Psalms 34:21

34:21 Evil people self-destruct; ¹ 

those who hate the godly are punished. ² 

Psalms 74:3

74:3 Hurry and look ³  at the permanent ruins,

and all the damage the enemy has done to the temple! ⁴ 

Psalms 137:8

137:8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! ⁵ 

How blessed will be the one who repays you

for what you dished out to us! ⁶ 

[34:21]  ¹ tn Heb “evil kills the wicked [one].” The singular form is representative; the typical evil person is envisioned. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the typical nature of the action.

[34:21]  ² tn Heb “are guilty,” but the verb is sometimes used metonymically with the meaning “to suffer the consequences of guilt,” the effect being substituted for the cause.

[74:3]  ³ tn Heb “lift up your steps to,” which may mean “run, hurry.”

[74:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “everything [the] enemy has damaged in the holy place.”

[137:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “O devastated daughter of Babylon.” The psalmist dramatically anticipates Babylon’s demise.

[137:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “O the happiness of the one who repays you your wage which you paid to us.”