The psalmist is near death; he compares himself to a shadow at evening (see 102.11 and comments); the Hebrew is “like a lengthening shadow,” a way of referring to the end of the day, when the shadows grow longer. In verse 23b the psalmist compares himself to a locust (see 78.46) that is “blown away” by the wind. But the verb translated “blown away” (Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) may be taken to mean shaken off (Revised Standard Version), in which case the figure is that of locusts being shaken off the plants (see New American Bible footnote) or off a garment (Cohen, McCullough, Bible en français courant footnote). The Hebrew verb in other places means “shake” (Neh 5.13; Job 38.13; Isa 33.9; Psa 136.15 “overthrew”), and that is probably the meaning intended here (Revised Standard Version; also New English Bible, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version). “I am blown away like an insect” may have to be shifted to an active construction; for example, “I am like a locust which the wind blows away,” or if the locust is unknown and the verb is interpreted as shaken off, the translator may prefer to say “I am like an insect that a farmer shakes off a plant.”

The psalmist speaks of his feeble condition (verse 24). The “lack of food” here may be a reference to the loss of appetite (see 107.18); some think this is voluntary fasting, which the psalmist underwent as he awaited his trial (see Dahood, Anderson). Most translations, like Revised Standard Version, have fasting. In verse 24b the text can be understood in two different ways, depending on whether the final Hebrew phrase mishshamen means “from fatness” or “from olive oil.” In the former case the line means “my body is lean from lack of fat” (that is, either the body fat as such or nourishing food); in the latter case, “my body is lean from lack of olive oil.” A mourner refrained from rubbing olive oil on the body (see 2 Sam 14.2). The former is favored by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant; the latter by Briggs, Kirkpatrick, An American Translation, Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible. Good News Translation has chosen to express the meaning quite idiomatically (as in 102.5b).

For expressions similar to that in verse 25a, see 22.6; 31.11; 89.41. At the end of the line the Hebrew text has “to them,” which Revised Standard Version takes to mean to my accusers; Good News Translation takes it to mean people in general. For language similar to verse 25b, see 22.7.

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 .