78:72 David 1 cared for them with pure motives; 2
he led them with skill. 3
107:27 They swayed 4 and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective. 5
1 tn Heb “He”; the referent (David, God’s chosen king, mentioned in v. 70) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “and he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart.”
3 tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”
4 tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”
5 tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”