The text and meaning of verses 13-14 are hard to determine, and in places the Hebrew text seems so corrupt as to be beyond restoration. Weiser gives no translation to the last half of verse 14, with the comment that “the restoration of the seriously corrupt text is hopeless.” There are practically as many proposals for solution as there are commentaries and translations, and it would be futile to multiply examples.
In verse 13a the fate is literally “their path,” that is, the place to where their path leads them. The expression This is the fate of those may sometimes need to be said as “this is what happens to those” or, closer to the Hebrew idiom, “this is the road they go on.” “Who trust in themselves” (so New Jerusalem Bible “self-confident”) is taken by some to have the idea of foolish confidence.
Verse 13b in Hebrew is “and after them with their mouths they are pleased.” This is variously understood. Instead of “and after them” the Targum has “and their end” (parallel with “their path” in line a); Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy give this meaning, some without textual note. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“A” decision) says there are two interpretations of the Masoretic text: (1) “and the future of those who are pleased with their words”; (2) “and after them, they are (or, one is) pleased with their words.”
Who are pleased with their portion translates “with their mouths they are pleased.” Good News Translation takes “mouth” in the sense of “mouthful,” that is, what is given them, their portion (Revised Standard Version; so Briggs); also possible is “their possessions”; Bible de Jérusalem is “happy with their lot” (also New American Bible). There are other solutions. New Jerusalem Bible has “the end of those pleased with their own talk,” and New International Version “and of their followers, who approve their sayings.” Bible en français courant (also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project) translates “those who love so much to hear themselves talk.”
For Selah see 3.2.
The first half of verse 14 is fairly straightforward: Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol, which Good News Translation translates “they are doomed to die like sheep.”
A vivid metaphor follows, Death shall be their shepherd (literally “Death will shepherd them”); see 23.1 for comments on the corresponding noun “shepherd.” The expression Death shall be their shepherd will be difficult to preserve in this form in many languages where death cannot be spoken of as a shepherd. However, it is often possible to compare death to a shepherd; for example, “they will be led away by death as sheep are led by a shepherd” or “death will take them away as a shepherd leads away the sheep.” In languages in which Death cannot be personified, it may be necessary to drop both Death and shepherd. This may require joining line b to line c; for example, “they die and go to the grave” or “they die and are buried.”
The next line in verse 14 of the Masoretic text is (or appears to be) “and the righteous will have dominion over them in the morning.” Good News Translation (like New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) has attempted to stay with the Masoretic text, even though it seems to make no sense, and connects “in the morning” with what follows, not with what precedes (so New Jerusalem Bible), taking it in the sense of “quickly.” Revised Standard Version (also Bible en français courant) emends the text (see Anderson), and that yields a satisfactory meaning. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project stays with the Masoretic text (“A” decision), saying that two translations are possible: (1) “and over them the righteous men will reign in the morning”; (2) “and in the morning the righteous will trample them down.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project does not say which one is to be preferred. Translators may prefer to follow either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation.
Their form translates a Hebrew word of uncertain form and meaning; most take the noun to mean form (Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible), which Good News Translation represents by “bodies”; Bible de Jérusalem “their image”; New Jerusalem Bible “all trace of them”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “their features.”
Good News Translation “far from their homes” translates what in the Masoretic text is (or seems to be) “away from its dwelling” (or “away from its dominion”). New English Bible has “stripped of their honour”; another suggested translation is “so that they can no longer have any earthly dwelling”; New Jerusalem Bible “till its nobility is gone”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “they are far from their palace.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says the Masoretic text means “far from a lofty abode for them” (“A” decision). New Jerusalem Bible (like Revised Standard Version) connects “Sheol” with these words: “Sheol the home for them!” Bible en français courant translates: “They descend quickly to the grave. Their forms waste away, the world of shadows becomes their home.”
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 .