The language in this verse is the figure of a farmer plowing his field: the sharp end of the plow cuts deep furrows in the earth and leaves ridges behind. In the same way (by a change of metaphor) the cruel oppressors of the Israelites had been like slave overseers whose whips would leave deep welts on the slaves’ backs. The figure is not one easily portrayed in translation, and it may be necessary to abandon it altogether. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “They have wounded my shoulders with whips, opening large welts in them”; Bible en français courant has “They have left deep furrows in my back, like a man plowing a field.” The most cruel and painful kind of suffering is indicated. In translation it may be necessary to make clear that the image refers to suffering; for example, “They made me suffer, like a farmer plowing a field they made deep wounds in my back.” In some languages it will be necessary to adapt the plowing metaphor to say in verse 3b, for example, “and made my back like a hoed field” or “tore open my back like a farmer works a field.”

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 .