Psalm 11
[To the leading musician, a psalm (attributed) to David]
11:1 In YHWH I have trusted.
How will you say to my soul,
"Flee, bird, to your mountain"?
2 For, behold, the wicked bend [their] bow;
they prepare their arrow on the string
in order to shoot secretly the upright of heart.
3 For [if] the columns are thrown down,
what will the righteous [person] do?
4 YHWH [is] in the temple of his holiness;
YHWH [is] in the skies of his throne.
His eyes will see;
his eyelids examine the sons of Adam.
5 YHWH will examine the righteous one,
but the wicked and the one who loves doing wrong, his soul hates.
6 Rain down snares on the wicked,
violent fire and sulphur
and tempest, the portion for their cup.
7 For the Righteous [one], the LORD, loves righteousness;
the upright person, he will look on his face.
Showing posts with label Psalms translation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalms translation. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Psalm 10 Translation
Psalm 10
10:1 Why, YHWH, do you stand at a distance?
[Why] do you hide for times in the distress?
2 In the pride of the wicked [man], he persecutes the poor;
They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
3 For the wicked [one] brags about the lust of his soul;
And blesses the one taking spoils, [whom] YHWH hates.
4 The wicked [man], like the pride of his nose, will not seek,
God is not [in] all his schemes.
5 His ways are twisted every time;
Your judgments are high from his sight;
At those who oppose [him], he snorts at them.
6 He said in his heart, "I will not be moved,
From generation to generation that [I will not be] in harm."
7 Of cursing, his mouth is full, and deceits,
And fraud is under his tongue, trouble and wickedness.
8 He sits in the blind spot of villages;
In the hiding places he will murder the innocent;
His eyes against the unfortunate lurk.
9 He lies in ambush in the secret place like a lion in a den;
He lies in ambush to seize the poor;
He will seize the poor when he draws [him] in his net.
10 He crushes, he crouches,
And he falls with his mighty ones [on] the poor.
11 He said in his heart, "God forgot.
He has hidden his face.
He will never see."
12 Arise, YHWH.
God, lift up your hand.
Do not forget the miserable.
13 Why do the wicked despise God?
He says in his heart,
"You will not come looking [for me]."
14 See that you, you have looked at trouble and grievance,
To take [it] into your hand on you.
The poor person surrenders [to you].
You are the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked,
And the evil one pursue in his wickedness
[Until] you will not find [him any more].
16 YHWH [is] king for ever and ever;
The nations perish from his land.
17 You hear the longing of the poor, YHWH;
You prepare their heart;
You attend your ear.
18 In order to judge the fatherless and crushed,
Not allowing again the man from the land to terrify.
10:1 Why, YHWH, do you stand at a distance?
[Why] do you hide for times in the distress?
2 In the pride of the wicked [man], he persecutes the poor;
They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
3 For the wicked [one] brags about the lust of his soul;
And blesses the one taking spoils, [whom] YHWH hates.
4 The wicked [man], like the pride of his nose, will not seek,
God is not [in] all his schemes.
5 His ways are twisted every time;
Your judgments are high from his sight;
At those who oppose [him], he snorts at them.
6 He said in his heart, "I will not be moved,
From generation to generation that [I will not be] in harm."
7 Of cursing, his mouth is full, and deceits,
And fraud is under his tongue, trouble and wickedness.
8 He sits in the blind spot of villages;
In the hiding places he will murder the innocent;
His eyes against the unfortunate lurk.
9 He lies in ambush in the secret place like a lion in a den;
He lies in ambush to seize the poor;
He will seize the poor when he draws [him] in his net.
10 He crushes, he crouches,
And he falls with his mighty ones [on] the poor.
11 He said in his heart, "God forgot.
He has hidden his face.
He will never see."
12 Arise, YHWH.
God, lift up your hand.
Do not forget the miserable.
13 Why do the wicked despise God?
He says in his heart,
"You will not come looking [for me]."
14 See that you, you have looked at trouble and grievance,
To take [it] into your hand on you.
The poor person surrenders [to you].
