Discovery BoxPsalms 55:12-14 
Context55:12 Indeed, 1 it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, 2
or else I could hide from him.
55:13 But it is you, 3 a man like me, 4
my close friend in whom I confided. 5
55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; 6
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
Psalms 55:20
Context55:20 He 7 attacks 8 his friends; 9
he breaks his solemn promises to them. 10
1 tn Or “for.”
2 tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.
3 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
4 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
5 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
6 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
7 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
8 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
9 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
10 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
