The same theme is expressed in an even more general way in this verse: all human toil is in vain unless Yahweh is involved, that is, unless his will and purpose are being followed. There is no point in getting up early to work and working until late at night. The Hebrew phrase the bread of anxious toil means the food which one has had to work hard to earn; one possible version is “toiling to earn your food”; New English Bible “toiling for the bread you eat”; see New Jerusalem Bible “sweating to make a living.”

The last part of the verse is not easy to understand. The initial word in the Hebrew text is ken, “thus, so,” but two Hebrew manuscripts (see also the Septuagint) have ki, “for,” which Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and others follow. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Masoretic text, translating it “thus” or “as much” (so New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant). The second difficulty is found in the word translated sleep, which occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament. The New English Bible footnote says the word is unintelligible, and omits it in translation. In the Hebrew text the word seems to function as the direct object of the verb “to give,” and so Revised Standard Version translates he gives … sleep (also An American Translation). But most take the word in an adverbial sense; Good News Translation “while they are asleep” (also New American Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy; so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project “in sleep”). New Jerusalem Bible translates “He provides as much for His loved ones while they sleep,” and Bible en français courant “The Lord gives as much to those he loves while they are asleep.” What this expressive language means is that all anxious toil is of little value, since it is ultimately the LORD who makes provision for people’s needs. What is needed is not anxious care but faith and trust. The Hebrew text has the singular “the one he loves,” but this is probably meant generically, not specifically; two Hebrew manuscripts (and the Septuagint, Syriac) have the plural, “those he loves.” Good News Translation has “provides for,” which is general and fits with “work for a living.” If, however, the translator says in line a something like “It is useless to work so hard to get food to eat,” in line c he can then say “The LORD will give it (food) to those he loves.”

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 .