You are the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked,
And the evil one pursue in his wickedness
[Until] you will not find [him any more].
16 YHWH [is] king for ever and ever;
The nations perish from his land.
17 You hear the longing of the poor, YHWH;
You prepare their heart;
You attend your ear.
18 In order to judge the fatherless and crushed,
Not allowing again the man from the land to terrify.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Psalm 9 Translation
Psalm 9
[To the musician leading on the death of a son, a psalm (attributed) to David]
9:1 I will praise YHWH with all my heart.
Let me tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 Let me rejoice and let me exult in you.
Let me make music to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
they will fall and perish before your face.
4 For you bring justice
and my case you take on the high seat,
judging in righteousness.
5 You rebuked the nations;
you destroyed the wicked;
their name you wiped out forever and ever.
6 O enemy, [your] devastations have come to an end in perpetuity.
And you have destroyed cities.
Their memory perished [with] them.
7 But YHWH remains forever,
establishing his throne for justice.
8 But he will judge the inhabited world with righteousness;
he will pronounce judgment on peoples with equity.
9 YHWH will be a refuge for the crushed;
a refuge for times in distress.
10 And those who know your name will trust in you,
for you do not abandon those who seek you, YHWH.
11 Sing to YHWH, the one dwelling in Zion.
Make known among the peoples his doings.
12 For the one seeking bloods, them he [God] remembers;
he does not forget the cry of the poor.
13 Be gracious to me, YHWH;
look on my misery from those who hate me,
you who raise me up from the gates of death.
14 So that I might recount all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in your salvation.
15 Nations have fallen into the pits they made;
in the net that they concealed,
[their] foot was caught.
16 YHWH is known [by] the judgment he does;
by the deed of his palms the wicked is snared.
(Higgion music)
17 The wicked turn to Sheol,
all the nations who forget God.
18 For not for eternity will the needy be forgotten;
the hope of the poor will not perish forever.
19 Arise, YHWH. Do not let man be strong;
let the nations be judged before your face.
20 Place, YHWH, fear on them;
let the nations know [that] they are man.
Music.
[To the musician leading on the death of a son, a psalm (attributed) to David]
9:1 I will praise YHWH with all my heart.
Let me tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 Let me rejoice and let me exult in you.
Let me make music to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
they will fall and perish before your face.
4 For you bring justice
and my case you take on the high seat,
judging in righteousness.
5 You rebuked the nations;
you destroyed the wicked;
their name you wiped out forever and ever.
6 O enemy, [your] devastations have come to an end in perpetuity.
And you have destroyed cities.
Their memory perished [with] them.
7 But YHWH remains forever,
establishing his throne for justice.
8 But he will judge the inhabited world with righteousness;
he will pronounce judgment on peoples with equity.
9 YHWH will be a refuge for the crushed;
a refuge for times in distress.
10 And those who know your name will trust in you,
for you do not abandon those who seek you, YHWH.
11 Sing to YHWH, the one dwelling in Zion.
Make known among the peoples his doings.
12 For the one seeking bloods, them he [God] remembers;
he does not forget the cry of the poor.
13 Be gracious to me, YHWH;
look on my misery from those who hate me,
you who raise me up from the gates of death.
14 So that I might recount all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in your salvation.
15 Nations have fallen into the pits they made;
in the net that they concealed,
[their] foot was caught.
16 YHWH is known [by] the judgment he does;
by the deed of his palms the wicked is snared.
(Higgion music)
17 The wicked turn to Sheol,
all the nations who forget God.
18 For not for eternity will the needy be forgotten;
the hope of the poor will not perish forever.
19 Arise, YHWH. Do not let man be strong;
let the nations be judged before your face.
20 Place, YHWH, fear on them;
let the nations know [that] they are man.
Music.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Psalm 8 Translation
Finished translating Psalm 8 today, truly a great and important psalm.
Psalm 8:
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Gittith, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 YHWH, our Lord, how magnificent [is] your name in all the earth,
[you] who put your splendor in the skies.
