As Revised Standard Version shows, in verses 3, 4, and 5 the vocative O Lord (the title, not the name Yahweh) occurs once in each verse; for stylistic reasons Good News Translation has it only once. For be gracious see 4.1 and comments. In verse 3b all the day is not meant literally; “constant,” or “insistent,” or “continual” prayer is meant.

In verse 4a (as in verse 2b) the psalmist refers to himself as thy servant. “The nefesh of thy servant” is the psalmist’s way of referring to his innermost self. In verse 4b the Hebrew is “I lift my nefesh to you,” which Good News Translation takes to mean prayer (see 25.1 and comments). It is not necessary to have the prayers “go up to you” as in Good News Translation, and in many languages this figure lift up my soul may be rendered “I pray to you” or “I worship you.”

In verse 5 the adjective forgiving in Hebrew occurs only here in the Old Testament; the related verb is frequently used, always with God as subject (see comment on “pardon” in 25.11).

It should be noted that Good News Translation “good to us and forgiving” is used to avoid the phrase good and forgiving (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation), which could be wrongly understood, since “good and…” is often used as an intensifier, as in “he is good and mad.” Good News Translation has supplied “us” as the object of God’s goodness and forgiveness. However, there is nowhere in this psalm a mention of “us,” and translators may find that “me” is more in keeping with the rest of the individual and personal style of the prayer.

For steadfast love see 5.7.

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 .