Psalms 41:6

41:6 When someone comes to visit, ¹  he pretends to be friendly; ² 

he thinks of ways to defame me, ³ 

and when he leaves he slanders me. ⁴ 

Psalms 85:8

85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says. ⁵ 

For he will make ⁶  peace with his people, his faithful followers. ⁷ 

Yet they must not ⁸  return to their foolish ways.

[41:6]  ¹ tn Heb “to see.”

[41:6]  ² tn Heb “he speaks deceitfully.”

[41:6]  ³ tn Heb “his heart gathers sin to itself.”

[41:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “he goes outside and speaks.”

[85:8]  ⁵ sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.

[85:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).

[85:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.

[85:8]  ⁸ tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (’el), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.