2 Through the mouth of boys and those nursing you arranged praise
because of your harassers, to stop the enemy and the revenger.
3 For I will look at your skies, the works of your fingers,
moon and stars, which you built.
4 What is humanity, that you remember it,
and the son of a human that you pay him attention?
5 You made him a little lower than God,
and [with] glory and honor you crowned him.
6 You made him to rule over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet.
7 Sheep and cattle, all them,
and also four legged animals of the plain.
8 Birds of the skies and fish of the sea,
things that pass through the paths of the seas.
9 YHWH, our Lord, how magnificent [is] your name in all the earth.
__________
Original Meaning
First, we read the psalm with a view to its original meaning using inductive Bible study methods. This means that we listen to the psalm in its own right and only with background information implied by the psalm itself. The headings were added later and thus cannot be used with any certainty to interpret the psalm itself inductively.
Sometimes we have good inductive reasons to conclude a heading is probably mistaken. In any case, since they are not part of the "original manuscript" of the psalm, they are not included in what is covered by terms like "inerrant" any more than textual variants like the ending of Mark is. The appropriate original meaning method is to read the psalm itself inductively and then see if its meaning seems to match the heading.
It is also inappropriate inductively to introduce information from elsewhere in the canon when interpreting the psalm. Each part of the Bible is incarnated truth, truth that comes within the language and usually the paradigms of its original context. As with the headings, we read the psalm inductively first and then branch out to other parts of the Bible.
Verses 4-8 are about the place of humanity in the created order. When one considers the grandeur of the skies and things like the moon and the stars, humanity seems so small. And yet God pays attention to us. Indeed, we are only a little lower than God in the created order. We cannot inductively be certain if the Psalm has Genesis 1 in mind, but the passage does remind us of Genesis 1:27-28 where humanity, both male and female, created in the image of God, rules over the creation. So also here humanity, made a little lower than God, rules over the works of God's hands, cattle, birds, fish, and so forth.
Literarily, the psalm is framed by an inclusio, in which the first and last verses bracket the psalm as a clear literary unit.
Fuller Sense ("sensus plenior")
The earliest Christians heard additional truths in this psalm. We cannot be certain if they heard the title "Son of Man" in the psalm, although it is possible. In general, one should not see more meaning in a text than is clearly indicated. Hebrews 2 does see Christ bringing the psalm to fulfillment. Humanity was created to have glory and honor but, presumably because of Adam (it is not 100% certain that Hebrews is thinking of him), humanity does not have everything under its feet.
So Jesus as human participates in the psalm and, presumably because he is without sin, makes it possible for humanity to fulfill it in the eschaton. These are of course not meanings the psalm originally had, but they are truths the early Christians heard in the psalm inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Although I cannot prove it, I like to think that Paul presupposes the sequence of thought in Hebrews 2. 1 Corinthians 15 assumes the Christ part of the equation. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 blends together Psalm 110:1, which the early Christians read to be about God making Christ's enemies a footstool for his feet, with Psalm 8, where God puts everything under Jesus' feet.
For Paul, the one enemy yet to be put under Christ's feet is death. In the final resurrection, it shall also be conquered with finality.
Psalm 8:
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Gittith, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 YHWH, our Lord, how magnificent [is] your name in all the earth,
[you] who put your splendor in the skies.
2 Through the mouth of boys and those nursing you arranged praise
because of your harassers, to stop the enemy and the revenger.
3 For I will look at your skies, the works of your fingers,
moon and stars, which you built.
4 What is humanity, that you remember it,
and the son of a human that you pay him attention?
5 You made him a little lower than God,
and [with] glory and honor you crowned him.
6 You made him to rule over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet.
7 Sheep and cattle, all them,
and also four legged animals of the plain.
8 Birds of the skies and fish of the sea,
things that pass through the paths of the seas.
9 YHWH, our Lord, how magnificent [is] your name in all the earth.
__________
Original Meaning
First, we read the psalm with a view to its original meaning using inductive Bible study methods. This means that we listen to the psalm in its own right and only with background information implied by the psalm itself. The headings were added later and thus cannot be used with any certainty to interpret the psalm itself inductively.
