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 62:3-4

62:3 How long will you threaten ³  a man?

All of you are murderers, ⁴ 

as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ⁵ 

62:4 They ⁶  spend all their time planning how to bring him ⁷  down. ⁸ 

They love to use deceit; ⁹ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ¹⁰  (Selah)

[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.

[62:3]  ³ tn The verb form is plural; the psalmist addresses his enemies. The verb הוּת occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “shout at.”

[62:3]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text has a Pual (passive) form, but the verb form should be vocalized as a Piel (active) form. See BDB 953-54 s.v. רָצַח.

[62:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “like a bent wall and a broken fence.” The point of the comparison is not entirely clear. Perhaps the enemies are depicted as dangerous, like a leaning wall or broken fence that is in danger of falling on someone (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:69).

[62:4]  ⁶ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁷ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ¹⁰ sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.