In these verses the psalmist proclaims God as the only one who judges all humankind. Good News Translation aids the reader in verses 2-5 with quotes and “says God.” In many languages it will be necessary to make even more evident that at verse 6 God has ceased speaking and the psalmist now speaks again. In languages which require placing the source of a quotation at the end of the quote, it may be necessary to indicate the switch in speakers with a subtitle before verse 6.

Verse 6 is variously understood: the first line is clearly “not from the sunrise (east) or from the sunset (west)”; the second line seems in the Masoretic text to be “and not from the desert of the mountains” (so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate). Commentators (Briggs, Weiser, Anderson, Dahood) and translations (Good News Translation, An American Translation, New American Bible) take this to be a reference to the other two cardinal points: “the desert” represents the south, and “the mountains” (of Lebanon) represent the north. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this line “neither from the desert nor from the mountains.” But the word translated “the mountains” can be read as a form of the verb “to raise”; so Oesterley. Revised Standard Version has lifting up (probably in the sense of “help”; see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); equally New Jerusalem Bible “For what lifts a man…,” and New English Bible “raise a man up”; also New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible.6-7 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says that the Hebrew word may be understood either as “lifting up” or “mountains.” In the first case the translation of the line would be “nor from the desert (comes) exaltation”; in the second case it would be “nor from the desert of the mountains.” Bible en français courant has “Know that greatness comes neither from the east nor from the west, nor yet from the desert.” In Hebrew there may be a play on the words translated lifting up in verse 6b and lifting up in verse 7b (in Hebrew the two are not identical). This can be carried over into translation, as Revised Standard Version does; but it should be remembered that the first word may mean “mountains.”

Though it is impossible to be dogmatic, Good News Translation is a defensible rendering and can be followed. Otherwise, it is recommended that Bible en français courant be imitated, although the connection between verse 6 and verse 7 is not very clear.

If the translator follows the interpretation of verse 6 as used by Good News Translation, it will not be clear just what will not come from the four directions. Good News Translation has made it explicit, on the basis of verse 7, by adding “Judgment.” Good News Translation‘s “Judgment does not come…” must often be recast as “God’s judgment…” or “the one who judges….” The four directions vary greatly in languages and are often related to local geography; for example, “downstream,” “upstream,” “toward the mountains,” or “toward the sea.”

God alone is the judge (verse 7); he condemns (literally “puts down”) some and acquits (“raises”) others. Good News Translation‘s “acquitting” is sometimes rendered “saying that he is innocent” or “saying that he has done no wrong.” Or else the opposites, “honoring … humbling,” “making important … making worthless,” may be used.

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 .