Psalms 90:13

90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!

How long must this suffering last? ¹ 

Have pity on your servants! ² 

Psalms 135:14

135:14 For the Lord vindicates ³  his people,

and has compassion on his servants. ⁴ 

[90:13]  ¹ tn Heb “Return, O Lord! How long?”

[90:13]  ² tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.

[135:14]  ³ tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the Lord “judges on behalf of” his people. The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic actions.

[135:14]  ⁴ sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.