Yahweh has given the king glory (honor, fame; see 3.3; 7.5), splendor (fame, majesty; see 8.1 the “majesty” of Yahweh’s name), and majesty (dignity, splendor; see 8.5), three attributes of a powerful and prosperous king. The king of Israel has these qualities because Yahweh has given him victory over the enemy (see New International Version “the victories you gave”). Thy help in line a means the same as it does in verse 1a.

In languages which show a strong preference for placing the reason clause before the consequence, it will be necessary in verse 5a to reverse the Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version clause order; for example, “because you have helped him his glory is great.” In many languages it is not natural to possess an abstract such as glory, since this is something others attribute to a person or recognize in a ruler. Therefore it is sometimes necessary to say, for example, “Because you help him the people say that he is great” or “Because of your help they say he is a big chief.”

It should be noticed that in line b Revised Standard Version has the present tense; the Good News Translation past tense is preferred. Majesty is not used in some languages as an object to be given to someone. It is more common for it to be treated as a quality of an object; for example, “you have made him a great king” or “you have given him great power to rule the people.”

Yea in verse 6a is Revised Standard Version‘s way of representing a Hebrew particle that shows emphasis, but which here may not have that much force. New International Version has “Surely,” and New English Bible “for”; most translations do not represent it formally.

Thou dost make him most blessed for ever (that is, “You are always blessing him”) means that God blesses the king. Some (see New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) take the words to mean “You make him a blessing,” that is, for his people (see Weiser, Anderson). It seems better to follow the interpretation of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Make him most blessed cannot in some languages be expressed as a possessed object, as in Good News Translation “Your blessings are with him.” One must often speak of “good things” or “good gifts.” Therefore “Your blessings” must often be rendered, for example, “you give him good gifts forever” or “you give him good things forever.” If the alternative interpretation is followed, it may be necessary to say, for example, “you cause him to give good things to his people.”

The thought in verse 6b is the same as found in 16.11b. As God’s “son” (see 2.7) the king enjoyed the presence of God with him, and this brought him great joy. The Hebrew is emphatic and somewhat redundant; this emphasis may be expressed by “make him extremely glad.” In some languages a noun such as presence cannot perform an event such as make him glad. Therefore it is often necessary to recast this type of expression to say “because you are with him he is joyful” or “he is happy because you are near him.”

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 .