Psalms 40:15-16

40:15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be humiliated and disgraced!

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually,

“May the Lord be praised!”


tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.

tn Heb “May they be humiliated according to their shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’”

tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.