Psalms 35:15

But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together; they gathered together to ambush me. ¹  They tore at me without stopping to rest. ² 

But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.

But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing.

But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I don’t even know; they hurl slander at me continually.

But when I was down they threw a party! All the nameless riffraff of the town came chanting insults about me.

But they took pleasure in my trouble, and came together, yes, low persons came together against me without my knowledge; they never came to an end of wounding me.

But at my stumbling they gathered in glee, they gathered together against me; ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;

But in my adversity they rejoiced And gathered together; Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it ; They tore at me and did not cease;

But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together; they gathered together to ambush me. ¹  They tore at me without stopping to rest. ² 

¹ tn Heb “they gathered together against me, stricken [ones], and I did not know.” The Hebrew form נֵכִים (nekhim, “stricken ones” ?) is problematic. Some suggest an emendation to נָכְרִים[כְ] (kÿnokhÿrim, “foreigners”) or “like foreigners,” which would fit with what follows, “[like] foreigners that I do not recognize.” Perhaps the form should be read as a Qal active participle, נֹכִים (nokhim, “ones who strike”) from the verbal root נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike”). The Qal of this verb is unattested in biblical Hebrew, but the peal (basic) stem appears in Old Aramaic (J. Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire [BibOr], 114; DNWSI 1:730.) In this case one might translate, “attackers gathered together against me though I was not aware of it” (cf. NASB “smiters”; NEB, NRSV “ruffians”; NIV “attackers”).

² tn Heb “they tore and did not keep quiet.” By using the verb “tear,” the psalmist likens his enemies to a wild animal (see Hos 13:8). In v. 17 he compares them to hungry young lions.