Psalms 55:14

55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other;

in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.

Psalms 81:16

81:16 “I would feed Israel the best wheat,

and would satisfy your appetite with honey from the rocky cliffs.”


tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.

tn Heb “and he fed him from the best of the wheat.” The Hebrew text has a third person form of the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive attached. However, it is preferable, in light of the use of the first person in v. 14 and in the next line, to emend the verb to a first person form and understand the vav as conjunctive, continuing the apodosis of the conditional sentence of vv. 13-14. The third masculine singular pronominal suffix refers to Israel, as in v. 6.

sn I would feed. After the parenthetical “curse” in v. 15, the Lord’s speech continues here.

tn Heb “you.” The second person singular pronominal suffix refers to Israel, as in vv. 7-10.

sn The language in this verse, particularly the references to wheat and honey, is reminiscent of Deut 32:13-14.