This verse, especially line a, is difficult to understand; commentaries and translations offer a variety of explanations. The general sense of the text seems clear enough: it describes how The hapless are defeated; New Jerusalem Bible, however, following in part the Septuagint, takes line a to refer to the wicked oppressor, and translates “He keeps watch, crouching down low” (also Weiser, An American Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); likewise Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, which continues in the next line, “and with all his weight he falls on the weak.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project also takes the verb in line a to refer to the wicked oppressor. The Masoretic text has two forms here: the ketiv (the written text) is “and being crushed”; the qere (the text to be read) is “he crouches,” which is preferred by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project.

Line b is literally “and he (the victim) falls by his (the oppressor’s) atsum”, a word that elsewhere usually means “a great number,” which does not fit the context here. An American Translation has “mighty men.” Some think that the figure of a lion is intended, and that this word refers to the lion’s claws; so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “the helpless fall into his claws,” and New Jerusalem Bible “falls into his clutches.” New English Bible has “fall into his toils”; Dahood supposes “his pit.” In view of the uncertainty, it seems best to use a general word, such as “power” or might (Revised Standard Version); notice, however, that Revised Standard Version by his might is meant to refer to the might of the wicked, of verses 3-9. In some languages it will be more satisfactory to reverse lines a and b and thus give the general cause “brute strength” first and then he specific consequence; for example, “Because he is so strong he has defeated them; he crushes the helpless victim down.”

If the translator chooses to follow the interpretation of Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and others, the translation can be “He bends down over them, and falls on them with all his weight.”

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 .