39:11 You severely discipline people for their sins; 1
like a moth you slowly devour their strength. 2
Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)
49:10 Surely 3 one sees 4 that even wise people die; 5
fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away 6
and leave their wealth to others. 7
148:14 He has made his people victorious, 8
and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –
the Israelites, the people who are close to him. 9
Praise the Lord!
1 tn “with punishments on account of sin you discipline a man.”
2 tc Heb “you cause to dissolve, like a moth, his desired [thing].” The translation assumes an emendation of חֲמוּדוֹ (khamudo, “his desirable [thing]”) to חֶמְדוֹ (khemdo, “his loveliness” [or “beauty”]), a reading that is supported by a few medieval Hebrew
3 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is understood here as asseverative (emphatic).
4 tn The subject of the verb is probably the typical “man” mentioned in v. 7. The imperfect can be taken here as generalizing or as indicating potential (“surely he/one can see”).
5 tn The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to what is characteristically true. The vav (ו) consecutive with perfect in the third line carries the same force.
6 tn Heb “together a fool and a brutish [man] perish.” The adjective בַּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish”) refers to spiritual insensitivity, not mere lack of intelligence or reasoning ability (see Pss 73:22; 92:6; Prov 12:1; 30:2, as well as the use of the related verb in Ps 94:8).
7 sn Death shows no respect for anyone. No matter how wise or foolish an individual happens to be, all pass away.
8 tn Heb “and he lifted up a horn for his people.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). Another option is to take the “horn” as a symbol for the Davidic king, through whom the
9 tn “[there is] praise for all his loyal followers, to the sons of Israel, the people near him.” Here “praise” stands by metonymy for the victory that prompts it.