Sometimes we have good inductive reasons to conclude a heading is probably mistaken. In any case, since they are not part of the "original manuscript" of the psalm, they are not included in what is covered by terms like "inerrant" any more than textual variants like the ending of Mark is. The appropriate original meaning method is to read the psalm itself inductively and then see if its meaning seems to match the heading.
It is also inappropriate inductively to introduce information from elsewhere in the canon when interpreting the psalm. Each part of the Bible is incarnated truth, truth that comes within the language and usually the paradigms of its original context. As with the headings, we read the psalm inductively first and then branch out to other parts of the Bible.
Verses 4-8 are about the place of humanity in the created order. When one considers the grandeur of the skies and things like the moon and the stars, humanity seems so small. And yet God pays attention to us. Indeed, we are only a little lower than God in the created order. We cannot inductively be certain if the Psalm has Genesis 1 in mind, but the passage does remind us of Genesis 1:27-28 where humanity, both male and female, created in the image of God, rules over the creation. So also here humanity, made a little lower than God, rules over the works of God's hands, cattle, birds, fish, and so forth.
Literarily, the psalm is framed by an inclusio, in which the first and last verses bracket the psalm as a clear literary unit.
Fuller Sense ("sensus plenior")
The earliest Christians heard additional truths in this psalm. We cannot be certain if they heard the title "Son of Man" in the psalm, although it is possible. In general, one should not see more meaning in a text than is clearly indicated. Hebrews 2 does see Christ bringing the psalm to fulfillment. Humanity was created to have glory and honor but, presumably because of Adam (it is not 100% certain that Hebrews is thinking of him), humanity does not have everything under its feet.
So Jesus as human participates in the psalm and, presumably because he is without sin, makes it possible for humanity to fulfill it in the eschaton. These are of course not meanings the psalm originally had, but they are truths the early Christians heard in the psalm inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Although I cannot prove it, I like to think that Paul presupposes the sequence of thought in Hebrews 2. 1 Corinthians 15 assumes the Christ part of the equation. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 blends together Psalm 110:1, which the early Christians read to be about God making Christ's enemies a footstool for his feet, with Psalm 8, where God puts everything under Jesus' feet.
For Paul, the one enemy yet to be put under Christ's feet is death. In the final resurrection, it shall also be conquered with finality.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Psalm 7 Translation
[Shiggayon (attributed) to David, which he sang to YHWH concerning the words of Cush of Benjamin]
7:1 YHWH, my God, in you I have fled;
rescue me from all those pursuing me and deliver me.
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion,
ripping, and there is no deliverer.
3 YHWH, my God, if I did this,
if there is evil in my hands,
4 If I repaid evil to the one at peace with me
and turned [this person] over to my enemy without cause,
5 [Then] let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake [it],
and trample my life to the ground
and bring my honor down to the dust.
Music
6 Arise, YHWH in your nose [anger];
rise up at the arrogance of my enemies;
and stir up for me the justice you commanded.
7 And [then] the congregation of the peoples will surround you;
and for it, return to the height.
8 YHWH will render judgment [over] peoples;
judge me, YHWH, according to my righteousness,
and according to my innocence over me.
9 Let the evil of the wicked end
and establish the righteous one,
For God, the righteous one,
examines the hearts and bowels.
10 My shield is with God,
who saves the right of heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and God is angry every day.
12 If he does not turn,
[God] will sharpen his sword;
[God] has bent his bow and aimed it.
13 And for him he prepared instruments of death;
his arrows he has prepared against those who are burning.
14 Look, [the evil person] has birth pains with evil;
he conceived heavy trouble;
he gave birth to falsehood.
15 He lay open a pit and dug it
and fell into the grave hole he made.
16 His trouble making will return on his [own] head,
and on his [own] scalp his violence will come down.
17 I will praise YHWH according to his righteousness,
and I will sing the name of YHWH most high.
7:1 YHWH, my God, in you I have fled;
rescue me from all those pursuing me and deliver me.
