Psalms 27:12

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, ¹ 

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. ² 

Psalms 35:11

35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, ³ 

and falsely accuse me. ⁴ 

Psalms 35:2

35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield, ⁵ 

and rise up to help me!

Psalms 15:3

15:3 He ⁶  does not slander, ⁷ 

or do harm to others, ⁸ 

or insult his neighbor. ⁹ 

Psalms 16:7-8

16:7 I will praise ¹⁰  the Lord who ¹¹  guides ¹²  me;

yes, during the night I reflect and learn. ¹³ 

16:8 I constantly trust in the Lord; ¹⁴ 

because he is at my right hand, I will not be upended.

Psalms 19:1

Psalm 19 ¹⁵ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; ¹⁶ 

the sky displays his handiwork. ¹⁷ 

Matthew 26:59

26:59 The ¹⁸  chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.

[27:12]  ¹ tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”

[27:12]  ² tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.

[35:11]  ³ tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”

[35:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”

[35:2]  ⁵ tn Two different types of shields are mentioned here. See also Ezek 38:4. Many modern translations render the first term (translated here “small shield”) as “buckler” (cf. NASB “buckler and shield”; the order is often reversed in the translation, apparently for stylistic reasons: cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV “shield and buckler”). The English term “buckler,” referring to a small round shield held on the arm to protect the upper body, is unfamiliar to many modern readers, so the term “small shield” was used in the present translation for clarity.

[15:3]  ⁶ sn Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age.

[15:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “he does not slander upon his tongue.” For another example of רָגַל (ragal, “slander”) see 2 Sam 19:28.

[15:3]  ⁸ tn Or “his fellow.”

[15:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he does not lift up an insult against one who is near to him.”

[16:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “bless,” that is, “proclaim as worthy of praise.”

[16:7]  ¹¹ tn Or “because.”

[16:7]  ¹² tn Or “counsels, advises.”

[16:7]  ¹³ 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.

[16:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I set the Lord before me continually.” This may mean that the psalmist is aware of the Lord’s presence and sensitive to his moral guidance (see v. 7), or that he trusts in the Lord’s protection (see the following line).

[19:1]  ¹⁵ sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.

[19:1]  ¹⁶ sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.

[19:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.

[26:59]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Now the.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.