ABOUT. Two Psalms Commonly Mistaught. Alan Smith. Elibooks

Transcription

1 QUALMS ABOUT PSALMS Two Psalms Commonly Mistaught Alan Smith Elibooks

2 Alan Smith, 5776 (2016) Elibooks P.O.Box Lilac 1 Eli Israel Tel. (02) From overseas Internet: or via google "torahsmith" (one word, in so-called quotes)

3 PSALM 126 We sing this after the Sabbath meal without having the faintest idea of what it means. Somehow they all manage to make a complete mess of this in explaining, and especially in translating, and of course King James is the worst, so here is the full text with his translation. A Song of degrees When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them The LORD hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad Turn again our captivity O LORD, as the streams in the south They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall, doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him >}_0F6rK K(<-gḨ 3}X H:>^K%-Ḩ?>J$L-ZD- % ^ Dx 1-½H2D0N+D 4-gH-lL( (_L rv< 4bI4} D0 h 4-H²;}n+Dµ$vI0L H-*[L$ >}_µf6k0 gl-ld- 0-_VzD&H( 1XH-}yK% ^<D2$M- *ZL$ A( J ½I$?1 H6 A1-½H+I2Dµ 4-_H-L( 4gL H6>}_µF6K0L-ZD- 0-^VzD&H( [ 4XI>-H%Ḑ] ()4>)%=)?>J$L-ZD- (^L% A%J&½J Kx1-_H;-H8F$K A <½N:D;H- (_L V<Dx(gL6D2V'Dx1-_H6U<M~K( 6K<_L~rK(? J J2$bIµM4 ji0i- }[0hL( A)- ½L>N O0F$ $ giµlm4 (XL V< D% $_N%L-?$Nx What a mess! But none of the others are much better! 3

4 We will quote four translations: A The Authorised version (King James, as above). J Jewish Publication Society, New translation. M Moffatt. N New English Bible. As marked above, the psalm is in two halves. The second, starting with a request, is in the present and future, but the first might be either future or past, since the verb in Classical Hebrew does not have tenses as such. There was joy at the Return, but the Book of Haggai describes initial conditions with great problems of survival suggesting that the first part is in the past, and this is assumed in the following. ¼>}¼0F6K K(<-Ḩ A. A song of degrees J. A song of ascents M. A pilgrim s song N. (Omitted) The upper part of the Temple Mount was reached by fifteen steps or stairs. Fifteen psalms in their captions refer to this. Since steps can be taken forwards as well as upwards, the best translation is: A Song of The Stairs. (Note the definite article the in the Hebrew.) ¼3¼}¼ H: ¼>K%¼-Ḩ?¼>J$L-D- ¼%¼ ¼ Dx A. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion J. When the LORD restores the fortunes of Zion M. When the Eternal brought the exiles back to Sion N. When the LORD turned the tide of Zion s fortune They all misunderstand ¼>K%¼- Ḩ. It means simply the return of, no captivity, exiles or fortunes. A possibility, based on a tradition that when Israel was exiled God s presence was in a sense also exiled, is: When GOD returned with the return [to] Zion. The verb %} means to return (intransitive), i.e. to go back. The transitive (to bring or take back) is normally expressed by the causative form ¼% I L(, but in this verb, exceptionally, not always (see later). Hence: When GOD brought back the return to Zion is the most likely. 4

5 ¼1¼-H2D0N+D ¼ ¼4¼-H-L( A. we were like them that dream J. we see it as in a dream, or we are veritable dreamers M. we were like men who dreamed N. we were like men who had found new health, or like dreamers If recovery in health was intended (a possibility) we would expect just ¼Ò¼ÎHÓDÑÃÌ, not ¼Ò¼ÎHÓDÑÃÌD]. The best is: we were as in a dream (lit. like dreamers ). ¼(L V<¼ ¼4I4¼}¼ D0¼ ¼ ¼4¼-H² ¼;¼}¼+Dµ ¼$I0L H-¼*L$ A. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing J. our mouths shall be filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy M. laughter filled our lips, shouts of joy were on our tongues N. our mouths were full of laughter and our tongues sang aloud for joy No complaints here, except that it is in the past, and probably laughing (gerund of the verb) is preferable to laughter. Otherwise it is merely a question of choice of words. In short we were thrilled! ¼(J I$?¼1H6 ¼>¼}¼µF6K0L-D- ¼0¼-VzD&H( ¼1H-¼}¼yK%¼ ¼<D2¼$M- ¼*L$ A. then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them J. Then they shall say among the nations The LORD has done great things for them M. The very heathen said The Eternal has done great things for them N. Then word went round among the nations The LORD has done great things for them. 1. Nations, not (necessarily) heathen. 2. Past not future. 3. Has done great things for them is what it amounts to but not what it says. The use of two verbs instead of a verb and adjective is not uncommon (cf. Judges 13:19) and here means has acted greatly. 4. The quotation marks should not be closed (see next part). Hence: Then the nations remarked GOD has acted greatly [in connection] with them;.. (Note the semi-colon at the end.) 5

