This whole quotation, in its present context, is a favorable judgment given by God the Father on the total life and work of his Son. For this reason it is perhaps unnecessary to change the past tenses “loved” and “hated” into the present, as done in Good News Translation and Bible en français courant but not in other CLT’s.
In rendering You love what is right and hate what is wrong, it may be necessary to specify who is related to what is right and what is wrong; for example, “You love to see people do what is right, and you hate to see people do what is wrong” or “You love what people do which is right, and you hate what people do which is wrong.” This is probably what the verse means in its Old Testament setting. On the other hand, the relationship may be to the activity of the Son himself; therefore a possible rendering is “You love to do what is right, and you hate to do what is wrong.” This is probably what the verse means in Hebrews (compare 10.5-10).
In a number of languages it would be strange and even misleading to have a reference to God, your God in a place where God is already the speaker (see the beginning of verse 8). Therefore it may be necessary to restructure the corresponding sentence as “That is why I your God have chosen you.” It is also important to note that in some languages one cannot speak of your God in the sense of possessing God. One may, however, use a phrase such as “the God whom you worship” or “the God to whom you belong.” Note that with this shift of God, your God to “I your God” it is also necessary to introduce the first person singular in the latter part of verse 9; for example, “far greater than I have given to your companions.”
Anointing with oil is associated in the Old Testament with happiness (compare Isa 61.3), and especially with the coronation of a king. Oil is not used in this way in most cultures, and a glossary note on “anoint” may be needed as in Good News Translation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch brings out the meaning: “therefore has the Lord, your God, chosen you and given greater honor and joy to you than to all who belong to you.” Has given you the joy of an honor is in many languages expressed only as a type of causative expression; for example, “I have given you honor which causes you joy,” “I have caused you to have joy because of an honor,” “… by means of an honor,” or “… joy because I have honored you.”
Your companions implies sharing rather than dependence. The writer does not say who are the companions of the Son, and so the translator does not need to make it explicit at this point, but the same Greek word in Hebrews 3.14 (partners) refers to believers in Christ. Companions may be rendered as “those who are with you,” but it can also be understood in the sense of “your friends” or “your colleagues.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .