Psalms 18:48

18:48 He delivers me ¹  from my enemies;

you snatch me away ²  from those who attack me; ³ 

you rescue me from violent men.

Psalms 43:1

Psalm 43 ⁴ 

43:1 Vindicate me, O God!

Fight for me ⁵  against an ungodly nation!

Deliver me ⁶  from deceitful and evil men! ⁷ 

Psalms 140:1

Psalm 140 ⁸ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! ⁹ 

Protect me from violent men, ¹⁰ 

Psalms 140:4

140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power ¹¹  of the wicked!

Protect me from violent men,

who plan to knock me over. ¹² 

[18:48]  ¹ tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”

[18:48]  ² tn Heb “lifts me up.” In light of the preceding and following references to deliverance, the verb רום probably here refers to being rescued from danger (see Ps 9:13). However, it could mean “exalt, elevate” here, indicating that the Lord has given the psalmist victory over his enemies and forced them to acknowledge the psalmist’s superiority (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[18:48]  ³ tn Heb “from those who rise against me.”

[43:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalm 43 and Psalm 42 into one psalm. Psalm 43 is the only psalm in Book 2 of the Psalter (Psalms 42-72) that does not have a heading, suggesting that it was originally the third and concluding section of Psalm 42. Ps 43:5 is identical to the refrain in Ps 42:11 and almost identical to the refrain in Ps 42:5.

[43:1]  ⁵ tn Or “argue my case.”

[43:1]  ⁶ tn The imperfect here expresses a request or wish. Note the imperatives in the first half of the verse. See also v. 3.

[43:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the deceitful and evil man.” The Hebrew text uses the singular form “man” in a collective sense, as the reference to a “nation” in the parallel line indicates.

[140:1]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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).

[140:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hands.”

[140:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “to push down my steps.”