OET interlinear PSA 53:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-poetry

פָּֽחֲדוּ־פַחַד֮

(Some words not found in UHB: ?,not have_~_knowledge workers_of wickedness eat_up_of people_of,(of)_my eat food/grain/bread ʼElohīm not call_on )

The psalmist is using a construction in which a verb and its object come from the same root. You may be able to use the same construction in your language to express the meaning here. Alternatively, your language may have another way of saying this. Alternate translation: [they feared greatly]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / apostrophe

אֱלֹהִ֗ים פִּ֭זַּר עַצְמ֣וֹת חֹנָ֑⁠ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מְאָסָֽ⁠ם

(Some words not found in UHB: ?,not have_~_knowledge workers_of wickedness eat_up_of people_of,(of)_my eat food/grain/bread ʼElohīm not call_on )

The psalmist is addressing the nation of Israel as if it were an individual, even though he knows that it cannot hear him. He is doing this to communicate to anyone who hears this song that he feels very strongly about how God defeated and destroyed this attacking army. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate these words as if the psalmist were speaking objectively about this army. Alternate translation: [God scattered the bones of the ones encamping against Israel. The Israelites have shamed them, for God despises them]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אֱלֹהִ֗ים פִּ֭זַּר עַצְמ֣וֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: ?,not have_~_knowledge workers_of wickedness eat_up_of people_of,(of)_my eat food/grain/bread ʼElohīm not call_on )

The psalmist is using the fact that the surviving soldiers of this army were not able to bury their fellow soldiers who were killed, so that their bones were left scattered on the field of battle, to represent how completely God defeated this army. Alternate translation: [God completely defeated and destroyed]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

חֹנָ֑⁠ךְ

(Some words not found in UHB: ?,not have_~_knowledge workers_of wickedness eat_up_of people_of,(of)_my eat food/grain/bread ʼElohīm not call_on )

The psalmist is using one person who was involved in encamping against the Israelites, probably the king who commanded this army, to mean everyone who was involved. (This is clear from the way the psalmist says them later in this verse.) If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the ones encamping against you] or [the soldiers who attacked you]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

חֹנָ֑⁠ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה

(Some words not found in UHB: ?,not have_~_knowledge workers_of wickedness eat_up_of people_of,(of)_my eat food/grain/bread ʼElohīm not call_on )

The word “you” is singular in both instances in this verse, so use the singular form in your translation if your language marks that distinction.

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

חֹנָ֑⁠ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה

(Some words not found in UHB: ?,not have_~_knowledge workers_of wickedness eat_up_of people_of,(of)_my eat food/grain/bread ʼElohīm not call_on )

The pronoun you seems to refer in context to “Israel” in the next verse. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [against you, Israel. You have shamed them]