The verb phrase gave me vengeance (here literally plural, “vengeances”) refers to retribution. The related verb is often used of God as one who punishes the enemies of Israel because of their evil actions. The idea of “getting even” is not entirely absent from the word but need not necessarily be stressed in translation. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has here “vindicated me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “avenged me”; Bible en français courant, “gives me my revenge.” The thought here is that the defeat of his enemies in battle (as the next line makes clear) is the way in which David “got even” with them. Gave me vengeance must sometimes be rendered “helps me defeat my enemies.” So Good News Translation translates “He gives me victory over my enemies,” which has essentially the same meaning as the next line, brought down peoples under me. The image in this second line of verse 48 is that of foreign nations becoming subject to David’s rule. Compare Revised English Bible, which retains the Hebrew image of people “under” David: “laying nations prostrate at my feet.” Similarly New Century Version says “He brings people under my rule.”
The verb brought me out in verse 49 seems to have the same meaning as “delivered,” which is used at this point in the parallel psalm and also appears in verse 44.
The psalmist again shifts rather abruptly back to second person references in the middle of verse 49. This is marked graphically in Good News Translation by leaving a space between this section and the previous verses.
Exalt: this reflects the same verb as in verse 47, but the context is different. In this case it is something that God does for the writer instead of something that happens to God. Here God causes David to receive greater honor than his opponents. Or possibly it refers to his victory over those enemies.
Adversaries in verse 49b is “those who rise up against” or “those who attack me” (New Jerusalem Bible). The meaning is the same as in verse 40b, “assailants.”
Men of violence: the Hebrew is singular, “man of violence,” usually interpreted as a collective term. Some commentators, however, take it to be a reference to Saul (who is mentioned in the introduction to this psalm at verse 1). New Jerusalem Bible, and similarly New American Bible, says “you deliver me from the man of violence,” but it is not clear whether the translators intend this as a reference to one man, or intend the singular to be understood as a collective term. It is probably better to represent it as a plural, having a more general meaning. On the word for violence, see the comments on verse 3. The expression men of violence may often be rendered as “men who kill others” or “people who injure others.”
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 .