Psalm 4:3-5

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Psalm 4:3 tn Heb “and know that.”
2. Psalm 4:3 tn Heb “that the Lord sets apart a faithful one for himself.” The psalmist states a general principle, though the singular form and the parallel line indicate he has himself in mind as the representative godly person. A חָסִיד (khasid; here translated as “the godly”) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 12:1; 18:25; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).
3. Psalm 4:3 tn Heb “hears.”
4. Psalm 4:4 sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.
5. Psalm 4:4 tn Heb “say in your heart(s) on your bed(s) and wail/lament.” The verb דֹמּוּ (dommu) is understood as a form of דָמָם (“wail, lament”) in sorrow and repentance. Another option is to take the verb from II דָמָם (damam, “be quiet”); cf. NIV, NRSV “be silent.”
6. Psalm 4:5 tn Or “proper, right.” The phrase also occurs in Deut 33:19 and Ps 51:19.
7. Psalm 4:5 sn Trust in the Lord. The psalmist urges his enemies to make peace with God and become his followers.