This verse presents difficulties in text and exegesis, and translations vary considerably. The Hebrew text has three lines; the first one is “they have eaten and they will bow down, all the fat ones of the earth.” The solution proposed by Briggs and others (followed by Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Good News Translation, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) is that in place of the Masoretic text “they have eaten” the text should be “indeed to him,” and the “and” before the next word should be removed. But Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project all follow the Masoretic text.

The phrase in the Masoretic text, “All those in full vigor shall eat and prostrate themselves” (New Jerusalem Bible), is understood differently by Dahood and others (New American Bible, New English Bible, Toombs, Weiser). Others change the Masoretic text “fat ones” to “those who sleep,” meaning the dead in Sheol; so Bible en français courant “even those who sleep in the underworld.” This certainly offers a more fitting parallel to line b, which has “before his face will bow all who go down to the dust”–that is, all mortal beings–or perhaps, “all who are about to die” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

The translator may wish to follow the Masoretic text, in which “shall eat” does not make much sense in the context. New International Version probably comes as close to making sense as any: “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship,” this line contrasting with the following “all who go down to the dust.” Or else the translator may choose to follow the emended text represented by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. All the proud of the earth, depending on which wording the translator follows, may be rendered in some languages by idiomatic expressions; for example, “those who walk with their noses high,” “those who have big thoughts of themselves,” “those who speak great words of themselves.”

All who go down to the dust will have no reference to death in many languages. “Mortal men” may be rendered “people who die.” The translator must make certain that they are not said to die as the result of bowing down to the LORD.

Line c (which Weiser omits as a later doctrinal addition) is literally “and his nefesh he cannot keep alive” (so Revised Standard Version; Good News Translation has combined it with “mortal men” in line b as another way of speaking of who go down to the dust; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “for they have no life in themselves”). But others translate this differently: New English Bible (and similarly New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible) “But I shall live for his sake” (in which the Masoretic text loʾ “not” is changed, with ancient versions, to lo “for him”). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “he (Yahweh) has not let them live.”

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 .