"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" (Ps 2:12, KJV). Introduction Though not the first English Bible version to translate the Hebrew text in this way, the King James Version has … Continue reading Kiss the Son?
Ps 2:11—"Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (ESV). "Rejoice" is a fairly common word in the Bible. In the NRSV, the English word "rejoice" occurs 280 times. This number is reduced to 268 occurrences in the KJV. It is further reduced to 233 in the ESV. In the ESV, the word "rejoice" … Continue reading Rejoice?
Ps 2:9—"You shall break them with a rod of iron" The term usually translated "break" in English Bibles has an interesting rendering in the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, we find, "You will shepherd them with a rod of iron." The explanation is simple enough. In unpointed script the Hebrew could be understood as "break" or … Continue reading Shepherd or Shatter?
Psalm 2:1—"Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?" (NRSV). The word translated "conspire" is elsewhere translated "so furiously rage together" (as one finds in Handel's, Messiah, part 2, scene 6, for instance). These renderings, or variations thereof, are the two most common translations for the Hebrew רָגְשׁ֣וּ. Why is there a disparity in English … Continue reading Raging or Conspiring?
Psalm 1:3—"He will be like a tree planted by streams of water that bears its fruit in its season, and whose leaves do not wither. He will prosper at whatever he does." The word שָׁתוּל is usually translated, "planted," in English translations; however, there may be an exegetical point in this lexical choice. The psalmist could have … Continue reading Planted or Transplanted?
Psalm 1:1—"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stays in the path of sinners, nor dwells in the place of scoffers." The word lying behind the English word generally translated "scoffers" in Ps 1:1 is the Hebrew word לצים (le̅tzîm). The Hebrew word is not too common, but common … Continue reading Scoffers
Brian P. Baucom 