In his opening plea to the LORD (verses 1-2) the psalmist addresses him as my rock (see 18.2 and comments), which is a figure for “my defender” or “my refuge.” The expression my rock should only be kept if the symbolism intended is sufficiently meaningful. However, in no case does the rock belong to the psalmist; rather, he is the goal of the activity of the LORD’s defense. Therefore it will often be necessary to say “O LORD, you who defend me” or “O LORD, you who protect me from my enemies.”

In lines b and c of verse 1, two different verbs are used, be … deaf and be silent. In this context they mean not to listen to the psalmist and not to answer his cry for help.

Lest with the subjunctive (I become) is not a common expression in English. The meaning is more naturally expressed by “For, if you remain silent, I will be like…” (New International Version).

In verse 1 the word Pit is used as a synonym for Sheol, the world of the dead (also in 30.3; 88.4, 6; 143.7). The psalmist is saying that if the LORD does not answer him, he will be like those who are dying or are already dead, for he will go down to Sheol–he will die. The Pit may be meaningless as a place for the dead in some languages, and “the world of the dead” may be too vague to carry the meaning of dying. Therefore it will sometimes be necessary to say simply “I will die.”

In verse 2 line b is attached to line a and is incomplete without reference to line a. The same is true of the following two lines in Revised Standard Version. There is no heightening or other movement between the lines, nor is there static parallelism. Since lines b, c, and d merely stand in a dependency relation to line a, it is possible to show this dependency in other ways. Good News Translation has created two lines from the four in Revised Standard Version by equating voice of my supplication with I cry … for help, and expressed the other two dependent lines as “when I life my hands….” The result is a clearer two-line parallelism. Translators may follow this model or keep the longer lines as attached lines.

For supplication see comments on 6.9; the expression voice of my supplication means “loud plea, cry for help” (also in verse 6a). New International Version has “cry for mercy.”

The figure I lift up my hands in verse 2 is the attitude of prayer and petition; thy most holy sanctuary translates the word for the Most Holy Place, the innermost sanctuary of the Temple (see Revised Standard Version footnote), where the Covenant Box was kept.

The expression I lift up my hands toward thy most holy sanctuary presents the translator with several problems. Since the lifting up of hands may not carry the meaning of praying, it will often be necessary to make the meaning explicit; for example, “I lift up my hands in prayer.”

The second problem concerns the word toward. The focus of toward is to indicate that the one praying is facing the Temple. In some languages it may be difficult to understand how lifting the hands up will also point them in the direction of the Temple. To make this matter of two directions clearer, it will often be necessary to say, for example, “I face your holy Temple and lift up my hands to pray” or “I turn looking at your holy Temple and raise my hands to pray.”

Holy sanctuary may be looked at as two related but separate translation problems. Holy is associated in the Scriptures with the Spirit of God, with certain kinds of people such as holy prophets, and with various material objects such as priestly clothing, ark, and Temple. In connection with people the term “holy” indicates their relationship to God. Holy objects on the other hand normally involve some ceremonial aspect of relationship to God which can be designated as “dedicated.” In many languages “holy” may be spoken of as “dedicated to worship” or “belonging to God for worship.”

The term sanctuary or “Temple” is translated in some languages as “God’s big prayer house” or “God’s big singing house.” The full expression may then sometimes be rendered “the great prayer house which is dedicated to you” or “the big God-house where people worship you.”

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 .