Psalms 54:4-5

Context

54:4 Look, God is my deliverer!¹

The Lord is among those who support me.²

54:5 May those who wait to ambush me³ be repaid for their evil!⁴

As a demonstration of your faithfulness,⁵ destroy them!

[54:4] ¹tn Or “my helper.”

[54:4] ²tn Or “sustain my life.”

[54:5] ³tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.

[54:5] ⁴tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.

[54:5] ⁵tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”