Discovery BoxPsalms 68:23 
Context68:23 so that your feet may stomp 1 in their blood,
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” 2
Psalms 89:32
Context89:32 I will punish their rebellion by beating them with a club, 3
their sin by inflicting them with bruises. 4
Psalms 120:2
Context120:2 I said, 5 “O Lord, rescue me 6
from those who lie with their lips 7
and those who deceive with their tongue. 8
Psalms 146:4
Context146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;
on that day their plans die. 9
1 tc Some (e.g. NRSV) prefer to emend מָחַץ (makhats, “smash; stomp”; see v. 21) to רָחַץ (rakhats, “bathe”; see Ps 58:10).
2 tn Heb “[and] the tongue of your dogs from [the] enemies [may eat] its portion.”
3 tn Heb “I will punish with a club their rebellion.”
sn Despite the harsh image of beating…with a club, the language reflects a father-son relationship (see v. 30; 2 Sam 7:14). According to Proverbs, a שֵׁבֶט (shevet, “club”) was sometimes utilized to administer corporal punishment to rebellious children (see Prov 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15).
4 tn Heb “with blows their sin.”
5 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the introductory note for this psalm.
6 tn Or “my life.”
7 tn Heb “from a lip of falsehood.”
8 tn Heb “from a tongue of deception.”
9 tn Heb “his spirit goes out, it returns to his ground; in that day his plans die.” The singular refers to the representative man mentioned in v. 3b.
