39:8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!
Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!
41:7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; 1
they plan ways to harm me.
59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 2
for they say, 3
“Who hears?”
119:42 Then I will have a reply for the one who insults me, 4
for I trust in your word.
1 tn Heb “together against me they whisper, all those who hate me.” The Hitpael of לָחַשׁ (lakhash) refers here to whispering to one another (see 2 Sam 12:19).
2 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
3 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
4 tn Heb “and I will answer [the] one who insults me a word.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive (see v. 41).