Mazmur 7:4

7:4 or have wronged my ally, ¹ 

or helped his lawless enemy, ² 

Mazmur 35:12

35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done; ³ 

I am overwhelmed with sorrow. ⁴ 

Mazmur 109:3-5

109:3 They surround me and say hateful things; ⁵ 

they attack me for no reason.

109:4 They repay my love with accusations, ⁶ 

but I continue to pray. ⁷ 

109:5 They repay me evil for good, ⁸ 

and hate for love.

[7:4]  ¹ tn Heb “if I have repaid the one at peace with me evil.” The form שׁוֹלְמִי (sholÿmi, “the one at peace with me”) probably refers to a close friend or ally, i.e., one with whom the psalmist has made a formal agreement. See BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלוֹם 4.a.

[7:4]  ² tn Heb “or rescued my enemy in vain.” The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive (the verb form is pseudo-cohortative; see IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3) carries on the hypothetical nuance of the perfect in the preceding line. Some regard the statement as a parenthetical assertion that the psalmist is kind to his enemies. Others define חָלַץ (khalats) as “despoil” (cf. NASB, NRSV “plundered”; NIV “robbed”), an otherwise unattested nuance for this verb. Still others emend the verb to לָחַץ (lakhats, “oppress”). Most construe the adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “emptily, vainly”) with “my enemy,” i.e., the one who is my enemy in vain.” The present translation (1) assumes an emendation of צוֹרְרִי (tsorÿriy, “my enemy”) to צוֹרְרוֹ (tsorÿro, “his [i.e., the psalmist’s ally’s] enemy”) following J. Tigay, “Psalm 7:5 and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties,” JBL 89 (1970): 178-86, (2) understands the final mem (ם) on רֵיקָם as enclitic, and (3) takes רִיק (riq) as an adjective modifying “his enemy.” (For other examples of a suffixed noun followed by an attributive adjective without the article, see Pss 18:17 (“my strong enemy”), 99:3 (“your great and awesome name”) and 143:10 (“your good spirit”). The adjective רִיק occurs with the sense “lawless” in Judg 9:4; 11:3; 2 Chr 13:7. In this case the psalmist affirms that he has not wronged his ally, nor has he given aid to his ally’s enemies. Ancient Near Eastern treaties typically included such clauses, with one or both parties agreeing not to lend aid to the treaty partner’s enemies.

[35:12]  ³ tn Heb “they repay me evil instead of good.”

[35:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “[there is] bereavement to my soul.”

[109:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”

[109:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”

[109:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and I, prayer.”

[109:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”