6 ¼1¼-H+I2Dµ¼ ¼4¼-H-L(¼ ¼4L H6 ¼>¼}¼µHF6K0L-D- ¼0¼-VzD&H( A. The LORD hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad J. The LORD will do great things for us and we shall rejoice. M. The great things he had done for us, and we rejoiced at it N. Great things indeed the LORD then did for us, and we rejoiced. They all miss the point. We rejoiced would not be ¼Ò¼ÎHÌIÓDK¼X¼Õ¼ÎHÎLÉ but ¼X¼ÕDÌKÓLK. This section is a continuation of what the nations said:..; had GOD acted greatly [in connection] with us we would rejoice! [¼ ¼4I>¼-H%Ḑ] ()4>)%=)?¼>J$ L-D- ¼(L%¼ ¼ A. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, J. Restore our fortunes, O LORD M. O Thou Eternal, bring back now the rest of our exiles N. Turn once again our fortunes, LORD No captivity (captives are ¼ÉLÎDÆHI B¼ÎHÆDI), no exiles. ¼ß¼ÎHÆDI B¼ß¼X¼ÆDI are interchangeable, the exact meaning is uncertain, but are used in the idiomatic expression ¼ß¼X ¼Æ DI ¼ß JÅ ¼ÆI LÉ meaning roughly restore the fortunes or bring back things as they used to be (as in the good old days) which occurs a few times. With this verb the intransitive form is often used with a transitive meaning, esecially in this idiom, so instead we find ¼ß¼X¼ÆDI ¼ßJÅ ¼Æ¼D¼I as with ¼Æ¼D¼[HÅO¼ß¼X¼ÆDIQ+ßÎÆÞ, ¼ßJÅ ¼ÆLI¼Î¼ÎKÊ where there was certainly no captivity or exile. Here J. above is the best Restore our fortunes ¼%J&J Kx ¼1¼- H;¼- H8F$ K A. as the streams in the south J. like watercourses in the Negeb M. fill us up like streams in the dry south N. as streams return in the dry south The Negeb (or Negev) is the semi-desert region in the south of Israel, where mountain streams dry up completely in the summer. ¼Ò¼Î HܼΠHÙFÅ are the watercourses or beds, which then become visible. The winter rains fill up the dry beds and the streams return. J. above is correct: like watercourses in the Negeb 6

7 ¼ ¼<N:D;H- ¼(L V<Dx ¼(L6D2V'Dx ¼1¼-H6U<M~K( A. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. J. Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy M. Those who are sowing in tears shall reap with songs of joy N. Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy No problems here. (The idea is then expanded in the next verse.) Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy ¼6K<L*K(? J J2 ¼$IµM4 ¼(N/L%¼ ¼ I0I- ¼ ¼}¼0¼L( A. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, J. Though he goes along weeping carrying the seed bag M. Sadly they bear seed to the field N. A man may go on weeping, carrying his bag of seed The translation of ¼ KÝLYKɼEJIJÓ as seed bag is probable but not certain. It does not mean precious. Otherwise they have the right idea with different ways of expressing it in English. However the error here is not in the translation (which by-passes it) but in teaching the Hebrew, which claims an emphatic form ¼EIÑIÎ ¼E¼X¼Ñ LÉ followed by an isolated infinitive ¼ÉÃÐ LƼX. While there is justification for an emphatic form in the second part of the verse (¼ÅÃÆLÎ ¼ÅÃT, there is none here. The idiomatic expression is ¼ÉÃÐ LƼX ¼E¼D ¼Ñ LÉ going (or walking) along crying (as in 2Sam. 3:16). ¼EIÑIÎ is stuck in the middle, permitted in poetry, but for our understanding we must take it out and put it first: he goes, walking along weeping, carrying a seed bag A¼)¼-L>N O0F$ ¼$IµM4 ¼(L V<D% ¼$N%L-?¼$Nx A. shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him J. he shall come back with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves. M. gladly they bear home the sheaves N. but he will come back, with songs of joy, carying home his sheaves Here the emphasis applies: [Nonetheless, despite this,] he will [indeed] come back with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves. 7

8 PSALM 121 A Song of degrees Here with King James: I will lift up mine eys unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD >}_0F6rK K0<-gḨ 1-XV<L(J(?0J$-K4-ZI6$^L J$ A-½V<D* J6 $_N%L- 3H- gk$li2 XL-D-1^H6I2-V<D*ZJ6 J. A song of ascents I turn my eyes to the mountains from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD... M. A pilgrim song I lift mine eyes to the mountains; ah, where is help to come from? Help comes from the Eternal... N. If I lift up my eyes to the hills, where shall I find help? Help comes only from the LORD Here alone among the fifteen we have a song to the stairs. Nobody knows why, but we can let that pass. (A. should probably have mine help but we will overlook that one too. Also whence or from where, not from whence. You do not say to whither.) 2. Try to lift up your eyes! ¼ÔHÎK +¼ßJÅ, ¼Å¼D¼KLÕ is an idiom to look up. 3. J., M., and N. appreciate that the Hebrew ¼ÔHÎ KÅ IÓ is interrogative, not relative. It asks a question. 4. All miss the point that the first part is also interrogative, as was pointed out to me. The hills were the abodes of idol worshippers. Shall I look up to the hllls? [No, certainly not, I do not believe in idols.] Where does my help come from? My help comes [certainly not from the hills but] from GOD... 8