The psalmist declares that both in Judah and in Israel (either the two as separate nations or else the two as encompassing the whole country) God is known and his name is great. The name of God stands here especially for his fame as the triumphant victor over Israel’s enemies (see 5.11). So the translation can be “he is famous” or “he is highly respected.” Translators may read verse 1 as two lines saying so nearly the same thing that they may wish to reduce the two to one. However, line b raises the impact of line a by being more specific, and this may be reflected in translation by saying, for example, “God is known in Judah, and in Israel his name is really great” or, in languages which must avoid the passive, “In Judah people know God, and in Israel they honor him.” Some languages will prefer a direct address form; for example, “The people of Judah know God and the people of Israel even say ‘God, you are great.’ ”

Salem is the older, pre-Israelite, name of Jerusalem (see Gen 14.18), or else is an abbreviation for the full name. The Hebrew reader would see the connection between Salem and shalom “peace.” For comments on Zion see 2.6. Revised Standard Version has been established translates the verb “to be”; the line in Hebrew is simply “and in Salem is his tent.” In line a the word translated abode is “tent, shelter” (as in the Festival of Shelters); and for dwelling place see “habitation” in 68.5.

Due to the near identity of both lines in verse 2, it may be best in some languages to reduce these to one line and say, for example, “His house is on Mount Zion in Jerusalem” or “He lives on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.” In some languages it will be necessary to qualify Jerusalem as “the city of Jerusalem.”

New English Bible, following Briggs, transposes the first word of verse 3, There (shamah), to the end of verse 2, and changes the vowels to make simah “he placed” and, by taking the two words “tent” and “dwelling place” in a military sense, translates “in Zion his battle quarters are set up” (a rendering which Anderson prefers). This is attractive but not necessary.

The flashing arrows in verse 3a translates “the flames of the bow.” This can be a reference to the swiftness of the arrows, or else it describes them as incendiary arrows (see Bible en français courant footnote). So a translation can say “the swift arrows” or “the deadly arrows.”

A translation should make clear, as Good News Translation does, that it was the weapons of the enemy that God broke; otherwise it may appear that God was destroying his own weapons.

Besides the two specific weapons, shield (see 3.3 and comment) and sword, another weapon appears to be indicated by the word which normally means “battle.” New Jerusalem Bible has “sword of war”; Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and others take it to indicate all other weapons used in war. For a similar statement see 46.9. For translation suggestions regarding bow, arrow, and shield, see 7.10, 12, 13.

For Selah see 3.2.

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 .