Psalms 141:6

They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges. ¹  They ²  will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

1Sa 31:1-8; 2Sa 1:17-27; 2Sa 2:4; 2Sa 2:5,6; 2Sa 5:1-3; 2Sa 23:1; 1Ch 10:1-7; 1Ch 11:1-3; 1Ch 12:38; 1Ch 13:2; Ps 45:2; Lu 4:22

¹ tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.

² tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.