The Hebrew of the first line of this verse is completely unintelligible; literally it seems to say (as the Revised Standard Version footnote has) “like (or, with) the profanest mockers of (or, for) a cake.” There are various explanations of this, most of which seem fanciful rather than possible. New American Bible has followed the Septuagint: “They made me suffer and jeered at me”; some, with a change in vowels in the first word in the Hebrew text, propose to get “When I faltered, they mocked me unceasingly”; New Jerusalem Bible “if I fall they surround me”; New English Bible has “brutes who would mock even a hunchback.” Good News Translation “Like men who would mock a cripple” seems to follow Hebrew Old Testament Text Project in part, which says that the Masoretic text says “among the wicked [men], mockers of deformity [that is, of one who is deformed]” (“C” decision).

In line b “they gnash their teeth at me” is an expression of anger and hatred (so also 37.12; 112.10); Good News Translation uses the less specific “they glared at me with hate,” since the purpose of gnashing of teeth may not be understood by the readers.

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 .