Mazmur 12:8

12:8 for the wicked seem to be everywhere, ¹ 

when people promote evil. ² 

Mazmur 135:4

135:4 Indeed, ³  the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,

Israel to be his special possession. ⁴ 

Mazmur 140:9

140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me –

may the harm done by ⁵  their lips overwhelm them!

[12:8]  ¹ tn Heb “the wicked walk all around.” One could translate v. 8a as an independent clause, in which case it would be a concluding observation in proverbial style. The present translation assumes that v. 8a is a subordinate explanatory clause, or perhaps a subordinate temporal clause (“while the wicked walk all around”). The adverb סָבִיב (saviv, “around”), in combination with the Hitpael form of the verb “walk” (which indicates repeated action), pictures the wicked as ubiquitous. They have seemingly overrun society.

[12:8]  ² tn Heb “when evil is lifted up by the sons of man.” The abstract noun זֻלּוּת (zulut, “evil”) occurs only here. On the basis of evidence from the cognate languages (see HALOT 272 s.v.), one might propose the meaning “base character,” or “morally foolish behavior.”

[135:4]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[135:4]  ⁴ sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.

[140:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.