Until when shall I hold counsels in my soul, have pains in my heart by day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? (Ps 12:3, NETS [13:2 in English versions]). The enemy prevails. Darkness grows. How long, God? You can do something about this darkness. You can kill the enemy. When will you … Continue reading Psalm 13:2—Jot Scriptures
Save me, O Lord, a devout one has failed, because truths became scarce among the sons of men (Ps 11:2 NETS). Truths became scarce. How? People stopped telling the truth. This is the reason given for the failing of a devout person of faith. Be bold.
O LORD, I cry out to You, hearken to me. I spread my hands toward Your holy dwelling, give ear and grant my request; do not withhold my boon (11QPsa 24:3-5, trans. Wise, Abegg, Cook) Though not regarded as Scripture by most (1), this writing does have a striking image of prayer. The one asking … Continue reading A Psalm from Judea
The Lord is in his holy shrine; the Lord’s throne is in heaven. His eyes focus on the needy; his eyelids examine the sons of men (Ps 10:4, NETS, [LXX 10:4 = Hebrew 11:4]). The Lord dwells in heaven. Yet he stoops, he looks down and helps the needy. He observes every good and evil … Continue reading Psalm 11:4—Jot Scriptures
"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?
As a follow-up to my previous blog entry, I felt as though I should do an analysis of the most common Hebrew word that is translated with English words in the "joy," "rejoice," "be glad" family. That is, the Hebrew verb שׂמח (samach). I am again focusing on occurrences of the term in the Psalms, … Continue reading “Be Glad,” or Rejoice, Part II
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?
Brian P. Baucom 