Verses 11-12 are quoted in Matthew 4.6 and Luke 4.10-11 as they appear in the Septuagint; the quote in Matthew omits verse 11b, and in Luke the words “in all your ways” in verse 11b are omitted.

Verse 11 in the Masoretic text is “For he will order his angels concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.” The meaning is quite clear: “God will give his angels orders to protect you wherever you go.” Dahood takes in all your ways to mean “in all your marches,” in a military sense of the king in his campaigns; and in verse 10b he takes “the tent” to be the king’s military headquarters. This is not very convincing.

It is not easy to decide the exact sense of verse 12a; the text may mean that the angels carry the person in their arms (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) or else help support him as he walks (so Good News Translation and most others). Some commentators refer to the language in Exodus 19.4, where God reminds the people of Israel, “I bore you on eagles’ wings.” Weiser comments that the language expresses “the almost motherly solicitude of God.” The angels “will carry him like a child, carefully and protectively.” For comments on angels see 34.7; 35.5, 6.

The language of verse 12b reflects the harsh and sometimes dangerous condition of the roads in Palestine; the figure is probably used in a general way of not coming to any harm. See the language of slipping and stumbling in 35.15; 37.31; 38.16.

A literal translation of your foot may give the reader the impression that the angels are providing protection for only one part of the body, something like a restricted insurance policy. It may be clearer to say “to keep you from hurting yourself on the stones” or “to keep the stones from hurting you.”

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 .