Mazmur 37:2

37:2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,

and wither away like plants. ¹ 

Mazmur 73:11

73:11 They say, “How does God know what we do?

Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?” ² 

Mazmur 78:41

78:41 They again challenged God, ³ 

and offended ⁴  the Holy One of Israel. ⁵ 

Mazmur 107:11

107:11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands, ⁶ 

and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king. ⁷ 

Mazmur 109:5

109:5 They repay me evil for good, ⁸ 

and hate for love.

Mazmur 115:2

115:2 Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

Mazmur 141:10

141:10 Let the wicked fall ⁹  into their ¹⁰  own nets,

while I escape. ¹¹ 

[37:2]  ¹ tn Heb “like green vegetation.”

[73:11]  ² tn Heb “How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High?” They appear to be practical atheists, who acknowledge God’s existence and sovereignty in theory, but deny his involvement in the world (see Pss 10:4, 11; 14:1).

[78:41]  ³ tn Heb “and they returned and tested God.” The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return”) is used here in an adverbial sense to indicate that an earlier action was repeated.

[78:41]  ⁴ tn Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT.

[78:41]  ⁵ sn The basic sense of the word “holy” is “set apart from that which is commonplace, special, unique.” The Lord’s holiness is first and foremost his transcendent sovereignty as the ruler of the world. He is “set apart” from the world over which he rules. At the same time his holiness encompasses his moral authority, which derives from his royal position. As king he has the right to dictate to his subjects how they are to live; indeed his very own character sets the standard for proper behavior. This expression is a common title for the Lord in the book of Isaiah.

[107:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “the words of God.”

[107:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”

[109:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”

[141:10]  ⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”

[141:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his.”

[141:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”