Psalms 27:11-12

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; 1 

lead me along a level path 2  because of those who wait to ambush me! 3 

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 4 

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 5 

1 tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.

2 sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).

3 tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.

4 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”

5 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.