Psalms 62:3-4

62:3 How long will you threaten ¹  a man?

All of you are murderers, ² 

as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ³ 

62:4 They ⁴  spend all their time planning how to bring him ⁵  down. ⁶ 

They love to use deceit; ⁷ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ⁸  (Selah)

[62:3]  ¹ tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”

[62:3]  ² tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.

[62:3]  ³ tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).

[62:4]  ⁴ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁵ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ⁸ sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.