In verse 6 it is not clear what the Hebrew word translated carved wood means; it can mean either carvings on wood or engravings on metal or stone. New Jerusalem Bible has “carved work,” New English Bible “carvings,” and New American Bible “paneling.” The Septuagint translates “its doors.” The two words translated hatchets and hammers occur only here in the Old Testament, and they are variously translated: New Jerusalem Bible “hatchet and pike”; New English Bible “hatchet and pick”; New Jerusalem Bible “axe and pick”; Dahood “hatchets and mattocks.” Holladay defines the two as “axes” and “crowbars.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the whole verse should translated “and now–the carvings, at the same time (or, all together), with hatchets and hammers, they smash them.” The main problem for the translator is to name instruments or weapons that are appropriate for that time. In some languages the means must normally precede the result; for example, “With their axes and hammers they smashed the carved wood.”

In verse 7, as Revised Standard Version shows, to the ground is the first word of line b; but it seems better to take it with line a, “They burned your Temple to the ground” or “They razed your Temple and set it on fire.” Good News Translation has taken to the ground in the sense of “wrecked” (so New English Bible “tore down”; also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) and reversed the order of the two actions as being more natural: “wrecked … and set it on fire.” 2 Kings 25.9 reports how Nebuzaradan, the commanding general of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia, burned down the Temple and other buildings in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

It is not stated how the enemy desecrated (or “profaned”) the Temple, that is, made it unfit for worship. The destruction itself would be an act of desecration, as would be a pagan worship service or the installation of pagan emblems (verse 4). Good News Translation “the place where you are worshiped” (verse 7b) translates the dwelling place of thy name; New Jerusalem Bible has “the dwelling-place of Your presence.” This is another way of referring to the Temple, parallel with thy sanctuary in line a. Desecrated the dwelling place of thy name is sometimes rendered “they dishonored the place where you are worshiped,” or “they made filthy the place where you are worshiped,” or “they caused the place where you are worshiped to become unclean.”

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 .