They track me down; now they surround me: in the Hebrew text the verse begins with a noun phrase, “our steps”; with a change of vowels the text becomes a verbal phrase, “they advance on me”; so Revised Standard Version and other translations. There is one Hebrew manuscript that has “they advance on me.” The next verb they surround has in the Masoretic text (the qere) the first plural suffix “us”; the singular “me” is ketiv. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“C” decision) prefers the text “they advance (against me), now they surround me.” New Jerusalem Bible, however, follows the Hebrew text and translates “Now they hem in our feet on every side”; there is no great difference in meaning. Good News Translation has recast the first line, combining the force of the two verbs “they advance” and “they surround.”

They set their eyes means “they watch,” with the implication “watch for an opportunity,” “wait for a chance.”

There is some difficulty with the form of the verb in line b which means “to turn, bend” (see its use in verse 6, “incline”), which is here translated to cast. Most scholars agree that this is the sense intended. New American Bible, however, takes it to refer to the enemies, “crouching to the ground, they fix their gaze….” And New Jerusalem Bible translates the line “they set their eyes roaming over the land,” which is not a natural English sentence.

Ground: Dahood combines the last word in the Hebrew text of verse 11 with the first word of verse 12 to get “land of Perdition,” that is Sheol, and which some other scholars consider likely. If the translator adopts this interpretation, the translation can be “they are waiting for a chance to send me to my grave (or, to put me to death).”

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 .