Mazmur 40:15-16

40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be humiliated ¹  and disgraced! ² 

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience ³  your deliverance say continually, ⁴ 

“May the Lord be praised!” ⁵ 

[40:15]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.

[40:15]  ² tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”

[40:16]  ³ tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

[40:16]  ⁴ tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

[40:16]  ⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.