The psalmist begins his plea to Yahweh to save him (verses 13-14) with the familiar request Arise, O LORD! (see 3.7; 7.6; 9.19; 10.12). Arise does not mean to stand up; rather, it is a plea to begin the action mentioned in the context, confront. Good News Translation therefore has “Come.” If the translator follows Arise as in Revised Standard Version, it will be important to consider the implication of the expression, since in many languages the term varies according to the various positions involved, such as from lying or sitting.

Confront translates the phrase “meet his face,” that is, to challenge, oppose. Good News Translation “Oppose my enemies” must often be rendered as “fight against my enemies.” Overthrow translates the causative form of the verb “bow down”: “cause to bow down,” that is, “throw them down.”

Deliver translates a Hebrew verb different from the one used in 12.1 (“Help”). It means “rescue, save, protect.”

My life in Hebrew is “my nefesh” (see comments at 3.2). Sword, as in 7.12, is used as a figure of God’s power to destroy. Thy sword presents a problem where swords are unknown. In some languages a term has been introduced through another language, but with little meaning; for example, “police knives.” In such cases it will be clearer to translate what the sword symbolizes; for example, “Save me through your power from the hands of wicked people” or “Because you are strong, save me from evil people.”

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 .