There is much dispute over the meaning of lines a and b. The Masoretic text in line a has the plural noun “deers,” which would make the verb mean “writhe,” that is, to go into labor, to give birth (so Weiser, Dahood, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). But many commentators and translators prefer to read the noun as the Hebrew word for “oaks” (or, terebinths), which would make the verb mean “shake” or the like (An American Translation, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New American Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Zürcher Bibel, Moffatt). The same translational procedure applies for oaks as for “cedars” in verse 5.

Line b is also variously understood; the Masoretic text seems to mean “and it strips the forests.” But some assign another meaning to the verb (see K-B and Holladay, following Driver), “bring to premature birth,” and conjecture that the noun that follows means “young goat” (while others emend to the Hebrew word for “mountain goat,” as in 104.18). Most favor keeping the two lines parallel, with oaks and forests, or else “deer” and “goats” (see New English Bible “The voice of the LORD makes the hinds calve and brings kids early to birth”; so Bible en français courant). New Jerusalem Bible, however, has “makes hinds to calve” and “strips forests bare” (also An American Translation and Dahood).9 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project takes line a to mean “the voice of the LORD makes the hinds calve” (as in Revised Standard Version footnote; “B” decision), and says line b may mean either “it strips the forests bare” or “it brings kids (early) to birth.”

The final line seems to refer to public worship in the Temple at Jerusalem. Some take this to be a poetic description of all living beings in all the earth proclaiming Yahweh’s greatness; this, however, seems improbable.

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 .