In verses 14 and 16 the psalmist describes his great pleasure in doing Yahweh’s will; and in verse 15 he promises to study God’s laws. The literal form of the Hebrew in verse 14b seems to mean as much as in all riches (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project; New International Version “as one rejoices in great riches”). But this may be a way of saying “more than…,” as Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible de Jérusalem, and New Jerusalem Bible translate (see verses 72, 127); New English Bible follows the Syriac, which has “more than.” The Hebrew phrase all riches is a way of saying “many riches, great wealth.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation contain ellipses, which in many other languages must be filled out, repeating the verb element in both lines; for example, “more than I delight in having great riches.”

In verse 15 the two lines are parallel and synonymous, which is unusual in this psalm; thy precepts in line a is a synonym of thy ways in line b. Yahweh’s ways are his commands, his rules, for his people to follow. The two verbs are also parallel and synonymous: meditate (literally “be concerned with, be occupied with”; see its use in 77.3b, 12a) and fix my eyes on, that is “pay attention to” (as in verse 6b; see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Accordingly, in some languages it may be preferable to reduce the two lines to one.

Again, exceptionally, verse 16 has two synonymous words, statutes and word. The Masoretic text in line b has the singular thy word, but many Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions have the plural, which Good News Translation prefers (as in verse 9b). For verse 16a see the similar statement in 1.2a. In line b the verb forget is better translated “neglect, disregard” (see New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version).

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 .