Psalms 34:13

34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words ¹ 

or use deceptive speech! ² 

Psalms 37:30

37:30 The godly speak wise words

and promote justice. ³ 

Psalms 50:19

50:19 You do damage with words, ⁴ 

and use your tongue to deceive. ⁵ 

Psalms 78:36

78:36 But they deceived him with their words, ⁶ 

and lied to him. ⁷ 

Psalms 106:33

106:33 for they aroused ⁸  his temper, ⁹ 

and he spoke rashly. ¹⁰ 

Psalms 144:8

144:8 who speak lies,

and make false promises. ¹¹ 

[34:13]  ¹ tn Heb “guard your tongue from evil.”

[34:13]  ² tn Heb “and your lips from speaking deception.”

[37:30]  ³ tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.

[50:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “your mouth you send with evil.”

[50:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “and your tongue binds together [i.e., “frames”] deceit.”

[78:36]  ⁷ tn Heb “with their mouth.”

[78:36]  ⁸ tn Heb “and with their tongue they lied to him.”

[106:33]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.

[106:33]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[106:33]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[144:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).