The psalmist contrasts his own conduct (verses 13-14) with that of his enemies (verses 15-16). Expressing his deep sympathy for their misfortune, he mourned and fasted (verse 13a-b). To wear sackcloth and to go without food were ways of expressing grief. The expression I wore sackcloth may be expressed without reference to the associated custom of mourning dress; for example, “I showed myself to be in mourning” or, if it can be rendered with more clarity, one may keep the custom and give an explanation of it; for example, “I put on ragged clothes to show I was in mourning” or “I painted my body to show there was a death.”

The language in the last part of verse 13 is unclear; the Hebrew text says “and my prayer returned to my bosom.” There is much disagreement over the meaning of these words. Some take them to mean unceasing, repeated prayers; others take this as parenthetical, expressing the wish that his prayer for them not be answered (so Bible en français courant); New English Bible links it with what follows, “When my prayer came back unanswered, I walked with my head bowed…” (similarly New International Version); New Jerusalem Bible has “praying ever anew in my heart”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “in my inner being I did not stop praying”; New Jerusalem Bible “may what I prayed for happen to me!”; Zürcher Bibel “I prayed with my head bowed.” Before such diversity of opinion it is difficult to make a choice; it seems that humility is the emotion indicated, not grief as such.

If the translator follows the suggestion that head bowed is here a gesture of humility, then a gesture in the receptor culture which signals humility should be used. In some societies this is placing the hands on the crown of the head, in others crossing the arms over the chest. However, in verse 14 bowed down is a gesture of grief at the time of mourning, and an appropriate gesture is called for here also.

Verse 14 continues the idea, showing the psalmist “praying” (Good News Translation) or “grieving” (Revised Standard Version) for them as he would for my friend or my brother, mourning over them as he would for his mother.

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 .