Mazmur 118:6

118:6 The Lord is on my side, ¹  I am not afraid!

What can people do to me? ² 

Mazmur 118:8

118:8 It is better to take shelter ³  in the Lord

than to trust in people.

Mazmur 146:3

146:3 Do not trust in princes,

or in human beings, who cannot deliver! ⁴ 

Yesaya 51:12

51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. ⁵ 

Why are you afraid of mortal men,

of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? ⁶ 

Yeremia 17:5

Individuals Are Challenged to Put Their Trust in the Lord ⁷ 

17:5 The Lord says,

“I will put a curse on people

who trust in mere human beings,

who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength, ⁸ 

and whose hearts ⁹  have turned away from the Lord.

[118:6]  ¹ tn Heb “for me.”

[118:6]  ² tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential. See Ps 56:11.

[118:8]  ³ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[146:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”

[51:12]  ⁵ tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.

[51:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.

[17:5]  ⁷ sn Verses 5-11 are a collection of wisdom-like sayings (cf. Ps 1) which set forth the theme of the two ways and their consequences. It has as its background the blessings and the curses of Deut 28 and the challenge to faith in Deut 29-30 which climaxes in Deut 30:15-20. The nation is sinful and God is weary of showing them patience. However, there is hope for individuals within the nation if they will trust in him.

[17:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “who make flesh their arm.” The “arm” is the symbol of strength and the flesh is the symbol of mortal man in relation to the omnipotent God. The translation “mere flesh and blood” reflects this.

[17:5]  ⁹ sn In the psychology of ancient Hebrew thought the heart was the center not only of the emotions but of the thoughts and motivations. It was also the seat of moral conduct (cf. its placement in the middle of the discussion of moral conduct in Prov 4:20-27, i.e., in v. 23).