26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle, 1
so I can appear before your altar, 2 O Lord,
73:13 I concluded, 3 “Surely in vain I have kept my motives 4 pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle. 5
119:14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules 6
as if 7 they were riches of all kinds. 8
ה (He)
119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, 9
so that I might observe it continually. 10
36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; 11
he does not reject what is evil. 12
1 tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.
2 tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
3 tn The words “I concluded” are supplied in the translation. It is apparent that vv. 13-14 reflect the psalmist’s thoughts at an earlier time (see vv. 2-3), prior to the spiritual awakening he describes in vv. 17-28.
4 tn Heb “heart,” viewed here as the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
5 tn Heb “and washed my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The reference to “hands” suggests actions.
6 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
7 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
8 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
9 tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”
10 tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”
11 tn Heb “he takes a stand in a way [that is] not good.” The word “way” here refers metaphorically to behavior or life style.
12 tn The three imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 highlight the characteristic behavior of the typical evildoer.