Psalms 37:7

37:7 Wait patiently for the Lord! ¹ 

Wait confidently ²  for him!

Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, ³ 

a man who carries out wicked schemes!

Psalms 52:7-8

52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make ⁴  God his protector!

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” ⁵ 

52:8 But I ⁶  am like a flourishing ⁷  olive tree in the house of God;

I continually ⁸  trust in God’s loyal love.

Psalms 56:4

56:4 In God – I boast in his promise ⁹  –

in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ¹⁰  do to me? ¹¹ 

Psalms 62:10

62:10 Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! ¹² 

Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! ¹³ 

If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! ¹⁴ 

[37:7]  ¹ tn Heb “Be quiet before the Lord!”

[37:7]  ² tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (vÿhitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (vÿtokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, yÿhvah) and (2) the final lamed (ל) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).

[37:7]  ³ tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”

[52:7]  ⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”

[52:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “he was strong in his destruction.” “Destruction” must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2. The verb (derived from the root עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).

[52:8]  ⁷ tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5-7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.

[52:8]  ⁸ tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”

[52:8]  ⁹ tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”

[56:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.

[56:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.

[56:4]  ¹² tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.

[62:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “do not trust in oppression.” Here “oppression” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by oppressive measures, as the final line of the verse indicates.

[62:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and in robbery do not place vain hope.” Here “robbery” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by theft, as the next line of the verse indicates.

[62:10]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “[as for] wealth, when it bears fruit, do not set [your] heart [on it].”