Devotional Short Note to Psalm 27: Ever
wondered what Bible to purchase and use for study? It is probably a good idea
to provide some notes regarding this matter here, using Psalm 27 to illustrate.
The Word of God was written from the beginning not due to human engineering but
God’s initiative. That said, the Spirit chose humans and their culture to speak
to humans. Truth was scattered throughout the Corpus so that the Corpus is not
easily boring. Truth has to be hunted for and hunting requires that one should
be a seeker. That is why bits and pieces of eschatology or end-time events are
in narratives, poetry, prophecies, prayers, sermons, wisdom sayings and really
everywhere. The Word of God was originally written in Hebrew. That is the
language of Psalm 27 as well.
The Hebrew consonantal text of the
Masoretic tradition is the very Words of David and the very Word of God. They
are found in a late document dating to 1008 CE but when one compares this
document with the transmission accuracy of Daniel at Qumran, (see 4QDana) then
one is surprised to find a 99.9% accuracy rate. This means that other books of
the Masoretic Text is also reliable and thus the preservation of the Word of
God was very careful for millennia.
All other ancient translations like Greek
(in all its forms including the so-called LXX), Coptic, Syriac, Old Latin,
Vulgate, Armenian, Arabic, Ethiopian are all later derivates and texts with
inner translation and transmission problems. They are secondary witnesses to
the Word of God but not the exact Word of God.
On a same level as these ancient secondary
witnesses are the modern contemporary translations, although the degree of
literalness in corresponding with the primary source, will place these
contemporary translations either closer or further down the ladder of the
secondary sources. The NIV for example will be more literal than the NEB and
the KJV was intended to be very literal. Calvin's translation is more literal
than Luther and both are better than the so-called LXX which is nothing but a
byzantine dating tradition in form, since a transformation took place of its
form since it was originally written in 287 BCE in Alexandria.
So faith starts and ends with a very
literal translation of the Hebrew which is the original Word of God for the Old
Testament.
We want to focus on Psalm 27 in this
writing and more than 20 translations will be used to look at the psalm. The
so-called byzantine LXX, Syriac and the Vulgate are the only ancient secondary
witnesses that we will be using. All the other texts are contemporary texts
that we will be using. Some are from the Reformation era like Luther, Knox,
Dutch Staten Vertaling, Leidse Vertaling, the translation of prof. dr. Obbink,
the translation of Petrus Canisius, but Enlightenment scholars like Julius
Wellhausen's translation of 1897, A. Maclaren of 1893, H. J. Kraus, A. Weiser
of 1962, B. Gemser of 1968, the RSV, the Old Afrikaans translation of 1957, the
New Moffatt translation of 1941, the Jerusalem Bible, M. Dahood, NIV, Peter
Craigie, New Afrikaans vertaling of 1983, TEV are all available for comparison
here.
Text translated by literally from the
consonantal text of the Masoretic tradition (Hebrew) will look like this:
Psalm 27
1a The Lord is my light and my salvation.
1b From who shall I fear?
The TEV makes it a direct statement but the
rhetorical question is kept by the RSV, JB, NEB, Old Afrikaans and the New
Afrikaans versions.
So what is happening here? The TEV and the
New Afrikaans versions are idiomatic untimely free translations. They are
dangerous since they can manipulate the meaning and deviate from the original.
The focus is to make the brain feel pleasant reading it and not what the original
writer wrote. On the other hand, the RSV, KJV and Old Afrikaans translations,
Spanish translation of Cassiodoro de Reina of 1569 and the Portuguese
translation of João Ferreira de Almeida 1719; German translation of Martin
Luther in 1540; the Middle English translation of John Wycliffe 1384; the Old
Latin in 190 A.D., the Vulgate of Jerome in 387 A.D.; and the list can go on
with other languages are all modified non-highly literal translations. They are
all attempting to represent the Hebrew text and attempts to let the writer of
the Bible speak with the translator or reader in the background.
Then there is also the issue of the
denomination involved in the translation: JB (1966) is a Catholic version as is
NAB (1936-1970). NEB, Afrikaans 1954, New Afrikaans (1970-1983) are Protestant
Bibles. NIV (1965-1978) were translated by teams of inter-denominational
scholars. RSV (1946-1952) was endorsed by Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants. The
RSV is considered to be a formal traditional Church version. The translation is
direct, plain and meaningful English.
1c The Lord is the stronghold of my life.
1d From who shall I be afraid?
