Psalms 7:5

7:5 may an enemy relentlessly chase ¹  me ²  and catch me; ³ 

may he trample me to death ⁴ 

and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. ⁵  (Selah)

Psalms 8:2

8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies

you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, ⁶ 

so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ⁷ 

Exodus 15:16

15:16 Fear and dread ⁸  will fall ⁹  on them;

by the greatness ¹⁰  of your arm they will be as still as stone ¹¹ 

until ¹²  your people pass by, O Lord,

until the people whom you have bought ¹³  pass by.

Micah 7:8

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ¹⁴  do not gloat ¹⁵  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ¹⁶ 

Micah 7:10

7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.

They say ¹⁷  to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”

I will gloat over them. ¹⁸ 

Then they will be trampled down ¹⁹ 

like mud in the streets.

[7:5]  ¹ tn The vocalization of the verb form seems to be a mixture of Qal and Piel (see GKC 168 §63.n). The translation assumes the Piel, which would emphasize the repetitive nature of the action. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a jussive. The psalmist is so certain that he is innocent of the sins mentioned in vv. 3-4, he pronounces an imprecation on himself for rhetorical effect.

[7:5]  ² tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[7:5]  ³ tn Heb “and may he overtake.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. The object “me,” though unexpressed, is understood from the preceding statement.

[7:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “and may he trample down to the earth my life.”

[7:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “and my honor in the dust may he cause to dwell.” The prefixed verbal form is distinctly jussive. Some emend כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy, “my honor”) to כְבֵדִי (khÿvediy, “my liver” as the seat of life), but the term כְבוֹדִי (khÿvodiy) is to be retained since it probably refers to the psalmist’s dignity or honor.

[8:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the LXX which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. NIV, NCV, NLT.

[8:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.

[15:16]  ⁸ tn The two words can form a nominal hendiadys, “a dreadful fear,” though most English versions retain the two separate terms.

[15:16]  ⁹ tn The form is an imperfect.

[15:16]  ¹⁰ tn The adjective is in construct form and governs the noun “arm” (“arm” being the anthropomorphic expression for what God did). See GKC 428 §132.c.

[15:16]  ¹¹ sn For a study of the words for fear, see N. Waldman, “A Comparative Note on Exodus 15:14-16,” JQR 66 (1976): 189-92.

[15:16]  ¹² tn Clauses beginning with עַד (’ad) express a limit that is not absolute, but only relative, beyond which the action continues (GKC 446-47 §138.g).

[15:16]  ¹³ tn The verb קָנָה (qanah) here is the verb “acquire, purchase,” and probably not the homonym “to create, make” (see Gen 4:1; Deut 32:6; and Prov 8:22).

[7:8]  ¹⁴ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ¹⁵ tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ¹⁶ sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[7:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”

[7:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”