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion,
ripping, and there is no deliverer.
3 YHWH, my God, if I did this,
if there is evil in my hands,
4 If I repaid evil to the one at peace with me
and turned [this person] over to my enemy without cause,
5 [Then] let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake [it],
and trample my life to the ground
and bring my honor down to the dust.
Music
6 Arise, YHWH in your nose [anger];
rise up at the arrogance of my enemies;
and stir up for me the justice you commanded.
7 And [then] the congregation of the peoples will surround you;
and for it, return to the height.
8 YHWH will render judgment [over] peoples;
judge me, YHWH, according to my righteousness,
and according to my innocence over me.
9 Let the evil of the wicked end
and establish the righteous one,
For God, the righteous one,
examines the hearts and bowels.
10 My shield is with God,
who saves the right of heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and God is angry every day.
12 If he does not turn,
[God] will sharpen his sword;
[God] has bent his bow and aimed it.
13 And for him he prepared instruments of death;
his arrows he has prepared against those who are burning.
14 Look, [the evil person] has birth pains with evil;
he conceived heavy trouble;
he gave birth to falsehood.
15 He lay open a pit and dug it
and fell into the grave hole he made.
16 His trouble making will return on his [own] head,
and on his [own] scalp his violence will come down.
17 I will praise YHWH according to his righteousness,
and I will sing the name of YHWH most high.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Psalm 6 Translation
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Psalm 3
Psalm 4
Psalm 5
Now Psalm 6
_________
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Neginoth upon the Sheminith, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 Do not in your anger correct me,
and do not in your heat discipline me.
2 Be gracious to me, YHWH,
for I am languishing;
Heal me, YHWH,
for my bones tremble.
3 And my soul trembles intensely,
but you, YHWH, how long?
4 Return, YHWH; deliver my soul.
save me because of your faithfulness.
5 For in death there is no memory of you;
in Sheol who gives thanks to you.
6 I am weary with my sighing;
I swim in all [the] night [on] my bed;
with my tears, I dissolve my couch.
7 My eye is sunken from grief;
it ages from all my harassers.
8 Go away from me,
all transgressors of wickedness,
for YHWH has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 YHWH heard my mercy-cry;
YHWH will receive my prayer.
10 Let all my enemies be very ashamed
and let them be terrified;
Let them return,
let them be suddenly ashamed.
_____________
A couple items of interest here. First, there is the explicit denial of any meaningful afterlife in 6:5. If I were to guess (unprovable, I suppose), I would date the psalm to the same basic period as Ecclesiastes and the Writings in general.
6:8 would seem to be alluded to by Matthew 25:41, where the messianic king tells those who have not helped those in need to depart to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In the psalm, the speaker is clearly oppressed by enemies. It is not clear what of the psalm Matthew 25 considered relevant. Perhaps it is no more than the fact that the psalmist is in need and those who do not help those in need but could are in one sense their oppressors.
Psalm 2
Psalm 3
Psalm 4
Psalm 5
Now Psalm 6
_________
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Neginoth upon the Sheminith, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 Do not in your anger correct me,
and do not in your heat discipline me.
2 Be gracious to me, YHWH,
for I am languishing;
Heal me, YHWH,
for my bones tremble.
3 And my soul trembles intensely,
but you, YHWH, how long?
4 Return, YHWH; deliver my soul.
save me because of your faithfulness.
5 For in death there is no memory of you;
in Sheol who gives thanks to you.
6 I am weary with my sighing;
I swim in all [the] night [on] my bed;
with my tears, I dissolve my couch.
7 My eye is sunken from grief;
it ages from all my harassers.
8 Go away from me,
all transgressors of wickedness,
for YHWH has heard the voice of my weeping.
9 YHWH heard my mercy-cry;
YHWH will receive my prayer.
10 Let all my enemies be very ashamed
and let them be terrified;
Let them return,
let them be suddenly ashamed.
