At the mere presence of Yahweh The sea (see 106.7) fled, a poetic description of the parting of the waters of the Sea of Reeds, or Red Sea (Exo 14.10-22). For the crossing of the Jordan River, see Joshua 3.7-17; the water “stopped flowing” and the people crossed on dry land. The psalmist speaks poetically of the Jordan flowing upstream (turned back).

In verse 3a the verb “to see” has no direct object in Hebrew; New Jerusalem Bible supplies “them,” that is, the Israelites (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Israel”). In 77.16 the direct object is God, and this can be the implied object here. The sea looked, while possible in many languages, may provoke laughter when read. Where the personification of inanimate objects is not natural in the language, it is better to shift to another kind of expression. For example, it is often possible to say “God appeared before the sea” or “God came to where the sea was.” In the same way in some languages The sea … fled must be shifted to say “and disappeared” or “and the sea dried up.”

Verse 4 refers perhaps to Mount Sinai (see Exo 19.18; Judges 5.5; Psa 68.8); the emotion described is that of fear, not of joy (see 29.6, where the same figure is used).

For English readers the verb skip, used in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation in verses 4 and 6, indicates movements of the legs and feet used in dancing and play, and suggests anything but fear. Translators may have to make the element of fright explicit.

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 .

It is to be noticed that in verse 4 the Hebrew word translated precepts appears only in the Psalms. The Hebrew verb “to keep” is used in verses 4b and 5b (see its use in verse 2a); again, it means to follow, to “obey.”

In verse 5 the wish represented by O that … may be expressed by “I hope that” or “I wish that.” New Jerusalem Bible has “May my ways be steady in doing your will.”

In verse 6 be put to shame is the public shame to which a pious Israelite would be subjected who did not fully obey the law of Yahweh; failure to obey the Law would be obvious from the disgrace or the suffering which would overtake such a person. Good News Translation in verse 6 has inverted the order of the Hebrew text, putting first line b, “If I pay attention to all your commands,” so as to make the psalmist’s statement easier to understand. Revised Standard Version having my eyes fixed on means “because I have my eyes fixed on.” The Hebrew phrase “fix one’s eyes on” means to “pay attention to,” to observe, to obey. In some languages the expression be put to shame will have to be expressed in the active. Furthermore, in some languages an idiomatic phrase will be more natural; for example, “people will not cause my face to burn” or “people will not heat my blood.”

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 .

Verse 84a in Hebrew is “How many are the days of your servant?” (Revised Standard Version How long must thy servant endure?). This can mean “How much longer will I live?” (so New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Dahood); in the context, however, it seems better to understand it to mean “How much longer must I wait?” (that is, for Yahweh to save him, as in verses 81, 82; so Good News Translation, New English Bible, New International Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). For thy servant see verse 17a. The psalmist is impatient for God to judge his persecutors (verse 84b); in the context the verb judge implies punishment. New Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible translate well: “When will You bring my persecutors to judgment?”

The psalmist’s enemies are again called Godless men, or better, “Proud men” (verse 85a; see verse 51). They have dug pitfalls, which is another figure taken from hunting, in which a pit is dug into which the animal will fall (see similar figure in verse 61a). They are trying to trap the psalmist, either to take him prisoner or else to lead him to wrong conduct (see similar language in 35.7 and 57.6). Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “grave” (and not “pits”), which does not seem likely.

In verse 85b who do not conform to thy law translates the Hebrew “which (or, who) not according to your law.” This can mean that what they do is contrary to Yahweh’s law (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible); but it seems better, with the majority, to take this as a description of the enemies: they disregard God’s law.

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 final strophe (letter taw, verses 169-176) the psalmist mixes petition for God’s help with praise for the Law. The heading of this strophe is essentially the same as the heading of verses 153-160.

The first two verses are parallel; the first line of both is a prayer for help, and in the second line are additional requests, based on Yahweh’s promise to save. The verb in verse 169a “to bring near” is used also of sacrifices, and the psalmist may have thought of his prayer as a sacrifice offered to God (see verse 108). New English Bible takes cry in verse 169a to be “cry of joy.” The Hebrew verb in verse 170a is not the same as in verse 169a; the two, however, are synonymous. And in both lines before thee translates “before your face,” that is, “into your presence.” This is a way of asking Yahweh to hear and respond to the psalmist’s plea. Let my cry come before thee will often have to be recast in translation to say, for example, “Hear my cry,” or “Listen to my prayer” as in Good News Translation verse 170. For give me understanding in verse 169b, see verses 125a, 144b.

For deliver me in verse 170b, see synonymous verbs in verses 153a and 146a. Good News Translation‘s “according to your promise” must often be recast to say “because you have promised me.”

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 .

It should be noticed that most of the rest of the psalm (verses 2-3, 5-6) is in the form of direct address to some person; the personal pronoun you is singular. The psalmist could have someone specifically in mind; it is more likely that this is a way of addressing the reader. Where this literary device is fairly common, the translator should use it. Otherwise it is possible to go to the third person; in this case verse 2 would begin (in the language of Good News Translation): “That man’s work will provide for his needs….”

In verse 2 the Hebrew the fruit of the labor of your hands means the result of your work, whether thought of in terms of wages, crops, or food. The thought of the whole line is that the man who obeys Yahweh’s laws will earn enough from his work to provide for his needs at all times. In some languages verse 2a may need to be recast to say, for example, “the work you do will give you what you need to live” or “you will enjoy the results of your work.” Such a man will be happy and all will be well with him, that is, he will be prosperous. In some languages to “prosper” is rendered idiomatically; for example, “you will sit well” or “you will see goodness.”

In verse 3 the psalmist compares such a man’s wife to a fruitful vine, that is, a grapevine that bears many grapes, and his children to young olive trees. It is possible that the psalmist had in mind “sons” (Good News Translation, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) and not children in general. His wife will bear him many children and they will all be strong and vigorous (see 52.8). The figure of olive shoots is that of the shoots that grow up around a cultivated olive tree. Understanding the comparisons in verse 3 depends on familiarity with the grape vine and the olive tree. In languages in which these are unknown, it may be necessary to substitute other vines and trees which are locally cultivated. In the absence of such, it may be necessary to avoid the comparison. In the latter case one may translate, for example, “At home your wife will give you many children; and the children around your table will be many.” Around your table may be a meaningless picture in languages in which children do not sit at a table to eat. Accordingly one may translate “and there will be many children around the fire.”

Verse 4 closes this part of the psalm by repeating the thought of verse 1. It should be noticed that shall … be blessed translates a different Hebrew term from the one used in verse 1. In some languages it will be necessary to shift from the passive to the active and say, for example, “In this way the LORD will surely bless the person who obeys him.”

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 verses 8-12 the psalmist chooses three events from Israel’s history to illustrate the unlimited power of Yahweh: the plagues which were sent on Egypt (verse 8-9), the defeat of kings (verses 10-11), and the conquest of the land of Canaan (verse 12).

For the death of the first-born of Egypt, human and animal, see 78.51; 105.36; and for the other signs and wonders, that is, the plagues, see 78.42-49; 105.27-35. It may be helpful in some translations to specify that only the Egyptians suffered the loss of their first-born sons (and of their domestic animals).

It is to be noticed that in verse 9 the Hebrew text has “in your midst, Egypt,” changing from the third person in verse 8 to the second person of direct address, which seems to emphasize the importance of Egypt. The majority of translations preserve this form, but there is no need to do so (see New Jerusalem Bible text “against Egypt”; see Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible). Pharaoh is not a proper name but a title, like “Czar” or “Augustus.” Pharaoh’s servants are the court officials (see New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); New English Bible, however, has “his subjects.”

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 .