32:6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers 1 should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity. 2
Certainly 3 when the surging water 4 rises,
it will not reach them. 5
85:8 I will listen to what God the Lord says. 6
For he will make 7 peace with his people, his faithful followers. 8
Yet they must not 9 return to their foolish ways.
1 tn A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
2 tn Heb “at a time of finding.” This may mean, “while there is time to ‘find’ [the
3 tn The Hebrew term רַק (raq) occasionally has an asseverative force.
4 sn The surging water is here a metaphor for trouble that endangers one’s life.
5 tn Heb “him.” The translation uses the plural “them” to agree with the plural “every one of your faithful followers” in the first line of v. 6.
6 sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.
7 tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).
8 tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.
9 tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (’el), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.