The psalmist compares his enemies to a pack of dogs that prowl around the city at dusk. The translation of they come back must in many languages have an explicit point of reference; for example, “they come back where they were” or “they return to the place where they had been.” Howling translates a verb that means simply “be noisy”; New Jerusalem Bible “growling”; Good News Translation, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version “snarling.”

Prowling: Good News Translation is closer to the Hebrew with “they go about the city.” The verb can even be understood as “surround,” with the connotation of a siege. However, the translator should be free to use a verb that best fits the context in the receptor language.

The first line of verse 7 is literally “Look, they pour out with their mouths”; the verb “pour out” seems to be used in a figurative sense of unrestrained speech (for example, “they speak without restraint”). Good News Translation has abandoned the figure altogether: “Listen to their insults and threats.” Some, however, take the verb to apply to the dogs and translate “they slaver” (see Anderson, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); this does not seem very probable. In verse 7 the psalmist has abandoned the figure of dogs and is talking about the enemies as such.

Verse 7b is literally “swords (are) in their lips”–an obvious metaphor for cruel and malicious speech; see similar expressions in 52.2; 55.21; 57.4. There is no need to emend the text as Revised Standard Version has done. For example, it can be rendered “their words are like swords.”

The last line in the Hebrew text is “Who will hear?” Most commentators and translations take this to be the thinking of the wicked (see similar statements in 10.11; 64.5); they think that no one, not even God, will know what they are doing. Instead of the rhetorical question, which expects a negative answer (see Revised Standard Version), Good News Translation has made a statement, which may be clearer to most readers.

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 .