כא תַּסְתִּירֵם, בְּסֵתֶר פָּנֶיךָ-- מֵרֻכְסֵי-אִישׁ:תִּצְפְּנֵם בְּסֻכָּה; מֵרִיב לְשֹׁנוֹת

Thou hidest them in the covert of Thy presence from the plottings of man; Thou concealest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Psalm 31: 20)

Conceal, cover, make secret...
Shelter, hiding place, secret place...
Face, turn toward, show...
Conspiracies, snares, bindings...
Mortals, humankind, husbands.
Treasure, store up, hide...
Thicket, booth, tent..
Disputes, quarrels, controversy...
Language, slander, speech.

Obscurity rather than victory can be God's gift.

Yet it is to be hidden in the very presence of God. It is being hidden in the plain sight of reality.

כ מָה רַב-טוּבְךָ, אֲשֶׁר-צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ:פָּעַלְתָּ, לַחֹסִים בָּךְ; נֶגֶד, בְּנֵי אָדָם

How great is your goodness, Lord, stored up for those who fear you. You display it for those who trust you, in the sight of all the people. (Psalm 31:19)

What, wherewith, how long...
Much, strong, abounding...
Beauty, joy, excellence...
Hidden, put away, concealed...
Revere, respect, astonish...
Make, accomplish, perform...
Confide in, take refuge, hope in...
Turn toward, facing, presence of...
Son, child, young...
Man, humanity, Adam...

What excellence is hidden in fear? Remake those who hope. Turn toward us.

The translator has made an exclamation from the question. I wonder if it is an authentic question.

The tranlastor has chosen "stored up" for a word - tsaphan - more often suggesting hidden away.

I have chosen to transform the confidence of the translation into a request.

יט תֵּאָלַמְנָה, שִׂפְתֵי-שָׁקֶר: הַדֹּבְרוֹת עַל-צַדִּיק עָתָק--בְּגַאֲוָה וָבוּז

Let the lying lips be dumb, which speak arrogantly against the righteous, with pride and contempt. (Psalm 31: 18)

Deception, wrong, disappointment...
Edge, shore, border...
Bind, make silent...
Promise, warn, threaten...
Boldly, quickly, strongly...
On account of, upon, because of...
Fulfilled-in-God, completed self...
Glory, majesty, swelling...
Despise, condemn, dismiss...

These could be my lying lips, my self-deceptions, my pride as much as any others.

Above is from Les Belles Heures.

יח יְהוָה--אַל-אֵבוֹשָׁה, כִּי קְרָאתִיךָ; יֵבֹשׁוּ רְשָׁעִים, יִדְּמוּ לִשְׁאוֹל

O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon Thee; let the wicked be ashamed, let them be put to silence in the nether-world.(Psalm 31:17)

Become dry, delayed, confounded...
Existing one, past-present-future, becoming...
Cry out, proclaim, invite...
Guilty, condemned, troubled...
Become dry, delayed, confounded...
Still, quiet, die...
Place of begging, asking, enquire...

The Hebrew sheol - nether-world - is derived from sha'al: to ask, borrow, beg.

I am dried out and I cry out. May the drought be ended. I beg for the still rain of creative reality.

יז הָאִירָה פָנֶיךָ, עַל-עַבְדֶּךָ; הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי בְחַסְדֶּךָ

Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy lovingkindness. (Psalm 31:15)

Turn, turn toward, look...

Light, brighten, illumine...

Worker, laborer, slave...

Liberate, deliver, bring victory...

Goodness, kindness, faithfulness...

When I saw "save me" in the verse above I was expecting the Hebrew padah or perhaps ga'al. These are sometimes translated as save or redeem or reclaim or ransom.

But the Hebrew is yasha'. I was expecting to be retrieved from my current condition by my original master. Instead I am to be freed.

טז בְּיָדְךָ עִתֹּתָי; הַצִּילֵנִי מִיַּד-אוֹיְבַי, וּמֵרֹדְפָי

My times are in Thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. (Psalm 31:14)

Circumstances, experience, seasons...
Strength, power, influence...
Rescue, save, snatch away, tear out...
Strength, power, influence...
Foes, adversaries, competitors...
Harass, chase after, follow, hunt...

Who or what has power over me? Whose hand do I hold? Which is it, the strength - yad - of God or the influence - yad - of my enemy, that determines my direction and state of mind?

טו וַאֲנִי, עָלֶיךָ בָטַחְתִּי יְהוָה; אָמַרְתִּי, אֱלֹהַי אָתָּה

But as for me, I have trusted in Thee, O Lord; I have said: 'Thou art my God.' (Psalm 31:14)

Confident, bold, secure, careless...

In what exists, reality, past-present-future, becoming...

Strength, power, potential, ground of being.

In the first eight verses the psalmist sets out his relationship with God: He has taken refuge and asks for God's protection. The protection he seeks is transformational. He asks God to tear him away from current preoccupations and lead him into the depth and breadth of God's intent.

The next six verses describe the current condition in need of transformation. The psalmist is constrained, confined, discouraged, exhausted, angry, fearful, ignored, dismissed, confused, and more. He is on the wrong path or no path at all.

This verse is the turning point: The psalmist is secure in the strength of ultimate reality.