Mazmur 40:17

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ¹ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ² 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Mazmur 70:5

70:5 I am oppressed and needy! ³ 

O God, hurry to me! ⁴ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O Lord, ⁵  do not delay!

Mazmur 86:1

Psalm 86 ⁶ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ⁷  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

Mazmur 109:22

109:22 For I am oppressed and needy,

and my heart beats violently within me. ⁸ 

[40:17]  ¹ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ² tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

[70:5]  ³ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[70:5]  ⁴ tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”

[70:5]  ⁵ tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “Lord.”

[86:1]  ⁶ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[109:22]  ⁸ tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbiy yakhil bÿqirbbiy, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).