Good News Translation has joined verses 9-10, placing first what is verse 10a in Hebrew; see Revised Standard Version, which follows the order of the Hebrew text. Translators will be well advised to follow the reordering of verses 9-10 as in Good News Translation, providing the cause at the beginning, unless, of course, this order is not natural in the language.

The psalmist attributes his misfortune to Yahweh’s indignation and anger, which (though not here explicitly stated) are regarded as God’s way of punishing him for his sins. The word translated indignation has sometimes the meaning of “curse” (see comment on “indignation” in 69.24a). The psalmist’s only food is ashes, and his tears pour down and mingle with his drink (see similar language in 42.3; 80.5). During times of fasting and mourning, it was the custom either to place ashes on the head (see 2 Sam 13.19) or to sit on ashes (see Job 2.8; Jonah 3.6). Some, like Oesterley, see ashes and tears as a sign of the psalmist’s repentance. In some languages it may be clearer to say, as in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “in place of bread, I eat ashes.”

In the most abject language possible, the psalmist states that God has picked him up and thrown him away like a worthless object (verse 10b). The expression taken me up and thrown me away, if translated literally, may in some languages miss the point of being rejected and without help or healing. Accordingly it may be necessary in some languages to employ a simile in translation; for example, “you have picked me up and thrown me away as a person throws away refuse” or “… as people get rid of dirt.”

The psalmist compares himself to an evening shadow of a day that is coming to its end; he is growing weaker, like grass that dries up. In languages in which an evening shadow may not carry the meaning of approaching the end, it will be necessary to use a different figure or to say, for example, “my life will soon finish like the evening shadow disappears with the coming of dark.” Revised Standard Version wither away like grass is a better model than Good News Translation, which contains no verb and leaves the reader to wonder what the nature of the comparison with dry grass may be.

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 .