For gird me with strength see comments on verse 32. Assailants translates “those who rise up against” (see comments on “Arise” in 3.7).

In verse 39b the verb translated sink means to bow down, to bend, in defeat and death. In some languages it is possible to keep the figure of subjection; for example, “you have put my enemies under my feet” or “you have thrown my enemies behind me.” My assailants is parallel with my enemies in verse 39b, and with those who hated me in verse 40b. These are not three different groups but three ways of talking about the same people.

In verse 40a the Hebrew is “my enemies you gave me (their) back”; this is generally taken to mean flight in battle. But the noun may mean “the back of the neck,” and so Dahood takes it to be a picture of the victor placing his foot on the neck of his defeated enemy, as in Joshua 10.24 (so New English Bible).

The verb destroyed is a translation of “to silence,” that is, by killing.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .