The psalm ends with an exhortation to the people, who are called the LORD’s saints (see discussion of “the godly” in 4.3) and the faithful (see comments at 12.1). Saints is often rendered “you who belong to God” or “you who worship God.” The command Love the LORD in the Bible refers not so much to the emotion as to the willingness and desire to be faithful to him, to obey him, and to do what he commands.

In contrast with the protection he gives to his people, the LORD “pays back liberally to the one who acts proudly.” Here the verb “pay back” (Revised Standard Version requites) is used in a bad sense of punishment; in 22.25 it is used in a good sense of “paying” one’s promises.

Good News Translation “as they deserve” represents the sense of abundantly; some idiomatic expressions can be very effective: “pays back in full” (New International Version); “repays … with interest” (New Jerusalem Bible); “pays … in full” (New English Bible); “gives with interest what they deserve” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).

In some languages it may be possible to command someone to take courage but not possible to command anyone to Be strong. In such cases translators may wish to use a synonym for “be courageous,” since strength of courage seems to be implied in this context, or else “Make your courage strong” or “Make the courage of your heart strong.”

Good News Translation‘s “be courageous” translates the Hebrew “be courageous in your hearts”; and the verb wait for expresses an attitude of confident expectation (see the synonymous verb in 25.3). The expression wait for the LORD with the sense of hope can often be rendered as “look forward with confidence in the LORD” or “have confidence in God because he is God.”

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 .