Mazmur 89:31-34

89:31 if they break ¹  my rules

and do not keep my commandments,

89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, ² 

their sin by inflicting them with bruises. ³ 

89:33 But I will not remove ⁴  my loyal love from him,

nor be unfaithful to my promise. ⁵ 

89:34 I will not break ⁶  my covenant

or go back on what I promised. ⁷ 

[89:31]  ¹ tn Or “desecrate.”

[89:32]  ² tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”

[89:32]  sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).

[89:32]  ³ tn Heb “with blows their sin.”

[89:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “break”; “make ineffectual.” Some prefer to emend אָפִיר (’afir; the Hiphil of פָּרַר, parar, “to break”) to אָסִיר (’asir; the Hiphil of סוּר, sur, “to turn aside”), a verb that appears in 2 Sam 7:15.

[89:33]  ⁵ tn Heb “and I will not deal falsely with my faithfulness.”

[89:34]  ⁶ tn Or “desecrate.”

[89:34]  ⁷ tn Heb “and what proceeds out of my lips I will not alter.”