine protection because he has remained loyal to God. He praises God for his rich blessings, and is confident God will vindicate him and deliver him from death.
[16:1] 24 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מִכְתָּם (mikhtam) is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[16:1] 25 tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results (see 7:1; 11:1).
[17:1] 25 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
[17:1] 26 tn Heb “hear,
[17:1] 27 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
[17:2] 27 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] 28 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.”)
[17:12] 29 tn Here the psalmist switches to the singular pronoun; he views his enemies collectively, or singles out a representative of the group, perhaps its leader.
[17:12] 30 tn Heb “his likeness [is] like a lion.”
[17:12] 31 tn Heb “[that] longs to tear.”
[17:13] 31 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
[17:13] 32 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
[17:13] 33 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
[17:14] 33 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
[17:14] 34 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
[17:14] 35 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
[17:14] 36 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
[17:14] 37 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
[17:1] 35 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
[17:1] 36 tn Heb “hear,
[17:1] 37 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
