The Hebrew text in the first two lines is “As your name (extends) to the ends of the earth, so does your praise.” Here name stands for fame, reputation (see 5.11); Yahweh’s fame has spread over all the world, evoking praise from all peoples everywhere. Thy praise means “praise that people offer you.” The expression thy praise reaches to the ends of the earth will be difficult to express literally as in Revised Standard Version or in Good News Translation, since praise is not often said to reach or extend. In many languages it will be necessary to shift to another type of construction; for example, “and people all over the earth praise you because they know that you are great.”

In verse 10c the Hebrew tsedeq (see comments on “right” in 4.l) is translated victory by Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible; “generosity” by Dahood; “salvation” by Weiser; “beneficence” by New Jerusalem Bible, all of which are possible. It seems better, however, to join verse 10c to verse 11, as four lines in a chiastic arrangement (a-b-b′-a′): “God’s justice … Mount Zion is glad; cities of Judah rejoice … God’s judgments.” Thus tsedeq in verse 10c is parallel with mishpat, judgments in verse 11c (see discussion at 7.6); so Good News Translation, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible.

Right hand in verse 10c is a figure of power, authority; Mount Zion in verse 11a stands for the citizens of Jerusalem; and the daughters of Judah in verse 11b means the people of the cities of Judah.

The expression thy judgments must often be rendered “because you judge people fairly.”

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 .