Psalms 89:44

89:44 You have brought to an end his splendor, ¹ 

and have knocked ²  his throne to the ground.

Psalms 119:119

119:119 You remove all the wicked of the earth like slag. ³ 

Therefore I love your rules. ⁴ 

Psalms 8:2

8:2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies

you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, ⁵ 

so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ⁶ 

Psalms 46:9

46:9 He brings an end to wars throughout the earth; ⁷ 

he shatters ⁸  the bow and breaks ⁹  the spear;

he burns ¹⁰  the shields with fire. ¹¹ 

[89:44]  ¹ tc The Hebrew text appears to read, “you have brought to an end from his splendor,” but the form מִטְּהָרוֹ (mittÿharo) should be slightly emended (the daghesh should be removed from the tet [ת]) and read simply “his splendor” (the initial mem [מ] is not the preposition, but a nominal prefix).

[89:44]  ² tn The Hebrew verb מָגַר (magar) occurs only here and perhaps in Ezek 21:17.

[119:119]  ³ sn Traditionally “dross” (so KJV, ASV, NIV). The metaphor comes from metallurgy; “slag” is the substance left over after the metallic ore has been refined.

[119:119]  ⁴ sn As he explains in the next verse, the psalmist’s fear of judgment motivates him to obey God’s rules.

[8:2]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.

[46:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “[the] one who causes wars to cease unto the end of the earth.” The participle continues the description begun in v. 8b and indicates that this is the Lord’s characteristic activity. Ironically, he brings peace to the earth by devastating the warlike, hostile nations (vv. 8, 9b).

[46:9]  ⁸ tn The verb שָׁבַר (shavar, “break”) appears in the Piel here (see Ps 29:5). In the OT it occurs thirty-six times in the Piel, always with multiple objects (the object is either a collective singular or grammatically plural or dual form). The Piel may highlight the repetition of the pluralative action, or it may suggest an intensification of action, indicating repeated action comprising a whole, perhaps with the nuance “break again and again, break in pieces.” Another option is to understand the form as resultative: “make broken” (see IBHS 404-7 §24.3). The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.

[46:9]  ⁹ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries along the generalizing emphasis of the preceding imperfect.

[46:9]  ¹⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form carries on and emphasizes the generalizing nature of the description.

[46:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “wagons he burns with fire.” Some read “chariots” here (cf. NASB), but the Hebrew word refers to wagons or carts, not chariots, elsewhere in the OT. In this context, where military weapons are mentioned, it is better to revocalize the form as עֲגִלוֹת (’agilot, “round shields”), a word which occurs only here in the OT, but is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic.