Psalms 35:19-21

35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason ¹  gloat ²  over me!

Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! ³ 

35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, ⁴ 

but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. ⁵ 

35:21 They are ready to devour me; ⁶ 

they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!” ⁷ 

[35:19]  ¹ tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).

[35:19]  ² tn Heb “rejoice.”

[35:19]  ³ tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).

[35:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”

[35:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.

[35:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they cause their mouth to be wide against me.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here carries on the generalizing mood of the previous verse. For other examples of this use of the prefixed verbal form with vav consecutive, see GKC 329 §111.t.

[35:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “our eye sees.” Apparently this is an idiom meaning to “look in triumph” or “gloat over” (see Ps 54:7).