25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!
Teach me your paths! 1
51:13 Then I will teach 2 rebels your merciful ways, 3
and sinners will turn 4 to you.
107:17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, 5
and suffered because of their sins.
119:26 I told you about my ways 6 and you answered me.
Teach me your statutes!
140:2 who plan ways to harm me. 7
All day long they stir up conflict. 8
1 sn Teach me your paths. In this context the
2 tn The cohortative expresses the psalmist’s resolve. This may be a vow or promise. If forgiven, the psalmist will “repay” the Lord by declaring God’s mercy and motivating other sinners to repent.
3 tn Heb “your ways.” The word “merciful” is added for clarification. God’s “ways” are sometimes his commands, but in this context, where the teaching of God’s ways motivates repentance (see the next line), it is more likely that God’s merciful and compassionate way of dealing with sinners is in view. Thanksgiving songs praising God for his deliverance typically focus on these divine attributes (see Pss 34, 41, 116, 138).
4 tn Or “return,” i.e., in repentance.
5 tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
6 tn Heb “my ways I proclaimed.”
7 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
8 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (yÿgaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.