It is not certain how verses 39-40 relate to what precedes or to what follows. Good News Translation, An American Translation, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy join the two verses and connect them with what follows. New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Dahood connect verse 39 with verse 38, and verse 40 with verse 41; New Jerusalem Bible makes the action of verse 40 come before that of verse 39. New American Bible and Bible en français courant make a full stop at the end of verse 39, and connect verse 40 with verse 41. Bible de Jérusalem and New Jerusalem Bible take verses 39-40 as a quatrain, describing how Yahweh dealt with his people. Some commentators believe that the two verses 39-40 should be reversed, and verse 39 joined to verse 41. Verse 40 is an exact replica of Job 12.21a, 24b, and Zürcher Bibel here puts the verse in quotation marks and refers in a footnote to the Job passage (see Kirkpatrick).

Everything considered, it seems best to follow the example of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation in the division of the strophes, using the present tense of the verbs, as Revised Standard Version does.

Good News Translation begins verse 39 by making the subject explicit, “God’s people.” Bible en français courant has “But others….” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has the subject of verse 38 as the subject of verse 39. New English Bible, by conjecture, supplies the noun “Tyrants” as the subject (parallel to “princes” in verse 40a). It is recommended that the subject be made explicit, as Good News Translation has done.

In verse 39a diminished translates the verb used in verse 38b; Bible en français courant takes it to mean the same: “But others see their number decrease.” But in connection with brought low, this describes the shameful condition of the Israelites when they are under foreign oppression. In many languages it will not be possible for “cruel oppression and suffering” to serve as the agents which bring about defeat. Accordingly verse 39 may have to be recast to say, for example, “When the enemies of God’s people defeated them, the people were humiliated; they were oppressed and made to suffer.”

In verse 40a Good News Translation “their oppressors” translates the word princes. It is uncertain whether this refers to the leaders of the Israelites (so Anderson, who thinks the psalmist is alluding to the fate of Judah’s last two kings, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah) or to foreign leaders who oppressed Israel (so Kirkpatrick, Cohen, Dahood, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). It is possible that no particular historical events are alluded to, but that in general terms the psalmist is speaking of how the LORD reverses human conditions, bringing down the mighty and exalting the lowly (a common theme in Wisdom literature). This being so, the present tense of the verbs is much more appropriate.

Verse 40b is similar in thought to verse 4a.

In verse 41a the verb raises up means to restore to well-being and prosperity; God comes to their aid and delivers them from their miserable situation (see 113.7-9). The needy are the Israelites who are poor and in want.

In verse 41b makes their families like flocks is a figure of a high birth rate and a rapid increase in numbers. Although Good News Translation has made it clear that the analogy makes their families like flocks refers to population increase, this will not help where people do not raise flocks of animals. In such cases it will be better to say “he made their families have many children” or “he made their families become very numerous.”

In verse 42a the verb see does not imply that The upright are actual spectators of all the events described; it is rather that they know what Yahweh has done, they perceive the meaning of the events reported. In some languages it will be necessary to say, for example, “good people understand these things and are glad.” It is important in line b to avoid the abstract all wickedness, and say “all wicked people,” “all wrongdoers.” In Good News Translation the last verb phrase “are put to silence” implies an external agent that silences the people; something like New Jerusalem Bible “have nothing to say” or “the wicked can say nothing against it.”

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 .