The psalmist is confident that God will defeat his enemies; the two synonymous verbs in verse 8a-b are the same as those used of the LORD in 2.4a-b (see also 37.13). The thought of the wicked, that no one can hear them, provokes God to laughter. Again the nations are pagans, heathen, Gentiles.

Verse 9a in the Masoretic text is “His strength, to you I will watch.” The initial ʿuzo “his strength” of the Masoretic text is ʿuzi “my strength” (referring to God) in many Hebrew manuscripts and is adopted by practically all commentators and translations, including Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. Revised Standard Version takes Strength as a title for God, O my Strength (similarly New International Version, New English Bible).

The Hebrew verb “I will watch (to you)” is somewhat unusual in this construction (see Revised Standard Version footnote). In other places where this verb is used with an object governed by the preposition ʾel, as here, it means “to watch over, to guard” (see 1 Sam 26.15; 2 Sam 11.16), so that one would expect the meaning here to be “I will watch over the LORD”–which is obviously wrong. Despite the strangeness of the construction, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, New Jerusalem Bible (“wait”), Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Bible de Jérusalem (“look to”), New Jerusalem Bible (“keep my eyes fixed”), and Good News Translation (“I have confidence”) believe the Masoretic text makes sense. So Bible en français courant “I look to you, my protector.” Revised Standard Version (see Briggs, Oesterley, Anderson) has followed the Syriac “I will praise,” as in verse 17. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has adopted a suggestion by Dahood; by the use of different vowels for the same consonants, the passive of the verb shamar “to keep, guard” is read: “I am guarded.” Everything considered, it seems best to follow Bible en français courant in translating this line.

Fortress translates a word that is used also in 9.9, where Revised Standard Version translates “stronghold” (see comments there).

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 .