17:4 As for the actions of people 1 –
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men. 2
78:5 He established a rule 3 in Jacob;
he set up a law in Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to make his deeds known to their descendants, 4
1 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
2 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
3 tn The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to God’s command that the older generation teach their children about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history (see Exod 10:2; Deut 4:9; 6:20-25).
4 tn Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the