Psalms 64:3

64:3 They ¹  sharpen their tongues like a sword;

they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, ² 

Psalms 11:2

11:2 For look, the wicked ³  prepare ⁴  their bows, ⁵ 

they put their arrows on the strings,

to shoot in the darkness ⁶  at the morally upright. ⁷ 

[64:3]  ¹ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[64:3]  ² tn Heb “a bitter word.”

[11:2]  ³ tn In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and threaten his people (Ps 3:8).

[11:2]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form depicts the enemies’ hostile action as underway.

[11:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “a bow.”

[11:2]  ⁶ sn In the darkness. The enemies’ attack, the precise form of which is not indicated, is compared here to a night ambush by archers; the psalmist is defenseless against this deadly attack.

[11:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).