Psalms 27:9

27:9 Do not reject me! ¹ 

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer! ² 

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

Psalms 40:17

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ³ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ⁴ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

[27:9]  ¹ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[27:9]  ² tn Or “[source of] help.”

[40:17]  ³ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).