Psalms 37:30

37:30 The godly speak wise words

and promote justice. ¹ 

Psalms 73:24

73:24 You guide ²  me by your wise advice,

and then you will lead me to a position of honor. ³ 

Psalms 83:3

83:3 They carefully plot ⁴  against your people,

and make plans to harm ⁵  the ones you cherish. ⁶ 

Psalms 119:24

119:24 Yes, I find delight in your rules;

they give me guidance. ⁷ 

Psalms 119:66

119:66 Teach me proper discernment ⁸  and understanding!

For I consider your commands to be reliable. ⁹ 

[37:30]  ¹ 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.

[73:24]  ² tn The imperfect verbal form here suggests this is the psalmist’s ongoing experience.

[73:24]  ³ tn Heb “and afterward [to] glory you will take me.” Some interpreters view this as the psalmist’s confidence in an afterlife in God’s presence and understand כָּבוֹד (cavod) as a metonymic reference to God’s presence in heaven. But this seems unlikely in the present context. The psalmist anticipates a time of vindication, when the wicked are destroyed and he is honored by God for his godly life style. The verb לָקַח (laqakh, “take”) here carries the nuance “lead, guide, conduct,” as in Num 23:14, 27-28; Josh 24:3 and Prov 24:11.

[83:3]  ³ tn Heb “they make crafty a plot.”

[83:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “and consult together against.”

[83:3]  ⁵ tn The passive participle of the Hebrew verb צָפַן (tsafan, “to hide”) is used here in the sense of “treasured; cherished.”

[119:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “men of my counsel.” That is, God’s rules are like advisers to the psalmist, for they teach him how to live in a godly manner that refutes the accusations of his enemies.

[119:66]  ⁵ tn Heb “goodness of taste.” Here “taste” refers to moral and ethical discernment.

[119:66]  ⁶ tn Heb “for I believe in your commands.”