In verse 11 the figures sun and shield may stand for guidance and protection; see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “God … shines on us and protects us.” See similar language, “my light and my salvation,” in 27.1. Good News Translation “glorious king” is meant to represent the might and splendor of the sun. But sun is nowhere else in the Old Testament used as a figure for God, and some have proposed that the word here, shemesh, means “bulwark, battlement” (New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Weiser, New Jerusalem Bible footnote). In Isaiah 54.12 the word shemesh does mean “bulwark,” and that may well be the most probable meaning here. K-B and Holladay define it here as “sun-shaped shield.” The idea of “protector” is to be preferred. Verse 11a may be translated, for example, “The LORD is the one who protects us and rules over us” or “The LORD defends us from our enemies.”

God blesses his people with favor and honor, that is, he shows his love for them and brings honor, or glory, to them by causing them to prosper and succeed. God gives good things “to those who do what is right” (literally “who walk blamelessly”; see 15.2 and comments). Revised Standard Version who walk uprightly may be ambiguous.

Although Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch retains the idea of sun and shield, it provides a good example of a dynamic equivalence translation:

Yes, God, the Lord, is the sun,
who gives us light and life.
He is the shield,
who protects us.
He gives us his love,
and receives us with honor.
To all who live blameless lives
he gives the greatest good fortune.

The final praise (verse 12) is reserved for those who trust in God. LORD of hosts translates “Yahweh of armies” (as in verses 1, 3, 8).

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 .