Mazmur 6:10

6:10 May all my enemies be humiliated ¹  and absolutely terrified! ² 

May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!

Mazmur 35:26

35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ³ 

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! ⁴ 

Mazmur 40:14

40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! ⁵ 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! ⁶ 

[6:10]  ¹ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist concludes his prayer with an imprecation, calling judgment down on his enemies.

[6:10]  ² tn Heb “and may they be very terrified.” The psalmist uses the same expression in v. 3 to describe the terror he was experiencing. Now he asks the Lord to turn the tables and cause his enemies to know what absolute terror feels like.

[35:26]  ³ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”

[35:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.

[40:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”

[40:14]  ⁶ tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

[40:14]  sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.