38:18 Yes, 1 I confess my wrongdoing,
and I am concerned about my sins.
38:19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous; 2
those who hate me without cause outnumber me. 3
38:20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;
though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me. 4
38:21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!
My God, do not remain far away from me!
38:22 Hurry and help me, 5 O Lord, my deliverer!
1 tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.
2 tn Heb “and my enemies, life, are many.” The noun חַיִּים (khayyim, “life”) fits very awkwardly here. The translation assumes an emendation to חִנָּם (khinam, “without reason”; note the parallelism with שֶׁקֶר [sheqer, “falsely”] and see Pss 35:19; 69:4; Lam 3:52). The verb עָצַם (’atsam) can sometimes mean “are strong,” but here it probably focuses on numerical superiority (note the parallel verb רָבַב, ravav, “be many”).
3 tn Heb “are many.”
4 tn Heb “the ones who repay evil instead of good accuse me, instead of my pursuing good.”
5 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Ps 22:19.