Again the psalmist refers to his enemies (verse 95); for wicked see verse 53a. The verb translated lie in wait may mean simply “wait for,” but followed in this context by an expression of purpose; see New Jerusalem Bible “The wicked hope to destroy me.” In line b the phrase consider thy testimonies means to think about them, meditate upon them, reflect on what they mean.
The Hebrew of verse 96 is somewhat difficult to understand: in line a there are two words which seem to be complete synonyms: “I have seen that there is a limit to everything, an end”; Revised Standard Version a limit to all perfection (also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible) is possible (see Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). The word translated perfection occurs only here in the Old Testament; the related word “completeness” is used in 139.22 (“perfect hatred”). But it seems better to translate as New Jerusalem Bible does, “I have seen that all things have their limit” (see Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I have seen that all things have an end”). The Good News Translation expression “everything has limits” must be recast in some languages to say, for example, “everything comes to an end,” “everything finishes” or, idiomatically in some languages, “all things sit down and die.” In contrast with the imperfection of everything else is the perfection of Yahweh’s commandment. The phrase is exceedingly broad (New Jerusalem Bible “is broad beyond measure”) is probably best represented by Bible en français courant “is without limits,” that is, is not limited either by time or by any flaw. Briggs comments: “All things else, however complete, have their limit; they come to an eventual end; but in antithesis the Law is broad, limitless in breadth, without end in time, past, present, or future.”
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 .