2a In the approaching over me from *evil
doers
*Some modern translators saw the three
kinds of evil people, although three different Hebrew words as descriptive of
the same group of men (RSV, NIV, New Afrikaans, Old Afrikaans). Other modern
translators saw the three kinds of people as different people (JB, Douay
Version, Latin Vulgate 1956, NEV.
2b to **eat my flesh
**This is the Hebrew original kept by
literal translations but idiomatic translations played with figurative language
“slander” (RSV) and “kill”.
What should one do with this situation?
Instead of mere emotional inner attacks, it refers to strong physical danger.
There is a semantic difference at stake here.
The NEB, JB and NIV exchanged “eat” for “devour”.
2c (my adversaries and my foes to me)
2d they stumble and fall.
3a If an army ***shall encamp against me
***This is the way the JB, NEB and Old
Afrikaans read it and it represents the original Hebrew well. A figurative
idiomatic rendering is “If an army should stand together/arrayed against me” as
in the Douay, New Moffatt (1941); Knox (1945), New Afrikaans translation and
the so-called Byzantine Septuagint.
3b not ****shall my heart fear.
****The future verbal form is in the
original and preserved by the RSV, Old Afrikaans, Weiser, NIV, Dahood, Craigie,
so-called Byzantine Greek Septuagint. On the other hand, preterist-inclined
translators gave it a present verbal form spin contrary to the Hebrew text:
Wellhausen (1897); Gemser (1968) “my heart knows no fear”; H. J. Kraus; A.
MaClaren (1893). The reason a contemporary replacement is made rather than
keeping to the original literal form, is that a descriptive phrase or better
known perceived synonym should replace what they consider as an idiomatic
expression of the Ancient Near East.
The principle for a good Seventh-day
Adventist is to stay clear from idiomatic “mind-control or thought control”
translations. To make David’s future fear a present reality is to misunderstand
David and is very dangerous doctrinally.
3c If war *shall arise over me
*The New Afrikaans took liberties: “Even if
the attack would start on me”. So also the TEV. These translators wish to
convert the metaphor into something more direct and to make the translation
more picturesque. The problem with this approach is that an artist walks into
the Dutch Museum and takes a brush and add modifications to Van Gogh’s painting
to make it more “contemporary” or “picturesque”. The art of homiletics do it
daily and in essence the Holy Spirit will guide a person to bring out what is
not more than what is in the text. The word “even” is not in the original and
some other words are leading to different nuances here which can be dangerous
in doctrinal pursuit.
3d In this I **am trusting
**This is also the way the Byzantine Greek
Septuagint read it. Craigie read it as “in spite of this I am confident”. This
is a bit loose since it just says: “in this” in the original. The Dutch Staaten
Translation has it “so I trust in it”. This is also a wrong literal
translation. The Douay Latin Vulgate (1956) translated it as a future: “in this
I will be confident”. What is “in” a number of scholars twisted and swing in
all directions: “even, then” (Wellhausen; NIV; Dahood; Old Afrikaans
translation; MaClaren; Weiser; Gemser; New Dutch Bible). Others read “yet”
(RSV; Leidse Dutch Translation; Peter Canisius [Dutch], Kraus). Some others
still venture on “still” (JB; New Afrikaans; New J. Moffatt; Knox). Language is
a tool that creates semantical patterns in the brain and if one is careless
with the Word of God, one ends-up with loose attitudes towards religion and
towards doctrines.
HIS WISH
4a One thing I ask from the Lord
4b I will ***seek it (Craigie)
***Wellhausen introduced an extra pronoun
since he did not care about the preservation of the Word of God: “this is my
longing”. The New J. Moffat translation left out the pronoun “it” here “do I
desire” (Gemser; Kraus; Canisius; Dr. Obbink; Luther). This is not correct
since the original says that an internal activity will move towards an external
object.
4c I may dwell in the house of the Lord
4d all the days of my life.
4e *to gaze in the **loveliness of the Lord
*The root is the same that appears many
times in Daniel for “see, appearance, vision” and related words. “Contemplate”
is also used. The Douay Vulgate Latin translation read “to look at”. A number
of translations followed “to gaze upon” (Old Afrikaans; Craigie; Dahood; NN;
Wellhausen; RSV; so-called Byzantine Septuagint; Gemser; Weiser; MaClaren). JB
and the New Afrikaans Translation reads “to enjoy” but that is taking liberties
too far.
