90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!
How long must this suffering last? 1
Have pity on your servants! 2
106:45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented 3 because of his great loyal love.
1 tn Heb “Return, O
2 tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.
3 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.