_____________
A couple items of interest here. First, there is the explicit denial of any meaningful afterlife in 6:5. If I were to guess (unprovable, I suppose), I would date the psalm to the same basic period as Ecclesiastes and the Writings in general.
6:8 would seem to be alluded to by Matthew 25:41, where the messianic king tells those who have not helped those in need to depart to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In the psalm, the speaker is clearly oppressed by enemies. It is not clear what of the psalm Matthew 25 considered relevant. Perhaps it is no more than the fact that the psalmist is in need and those who do not help those in need but could are in one sense their oppressors.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Psalm 5 Translation
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Psalm 3
Psalm 4
Now Psalm 5
________
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Nechiloth, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 Listen to my words, YHWH.
Attend to my cry.
2 Listen to the voice of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I will pray.
3 YHWH, in the morning you will hear my voice.
I will direct it [to you] and will look [to you].
4 For you are not a god delighting in wickedness;
evil will not dwell in you.
5 Foolish people will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all those doing wickedness.
6 You will destroy speakers of falsehood;
a man of bloods and fraud you will despise, YHWH.
7 But I with the multitude of your faithfulness will go to your house;
I will worship toward the palace of your holiness in your fear.
8 YHWH, lead me in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make straight before me your way.
9 For there is nothing dependable in their mouth;
their heart is ruin;
an open grave is their throat;
with their tongue they flatter.
10 Destroy them, God;
let them fall because of their plans.
Because of the multitude of their transgressions
cast them out for they rebel against you.
11 But let them rejoice forever,
all those who trust in you;
let them rejoice
[because] you protect them.
Let them be joyful in you,
those who love your name.
12 For you will bless the righteous, YHWH;
like the shield, [with] goodwill you will surround him.
___________
This would seem to be an imprecatory psalm, one that calls on God to destroy one's enemies. Christians must apply/pray such a prayer carefully, since Jesus has commanded us to love our enemies and do good to them.
An interesting tidbit of this psalm is also the reminder that Paul and other NT authors read the OT "spiritually." Romans 3:13 quotes Psalm 5:9 slightly out of context. Romans uses the verse in support of the argument that all have sinned, whereas Psalm 5:9 is only directed at the enemies of the psalmist. It does not say that everything has an open grave for a throat...
Friday, February 03, 2012
Psalm 4 Translation
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Psalm 3
Now Psalm 4
_____
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Neginoth, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness.
In [my] distress, you made space for me.
Have mercy on me.
Hear my prayer.
2 Sons of man, why [do you turn] my glory to shame?
Why do you love emptiness?
Why do you seek falsehood?
Music.
3 And know that YHWH has set apart the faithful person for himself.
YHWH will hear when I call on him.
4 Tremble [you all] and do not sin.
Speak [you all] with your [pl] heart upon your [pl] bed.
And be silent.
Music
5 Sacrifice (pl) sacrifices of righteousness
and trust in YHWH.
6 Many are saying, "Who will show us good?"
Lift up the light of your face, YHWH.
7 You gave more gladness in my heart
than their corn and their wine increased.
8 In peace both will I lie down and sleep,
for you, YHWH, alone will cause me to dwell in safety.
_________
One very interesting thing about the Hebrew here is verse 4. The Hebrew says to "tremble" and not to sin before the LORD. However, the Greek translation of the psalm, informally called the Septuagint, reads "be angry and do not sin," which is of course the version that Ephesians 4:26 quotes.
Psalm 2
Psalm 3
Now Psalm 4
_____
[To the musician leading (those playing) the Neginoth, a psalm (attributed) to David]
1 When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness.
In [my] distress, you made space for me.
Have mercy on me.
Hear my prayer.
2 Sons of man, why [do you turn] my glory to shame?
Why do you love emptiness?
Why do you seek falsehood?
Music.
3 And know that YHWH has set apart the faithful person for himself.
YHWH will hear when I call on him.
4 Tremble [you all] and do not sin.
Speak [you all] with your [pl] heart upon your [pl] bed.
And be silent.
Music
5 Sacrifice (pl) sacrifices of righteousness
and trust in YHWH.
