Psalms 89:10

89:10 You crushed the Proud One ¹  and killed it; ² 

with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

Psalms 143:3

143:3 Certainly ³  my enemies ⁴  chase me.

They smash me into the ground. ⁵ 

They force me to live ⁶  in dark regions, ⁷ 

like those who have been dead for ages.

[89:10]  ¹ tn Heb “Rahab.” The name “Rahab” means “proud one.” Since it is sometimes used of Egypt (see Ps 87:4; Isa 30:7), the passage may allude to the exodus. However, the name is also used of the sea (or the mythological sea creature) which symbolizes the disruptive forces of the world that seek to replace order with chaos (see Job 9:13; 26:12). Isa 51:9 appears to combine the mythological and historical referents. The association of Rahab with the sea in Ps 89 (see v. 9) suggests that the name carries symbolic force in this context. In this case the passage may allude to creation (see vv. 11-12), when God overcame the great deep and brought order out of chaos.

[89:10]  ² tn Heb “like one fatally wounded.”

[143:3]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[143:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).

[143:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”

[143:3]  ⁶ tn Or “sit.”

[143:3]  ⁷ sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).