In these verses the representative of the people (probably the king) relates how Yahweh saved him in battle and gave him the victory. In verse 10a he says that he was surrounded by All nations (or, “all the heathen”; see Bible en français courant “the pagans”). This is not to be taken literally but is an exaggerated way of describing the danger he was in. In verses 10-12 he tells how they had surrounded him completely and were about to defeat him; but in the name of the LORD he cut them off. The phrase “in (or, by) the name of Yahweh” does not mean here that he acted as Yahweh’s representative; it means that because of the power that Yahweh gave him he defeated the enemy. Bible en français courant has “thanks to the Lord….” In the name of the LORD I … must be recast in many languages. The Good News Translation expression “by the power of the LORD” equally requires some adjustment in translation; for example, “I destroyed them; I did this because the LORD enabled me to do it” or, more simply, “the LORD helped me destroy my enemies.”
The Hebrew verb translated cut … off everywhere else in the Old Testament means “to circumcise.” Some take that to be the meaning here (Briggs, Dahood; see New Jerusalem Bible footnote). Dahood refers to 1 Samuel 18.25-27 and believes that the psalmist was referring to the Philistines, who did not practice the rite of circumcision. Although possible, it does not seem probable that the meaning of the Hebrew verb is “circumcise.” Most translators follow the suggestion in K-B and Holladay that the verb used here, though the same in form, differs in meaning. So New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible “cut down”; New English Bible “drive away”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “drive back”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “defeat.” In English “to cut off” in this kind of context is none too appropriate, for in terms of a military engagement it means to separate and isolate troops from the rest of the attacking force and thus be able to defeat them; thus “to cut off” in modern English does not mean to defeat, as intended by the Hebrew.
A few Hebrew manuscripts have a form of another verb that is similar to the verb in the Masoretic text, and which Oesterley translates “tread down,” and New American Bible “crush.”
The psalmist compares the enemies to a swarm of bees (verse 12a). In line b the Hebrew has the passive “they were extinguished” (see Revised Standard Version footnote). This seems to indicate, by the figure used (Hebrew “like a thorn bush on fire”), the quickness with which their furious attack was stopped. So Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “but their fury burned out like a thornbush on fire.” Revised Standard Version and others follow the Septuagint they blazed, which describes the fury of their attack. Although this seems to make better sense in the context, the Hebrew text can be translated and should be followed (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). Fire of thorns refers to the use of the dry, combustible thorn bushes in the Middle East, which ignite quickly and burn out quickly. In many language areas the thorn is equivalent to “dry grass,” used very often to start a fire. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “straw fire.”
Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation agree on translating the verbs in verses 10-12 by the past tense: surrounded … cut them off; some, however, represent the attack of the enemies as a present fact and their defeat as a future event. So New English Bible “surround … I will drive them away” (see also New Jerusalem Bible). The former seems preferable, since the psalm as a whole appears to celebrate a victory already won.
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 .