Psalms 39:11

39:11 You severely discipline people for their sins; ¹ 

like a moth you slowly devour their strength. ² 

Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)

Psalms 68:16

68:16 Why do you look with envy, ³  O mountains ⁴  with many peaks,

at the mountain where God has decided to live? ⁵ 

Indeed ⁶  the Lord will live there ⁷  permanently!

[39:11]  ¹ tn “with punishments on account of sin you discipline a man.”

[39:11]  ² tc Heb “you cause to dissolve, like a moth, his desired [thing].” The translation assumes an emendation of חֲמוּדוֹ (khamudo, “his desirable [thing]”) to חֶמְדוֹ (khemdo, “his loveliness” [or “beauty”]), a reading that is supported by a few medieval Hebrew mss.

[68:16]  ³ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).

[68:16]  ⁴ tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.

[68:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.

[68:16]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.

[68:16]  ⁷ tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.