Psalms 70:1-2

Psalm 70 ¹ 

For the music director; by David; written to get God’s attention. ² 

70:1 O God, please be willing to rescue me! ³ 

O Lord, hurry and help me! ⁴ 

70:2 May those who are trying to take my life

be embarrassed and ashamed! ⁵ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ⁶ 

Psalms 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ⁷ 

Do not reject me, ⁸ 

or I will join ⁹  those descending into the grave. ¹⁰ 

[70:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.

[70:1]  ² tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).

[70:1]  ³ tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “Lord” rather than “God.”

[70:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.

[70:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”

[70:2]  ⁶ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

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

[143:7]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ¹⁰ 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.