Mazmur 49:20

49:20 Wealthy people do not understand; ¹ 

they are like animals ²  that perish. ³ 

Mazmur 119:34

119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,

and keep it with all my heart. ⁴ 

Mazmur 119:99

119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your rules.

[49:20]  ¹ tn Heb “mankind in honor does not understand.” The Hebrew term יְקָר (yÿqar, “honor”) probably refers here to the wealth mentioned in the preceding context. The imperfect verbal form draws attention to what is characteristically true. Some emend יָבִין (yavin, “understands”) to יָלִין (yalin, “remains”), but this is an unnecessary accommodation to the wording of v. 12.

[49:20]  ² tn Or “cattle.”

[49:20]  ³ tn The Hebrew verb is derived from דָּמָה (damah, “cease, destroy”; BDB 198 s.v.). Another option is to derive the verb from דָּמָה (damah, “be silent”; see HALOT 225 s.v. II דמה, which sees two homonymic roots [I דָּמַה, “be silent,” and II דָּמַה, “destroy”] rather than a single root) and translate, “they are like dumb beasts.” This makes particularly good sense here, where the preceding line focuses on mankind’s lack of understanding.

[119:34]  ⁴ tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.