The psalmist refers to his own troubles, during which he had no human help or support; it was the LORD, and the LORD alone, who gave him comfort and aid.

The language in verse 16 suggests a trial (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “plead my cause”), at which no one came to the psalmist’s help. But the language may be general, not specific, and may indicate simply the lack of human help when the psalmist was being attacked by his enemies.

Good News Translation translates the verbs in verse 16 in the past tense, as most fitting in the context (similarly Dahood); many translators, however, use the future tense (New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New International Version, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); a few, like Revised Standard Version and New English Bible, use the present tense. But verses 17-18 definitely refer to past experience, so that the past tense seems best in verse 16.

Instead of the general the wicked … evildoers, it may be better to be specific, “these wicked people … these evildoers” (see Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant). In languages in which legal proceedings cannot be reflected in the language (for lack of a legal tradition), it will be better to make the statements general. The question form implies that “No one” is the answer, and so in some languages these two questions may be recast as statements, that no one intervened. Since the two lines are fully synonymous and without intensification, they may require in some languages being reduced to a single line; for example, “Only the LORD helped me against those evil people” or “No one but the LORD helped me against those bad people.”

The psalmist was in mortal danger; only the LORD’s timely help kept him from dying (verse 17). “I” (my soul) translates the Hebrew “my nefesh” (see 3.2). In verse 17b the land of silence is the world of the dead, Sheol (see 6.5). The expression land of silence, if translated literally in some languages, may refer to local inhospitable and uninhabited areas. “World of the dead” in many languages means the local cemetery. It will be best in some cases to say simply “I would have died.”

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 .