The psalm begins with Yahweh’s command to the psalmist’s lord. The Hebrew word translated says is a noun which is often used of God’s message, “utterance, saying”; the Hebrew phrase “utterance of Yahweh” occurs only here in Psalms. Some translations therefore avoid using a verb: An American Translation “An oracle of the LORD”; Dahood “Yahweh’s utterance”; Bible en français courant “Statement of the Lord God.” Most translations that have a verb, use the past tense “said,” as Good News Translation has done; Revised Standard Version and New International Version have says. The past tense is preferable. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “God, the Lord, has sent word to you, to you, my lord and king….”
Yahweh speaks to my lord, who is the king (see commentaries, and footnotes to Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Revised Standard Version Oxford Edition, New English Bible Oxford Edition). Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make this explicit. It should be noted that Bible en français courant has à mon Seigneur, le roi; it is not certain what the capital letter S indicates–presumably a royal title, without any intimations of divinity; but Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has only à mon seigneur. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is meinem Herrn und König; but since nouns in German are capitalized, this presumably means “my lord and king.” Both the jmp Brazilian|prj:ARC.PSA.110.1jmp* and the Portuguese common language translations have “my lord, the king.” New International Version has “The LORD says to my LORD.” ver1 The Living Biblever1* makes the psalmist write like a Christian: “Jehovah said to my LORD the Messiah.” In many languages the term often used for God (Lord) cannot be used to refer to the king; for this reason the confusion that appears in English and other languages may not be present. However, if the same term is used, it is best, as in Good News Translation, to add “the king.” Yahweh invites him to sit at the place of honor, “my right side” (see 45.9 and comments). In languages in which the right side does not carry the meaning of “place of honor,” it is sometimes advisable to say, for example, “on my right side, which is the place of honor” or “to my right, where I give you honor.”
The preposition translated till (verse 1c) may be rendered “while” (New Jerusalem Bible); New English Bible has “when,” with two alternatives, “until” or “while.” Bible de Jérusalem translates “since I have made.” Till or “until” implies that the command to the king to sit at Yahweh’s right is good only until the complete victory over his enemies; in order to avoid this implication, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “for I am about to make,” Bible en français courant “I am going to compel,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I will submit your enemies to you.” The Hebrew footstool is used here as a symbol of the complete victory of the king over his enemies; see the passage where the victorious captains place their feet on the necks of their defeated foes (Josh 10.24). In some languages the figurative language may not be appropriate, so something like “I will place your enemies under your power” or “I will make you defeat your enemies” may be better.
In the New Testament this passage is applied to the risen Christ, who reigns in power at God’s right side in heaven (Acts 2.32-36; Eph 1.20-21; Col 3.1; Heb 1.13; 8.1; 10.12-13).
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 .