Mazmur 7:15

7:15 he digs a pit ¹ 

and then falls into the hole he has made. ² 

Mazmur 26:12

26:12 I am safe, ³ 

and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.

Mazmur 40:7

40:7 Then I say,

“Look! I come!

What is written in the scroll pertains to me. ⁴ 

Mazmur 112:4

112:4 In the darkness a light ⁵  shines for the godly,

for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just. ⁶ 

Mazmur 118:26

118:26 May the one who comes in the name of the Lord ⁷  be blessed!

We will pronounce blessings on you ⁸  in the Lord’s temple. ⁹ 

Mazmur 119:92

119:92 If I had not found encouragement in your law, ¹⁰ 

I would have died in my sorrow. ¹¹ 

[7:15]  ¹ tn Heb “a pit he digs and he excavates it.” Apparently the imagery of hunting is employed; the wicked sinner digs this pit to entrap and destroy his intended victim. The redundancy in the Hebrew text has been simplified in the translation.

[7:15]  ² tn The verb forms in vv. 15-16 describe the typical behavior and destiny of those who attempt to destroy others. The image of the evildoer falling into the very trap he set for his intended victim emphasizes the appropriate nature of God’s judgment.

[26:12]  ³ tn Heb “my foot stands in a level place.”

[40:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “in the roll of the scroll it is written concerning me.” Apparently the psalmist refers to the law of God (see v. 8), which contains the commandments God desires him to obey. If this is a distinctly royal psalm, then the psalmist/king may be referring specifically to the regulations of kingship prescribed in Deut 17:14-20. See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 315.

[112:4]  ⁵ tn In this context “light” symbolizes divine blessing in its various forms (see v. 2), including material prosperity and stability.

[112:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “merciful and compassionate and just.” The Hebrew text has three singular adjectives, which are probably substantival and in apposition to the “godly” (which is plural, however). By switching to the singular, the psalmist focuses on each individual member of the group known as the “godly.” Note how vv. 5-9, like vv. 1-2a, use the singular to describe the representative godly individual who typifies the whole group.

[118:26]  ⁷ sn The people refer here to the psalmist, who enters the Lord’s temple to thank him publicly (see vv. 19-21), as the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

[118:26]  ⁸ tn The pronominal suffix is second masculine plural, but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note the mem [מ] at the beginning of the following form) or enclitic, in which case the suffix may be taken as second masculine singular, referring to the psalmist.

[118:26]  ⁹ tn Heb “from the house of the Lord.”

[119:92]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “if your law had not been my delight.”

[119:92]  ¹¹ tn Or “my suffering.”