Psalms 73:8

73:8 They mock ¹  and say evil things; ² 

they proudly threaten violence. ³ 

Psalms 119:134

119:134 Deliver me ⁴  from oppressive men,

so that I can keep ⁵  your precepts.

Psalms 62:10

62:10 Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! ⁶ 

Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! ⁷ 

If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! ⁸ 

[73:8]  ¹ tn The verb מוּק (muq, “mock”) occurs only here in the OT.

[73:8]  ² tn Heb “and speak with evil.”

[73:8]  ³ tn Heb “oppression from an elevated place they speak.” The traditional accentuation of the MT places “oppression” with the preceding line. In this case, one might translate, “they mock and speak with evil [of] oppression, from an elevated place [i.e., “proudly”] they speak.” By placing “oppression” with what follows, one achieves better poetic balance in the parallelism.

[119:134]  ⁴ tn Or “redeem me.”

[119:134]  ⁵ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[62:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “do not trust in oppression.” Here “oppression” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by oppressive measures, as the final line of the verse indicates.

[62:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “and in robbery do not place vain hope.” Here “robbery” stands by metonymy for the riches that can be gained by theft, as the next line of the verse indicates.

[62:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “[as for] wealth, when it bears fruit, do not set [your] heart [on it].”