Mazmur 35:20

35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, ¹ 

but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. ² 

Mazmur 37:12

37:12 Evil men plot against the godly ³ 

and viciously attack them. ⁴ 

Mazmur 41:7

41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; ⁵ 

they plan ways to harm me.

Mazmur 52:2

52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; ⁶ 

it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. ⁷ 

Mazmur 140:8

140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! ⁸ 

Do not allow their ⁹  plan to succeed when they attack! ¹⁰  (Selah)

Mazmur 146:4

146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;

on that day their plans die. ¹¹ 

[35:20]  ¹ tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”

[35:20]  ² tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.

[37:12]  ³ tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.

[37:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.

[41:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).

[52:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”

[52:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.

[140:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”

[140:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).

[140:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).

[146:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his spirit goes out, it returns to his ground; in that day his plans die.” The singular refers to the representative man mentioned in v. 3b.