6 Many are saying, "Who will show us good?"
Lift up the light of your face, YHWH.
7 You gave more gladness in my heart
than their corn and their wine increased.
8 In peace both will I lie down and sleep,
for you, YHWH, alone will cause me to dwell in safety.
_________
One very interesting thing about the Hebrew here is verse 4. The Hebrew says to "tremble" and not to sin before the LORD. However, the Greek translation of the psalm, informally called the Septuagint, reads "be angry and do not sin," which is of course the version that Ephesians 4:26 quotes.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Psalm 3 Translation
Psalm 1
Psalm 2
Now Psalm 3
______________
[A psalm attributed to David when he fled from the face of Absalom his son]
1 LORD, how are my troubles multiplying,
the multitudes of those rising against me!
2 Multitudes are saying of my person,
"There will be no help for him with God."
Music
3 But you, YHWH, [are] a shield for me,
my glory, and one who lifts up my head.
4 [With] my voice to YHWH I called,
and he answered me from the hill of his holiness.
Music
5 I myself lay down and slept.
I awoke because YHWH helped me.
6 I will not fear the multitudes of people
who surround and set themselves against me.
7 Arise, YHWH,
save me, O God,
for you strike all my enemies on the cheek,
the teeth of the wicked you shatter.
8 To YHWH is the salvation,
over your people, your blessing.
Music
_________
Not much to say about this psalm. The title was certainly not original, since David would not attribute a psalm to David. It is rather a context against which later readers read the psalm. We can read it that way, but we might also fruitfully read the psalm on its own terms.
No one knows what Selah meant, other than the fact that it was probably some sort of musical or reading instruction. I originally rendered it as "Pause," but have decided instead simply to put "Music."
Psalm 2
Now Psalm 3
______________
[A psalm attributed to David when he fled from the face of Absalom his son]
1 LORD, how are my troubles multiplying,
the multitudes of those rising against me!
2 Multitudes are saying of my person,
"There will be no help for him with God."
Music
3 But you, YHWH, [are] a shield for me,
my glory, and one who lifts up my head.
4 [With] my voice to YHWH I called,
and he answered me from the hill of his holiness.
Music
5 I myself lay down and slept.
I awoke because YHWH helped me.
6 I will not fear the multitudes of people
who surround and set themselves against me.
7 Arise, YHWH,
save me, O God,
for you strike all my enemies on the cheek,
the teeth of the wicked you shatter.
8 To YHWH is the salvation,
over your people, your blessing.
Music
_________
Not much to say about this psalm. The title was certainly not original, since David would not attribute a psalm to David. It is rather a context against which later readers read the psalm. We can read it that way, but we might also fruitfully read the psalm on its own terms.
No one knows what Selah meant, other than the fact that it was probably some sort of musical or reading instruction. I originally rendered it as "Pause," but have decided instead simply to put "Music."
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Psalm 2 translation
My translation of Psalm 2 is now finished (see Psalm 1):
1 Why are nations in an uproar
and peoples contemplating pointlessness?
2 Kings of the land seat themselves
and princes are conferring together
against YHWH and against his anointed.
3 "Let us break apart their bonds
and let us throw from us their ropes."
4 The one who sits in the skies will laugh,
the master will make fun of them.
5 Then he will speak to them with his nose [i.e., in his anger]
and with his burning he will make them terrified.
6 "But I myself have anointed my king upon Zion, hill of my holiness.
7 Let me pronounce a decree,"
says YHWH to me.
"My Son [are] you.
I today have given birth to you.
8 Ask from me, and let me give the nations as your inheritance,
and as your possession, the ends of the earth.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron,
like a vessel of a potter, you will shatter them."
10 But now, kings, be wise;
receive correction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve YHWH with fear
and shake with trembling
12 Kiss the Son so he will not huff his nose [i.e., be angry]
and you perish from the way,
For his fury burns quickly.
Blessed are all who flee to him.
__________
This of course was originally a psalm in honor of the king of Judah and thus must date to the period of the monarchy (pre-586BC). Some think it is an enthronement psalm, a psalm sung when a king of Judah was anointed as king. Thus "I today have given birth to you."
