In this strophe the psalmist meditates on the mystery of his creation by God (verses 13-16); in verses 17-18 he exclaims in wonder and awe at his inability to understand God’s ways.

In verse 13 the psalmist says Yahweh created him in his mother’s womb; my inward parts in line a translates what is literally “my kidneys” (see comments on the figurative use of the word translated “heart” in 7.9; 16.7; 26.2); most translate my inward parts or “my inmost self” (An American Translation “my vitals” is now quite old-fashioned). Only Bible de Jérusalem and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translate “my kidneys.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “my whole body.” New Jerusalem Bible has “my conscience,” and Bible en français courant “my personality,” both of which may introduce rather modern concepts into this ancient Hebrew document.

The Hebrew verb in line b is defined by BDB and Holladay as “weave, shape” (K-B says “block”). Most English translations, like Revised Standard Version, have knit me together; see similar language in Job 10.11. The sense of “protect” is preferred by Briggs (protecting the psalmist in his mother’s womb) and by Dahood (protecting the psalmist since birth). It is better to stay with the sense of “fashion” or “make.” In languages in which some inner part of the body is not in this context equated with the whole body, it will be better to say, for example, “you created me” or “you made my body.” “Womb” is translated in some languages by the more generic “abdomen” or “belly,” “womb” being used as a technical term.

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 .