The psalmist expresses his confidence in God to protect him. At night he sleeps soundly and peacefully. The statement I wake again indicates that he sleeps securely the whole night long, because the LORD sustains him. When he wakes up the next morning, he discovers that nothing has bothered or threatened him during the night. The verb translated sustains means to provide security and safety; to protect, support, uphold (see 37.17, 24; 145.14). In translation it may be necessary to recast the phrase I lie down and sleep as a temporal clause; for example, “When I lie down and sleep.” The verb wake should express the idea of awaking in the morning following a night of sleep. If there is no distinction made between awaking from sleep and awaking after the night’s sleep is completed, then it is advisable to follow Good News Translation‘s “all night long.”
In some languages it may be clearer to give first the reason why the psalmist can lie down and sleep all night when he has so many enemies. Therefore it may be necessary to shift the reason clause of verse 5 forward; for example, “Because the LORD protects me, I lie down and sleep, and in the morning I awaken.”
In verse 6 the psalmist picks up “many are my foes” from verse 1 and gives them a number. As in verse 1b he again says they are against me.
The psalmist does not even fear ten thousands of people. The Hebrew word is a plural form, meaning simply very many; no precise number is intended. The singular form may mean 10,000 (see 2 Sam 18.7). In some languages the idea of very large numbers is rendered “more than a man can count.” These were probably foreign enemies, and their position, “who surround me on every side” (Good News Translation), indicates war and may sometimes be rendered, for example, “who make war against me” or “who come like soldiers to kill me.”
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 .