The psalm closes with the psalmist’s promise to sing to the LORD all his life, to praise him as long as he lives (verse 33). The two lines of verse 33 are parallel and synonymous. Concerning the translation of my God, see verse 1.

Then in verse 34 the psalmist prays that Yahweh be pleased with his composition. The word translated “song” by Good News Translation means “that which concerns one, which occupies one’s time,” and it takes its precise meaning from the context. Here it may be understood as “prayer” (New Jerusalem Bible), meditation (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New International Version), “poem” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant), “song” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “thoughts” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “musings” (New Jerusalem Bible), “language” (Bible de Jérusalem), “theme” (New American Bible). Perhaps meditation (Revised Standard Version) or “thoughts” best fits the context here. In verse 34b I rejoice in the LORD can be translated “I find my happiness in the Lord” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or “Yahweh gives me joy” (New Jerusalem Bible).

The last petition (verse 35) is for the complete destruction of sinners, which introduces a somber note in a psalm otherwise filled with joyous themes. In some languages which do not use the passive, the expression Let sinners be consumed must be recast to say, for example, “I ask that you destroy sinners…” or “I pray that you get rid of sinners….”

Bless the LORD, O my soul!: the psalm closes (verse 35a) as it began (verse 1a).

In the Septuagint Praise the LORD is placed at the beginning of the following psalm (so Dahood, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible). This Hebrew phrase has, in transliteration, entered the English language as “Hallelujah” (see New Jerusalem Bible) or “Alleluia” (see New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible); the Hebrew halelu-yah is the second person plural of the imperative of the verb halal “to praise,” plus Yah “the LORD” (see 68.4).

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 .