The psalm opens with a declaration that it is the duty of God’s people to praise him and to keep the promises they made to him. Revised Standard Version is due translates the Hebrew consonants of the Masoretic text with a slight change of vowels (as suggested by the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate); the Masoretic text word means “silence” (so Aquila and Jerome). This departure from the Masoretic text is adopted by New Jerusalem Bible and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and is supported by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“B” decision).

Zion, the name of the fortified hill in Jerusalem which David captured from the Jebusites (see discussion at 2.6), was later applied to Mount Moriah, the hill on which the Temple stood, and was extended to mean the city of Jerusalem. In some languages it will be appropriate to use a classifier such as “city” with Zion. In any event, it is advisable to include Zion in the glossary and to indicate that in certain passages it is to be equated with the city of Jerusalem. The vows to God may have been made because of droughts or some other disasters; they are now being fulfilled with the offering of praise and sacrifices.

Revised Standard Version takes verse 2a as a description of God, O thou who hearest prayer; Good News Translation translates it as a statement, connecting it with verse 1 (also New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant).

In verse 2b all flesh is a phrase that usually means “all humankind,” “People everywhere,” “all the world.” But it may be that here it is used somewhat exaggeratedly for all Israelites (so Anderson). “To come (or, go) to God” means to go to the Temple in Jerusalem. To thee shall all flesh come will be ambiguous in many languages without stating clearly the purpose in their coming; for example, “all people will come to you to worship you” or “… to make sacrifices.”

Sins in verse 3a and transgressions in verse 3b translate two words that are used also in 51.1-2; see discussion there.

For expressions similar to that of verse 3b, see 38.4; 40.12. The meaning is that no one can deal with his or her sins without divine help; only God can deal effectively with them. The expression When our transgressions prevail over us may sometimes be rendered “When our sins are too heavy for us to carry” or, expressing sins as a verb phrase, “When we do bad things very much.” The Masoretic text in verse 3b has the pronominal suffix “me”; Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation and others prefer the Septuagint and Vulgate “us.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, however, translate the Masoretic text, which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project also prefers.

The Hebrew verb translated forgive originally meant either “to cover” or else “to wipe off.” In theological usage it means in the Hebrew Scriptures to remove the effects of sin, which are thought of primarily as a blot, or stain, which makes the person spiritually unclean, thus breaking the fellowship which exists between that person and God. The restoration of that broken fellowship can be effected only by God; God alone can remove, remit, cover up, wash away, forgive human sin. Thou dost forgive them in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation makes the sins the goal of forgiveness. In some languages it is not the sins that are said to be forgiven, but rather the person who does the sin. There are often idiomatic expressions for forgiveness; for example, “heal the neck,” “cause one’s heart to be soft,” “hand back someone’s sins to him,” and “throw away evil.”

Some believe that the text in verse 4 refers to the priests, who actually lived in the Temple area when on duty, but it seems more probable that the worshiping congregation is meant.

In verse 4 the psalmist uses three different expressions to speak of the Temple: thy courts (verse 4b), thy house (verse 4c), and thy holy temple (verse 4d). The expression to dwell in thy courts (verse 4b) refers to entering the Temple for the purpose of praise and worship (see 15.1; 24.3).

In verse 4c the goodness of thy house means the good things, that is, the blessings, that the people receive in the Temple. This could include sacrificial feasts, of which the people partook, but it seems likely that the spiritual benefits are being spoken of.

In some languages the various terms used referring to the Temple may be rendered, for example, “your holy place,” “your house,” “your great singing house,” or “your big prayer house.” In line d Good News Translation has filled out the parallelism with “the blessings of.” In some languages it may be helpful to follow this model. If so, it may be necessary to repeat the verb from the previous line. In both lines c and d it will be necessary in many languages to make the relation between “your house” and the “good things” more explicit than in Good News Translation; for example, “the good things that we receive in your house,” and in line c “the blessings you give us in your sacred Temple.”

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 .