Psalms 40:3

40:3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 1 

praising our God. 2 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 3 

Psalms 59:11

59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,

because then my people might forget the lesson. 4 

Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,

O Lord who shields us! 5 

1 sn A new song was appropriate because the Lord had intervened in the psalmist’s experience in a fresh and exciting way.

2 tn Heb “and he placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God.”

3 tn Heb “may many see and fear and trust in the Lord.” The translation assumes that the initial prefixed verbal form is a jussive (“may many see”), rather than an imperfect (“many will see”). The following prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive are taken as indicating purpose or result (“so that they might swear allegiance…and trust”) after the introductory jussive.

4 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”

sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.

5 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”