OET interlinear PSA 123:2

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הִנֵּ֨ה

(Some words not found in UHB: see/lo/see! like,the_eyes_of servants to/towards hand_of their_master(s)_of,their like,the_eyes_of maid to/towards hand_of her_mistress_of,her yes/correct/thus/so eyes_of,our to/towards YHWH God_of,our until that,he,will_show_favor_to_us )

The psalmist is using the term behold to focus his listeners’ attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [Look]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְ⁠עֵינֵ֪י עֲבָדִ֡ים אֶל־יַ֤ד אֲֽדוֹנֵי⁠הֶ֗ם כְּ⁠עֵינֵ֣י שִׁפְחָה֮ אֶל־יַ֪ד גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥⁠הּ כֵּ֣ן עֵ֭ינֵי⁠נוּ אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑י⁠נוּ

like,the_eyes_of servants to/towards hand_of their_master(s)_of,their (Some words not found in UHB: see/lo/see! like,the_eyes_of servants to/towards hand_of their_master(s)_of,their like,the_eyes_of maid to/towards hand_of her_mistress_of,her yes/correct/thus/so eyes_of,our to/towards YHWH God_of,our until that,he,will_show_favor_to_us )

The point of this comparison is that just as servants look to the hand of their masters for provision and direction, so the psalmist and his people look to Yahweh to provide for them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [just as servants depend on their masters, and just as a maidservant depends on her mistress, so we wait on Yahweh our God]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

כְ⁠עֵינֵ֪י עֲבָדִ֡ים אֶל־יַ֤ד אֲֽדוֹנֵי⁠הֶ֗ם כְּ⁠עֵינֵ֣י שִׁפְחָה֮ אֶל־יַ֪ד גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥⁠הּ

like,the_eyes_of servants to/towards hand_of their_master(s)_of,their (Some words not found in UHB: see/lo/see! like,the_eyes_of servants to/towards hand_of their_master(s)_of,their like,the_eyes_of maid to/towards hand_of her_mistress_of,her yes/correct/thus/so eyes_of,our to/towards YHWH God_of,our until that,he,will_show_favor_to_us )

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. In the first phrase, the psalmist refers to male servants and their masters, and in the second, to a maidservant and her mistress. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the phrases. Another approach would be to connect the phrases with a word that shows that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. See how you as a team have decided to translate the parallel phrases in the Psalms, and follow that approach here and throughout this psalm. Alternate translation: [as servants watch the hand of their masters for direction] or [as the eyes of the servants are to the hand of their masters, indeed, as the eyes of a maidservant are to the hand of her mistress]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

יַ֤ד אֲֽדוֹנֵי⁠הֶ֗ם & יַ֪ד גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥⁠הּ

hand_of their_master(s)_of,their & hand_of (Some words not found in UHB: see/lo/see! like,the_eyes_of servants to/towards hand_of their_master(s)_of,their like,the_eyes_of maid to/towards hand_of her_mistress_of,her yes/correct/thus/so eyes_of,our to/towards YHWH God_of,our until that,he,will_show_favor_to_us )

Here, hand represents the provision and direction of a person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the direction of their masters … the direction of her mistress]