Mazmur 34:22

34:22 The Lord rescues his servants; ¹ 

all who take shelter in him escape punishment. ² 

Mazmur 62:4

62:4 They ³  spend all their time planning how to bring him ⁴  down. ⁵ 

They love to use deceit; ⁶ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ⁷  (Selah)

[34:22]  ¹ tn Heb “redeems the life of his servants.” The Hebrew participial form suggests such deliverance is characteristic.

[34:22]  ² tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 31:19).

[62:4]  ³ tn That is, the psalmist’s enemies addressed in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁴ tn That is, the generic “man” referred to in the previous verse.

[62:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “only from his lofty place [or perhaps, “dignity”] they plan to drive [him] away.”

[62:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “they delight [in] a lie.”

[62:4]  ⁷ sn The enemies use deceit to bring down their victim. They make him think they are his friends by pronouncing blessings upon him, but inwardly they desire his demise.