The psalm opens with a command to all peoples of the world: Clap your hands. This indicates some sort of celebration and could well be one similar to the coronation of Josiah as king of Judah (see 2 Kgs 11.12). In some languages it is necessary to relate joy as a sign of Clap your hands; for example, “All you people clap your hands and show that you are joyful.”

The expression Shout to God with loud songs (Good News Translation “Praise God with loud songs”) must in some languages be adjusted so that loud songs are the result of singing; for example, “Praise God by singing loud songs.”

Good News Translation has the component “joy” in line a, in order to make clear what emotion is expressed by the action of clapping loudly. Some translations, however, will prefer to follow the Hebrew text more closely, and have “joy” in line b.

The Most High (see comments on 7.17) “is to be feared.” Revised Standard Version is terrible (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) does not suit the context, since in modern English the word has a completely negative connotation; New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and New American Bible “awesome,” or else “is to be revered,” represent more faithfully the meaning of the Hebrew (New English Bible “fearful” is ambiguous). Following Good News Translation, “The LORD … is to be feared,” some languages will have difficulty with the passive construction and will therefore have to shift to an active one. In those cases it is often possible to say “show reverence to the LORD, the Most High” or “honor the LORD, who is the Most High.”

In line b the adjective great means “powerful.”

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 .