The psalmist describes his dangerous situation (verse 3a-b) and then asserts his innocence: nothing he has done justifies his enemies’ attempts to kill him. In verse 3a the verb translated lie in wait means “to lie in ambush” (see 10.9); and for my life means “(in an attempt) to kill me.” Lie in wait for my life therefore implies hiding and waiting for the psalmist to pass by in order to attack him and kill him. Good News Translation has made the purpose clear with “to kill me.” It may be necessary in some languages to say, for example, “they hide and wait for me in order to kill me” or “they are hiding and waiting for me to go by in order to attack me.”

Fierce men (TEV 1976 “cruel men”) translates a word meaning “strong (men),” which in this context implies strong enemies intending to do serious harm. Band themselves against me must often be recast to make clear the reason; for example, “they gather together to harm me” or “they meet together to attack and injure me.”

In verse 3c the two nouns translated transgression and sin are the two most commonly used for what is generally described as sinful acts against God; and in verse 4a, another word (fault) is used (for which see comments on “guilty” in 18.23b and on “iniquity” in 51.2a).

O LORD occurs at the end of verse 3 according to the Masoretic text, but for English style Good News Translation has placed it at the end of the second phrase that claims innocence.

The two verbs translated they run and make ready are combined by Good News Translation, “they hurry to their places,” that is, to attack. Dahood sees these verbs as denoting military movements, “they charge and take positions,” and interprets them as a reference to an attack on the country by foreign enemies; New Jerusalem Bible has “they come running to take up position.” They run and make ready also implies that their purpose is to attack the speaker. Therefore “they run and get ready to attack me.”

For comments on the last line of verse 4, see the following verse.

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 .