OET interlinear PSA 13:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

פֶּן־יֹאמַ֣ר אֹיְבִ֣⁠י

(Some words not found in UHB: pay,attention answer,me YHWH God_of,my give,light_to eyes_of,my lest sleep the,death )

David is using the word translated as Lest to introduce an outcome that he does not want to happen. Because of this, he first asks God to help him (3) so that this will not happen. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that avoiding this outcome is the purpose of the request. Alternate translation: [Otherwise the one being hostile to me will say] or [Or else the one being hostile to me will say]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

צָרַ֥⁠י יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ

(Some words not found in UHB: pay,attention answer,me YHWH God_of,my give,light_to eyes_of,my lest sleep the,death )

The psalmist is leaving out a word that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. Here the word is either “and” (which the ULT supplies) or “lest.” You can supply the word or words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [lest my adversaries rejoice]

כִּ֣י

(Some words not found in UHB: pay,attention answer,me YHWH God_of,my give,light_to eyes_of,my lest sleep the,death )

The word the ULT translates as when, in this context, could mean: (1) “when” or (2) “because.” Alternate translation: [because]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

אֶמּֽוֹט

(Some words not found in UHB: pay,attention answer,me YHWH God_of,my give,light_to eyes_of,my lest sleep the,death )

The expression I am shaken is a passive verbal form. If your language would not use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [they shake me] or [they overcome me]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֶמּֽוֹט

(Some words not found in UHB: pay,attention answer,me YHWH God_of,my give,light_to eyes_of,my lest sleep the,death )

Here David is speaking of himself as if he were an object that could be shaken. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [I am overcome] or [I am defeated]