God’s victory over Israel’s enemies is celebrated. His presence in Jerusalem guarantees its safety for all time. As Revised Standard Version shows, no definite object for the verbs heard and seen is expressed in Hebrew; Good News Translation supplies “what God has done” (for his people in the past), which seems clearly implied.

After dividing the first line into two, Good News Translation has combined and shortened the second and third lines into one, “in the city of our God, the LORD Almighty”; some translations may prefer to follow more closely the Hebrew form, as Revised Standard Version has done, in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God. Care should be taken that the reader is not misled to think of two cities.

For LORD of hosts see 46.7 and comments there.

The last line, which God establishes for ever, means “which God has made secure forever” (New International Version) or “whose safety God will guarantee forever.”

For Selah see 3.2.

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 .