Praise is given to Yahweh as the result of his nature and work: his word … is upright, that is, Yahweh is always true to his promise and does what he says he will do; and all his work is done in faithfulness, meaning that in all he does he demonstrates his faithfulness to his people. So Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “his works demonstrate his faithfulness.” If Good News Translation is used, in some languages it will be necessary to make explicit the actor of “depend” in the expression “his works are dependable”; for example, “people can depend on everything he does” or “people can trust all that he does.” Some translations, however, understand the word faithfulness to apply to Yahweh’s deeds; New English Bible “all his work endures,” and Bible en français courant “all he does is solid and sure.” This is possible, but the former seems more probable.
The LORD’s nature is further revealed (verse 5) by the fact that he loves righteousness and justice, either in the sense that these are the qualities he loves in people or else the qualities that characterize his own activity. The effect of all this is that all over the world there is evidence of his concern and care for all people: the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. If the translator follows the suggestion that God loves righteousness and justice in his people, it will be necessary in some languages to say, for example, “God loves people who do right and live justly” or “God loves good and just people.” If, on the other hand, these qualities are taken as applying to God, it is possible to say, for instance, “The LORD loves to do right and to be just” or, since judgment is such an integral part of God’s being, one may say “the LORD loves to do right and to judge fairly.”
In languages where the expression the earth is full of … love would not be natural, it is often possible to say, for example, “in all the earth people see the LORD’s faithful love” or “people in all the earth are filled with the LORD’s constant love,” or more generally, “everything in the earth receives the LORD’s constant love.”
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 .