Psalms 7:16

7:16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans ¹ 

and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head. ² 

Psalms 18:33

18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; ³ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ⁴ 

Psalms 22:18

22:18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;

they are rolling dice ⁵  for my garments.

Psalms 24:2

24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,

and established ⁶  it upon the ocean currents. ⁷ 

Psalms 81:14

81:14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,

and attack ⁸  their adversaries.”

Psalms 135:14

135:14 For the Lord vindicates ⁹  his people,

and has compassion on his servants. ¹⁰ 

[7:16]  ¹ tn Heb “his harm [i.e., the harm he conceived for others, see v. 14] returns on his head.”

[7:16]  ² tn Heb “and on his forehead his violence [i.e., the violence he intended to do to others] comes down.”

[18:33]  ³ tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”

[18:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “and on my high places he makes me walk.” The imperfect verbal form emphasizes God’s characteristic provision. The psalmist compares his agility in battle to the ability of a deer to negotiate rugged, high terrain without falling or being injured.

[22:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “casting lots.” The precise way in which this would have been done is not certain.

[24:2]  ⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.

[24:2]  ⁸ sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.

[81:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “turn my hand against.” The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack” (see Isa 1:25; Ezek 38:12; Amos 1:8; Zech 13:7).

[135:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the Lord “judges on behalf of” his people. The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic actions.

[135:14]  ¹² sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.