Mazmur 73:4

73:4 For they suffer no pain; ¹ 

their bodies ²  are strong and well-fed. ³ 

Mazmur 73:9

73:9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,

and lay claim to the earth. ⁴ 

Mazmur 106:11

106:11 The water covered their enemies;

not even one of them survived. ⁵ 

Mazmur 118:20

118:20 This is the Lord’s gate –

the godly enter through it.

Mazmur 119:60

119:60 I keep your commands

eagerly and without delay. ⁶ 

[73:4]  ¹ tn In Isa 58:6, the only other occurrence of this word in the OT, the term refers to “bonds” or “ropes.” In Ps 73:4 it is used metaphorically of pain and suffering that restricts one’s enjoyment of life.

[73:4]  ² tn Or “bellies.”

[73:4]  ³ tc Or “fat.” The MT of v. 4 reads as follows: “for there are no pains at their death, and fat [is] their body.” Since a reference to the death of the wicked seems incongruous in the immediate context (note v. 5) and premature in the argument of the psalm (see vv. 18-20, 27), some prefer to emend the text by redividing it. The term לְמוֹתָם (lÿmotam,“at their death”) is changed to לָמוֹ תָּם (lamo tam, “[there are no pains] to them, strong [and fat are their bodies]”). The term תָּם (tam, “complete; sound”) is used of physical beauty in Song 5:2; 6:9. This emendation is the basis for the present translation. However, in defense of the MT (the traditional Hebrew text), one may point to an Aramaic inscription from Nerab which views a painful death as a curse and a nonpainful death in one’s old age as a sign of divine favor. See ANET 661.

[73:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “they set in heaven their mouth, and their tongue walks through the earth.” The meaning of the text is uncertain. Perhaps the idea is that they lay claim to heaven (i.e., speak as if they were ruling in heaven) and move through the earth declaring their superiority and exerting their influence. Some take the preposition -בְּ (bet) the first line as adversative and translate, “they set their mouth against heaven,” that is, they defy God.

[106:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “remained.”

[119:60]  ⁶ tn Heb “I hurry and I do not delay to keep your commands.”