The psalmist now promises to offer his sacrifices to God, in keeping with the promises he had made when he was in trouble. The change from the experience and needs of the nation to those of the psalmist himself is abrupt and unexpected, and this leads some to think that this psalm is a composite work. It may be that the psalmist identified the two, so that his troubles and those of the nation were thought of as one.

Thy house (verse 13a) is the Temple in Jerusalem, where the psalmist, in keeping with the promises he had made earlier (my vows, verse 13b), offers his sacrifices.

In verse 14 Good News Translation “I said I would” reduces to one sentence the double statement in Hebrew, my lips uttered and my mouth promised. The chronological sequence of the statements in verse 14 may sometimes require recasting, since the psalmist’s troubles came first, followed by the promise he made, and then later his promise to do what he said earlier. In some languages the time sequence following their natural order will make for clearer understanding; for example, “when I was in trouble I made you a promise. Now I will do what I promised.”

The psalmist offers as burnt offerings animals that are identified as fatlings (verse 15a). The word can refer to sheep, goats, or bulls which have been especially fattened for sacrifice. Instead of Good News Translation “sheep,” something like “fat animals” (Bible en français courant) or “fattened animals” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) would be better. The psalmist also offers rams (male sheep) and bulls and goats; the word translated goats is specifically the male animal.

In verse 15b the Hebrew with the smoke is expanded by Good News Translation into “and the smoke will go up to the sky.” Bible en français courant is similar: “and their smoke will go up to you.”

This is an unusually large number of animals that is being offered; as Anderson suggests, either there is poetic license at work, or else the psalmist was quite a rich person.

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 .