Mazmur 31:24

31:24 Be strong and confident, ¹ 

all you who wait on the Lord!

Mazmur 37:28

37:28 For the Lord promotes ²  justice,

and never abandons ³  his faithful followers.

They are permanently secure, ⁴ 

but the children ⁵  of evil men are wiped out. ⁶ 

Amsal 2:8

2:8 to guard ⁷  the paths of the righteous ⁸ 

and to protect ⁹  the way of his pious ones. ¹⁰ 

[31:24]  ¹ tn Heb “be strong and let your heart[s] be confident.”

[37:28]  ² tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the Lord’s commitment to principles of justice causes him to actively promote these principles as he governs the world. The active participle describes characteristic behavior.

[37:28]  ³ tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.

[37:28]  ⁴ tn Or “protected forever.”

[37:28]  ⁵ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[37:28]  ⁶ tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.

[2:8]  ⁷ tn The infinitive construct לִנְצֹר (lintsor, “to guard”) designates the purpose of the Lord giving “effective counsel” and being a “shield” to the upright. The verb נָצַר (natsar, “to guard”) has a broad range of meanings: (1) to watch over, guard or protect a vineyard from theft (Prov 27:18); (2) to guard one’s lips or heart from evil (Prov 4:23; 13:3); (3) to protect a person from moral or physical danger (Prov 2:8, 11; 4:6; 13:6; 20:28; 22:12; 24:12) and (4) to guard with fidelity = to observe commands, law or covenant (Prov 3:1, 21; 4:13; 5:2; 6:20; 28:7; see BDB 665-66 s.v.). Here God guards the way of the just, that is, the course and conduct of life from the influence of evil.

[2:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “paths of righteousness.” The word “righteousness” is a possessive genitive, signifying the ways that the righteous take.

[2:8]  ⁹ tn The imperfect tense verb יִשְׁמֹר (yishmor, “to protect”) continues the syntactical nuance of the preceding infinitive construct of purpose.

[2:8]  ¹⁰ tc The Kethib is the singular noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix חֲסִידוֹ (khasido) “his pious one.” The Qere reads the plural noun + 3rd person masculine singular suffix חֲסִידָיו (khasidav) “his pious ones.” The LXX εὐλαβουμένων αὐτόν (eujlaboumenwn aujton) supports the Qere reading.

[2:8]  tn The noun חֶסֶד (khesed, “the pious”) describes those who show “covenantal faithful love” or “loyal love” to God and his people. The description of the righteous by this term indicates their active participation in the covenant, for which God has promised his protection.