In verses 38-39 the psalmist again appeals to God to keep his promise and save him from his enemies (see verses 21-22). The plea in verse 38a Confirm … thy promise means “Keep your promise,” “Do what you promised to do”; New Jerusalem Bible and New International Version “Fulfil your promise.” For thy servant see verse 17a. “Keep your promise…” must often be recast to say, for example, “Do what you told me you would do.” In line b, where “promise” is repeated in Good News Translation, it may be necessary to say “as you do it to everyone who obeys you.”
In verse 38b those who fear thee can be translated “who worship You” (New Jerusalem Bible), “honor” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “obey” (Good News Translation). Bible en français courant offers a good model for the whole verse: “Do for me, your servant, what you have promised to your faithful ones.”
The request in verse 39a concerning the reproach which I dread has in mind the taunts and insults the psalmist’s enemies were pouring out on him (see in verse 22 “their scorn,” which translates the same Hebrew noun used here). This is not God’s censure but the enemies’ scorn that is directed at him because he, the psalmist, is so devoted to the Torah.
In verse 39b the Hebrew word translated ordinances may refer here specifically to God’s judgments on the psalmist’s enemies, and not to God’s laws in general. But if the meaning is taken to be God’s laws, the connection of this line with the one preceding it is not altogether clear. “Because your laws are good” does not seem a natural justification for the request in line a. Good News Translation shows no formal relationship between the two lines; neither do Traduction œcuménique de la Bible or Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch.
In verse 40a the Hebrew verb translated long for occurs only here and in verse 174 (see the related noun in verse 20). The qualifying phrase in thy righteousness may mean “because you are righteous” (Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Good News Translation) or “by means of your righteousness” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible; see New Jerusalem Bible). Give me life translates the same verb phrase found in verse 37b. This expression should probably not be translated here by “do not let me die,” since the primary meaning is “give me new life” or “restore me to new life.”
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 .