The psalmist’s response in verses 7-8 is full of difficulties, and there are various interpretations. Lo, I come in verse 7a indicates readiness to hear and act, better expressed in English by “Here I am.”

Verse 7b in Hebrew is “in the roll of the book it is written for (or, about) me.” New English Bible omits this line completely; New Jerusalem Bible translates the psalmist’s declaration, “See, I will bring a roll recounting what befell me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Here I am, just as the book says about me”; New Jerusalem Bible joins the first words of verse 8a to verse 7b, “In the scroll of the book it is written of me, my delight is to do your will”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “Here I come with the roll of a book written for me”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Here I am, as it is said of me in the book.” All these translations are possible, and complete certainty is impossible. The most difficult decision to make is whether the preposition in Hebrew means “it is written for me” (so Good News Translation “your instructions for me”) or “it is written about me” (so Revised Standard Version of me and Good News Translation footnote “my devotion to you is recorded in your book”).

The roll of the book is taken to refer either to the Torah as a whole (the first five books of the Old Testament) or to the book of Deuteronomy; some take it to refer to the heavenly book, where all human deeds are recorded. Bible en français courant may be recommended: “In the book of the Law I find written what I should do.” “The book of the Law” must sometimes be translated “the book which contains the Law,” or “the book in which the Law is written,” or “the book which teaches the Law.”

The psalmist ends his response with a promise to obey the LORD’s will completely (verse 8). Thy law is within my heart (verse 9b) means that the psalmist has learned God’s Law and cherishes it, that is, he keeps it in mind and obeys it.

Verses 6-8a are quoted in Hebrews 10.5-7 as they appear in the Septuagint, which in verse 7 has “you prepared a body for me” in place of the Masoretic text “you have dug ears for me”; one manuscript of the Septuagint has “ears” instead of “a body.” The New Testament quotation joins verse 8a to verse 7b, whereas in the Septuagint, as in the Masoretic text, verse 7b ends with a full stop, and verse 8a is joined to verse 8b. Translators should follow the Hebrew Masoretic text rather than the Septuagint.

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 .