In the final two verses the psalmist contrasts his situation with that of his enemy; the tyrant will be rooted up but the psalmist lives secure, like a healthy olive tree in the house of God. For a similar figure of health and prosperity, see 1.3.
The house of God is usually a way of speaking of the Temple; there is doubt, however, that olive trees actually grew in the Temple area, and some take the phrase here in an extended sense of the land of Israel. Perhaps in the house of God should modify I, that is, the psalmist himself, and not olive tree (see Briggs; so Bible en français courant, which translates “I am in God’s house”). In any case it is a figure of prosperity and security (see also 92.13). If the translator takes the meaning of this verse to be the psalmist who is firmly established in the house of God instead of the olive tree, it will be possible to say, for example, “I am secure in the house of God, like an olive tree” or “like a growing olive tree I prosper in the house of God.” In many languages the expression house of God, if taken to be the Temple in Jerusalem, can be translated “the large worship house in Jerusalem.”
Unlike his enemy, who trusts in his wealth (verse 7), the psalmist trusts God’s steadfast love.
It seems better to translate the last part of verse 9b “for what you have done” (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant, New International Version, New English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) than because thou hast done it. In the context, it can only refer back to the destruction of the psalmist’s enemy (verse 5). Or else one may translate “because you have acted” (Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).
The verb translated proclaim ordinarily is taken to mean “wait for” (that is, hope; see 25.3 and comments); but the verb with thy name as its object appears nowhere else, and it would be rather strange to say “to hope for your name,” unless “name” could be taken to mean something like “help, intervention” (see 54.1, where “your name” in line a is parallel with “your might” in line b; and see Briggs). One suggestion has been “I will put my hope in your name” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version). Dahood, in his comments on 19.4, strongly makes the point that the root of the Hebrew verb in the sense of “to collect” has the extended meaning of “to call, proclaim.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the verb means “I hope” or “I proclaim,” and prefers “I proclaim” as the meaning of the verb here (and in 19.4), not requiring emendation. Good News Translation and Weiser translate “proclaim”; New Jerusalem Bible “declare”; New English Bible “glorify.” Revised Standard Version and New American Bible resort to an emendation in order to get proclaim (see Oesterley).
The final words of the line are “your name because (or, that) (it is) good.” “Name” stands for the person (see 5.11). To say “your name is good” in English is meaningless (Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation); New Jerusalem Bible “your name, so full of goodness,” is hardly any better. So it seems best to do as Good News Translation does. The Hebrew conjunction ki can mean either for or “that” (Good News Translation); either meaning makes sense in the context.
For other instances of the promise to praise God in the presence of his people, see 22.22; 26.12; 40.10. The expression in the presence of the godly is rendered in some languages as “where your people are” or “where your people gather together.”
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 .