Psalms 7:15

7:15 he digs a pit ¹ 

and then falls into the hole he has made. ² 

Psalms 30:3

30:3 O Lord, you pulled me ³  up from Sheol;

you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. ⁴ 

Psalms 88:4

88:4 They treat me like ⁵  those who descend into the grave. ⁶ 

I am like a helpless man, ⁷ 

Psalms 28:1

Psalm 28 ⁸ 

By David.

28:1 To you, O Lord, I cry out!

My protector, ⁹  do not ignore me! ¹⁰ 

If you do not respond to me, ¹¹ 

I will join ¹²  those who are descending into the grave. ¹³ 

Psalms 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ¹⁴ 

Do not reject me, ¹⁵ 

or I will join ¹⁶  those descending into the grave. ¹⁷ 

[7:15]  ¹ tn Heb “a pit he digs and he excavates it.” Apparently the imagery of hunting is employed; the wicked sinner digs this pit to entrap and destroy his intended victim. The redundancy in the Hebrew text has been simplified in the translation.

[7:15]  ² tn The verb forms in vv. 15-16 describe the typical behavior and destiny of those who attempt to destroy others. The image of the evildoer falling into the very trap he set for his intended victim emphasizes the appropriate nature of God’s judgment.

[30:3]  ³ tn Or “my life.”

[30:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “you kept me alive from those descending into the pit.” The Hebrew noun בוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. The translation follows the consonantal Hebrew text (Kethib); the marginal reading (Qere) has, “you kept me alive so that I did not go down into the pit.”

[88:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “I am considered with.”

[88:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit,” “cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.

[88:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “I am like a man [for whom] there is no help.”

[28:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.

[28:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

[28:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”

[28:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”

[28:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[28:1]  ¹² tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.

[143:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[143:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ¹² tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.