In these verses Yahweh is praised for having won the victory for his people. In verse 15a the righteous are the Israelites as such, not just those who were particularly law-abiding. These are the Israelites as contrasted with their enemies, the pagans. But the Hebrew word often has the sense of “victory,” and New Jerusalem Bible translates “the victorious,” New English Bible “the victors,” and Dahood “the triumphant.” It seems better to follow either Bible en français courant “the faithful,” or else Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “God’s people.”
The tents may refer in a general sense to houses or homes (so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), but it is more likely that these are military tents, in which the men lived while on military campaigns (so New English Bible “the camp”); or else they are the temporary shelters which the people built and in which they lived during the week-long Festival of Shelters. Songs of victory or Good News Translation‘s “shouts of victory” along with line b must be shifted in many languages to say “Listen to God’s people shouting in their tents because they have defeated their enemies.”
The right hand represents Yahweh’s strength, his power, used to defeat the enemy (see Exo 15.6). Does valiantly in verses 15c, 16b means “won the victory” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or “is triumphant” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant). Good News Translation “it” at the end of verse 15 anticipates “has brought us victory” in verse 16a. In some languages “The LORD’s mighty power” cannot be the agent of the action; therefore one must often say, for example, “Our victory came from the LORD’s powerful help” or “We won because the LORD is powerful and helped us.” In verse 16a the right hand of the LORD is exalted may refer to a gesture that the winner would make as a sign of victory, or else it portrays Yahweh’s mighty hand lifted up in a threatening gesture against the enemy.
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 .