Psalms 35:6

35:6 May their path be ¹  dark and slippery,

as the Lord’s angel chases them!

Psalms 88:12

88:12 Are your amazing deeds experienced ²  in the dark region, ³ 

or your deliverance in the land of oblivion? ⁴ 

Psalms 105:28

105:28 He made it dark; ⁵ 

they did not disobey his orders. ⁶ 

Psalms 112:4

112:4 In the darkness a light ⁷  shines for the godly,

for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. ⁸ 

Psalms 139:11

139:11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, ⁹ 

and the light will turn to night all around me,” ¹⁰ 

[35:6]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive, indicating this is a prayer.

[88:12]  ² tn Heb “known.”

[88:12]  ³ tn Heb “darkness,” here a title for Sheol.

[88:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “forgetfulness.” The noun, which occurs only here in the OT, is derived from a verbal root meaning “to forget.”

[105:28]  ³ tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”

[105:28]  ⁴ tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.

[112:4]  ⁴ tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.

[112:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.

[139:11]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 251. Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (yesukkeniy), from the root שׂכך (“to cover,” an alternate form of סכך), a reading assumed in the present translation.

[139:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “and night, light, around me.”