For the events referred to in verse 23, see Genesis 46.1-27; the story of the lengthy stay of the Israelites in Egypt (verses 24-25) is found in Exodus 1.7–2.25 (see in Exo 12.40 “430 years”). Since the writer is retelling a series of episodes from Old Testament history, it will often be important for the translator to pay special attention to the marking of transitions, which in many languages requires repeating part of the previous episode; for example, “After Joseph instructed the king’s advisers, Joseph’s father, whose name was Jacob, went….”

In verse 23 Good News Translation has combined the two synonymous lines (see Revised Standard Version) into one; “Jacob” represents both Israel and Jacob, and “that country” translates the land of Ham (see 78.51b). In line b the verb sojourned comes from the same root as the noun used in verse 12b (“sojourners”). Here the idea does not seem to be that of a temporary residence; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “emigrated,” New English Bible “came to live,” New Jerusalem Bible “settled.”

The birth rate of the Israelites was greater than that of the Egyptians (see Exo 1.7), and eventually they became more powerful than the Egyptians (verse 24).

The Egyptians’ hatred of the Israelites was God’s doing (verse 25a; literally He turned their hearts to hate his people). But the Hebrew text can be translated “Their hearts turned” (so the Targum; and see New Jerusalem Bible footnote), which Briggs prefers; but all translations consulted have Yahweh as subject. The Israelites are Yahweh’s servants (verse 25b), and the Egyptians treated them deceitfully (see Exo 1.10-14), which included not only making slaves of them but also scheming to have Israelite male babies put to death at birth (Exo 1.15-16; see also Acts 7.19). It is important in verse 25 that the reader understand that his people and his servants refer to the Israelites; for example, “he made the Egyptians hate his people, who served him, so that they treated the Israelites with deceit” or “… deceived the Israelites.”

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 .