The psalmist concludes with a vow of gratitude, confident that the LORD has answered his prayer and proven his innocence. Some prefer the descriptive present “I thank” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible); others the future I will give … thanks (Revised Standard Version, An American Translation, New English Bible, New American Bible). The Hebrew verb for “to thank” is the one translated “praise” in 6.5 (Revised Standard Version) and appears many times in Psalms.

Righteousness: instead of the abstract quality (Good News Translation “justice”) it may be better to use a verbal phrase of action; for example, “I give thanks to the LORD because he does what is right.”

The verb for sing praise (to praise with musical accompaniment) is the verb from which the noun translated “psalm” in the Hebrew titles is formed. In some languages I will sing praise must be rendered as two coordinate events; for example, “I will sing and I will praise the LORD,” where the latter is “I will say the LORD is great.”

For name see comments on 5.11.

The divine title ʿelyon, the Most High, is used 21 times in Psalms. It describes Yahweh as the greatest, the most powerful, of all the gods. The translation of this title may sometimes be “God who is above all gods” or “God who is greater than all others.”

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 .