In this verse the psalmist to some degree makes line b more astonishing, with revealing the foundations of the world, not merely the channels of the sea. However, the degree is slight in the first pair, that is, in lines a and b. By contrast, in the second pair, lines c and d, the movement from the rebuke of the LORD to the blast of the breath of his nostrils is a vivid rhetorical leap from less to more, which Good News Translation attempts with “roared at them in anger.”

Then reflects the common Hebrew conjunction and may be omitted in translation.

The language used in this verse recalls the parting of the waters of the Red Sea (that is, the Sea of Reeds) when the Israelites fled from Egypt (see Exo 15.8; Psa 106.9). The ocean bed is spoken of in terms of the streams under the ocean (channels of the sea), which were believed to supply the ocean with water. The most natural equivalent in English is “the ocean floor,” but this dilutes the imagery of the Hebrew. Many cultures, however, have no notion at all about the bottom of the ocean. In such cases, translators may say simply “the bottom of the great water” or something similar.

The furious rage of Yahweh is pictured as the blast of the breath of his nostrils. But this may be an explicit reference to the strong wind that parted the waters of the sea, and some translations interpret it this way (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “the strong breath that he blew”). See the comments on nostrils in verse 9 above.

In languages that cannot use the passive voice, for channels of the sea were seen and foundations … were laid bare, it may be necessary to say, for example, “the bottom of the ocean appeared” or “he made the waters of the sea dry up,” and “the earth shook to its foundations” or “he made the supports of the earth bare.” Foundations of the world may also be expressed as “the ground on which the earth stands” or in some languages “the legs of the earth.”

Good News Translation has made the rebuke and the raging breath to be directed against the enemies; but they can be understood as directed at the ocean bed and the earth’s foundations. Some commentators see in this verse a picture of Yahweh cutting his way through the sea and the foundations of the earth down into Sheol, from where he draws forth David (verse 17).

Line c, at the rebuke of the LORD, stands as a temporal clause and chronologically precedes the actions in lines a and b. For this reason it may be more meaningful in some languages to place the final two lines at the beginning; for example, “When the LORD rebuked….” The English word rebuke is probably too mild for the action described by this Hebrew verb. Something like “roaring” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “mighty roaring” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) is better.

This verse is distinguished from its counterpart in Psa 18 by the fact that the third person forms are used here instead of direct address and second person pronouns.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .