1 sn The psalmist figuratively compares his enemies to dangerous bulls.
2 sn Bashan, located east of the Jordan River, was well-known for its cattle. See Ezek 39:18; Amos 4:1.
3 tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”
4 tn Heb “they open against me their mouth[s].” To “open the mouth against” is a Hebrew idiom associated with eating and swallowing (see Ezek 2:8; Lam 2:16).
5 tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”
6 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 17-18 draw attention to the progressive nature of the action.
7 tn Heb “they.” The masculine form indicates the enemies are in view. The referent (the psalmist’s enemies) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “they gaze, they look upon me.”
