The verb translated Thou hast made … suffer is literally “to see,” that is, to experience; but some (New English Bible, Dahood; see Anderson) take it to be here the equivalent of the verb “to drink,” and so understand the line to mean “You have made your people drink (or, drunk with) a bitter drink” (New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Dahood). This is quite attractive, since it supplies a close parallel with the next line, which is thou hast given us wine to drink that made us reel.

In some languages the change from thy people in line a to us in line b may cause considerable misunderstanding and therefore may require that the first person plural be used in both lines; for example, “you have made us who are your people suffer greatly.”

The figure of a cup of wine which God forces upon people is a symbol of God’s anger (see Isa 51.17, 22). A translation of line b should give a closer equivalent of the form of the Hebrew than Good News Translation has done, to show that the wine comes from God; perhaps something like “we stagger around because of the wine you made us drink.”

The language of verses 1-3 reflects the belief that Israel’s defeat in battle was the result of God’s being angry with his people.

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 .