In verses 6-8 the psalmist proclaims his faith in Yahweh and asks him to protect him from his enemies. For verse 6a see similar statements in 16.2; 31.14; and for verse 6b see similar language in 28.2; 86.6; 130.2.

In verse 7 Good News Translation “My Sovereign LORD” translates “Yahweh, my Lord,” the Covenant name and the title of God. The title my strong deliverer (literally “the strength of my salvation”) is found in this form only here in the Old Testament. In verse 6 Thou art my God will have to be recast in some languages as “you are the God I worship.” In verse 7, a similar recasting may have to be done with my Lord and my strong deliverer; for example, “you are the powerful one who has defended me.”

Thou hast covered my head in verse 7b likens Yahweh’s protection to a helmet which keeps the psalmist safe from his enemies’ attacks. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch changes the figure a bit by translating “Like a shield you have protected me in battle.” This conveys the meaning of the text and may be a good model to follow. The phrase in the day of battle translates what in Hebrew is “on the day of weapons.” The psalmist seems to be talking about a real battle in which he was kept safe by Yahweh.

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 .