In these verses the psalmist prays that Yahweh will save him from his enemies, whom he calls the wicked … violent men … Arrogant men. In verse 4a Guard me is synonymous with preserve me in verse 4b; verse 4b is the same as verse 1b. Verse 4c states that the psalmist’s enemies are planning to bring about his ruin (trip up my feet). And in verse 5, in language that appears quite often in the psalms, the writer uses hunting metaphors to describe his enemies’ attempts to bring about his downfall: a trap … a net … snares (see 9.15; 31.4; 35.7; 64.5; 119.110). Hands of the wicked and Good News Translation‘s “power of the wicked” may have to be recast in translation as “wicked people who can harm me.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch calls these persons “people who disregard you and your commands.”

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 .