Once more the psalmist asks God to rescue him from his enemies (verse 134). For the noun oppression see the verb “oppress” in verses 121-122; and for keep thy precepts see verses 55b, 67b.

Then he prays for the blessing of Yahweh’s presence (verse 135), Make thy face shine upon thy servant (see the same request in 31.16a). This is a figure of Yahweh present to bless and to guide. For verse 135b see verse 124b.

The strophe closes with an expression of the psalmist’s deep grief over the fact that men do not keep thy law. He is thinking about his fellow Israelites who are not as faithful as he is in obeying all the commands of the Law. If the metaphor My eyes shed streams of tears will suggest a wrong meaning in the receptor language, then a suitable figure should be found, or the translator may have to say “I cry very much because….”

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 .