In the psalmist’s opening prayer for deliverance, he describes his situation four times (verses 1b-c, 2a-b).
For Be gracious see the same verb and comments in 4.1c.
In verses 1b and 2a the psalmist twice uses a verb of uncertain meaning: trample (Revised Standard Version), “persecute” (New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “harass” (New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), “attack” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible).
Foemen in verse 1c and fight (Good News Translation “who fight”) in verse 2b translate participles of the same verb “to fight.”
At the end of verse 2 in Hebrew the word for “a high place” is used, which Revised Standard Version and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translate proudly; New International Version “in their pride”; Bible en français courant “(they attack me and) overcome me”; New Jerusalem Bible translates “countless are those who attack me from the heights.” New English Bible emends the text to get “Appear on high.” Most take it to be a title for God, “O Most High” (Briggs, Dahood, Anderson, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible); Good News Translation translates “O LORD Almighty” and places it at the beginning of verse 3. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says there are two ways of interpreting this passage: (1) “for many struggle for me in the heights”–a reference to the angels; (2) “for many struggle against me, O Most High!” If the translator follows Good News Translation rather than Revised Standard Version, “LORD Almighty” of verse 3 in some languages may be rendered, for example, “Almighty God, you who are powerful” or “Almighty God, you who are great.” Note that the name for God, “Yahweh,” does not occur here, and so Good News Translation‘s “LORD” should be rendered in some other way, such as “Almighty God.”
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 .