The psalm closes with praise for Yahweh’s laws and Temple. For decrees see 19.7c, where Revised Standard Version has “testimony” in the same expression; are very sure means that Yahweh’s laws are unchangeable, they apply for all time.

The statement about the holiness of the LORD’s house is made by use of a verb which means “to be seemly, proper, fit” (see “befits” also in 33.1); holiness is the outstanding characteristic of the Temple. Bible en français courant translates “your temple should be a holy house.” It is holy because the LORD, who dwells there, is holy.

But instead of reading the Hebrew word for befits as a verb, some translations (New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) read it as a noun, “holiness is the beauty of your house.” New International Version translates “holiness adorns your house.” Dahood translates the line differently: “in your temple the holy ones will laud you” (see his comments; see also Anderson). He takes “your temple” to be heaven, and “the holy ones” to be the gods. It is better not to follow Dahood here. (For a translation discussion of “holy” in relation to the Temple, see 28.2.)

The last line in Hebrew can be taken to mean “Yahweh (is) forever and ever,” similar to verse 2b, with LORD understood as nominative. Most, however, understand LORD as vocative, as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation do. For evermore is literally “for length of days,” meaning that the statement will always be true.

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 .