Discovery BoxPsalms 17:9 
Context17:9 Protect me from 1 the wicked men who attack 2 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 3
Psalms 55:18
Context55:18 He will rescue 4 me and protect me from those who attack me, 5
even though 6 they greatly outnumber me. 7
Psalms 56:2
Context56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat 8 attack me all day long.
Indeed, 9 many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. 10
Psalms 86:14
Context86:14 O God, arrogant men attack me; 11
a gang 12 of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life. 13
Psalms 109:28
Context109:28 They curse, but you will bless. 14
When they attack, they will be humiliated, 15
but your servant will rejoice.
1 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
3 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (bÿnefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
4 tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).
5 tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”
6 tn Or “for.”
7 tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (’immad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.
8 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
9 tn Or “for.”
10 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The
11 tn Heb “rise up against me.”
12 tn Or “assembly.”
13 tn Heb “seek my life and do not set you before them.” See Ps 54:3.
14 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
15 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
