¹ tn “They” refers to the psalmist’s enemies, who in the previous verse are described as “powerful bulls.”

² 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).

³ tn Heb “a lion ripping and roaring.”

⁴ tn Heb “because you acted.” The psalmist has in mind God’s disciplinary measures (see vv. 10-13).

⁵ sn You broke open the spring and the stream. Perhaps this alludes to the way in which God provided water for the Israelites as they traveled in the wilderness following the exodus (see Ps 78:15-16, 20; 105:41).

⁶ sn Perpetually flowing rivers are rivers that contain water year round, unlike the seasonal streams that flow only during the rainy season. Perhaps the psalmist here alludes to the drying up of the Jordan River when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan under Joshua (see Josh 3-4).

⁷ tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).

⁸ tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.

⁹ tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).

¹⁰ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

¹¹ tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.

¹² tn Heb “[with what they] desire.”