In the closing strophe (verses 11-12) the psalmist turns his thoughts to the happiness and security enjoyed by those who love and obey Yahweh. The first two lines of verse 11 may be understood either as a petition for God’s people (Revised Standard Version) or as a description of them (Good News Translation). It seems better to take these two lines as a prayer on behalf of God’s people: “may all who find safety in you rejoice.”
Three verbs are used to describe their joy: rejoice (line a), sing for joy (line b), and exult (line d). These all refer to happiness, or joy, which is expressed openly by means of words, gestures, and song.
The expression take refuge in this context is said to be “in you” and therefore sometimes requires recasting. In many languages it is more common to speak of God as the one who protects and the people as the ones he protects; for example, “Rejoice, you people whom God protects.” Let them ever sing for joy can be rendered in many languages as a direct imperative, “Always sing for joy,” “Sing joyfully at all times,” or as in some languages, “Sing always with cool hearts.”
Defend may be understood as a request (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, and most other translations) or as a declaration, “you defend” (so New Jerusalem Bible “You shelter them, they rejoice in you”). The verb means literally to cover, to screen, in the sense of protecting.
As is evident, line d may relate to line c as a result (Revised Standard Version) or as a cause (Good News Translation). If in line c defend is understood as an imperative, it seems better to take line d as result, as do most translations (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible, An American Translation); if defend is taken as an indicative (“you defend”), it seems preferable to understand line d as a statement (New Jerusalem Bible).
“Those who love you” (Good News Translation) is literally those who love thy name. As often in the Old Testament, name stands for the person as revealed by his character and actions; it is his reputation. To “love the name of God” may be misunderstood, and it seems better in a dynamic equivalence to use the personal pronoun, or the name “God” itself. In some languages the term for love used as love for one’s family is often not usable in referring to love for another person or for God. Some languages express such love idiomatically; for example, “their hearts are warm for God” or “they hold God in their hearts.”
The prepositional phrase in thee (in exult in thee) means “because of you,” that is, “because of what you have done on their behalf.”
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 .