translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PSA

label: NET translator note

text: The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the introductory note for this psalm.


text: Or “my life.”


text: Heb “from a lip of falsehood.”


text: Heb “from a tongue of deception.”


text: Heb “What will he give to you, and what will he add to you, O tongue of deception?” The psalmist addresses his deceptive enemies. The Lord is the understood subject of the verbs “give” and “add.” The second part of the question echoes a standard curse formula, “thus the Lord /God will do … and thus he will add” (see Ruth 1:17 ; 1 Sam 3:17; 14:44; 20:13; 25:22 ; 2 Sam 3:9, 35; 19:13 ; 1 Kgs 2:23 ; 2 Kgs 6:31 ).


text: The words “here’s how” are supplied in the translation as a clarification. In v. 4 the psalmist answers the question he raises in v. 3 .


text: Heb “with coals of the wood of the broom plant.” The wood of the broom plant was used to make charcoal, which in turn was used to fuel the fire used to forge the arrowheads.


text: Or “woe to me.” The Hebrew term אוֹיָה (’ oyah , “woe”) which occurs only here, is an alternate form of אוֹי (’ oy ).


text: Heb “I live as a resident alien.”


text: The singular participial form probably has a representative function here. The psalmist envisions the typical hater of peace who represents the entire category of such individuals.


text: Heb “I, peace.”


text: Heb “they [are] for war.”