Psalms 115:5

115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

Psalms 84:6

84:6 As they pass through the Baca Valley, ¹ 

he provides a spring for them. ² 

The rain ³  even covers it with pools of water. ⁴ 

Psalms 101:5

101:5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.

I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude. ⁵ 

[84:6]  ¹ tn The translation assumes that the Hebrew phrase עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא (’emeq habbakha’) is the name of an otherwise unknown arid valley through which pilgrims to Jerusalem passed. The term בָּכָא (bakha’) may be the name of a particular type of plant or shrub that grew in this valley. O. Borowski (Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 130) suggests it is the black mulberry. Some take the phrase as purely metaphorical and relate בָּכָא to the root בָּכָה (bakhah, “to weep”). In this case one might translate, “the valley of weeping” or “the valley of affliction.”

[84:6]  ² tc The MT reads “a spring they make it,” but this makes little sense. Many medieval Hebrew mss, as well as the LXX, understand God to be the subject and the valley to be the object, “he [God] makes it [the valley] [into] a spring.”

[84:6]  ³ tn This rare word may refer to the early (or autumn) rains (see Joel 2:23).

[84:6]  ⁴ tc The MT reads בְּרָכוֹת (bÿrakhot, “blessings”) but the preceding reference to a “spring” favors an emendation to בְּרֵכוֹת (bÿrekhot, “pools”).

[101:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “[one who has] pride of eyes and wideness [i.e., arrogance] of heart, him I will not endure.”