Mazmur 27:8

27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, ¹ 

and I do pray to you, O Lord. ² 

Mazmur 35:3

35:3 Use your spear and lance ³  against ⁴  those who chase me!

Assure me with these words: ⁵  “I am your deliverer!”

Mazmur 50:23

50:23 Whoever presents a thank-offering honors me. ⁶ 

To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.” ⁷ 

Mazmur 86:14

86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; ⁸ 

a gang ⁹  of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. ¹⁰ 

Mazmur 109:28

109:28 They curse, but you will bless. ¹¹ 

When they attack, they will be humiliated, ¹² 

but your servant will rejoice.

Mazmur 143:11

143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, ¹³  revive me! ¹⁴ 

Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! ¹⁵ 

[27:8]  ¹ tc Heb “concerning you my heart says, ‘Seek my face.’” The verb form “seek” is plural, but this makes no sense here, for the psalmist is addressed. The verb should be emended to a singular form. The first person pronominal suffix on “face” also makes little sense, unless it is the voice of the Lord he hears. His “heart” is viewed as speaking, however, so it is better to emend the form to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”).

[27:8]  ² tn Heb “your face, O Lord, I seek.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 24:6; 105:4).

[35:3]  ³ tn Or “javelin.” On the meaning of this word, which occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, see M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:210-11.

[35:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “draw out spear and lance to meet.”

[35:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “say to me,” or “say to my soul.”

[50:23]  ⁶ sn The reference to a thank-offering recalls the earlier statement made in v. 14. Gratitude characterizes genuine worship.

[50:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “and [to one who] sets a way I will show the deliverance of God.” Elsewhere the phrase “set a way” simply means “to travel” (see Gen 30:36; cf. NRSV). The present translation assumes an emendation of וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ (vÿsam derekh) to וְשֹׁמֵר דְּרָכַּי (vÿshomer dÿrakhay, “and [the one who] keeps my ways” [i.e., commands, see Pss 18:21; 37:34). Another option is to read וְשֹׁמֵר דַּרְכּוֹ (vÿshomer darko, “and [the one who] guards his way,” i.e., “the one who is careful to follow a godly lifestyle”; see Ps 39:1).

[86:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “rise up against me.”

[86:14]  ⁹ tn Or “assembly.”

[86:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.

[109:28]  ¹¹ tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).

[109:28]  ¹² tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.

[143:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.

[143:11]  ¹⁴ tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.

[143:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”