In this verse the psalmist gives the positive qualities of “the righteous” (see verses 5, 6). It may be better to begin a new sentence here, as in Good News Translation.
But: the contrast between what precedes and what follows should be clear and emphatic. Good News Translation “Instead” is stronger than but; New Jewish Version (New Jerusalem Bible) has “rather.” Even stronger would be “On the contrary.”
His delight is in the law of the LORD: “he takes pleasure (or, finds joy) in reading (or, obeying) the Law of the LORD.” It may not be normal to speak simply of in the law, as Revised Standard Version does, and so a verb such as “obey,” or “read,” or “think about,” or “learn” may be necessary. Or “but he loves the Law of the LORD.”
The law of the LORD: here this term refers to the Torah, which is the most important part of the Hebrew Scriptures, that is, the first five books (traditionally known as the Books of Moses). The word “Torah” means teaching, instruction, guidance. It stands generally for the Hebrew faith, Yahweh’s revelation of himself as the God of the Hebrew people, and particularly for the written record of that revelation in the Hebrew scriptures, especially the first five books. New Jerusalem Bible translates “the teaching of the LORD.” It is obedience to the Law that makes for a righteous person’s joy, not the book as such.
In translation it is important to make clear the relation between delight and the law of the LORD. This may often be done by using two verb forms, as in Good News Translation “find joy” and “obeying.” The first can often be the cause and the second the result; for example, “Because they obey the Law of the LORD, they are happy.” In some languages law merely refers to regulations sent out from local officials. In order to avoid a restricted meaning of the term law, it is better to shift to “teaching” or “instruction.” Furthermore, it may be necessary to indicate that the “teaching” comes from God, in contrast to a “teaching” which is about God.
The LORD translates the distinctive Hebrew name for God; see Exodus 3.13-15, and see the Good News Translation footnote at Exodus 3.15. The name is transliterated “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” The majority of English translations represent the name by the title “the Lord,” following the tradition begun by the Septuagint, which instead of transliterating the Hebrew name translated it by ho Kurios, “the Lord” (which is what the New Testament writers also did); and see Vulgate Dominus. Most English translations write the word in small capital letters, LORD; the American Standard Version (American Standard Version) has “Jehovah,” Moffatt (Moffatt) has “the Eternal,” and the New Jerusalem Bible (New Jerusalem Bible) has “Yahweh.”
There are many problems related to the translation of LORD. Most readers will be familiar with the term that has been used in the translation of the New Testament, where “Lord” applies to both God and Jesus Christ. Now in the Psalms it will apply to God alone. Readers of the New Testament bring to the reading of the Psalms their feeling for the meaning of “Lord” as they have acquired it in the New Testament, and this is not always satisfactory in the Old Testament. The same applies to such terms as God, angel, spirit, and many others. In some cases the term used to translate “Lord” in the New Testament has never found complete acceptance, and translators are sometimes faced with the task of revising the term. Essentially there are four approaches which are followed: (1) LORD may be expressed by a term or phrase often designating a religious deity in the local culture; for example, “holy high one who guides us” or “sacred person who rules over us.” (2) The term may be borrowed from Hebrew and adapted to the phonology of the receptor language. In that case “Yahweh” serves as a base for the adaptation. The borrowing may be from Arabic “Rabb” or some other widely known language in the area. (3) If a borrowed term is used it may be desirable to add a word or phrase to make clear that this is a term designating God. (4) Finally, the translator may use only a descriptive phrase such as “the one who is eternal” or “the one who commands us.” Sometimes a descriptive term such as “the one who commands us” refers mainly to a military commander or a government officer. In such cases it will be preferable to follow one of the other solutions. Translators should consider each of these approaches in the search for a satisfactory rendering of this important term.
Meditates: “reads carefully,” “studies,” “pores over.” The Hebrew verb is defined as “read in an undertone” (see Josh 1.8), meaning intensive, careful reading and study. However, many languages make no distinction between reading and studying, and attempts to describe a mumbling kind of reading may distract from the essential force of reading diligently. Hence, meditates may often be rendered as “reading and thinking about.” In cases where it is desirable to express the intensive aspect of reading, one may say “they read it carefully day and night,” or “they read and think about its teachings all the time,” or “they are always reading and thinking about its teachings.”
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 .