This verse in Hebrew is hard to understand; after considering three different textual problems in this verse, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project proposes the following translation: “I praise you that I am so dread-fully distinguished, marvelous are your works, and I know that with all my being/I (lit. my soul) know it perfectly well.”

The first line (following the Revised Standard Version division of the verse) seems to mean “I praise you because fearful things (or, fearfully) I am wonderful.” With a great degree of probability Anderson says the Hebrew can be rendered “I thank you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (so New Jerusalem Bible “I praise You, for I am awesomely, wondrously made”). Revised Standard Version has more or less followed the versions.

The second line (see Revised Standard Version) in Hebrew is “your works are wonderful”; there is no difficulty here.

The third line in Hebrew is “my nefesh knows it well.” Revised Standard Version arrives at its translation by changing the vowels in the verb, thus making God the subject: “You know my nefesh well.”

The Good News Translation translation of the first two lines follows the Qumran manuscript: “I thank you because you are fearful (or, awesome); wondrously wonderful are your works.” In the third line Good News Translation follows the Hebrew text (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). It must be admitted that in this line the assignment of other vowels to the Hebrew (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Dahood) makes for a better statement in the context, since the psalmist is talking about Yahweh’s complete knowledge of him. The following translation of verse 14 may be commended: “I thank you because I am so wonderfully and mysteriously made, and because all your works are so wonderful; you know me completely” or, in languages which will not use the passive, “I thank you because you have so wondrously and mysteriously made me….”

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 .