6 The logical connection between vv. 3–4 seems to be this: God is the protector of Zion and reveals himself as the city’s defender—this is necessary because hostile armies threaten the city.
7 The perfect verbal forms in vv. 4–6 are understood as descriptive. In dramatic style (note הִנֵּה, hinneh, “look”) the psalm describes an enemy attack against the city as if it were occurring at this very moment. Another option is to take the perfects as narrational (“the kings assembled, they advanced”), referring to a particular historical event, such as Sennacherib’s siege of the city in 701 b.c. (cf. , ). Even if one translates the verses in a dramatic-descriptive manner (as the present translation does), the Lord’s victory over the Assyrians was probably what served as the inspiration of the description (see v. 8).
8 The object of “see” is omitted, but v. 3b suggests that the Lord’s self-revelation as the city’s defender is what they see.
9 Heb “they look, so they are shocked.” Here כֵּן (ken, “so”) has the force of “in the same measure.”
10 The translation attempts to reflect the staccato style of the Hebrew text, where the main clauses of vv. 4–6 are simply juxtaposed without connectives.
11 Heb “trembling seizes them there.” The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is used here, as often in poetic texts, to point “to a spot in which a scene is localized vividly in the imagination” ( 1027 ).
12 Heb “[with] writhing like one giving birth.” The language of vv. 5–6 is reminiscent of Exod 15:15.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For behold, the kings assembled;

they came on together.

As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;

they were in panic; they took to flight.

Trembling took hold of them there,

anguish as of a woman in labor.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When the kings joined forces,

when they advanced together,

they saw her and were astounded;

they fled in terror.

Trembling seized them there,

pain like that of a woman in labor.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Look! The kings assembled;

they advanced together.

They looked and froze with fear;

they fled in terror.

Trembling seized them there,

agony like that of a woman in labor,

NLTNew Living Translation

The kings of the earth joined forces

and advanced against the city.

But when they saw it, they were stunned;

they were terrified and ran away.

They were gripped with terror

and writhed in pain like a woman in labor.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For see, the kings assembled;

they advanced together.

They themselves saw it, so they were astonished.

They were terrified; they ran off.

Trembling seized them there—

pain as of a woman in labor.

KJV 1900King James Version

For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

They saw it, and so they marvelled;

They were troubled, and hasted away.

Fear took hold upon them there,

And pain, as of a woman in travail.

Public Domain