The NT of course then applies the verse with a secondary meaning to Christ's enthronement to God's right hand when he is exalted after the resurrection. The NT of course does not show interest in the whole psalm but only in the part it relates to Jesus (2:7-8). We cannot prove or disprove whether they also related the "breaking with a rod" parts to Jesus' second coming, although it is possible.
1 Why are nations in an uproar
and peoples contemplating pointlessness?
2 Kings of the land seat themselves
and princes are conferring together
against YHWH and against his anointed.
3 "Let us break apart their bonds
and let us throw from us their ropes."
4 The one who sits in the skies will laugh,
the master will make fun of them.
5 Then he will speak to them with his nose [i.e., in his anger]
and with his burning he will make them terrified.
6 "But I myself have anointed my king upon Zion, hill of my holiness.
7 Let me pronounce a decree,"
says YHWH to me.
"My Son [are] you.
I today have given birth to you.
8 Ask from me, and let me give the nations as your inheritance,
and as your possession, the ends of the earth.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron,
like a vessel of a potter, you will shatter them."
10 But now, kings, be wise;
receive correction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve YHWH with fear
and shake with trembling
12 Kiss the Son so he will not huff his nose [i.e., be angry]
and you perish from the way,
For his fury burns quickly.
Blessed are all who flee to him.
__________
This of course was originally a psalm in honor of the king of Judah and thus must date to the period of the monarchy (pre-586BC). Some think it is an enthronement psalm, a psalm sung when a king of Judah was anointed as king. Thus "I today have given birth to you."
The NT of course then applies the verse with a secondary meaning to Christ's enthronement to God's right hand when he is exalted after the resurrection. The NT of course does not show interest in the whole psalm but only in the part it relates to Jesus (2:7-8). We cannot prove or disprove whether they also related the "breaking with a rod" parts to Jesus' second coming, although it is possible.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Psalm 1 translation
I am much better at Greek than Hebrew, but I've kept my resolution to translate a verse of the Psalms a day this year. I'm tweeting the verses but I finished Psalm 1 today and thought I would collect them here. This isn't anything like a finished translation, but it gives a little sense of the Hebrew.
______________
1 Oh the delights of the man
who does not walk by the counsel of wicked people,
and in the way of sinners does not stand
and in the seat of mockers does not sit.
2 Rather, in the Law of the LORD [is] his pleasure,
and on his Law he will reflect daily and nightly.
3 And he will be like a tree being planted by the rivers of waters,
which will give its fruit in its time,
and its leaf will not wither,
and everything he does will be successful.
4 Not so [are] the wicked.
Rather [they are] like chaff
that the wind will drive away.
5Therefore, wicked people will not prevail in [their] sentencing
or sinners with the jury of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of righteous people,
but the way of wicked ones will perish.
____________
This was perhaps a psalm written as a "cover letter" for the whole Psalm collection or perhaps at least "Book 1" of the Psalms (1-41). The Law is of course the Pentateuch. All in all, these factors suggest a rather late date in the post-exilic period, I suspect.
______________
1 Oh the delights of the man
who does not walk by the counsel of wicked people,
and in the way of sinners does not stand
and in the seat of mockers does not sit.
2 Rather, in the Law of the LORD [is] his pleasure,
and on his Law he will reflect daily and nightly.
3 And he will be like a tree being planted by the rivers of waters,
which will give its fruit in its time,
and its leaf will not wither,
and everything he does will be successful.
4 Not so [are] the wicked.
Rather [they are] like chaff
that the wind will drive away.
5Therefore, wicked people will not prevail in [their] sentencing
or sinners with the jury of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of righteous people,
but the way of wicked ones will perish.
____________
This was perhaps a psalm written as a "cover letter" for the whole Psalm collection or perhaps at least "Book 1" of the Psalms (1-41). The Law is of course the Pentateuch. All in all, these factors suggest a rather late date in the post-exilic period, I suspect.
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