17:8 Upright men are appalled 1 at this;
the innocent man is troubled 2 with the godless.
21:5 Look 3 at me and be appalled;
put your hands over your mouths. 4
1 tn This verb שָׁמַם (shamam, “appalled”) is the one found in Isa 52:14, translated there “astonished.”
2 tn The verb means “to rouse oneself to excitement.” It naturally means “to be agitated; to be stirred up.”
3 tn The verb פְּנוּ (pÿnu) is from the verb “to turn,” related to the word for “face.” In calling for them to turn toward him, he is calling for them to look at him. But here it may be more in the sense of their attention rather than just a looking at him.
4 tn The idiom is “put a hand over a mouth,” the natural gesture for keeping silent and listening (cf. Job 29:9; 40:4; Mic 7:16).