The semantic consideration is here a mere
looking; or an involved looking/contemplation; view to experience. **
Loveliness: Translators of the Canaanite Inscriptions from Phoenicia; Ammon,
Edom, Moab and Aramaic have translated the next word “loveliness/graciousness”with
“delight”. Some made it a depersonalized quality of the appearance of the Lord:
“beauty” (RSV; Wellhausen; Dahood; Craigie; so-called Septuagint: NIV; JB); “sweetness”
(Douay; Gemser). Others made it a depersonalized quality of the actions of the
Lord: “graciousness” (Kraus); “friendliness” (MaClaren); “pleasantness” and “goodness”.
The New Afrikaans made it a personalized quality of the actions of the Lord: “to
experience his goodness” and the JB made it a personalized quality of the
appearance of the Lord: “to enjoy the sweetness”. Depersonalized constructions
are personalized and nominal constructions are changed into a verbal
construction. This is by idiomatic free translations instead of literal
translations.
4f to ***work in His temple
***The semantics of the Hebrew word is not
known. Many translation resulted in many options: “inquire” (RSV; Old
Afrikaans; Craigie); “meditate” (MaClaren; Gemser; New Afrikaans); “say prayers”
(Weiser); “seek” (NEB; NIV); “visit” (Douay; Wellhausen; Luther); “consult”
(JB); “awaking each dawn” (Dahood); “survey” (so-called Byzantine Septuagint;
New Dutch Bible; Leidse [Dutch]; Staaten Translation); “consider” (Conisius); “bestow
delight” (Hebrew English Dictionary of Koehler and Baumgartner). There is an
Egyptian word b3k meaning “to serve/to work”. Normally in Egyptian they said:
b3k n = “work in”. In this case it is b3k r which is also possible. Is David
using an Egyptian loanword common to his time here for work?
DAY OF JACOB’S TROUBLE SCENARIOS (vv.
5a-6c)
5a For He will hide me in a booth
5b on the day of evil.
5c He will hide me in the shelter of His
tent
RESURECTION DAY
5d on a rock He will cause me to be raised
up.
MEETING IN THE AIR
6a And now, my head is raised up
6b over my enemy that surrounds me.
ENTERING THE NEW JERUSALEM WITH MUSIC
6c and I will sacrifice in His tent
6d sacrifices of joy.
6e I will sing and I will make music to the
Lord.
DAVID’S SITUATION IN CALLING FOR HELP
7a Hear my voice O Lord, I will call
7b and pity me and answer me.
8a To you my heart speaks
8b they seek my face.
8c Your face, O Lord, will I seek.
9a Do not hide Your face from me.
9b Do not cast in anger Your servant
9c my help are You.
9d Do not reject me and do not abandon me
9e my God saving me.
10a *When my father and my mother forsake
me
*Some translators have “if” and the direct
literal translation is the RSV with “For, my father and my mother have forsaken
me”. This is actually the Hebrew.
10b and the Lord will collect me.
DESIRE FOR PROPER EDUCATION
11a **Teach me, O Lord, Your way
** The meaning is considered ambigious: “the
way You walk” or “the way You want me to walk in”. The first was translated as
such by Wellhausen; NIV; Dahood; Craigie; Gemser; Weiser; Kraus; MaClaren; NEB;
RSV; Old Afrikaans; New J. Moffatt; New Afrikaans. The second option was
translated such by Douay; Knox; so-called Byzantine Septuagint; and the TEV
translated “what You want me to do”.
11b and lead me in the path that is level.
IF HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE RESULT IS FATAL
12a Do not put me in the ***soul of my
adversaries
***will (JB; RSV; Douay; Knox; Luther);
desire (NIV; Septuagint; Old Afrikaans); rage (Wellhausen); greed (Craigie;
NEB; Weiser); lust (Gemser; New Dutch); fury (New J. Moffatt).
12b for false witnesses stand on me.
12c and one that *breathes violence (Gemser
1968)
*Wellhausen’s translation is not acceptable
with “those who breath forth violence”. He is adding too much that is not in
the original.
13a [Unless I not believed], to see
[ ] This is left out of some Hebrew
manuscripts; so-called Septuagint; Alexandrinus; Symmachus (170 A.D.); Syriac;
Jerome (389 A.D.).
13b in the goodness of the Lord
13c **in the land of the living.
**Dahood interpreted it as “in the land of
life eternal”. The TEV has the opposite: “in this present life”. This
illustrates that one should be very careful with the text that is selected for
the reading of the Word of God since not all translations are representing the
Word of God exactly as it is in the original Hebrew.
DELAY NECESSITATES WAITING
14a Wait unto the Lord.
14b Be strong and keep steadfast your
heart,
14c and wait unto the Lord.