It is possible that the east wind in verse 26a and the south wind in 26b are a poetic way of speaking of the southeast wind (Briggs, Anderson). Numbers 11.31 speaks of “wind from the LORD” which blew in “quails from the sea” (Revised Standard Version), by which is meant the Gulf of Aqaba, which was to the south and east of the camp of the Hebrews. In some languages east wind must be designated by a local directional term; for example, “He caused the wind to blow from the mountainside,” “… from the waterside,” or “… from the side of the rising sun.” Similar terminology also applies to south and other directions. In some languages the direction from which the wind blows is related to the seasons of the year.

In verse 26a Revised Standard Version in the heavens probably should be “from heaven” (New English Bible, New International Version; see Dahood, Anderson). Biblia Dios Habla Hoy combines the two lines, as follows: “The east wind and the south wind blew in the sky; God brought them with his power!” Good News Translation considers in the heavens to be redundant information and so does not represent it formally. But a translation can do so, either by following New English Bible, or else by translating “He caused the east wind to blow high above the camp; by his power he stirred up the wind from the south.”

“Sent down” in verse 27a translates the same verb used in verse 24a “rained down”; Revised Standard Version uses the same verb rained. The use of flesh here is most inappropriate; “meat” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, etc.) is the right word in English. Good News Translation “birds” combines “meat” in line a and winged birds in line b.

In verse 27 like dust … like the sand of the seas refers to the huge quantity of quails that fell on the Israelite camp.

In verse 28 a translation should not give the impression that the birds fell in two distinct locations, their camp and their habitations; the two refer to the tents of the Hebrews in the camp. “They fell in the camp where the people had their tents” or “they fell around the people’s tents where they were camped.” (It should be noted that in verse 28 Revised Standard Version their … their could mistakenly be taken to refer to winged birds of verse 27b.)

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 .