Psalm 139:20–21

Footnotes

1. 32 Heb “who.”
2. 33 Heb “they speak [of] you.” The suffixed form of the verb אָמַר (’amar, “to speak”) is peculiar. The translation assumes an emendation to יַמְרֻךָ (yamrukha), a Hiphil form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”; see Ps 78:40).
3. 34 Heb “by deceit.”
4. 35 Heb “lifted up for emptiness, your cities.” The Hebrew text as it stands makes no sense. The form נָשֻׂא (nasu’; a Qal passive participle) should be emended to נָשְׂאוּ (noséu; a Qal perfect, third common plural, “[they] lift up”). Many emend עָרֶיךָ (’arekha, “your cities”) to עָלֶיךָ (’alekha, “against you”), but it is preferable to understand the noun as an Aramaism and translate “your enemies” (see Dan 4:16 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 [], ).
5. 36 Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqomémekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvémitqomémekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed mem [ם] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the , though a few medieval Hebrew have it).