Psalms 39:13

39:13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy

before I pass away. ¹ 

Psalms 41:8

41:8 They say, ² 

‘An awful disease ³  overwhelms him, ⁴ 

and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.’ ⁵ 

Psalms 49:19

49:19 But he will join his ancestors; ⁶ 

they will never again see the light of day. ⁷ 

Psalms 78:39

78:39 He remembered ⁸  that they were made of flesh,

and were like a wind that blows past and does not return. ⁹ 

[39:13]  ¹ tn Heb “Gaze away from me and I will smile before I go and am not.” The precise identification of the initial verb form (הָשַׁע, hasha’) is uncertain. It could be from the root שָׁעָע (sha’a’, “smear”), but “your eyes” would be the expected object in this case (see Isa 6:10). The verb may be an otherwise unattested Hiphil form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “to gaze”) meaning “cause your gaze to be.” Some prefer to emend the form to the Qal שְׁעֵה (shÿ’eh, “gaze”; see Job 14:6). If one does read a form of the verb “to gaze,” the angry divine “gaze” of discipline would seem to be in view (see vv. 10-11). For a similar expression of this sentiment see Job 10:20-21.

[41:8]  ² tn The words “they say” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to make it clear that v. 8 contains a quotation of what the psalmist’s enemies say about him (see v. 7a).

[41:8]  ³ tn Heb “thing of worthlessness.” In Ps 101:3 the phrase refers to evil deeds in general, but here it appears to refer more specifically to the illness that plagues the psalmist.

[41:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “is poured out on him.” The passive participle of יָצַק (yatsaq) is used.

[41:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he who lies down will not again arise.”

[49:19]  ³ tn Verses 18-19a are one long sentence in the Hebrew text, which reads: “Though he blesses his soul in his life, [saying], ‘And let them praise you, for you do well for yourself,’ it [that is, his soul] will go to the generation of his fathers.” This has been divided into two sentences in the translation for clarity, in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.

[49:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “light.” The words “of day” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[78:39]  ⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive signals a return to the narrative.

[78:39]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he remembered that they [were] flesh, a wind [that] goes and does not return.”