Blessed is the term regularly used in the Old Testament to describe a person who is in a good situation and deserves to be congratulated. The Hebrew word does not mean precisely that God blesses, or rewards, such a person; rather it means that such a person is happy, or fortunate, deserving congratulations. It is translated in the Septuagint by the same Greek adjective used in the Beatitudes (Matt 5.3-11), and the same word or phrase should be used here that is used to translate the Greek word in Matthew. A word such as “Lucky,” which implies chance, should not be used.

In some languages the congratulation expressed here is lost when the third person is retained, and therefore requires a shift to the second person; for example, “How fortunate you are” or “What great happiness is yours.” In some languages the congratulation may be expressed more naturally at the end of the verse rather than at the beginning.

The man: “the person.” Good News Translation and others use the plural form “Happy are those who…” in order to avoid making the psalm apply only to males. Or else, “The person who … is happy (or, fortunate).”

Such a person is described by three expressions which are more or less synonymous, that is, the three describe the same kind of behavior in different ways, using the Hebrew verbs “walk … stand … sit” in a figurative way. Some scholars see a progression of thought from casual acquaintance to permanent association, but this seems unlikely.

Walks not in the counsel of the wicked: “does not behave as wicked people say he should,” “whose conduct does not follow the advice of evil men.” The Hebrew verb “to walk” is often used in a figurative sense: “to live one’s life,” “to act,” “to behave.” Counsel means “advice,” “instruction,” or “teaching” given by one person to another.

Nor stands in the way of sinners: “does not follow the path taken (or, indicated) by sinners,” “does not imitate the example of sinful people.” The English expression “to stand in someone’s way” means to block a person’s progress and is not the correct meaning here.

In some languages “advice” is closely related to opinion, and therefore it is necessary to say, for example, “who say ‘No’ to the evil words of bad people,” “who keep away from bad people’s evil words,” or “who avoid what evil people say they should do.” In some languages there are expressions such as “to follow in the footprints,” meaning to imitate the behavior of someone. In such cases the metaphor can appropriately be retained at least in part as “who do not follow in the footprints of evil men.”

The two nouns wicked and sinners are quite general and describe those who do not obey God, as God’s will is made explicit in the Torah. The third noun, scoffers, refers to people who openly scorn religion or God, people who are practicing atheists, as it were. The term is used quite often in Proverbs (see 1.22; 14.6; 24.9; 29.8).

Nor sits in the seat of scoffers: “does not join (or, associate with) people who make fun of religion (or, of God).” In many languages the verb “sit” has also the meanings of “to be” or “to exist,” and by extension “to accompany someone.” The characteristic movement in parallel lines is seen here, where the general terms wicked and sinners are replaced by the more specific scoffers.

In translation it is important to keep the thrust of the poetic imagery if at all possible. Therefore before translating walks … stands … sits as nonmetaphors, the translator should see if these expressions will fit his language naturally. If they do not, then he may find other figurative expressions which may be used. Failing this, the translator is advised to use nonfigurative expressions.

Most languages have abundant terms expressing ridicule, often accompanied by derogatory gestures. Frequently figurative language expresses ridicule; for example, “shake the finger,” “wag the head,” or “make faces.” Hence the full expression sits in the seat of scoffers is sometimes rendered “sit with people who wag their heads at God.”

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 .

In this verse the psalmist gives the positive qualities of “the righteous” (see verses 5, 6). It may be better to begin a new sentence here, as in Good News Translation.

But: the contrast between what precedes and what follows should be clear and emphatic. Good News Translation “Instead” is stronger than but; New Jewish Version (New Jerusalem Bible) has “rather.” Even stronger would be “On the contrary.”

His delight is in the law of the LORD: “he takes pleasure (or, finds joy) in reading (or, obeying) the Law of the LORD.” It may not be normal to speak simply of in the law, as Revised Standard Version does, and so a verb such as “obey,” or “read,” or “think about,” or “learn” may be necessary. Or “but he loves the Law of the LORD.”

The law of the LORD: here this term refers to the Torah, which is the most important part of the Hebrew Scriptures, that is, the first five books (traditionally known as the Books of Moses). The word “Torah” means teaching, instruction, guidance. It stands generally for the Hebrew faith, Yahweh’s revelation of himself as the God of the Hebrew people, and particularly for the written record of that revelation in the Hebrew scriptures, especially the first five books. New Jerusalem Bible translates “the teaching of the LORD.” It is obedience to the Law that makes for a righteous person’s joy, not the book as such.

In translation it is important to make clear the relation between delight and the law of the LORD. This may often be done by using two verb forms, as in Good News Translation “find joy” and “obeying.” The first can often be the cause and the second the result; for example, “Because they obey the Law of the LORD, they are happy.” In some languages law merely refers to regulations sent out from local officials. In order to avoid a restricted meaning of the term law, it is better to shift to “teaching” or “instruction.” Furthermore, it may be necessary to indicate that the “teaching” comes from God, in contrast to a “teaching” which is about God.

The LORD translates the distinctive Hebrew name for God; see Exodus 3.13-15, and see the Good News Translation footnote at Exodus 3.15. The name is transliterated “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” The majority of English translations represent the name by the title “the Lord,” following the tradition begun by the Septuagint, which instead of transliterating the Hebrew name translated it by ho Kurios, “the Lord” (which is what the New Testament writers also did); and see Vulgate Dominus. Most English translations write the word in small capital letters, LORD; the American Standard Version (American Standard Version) has “Jehovah,” Moffatt (Moffatt) has “the Eternal,” and the New Jerusalem Bible (New Jerusalem Bible) has “Yahweh.”

There are many problems related to the translation of LORD. Most readers will be familiar with the term that has been used in the translation of the New Testament, where “Lord” applies to both God and Jesus Christ. Now in the Psalms it will apply to God alone. Readers of the New Testament bring to the reading of the Psalms their feeling for the meaning of “Lord” as they have acquired it in the New Testament, and this is not always satisfactory in the Old Testament. The same applies to such terms as God, angel, spirit, and many others. In some cases the term used to translate “Lord” in the New Testament has never found complete acceptance, and translators are sometimes faced with the task of revising the term. Essentially there are four approaches which are followed: (1) LORD may be expressed by a term or phrase often designating a religious deity in the local culture; for example, “holy high one who guides us” or “sacred person who rules over us.” (2) The term may be borrowed from Hebrew and adapted to the phonology of the receptor language. In that case “Yahweh” serves as a base for the adaptation. The borrowing may be from Arabic “Rabb” or some other widely known language in the area. (3) If a borrowed term is used it may be desirable to add a word or phrase to make clear that this is a term designating God. (4) Finally, the translator may use only a descriptive phrase such as “the one who is eternal” or “the one who commands us.” Sometimes a descriptive term such as “the one who commands us” refers mainly to a military commander or a government officer. In such cases it will be preferable to follow one of the other solutions. Translators should consider each of these approaches in the search for a satisfactory rendering of this important term.

Meditates: “reads carefully,” “studies,” “pores over.” The Hebrew verb is defined as “read in an undertone” (see Josh 1.8), meaning intensive, careful reading and study. However, many languages make no distinction between reading and studying, and attempts to describe a mumbling kind of reading may distract from the essential force of reading diligently. Hence, meditates may often be rendered as “reading and thinking about.” In cases where it is desirable to express the intensive aspect of reading, one may say “they read it carefully day and night,” or “they read and think about its teachings all the time,” or “they are always reading and thinking about its teachings.”

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 .