Blessed be: see comments at 18.46 and 16.7.
He has wondrously shown his steadfast love requires more adjustments in some languages than in Good News Translation. This is so since in some languages it is not possible to “show love.” Hence it is often necessary to say, for example, “he has loved me in a wonderful way” or “he has loved me very much. How wonderfully he has done it!”
In verse 21c the Masoretic text is “in a besieged city” (which Revised Standard Version translates as a simile). Some take the adjective here to mean “stress” (see K-B) and change the Hebrew for “in a city” to Hebrew for “in a time,” which results in “in time of stress” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); others make other changes to get “in time of trouble.” New Jerusalem Bible takes the Masoretic text to refer to the LORD, “a veritable bastion.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates literally “in a besieged city”; another example may be “in the fortified city,” and New Jerusalem Bible “in a fortified city,” referring, perhaps, to Jerusalem. Dahood has “from the fortified city,” a reference to the heavenly abode of Yahweh. It is impossible to decide whether the language is meant literally or figuratively. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the expression may be taken literally, “in a besieged (or, fortified) city” or figuratively, of God’s grace, “as a fortified city” (“A” decision). It seems best to translate either quite literally, “when I was in a besieged city,” or else to translate as a simile, “when I was like a besieged city” (Bible en français courant); Good News Translation has understood the Hebrew as a simile but has abandoned altogether the figure of a city under siege.
If the translator wishes to keep something similar to a besieged city, it may be necessary to recast this expression as a descriptive phrase and say, for example, “a city that is being attacked by enemies” or “a city that soldiers are attacking to destroy.”
In verse 22 Yahweh is addressed in the second person; as often, Good News Translation retains the third person of verse 21.
In verse 22b I am driven far translates a Hebrew verb (garash) found in two manuscripts (see also Jonah 2.5); the Masoretic text has the verb garaz, “be exterminated,” while other Hebrew manuscripts have the verb gazar, meaning “cut, slaughter.” The sense “to be driven out” seems to fit the context better than “be slaughtered.” “To be cut off,” meaning “to be separated,” also fits the context. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the Masoretic text means “I found myself left unprovided for.” To be driven far from thy sight will require some adjustments in translation; for example, “he has sent me away from himself” or “he has made me go far away from him.”
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 .