Psa 64:7-10 | NET2full | STEP | But God will shoot at them; suddenly they will be wounded by an arrow .

‏ Psalms 64:7-10

7 But God will shoot ^{▼▼tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive is normally used in narrative contexts to describe completed past actions. It is possible that the conclusion to the psalm (vv. 7-10) was added to the lament after God’s judgment of the wicked in response to the psalmist’s lament (vv. 1-6). The translation assumes that these verses are anticipatory and express the psalmist’s confidence that God would eventually judge the wicked. The psalmist uses a narrative style as a rhetorical device to emphasize his certitude. See GKC 329-30 §111.w.} at them;
suddenly they will be ^{▼▼tn The perfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s certitude about the coming demise of the wicked.} wounded by an arrow. ^{▼▼tn The translation follows the traditional accentuation of the MT. Another option is to translate, “But God will shoot them down with an arrow, suddenly they will be wounded” (cf. NIV, NRSV).}
8 Their slander will bring about their demise. ^{▼▼tc The MT reads literally, “and they caused him [or it] to stumble upon them, their tongue.” Perhaps the third plural subject of the verb is indefinite with the third singular pronominal suffix on the verb being distributive (see Ps 63:10). In this case one may translate, “each one will be made to stumble.” The preposition עַל (ʿal) might then be taken as adversative, “against them [is] their tongue.” Many prefer to emend the text to וַיַּכְשִׁילֵמוֹ עֲלֵי לְשׁוֹנָם (vayyakhshilemo ʿale leshonam, “and he caused them to stumble over their tongue”). However, if this reading is original, it is difficult to see how the present reading of the MT arose. Furthermore, the preposition is not collocated with the verb כָּשַׁל (kashal) elsewhere. Perhaps a better option is that the third singular pronominal suffix “it” refers to the following noun “tongue” translated “they caused it, their tongue, to stumble on themselves” (see GKC 425-26 §131.m, o).}
All who see them will shudder, ^{▼▼tn The Hitpolel verbal form is probably from the root נוּד (nud; see HALOT 678 s.v. נוד), which is attested elsewhere in the Hitpolel stem, not the root נָדַד (nadad, as proposed by BDB 622 s.v. I נָדַד), which does not occur elsewhere in this stem.}
9 and all people will fear. ^{▼▼tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read וַיִּרְאוּ (vayyirʾu, “and they will see”) instead of וַיִּירְאוּ (vayyireʾu, “and they will fear”).}
They will proclaim what God has done, ^{▼▼tn Heb “the work of God,” referring to the judgment described in v. 7.}
and reflect on his deeds.
10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
and take shelter in him.
All the morally upright ^{▼▼tn Heb “upright in heart.”} will boast. ^{▼▼tn That is, about the Lord’s accomplishments on their behalf.}