Psalm 27 (continued)

Maybe I did a little too much work on it to give you an idea of how far Hebrew is from English, though, in reality, this text is far closer to English than many Psalms:

ג אִם-תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי, מַחֲנֶה-- לֹא-יִירָא לִבִּי:

If-(she)encamp (unfinished activity) by/toward/against me, encampers (connotation:an army), not-(he) fear (unfinished activity).

that is a little more literal, you just have to let your mind put it all together:
If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear is a good rendering, though, as you can see, it is quite distant from Hebrew in structure and word order, and the Hebrew analog to tense indicates completion/ incompletion rather than time of action. More than that, all verbs in this section are of the Qal binyan, the standard type of verb; English has no category that is even roughly comparable to binyan (in my opinion). Binyan can indicate voice, but often also indicates the level of intensity of an action, and may indicate a shift in meaning from what one might expect.

Level 1 - Academic Translation

There are several kinds of translation; the first, intended only to demonstrate that a person knows a language and to help a translator grasp the original more fully is academic, often (misleadingly) called "literal" translation. This is only a tool and tends to be misleading due to the fact that it gives the illusion of closeness between the words of the two languages. In reality, languages are not designed to be translated and it is miraculous that translation can take place at all, even more amazing when it is both understandable and analogous in form.

(If TANK wakes up, I'll just post what I have)

Psalm 27

לְדָוִד: יְהוָה אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי--מִמִּי אִירָא

1. In reference to David

Adonai is my light and my rescue/ salvation, from whom will I fear?

יְהוָה מָעוֹז-חַיַּי, מִמִּי אֶפְחָד

Adoni is a place of protection of my life, from whom shall I be in dread?

בִּקְרֹב עָלַי, מְרֵעִים-- לֶאֱכֹל אֶת-בְּשָׂרִי:

2. To approach upon me, evil ones, to eat my flesh,

צָרַי וְאֹיְבַי לִי; הֵמָּה כָשְׁלוּ וְנָפָלוּ

My enemy and the one who hates me, look as they stumble and fall.

ְא לדָוִד: יְהוָה, אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי--מִמִּי אִירָא;
יְהוָה מָעוֹז-חַיַּי, מִמִּי אֶפְחָד.
ב בִּקְרֹב עָלַי, מְרֵעִים-- לֶאֱכֹל אֶת-בְּשָׂרִי:
צָרַי וְאֹיְבַי לִי; הֵמָּה כָשְׁלוּ וְנָפָלוּ.
ג אִם-תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי, מַחֲנֶה-- לֹא-יִירָא לִבִּי:
אִם-תָּקוּם עָלַי, מִלְחָמָה-- בְּזֹאת, אֲנִי בוֹטֵחַ.
ד אַחַת, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת-יְהוָה-- אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ:
שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית-יְהוָה, כָּל-יְמֵי חַיַּי;
לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם-יְהוָה, וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ.
ה כִּי יִצְפְּנֵנִי, בְּסֻכֹּה-- בְּיוֹם רָעָה:
יַסְתִּרֵנִי, בְּסֵתֶר אָהֳלוֹ; בְּצוּר, יְרוֹמְמֵנִי.
ו וְעַתָּה יָרוּם רֹאשִׁי, עַל אֹיְבַי סְבִיבוֹתַי, וְאֶזְבְּחָה בְאָהֳלוֹ, זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה;
אָשִׁירָה וַאֲזַמְּרָה, לַיהוָה.
ז שְׁמַע-יְהוָה קוֹלִי אֶקְרָא; וְחָנֵּנִי וַעֲנֵנִי.
ח לְךָ, אָמַר לִבִּי--בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָי; אֶת-פָּנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֲבַקֵּשׁ.
ט אַל-תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ, מִמֶּנִּי-- אַל תַּט-בְּאַף, עַבְדֶּךָ:
עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ; אַל-תִּטְּשֵׁנִי וְאַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי.
י כִּי-אָבִי וְאִמִּי עֲזָבוּנִי; וַיהוָה יַאַסְפֵנִי.
יא הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה, דַּרְכֶּךָ: וּנְחֵנִי, בְּאֹרַח מִישׁוֹר--לְמַעַן, שׁוֹרְרָי.
יב אַל-תִּתְּנֵנִי, בְּנֶפֶשׁ צָרָי: כִּי קָמוּ-בִי עֵדֵי-שֶׁקֶר, וִיפֵחַ חָמָס.
יג לוּלֵא--הֶאֱמַנְתִּי, לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב-יְהוָה: בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים.
יד קַוֵּה, אֶל-יְהוָה: חֲזַק, וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ; וְקַוֵּה, אֶל-יְהוָה

Psalm 40

א לַמְנַצֵּחַ, לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר.
ב קַוֹּה קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה; וַיֵּט אֵלַי, וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתִי.
ג וַיַּעֲלֵנִי, מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן-- מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן:
וַיָּקֶם עַל-סֶלַע רַגְלַי; כּוֹנֵן אֲשֻׁרָי.
ד וַיִּתֵּן בְּפִי, שִׁיר חָדָשׁ-- תְּהִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ:
יִרְאוּ רַבִּים וְיִירָאוּ; וְיִבְטְחוּ, בַּיהוָה.
ה אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר-- אֲשֶׁר-שָׂם יְהוָה, מִבְטַחוֹ;
וְלֹא-פָנָה אֶל-רְהָבִים, וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב.
ו רַבּוֹת עָשִׂיתָ, אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי--
נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ, אֵלֵינוּ:
אֵין, עֲרֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ--אַגִּידָה וַאֲדַבֵּרָה; עָצְמוּ, מִסַּפֵּר.
ז זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה, לֹא-חָפַצְתָּ-- אָזְנַיִם, כָּרִיתָ לִּי;
עוֹלָה וַחֲטָאָה, לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ.
ח אָז אָמַרְתִּי, הִנֵּה-בָאתִי: בִּמְגִלַּת-סֵפֶר, כָּתוּב עָלָי.
ט לַעֲשׂוֹת-רְצוֹנְךָ אֱלֹהַי חָפָצְתִּי; וְתוֹרָתְךָ, בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי.
י בִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק, בְּקָהָל רָב-- הִנֵּה שְׂפָתַי, לֹא אֶכְלָא:
יְהוָה, אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ.
יא צִדְקָתְךָ לֹא-כִסִּיתִי, בְּתוֹךְ לִבִּי-- אֱמוּנָתְךָ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ אָמָרְתִּי;
לֹא-כִחַדְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ, לְקָהָל רָב.
יב אַתָּה יְהוָה-- לֹא-תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי;
חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ, תָּמִיד יִצְּרוּנִי.
יג כִּי אָפְפוּ-עָלַי רָעוֹת, עַד-אֵין מִסְפָּר--
הִשִּׂיגוּנִי עֲו‍ֹנֹתַי, וְלֹא-יָכֹלְתִּי לִרְאוֹת;
עָצְמוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי, וְלִבִּי עֲזָבָנִי.
יד רְצֵה יְהוָה, לְהַצִּילֵנִי; יְהוָה, לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה.
טו יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ, יַחַד-- מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי, לִסְפּוֹתָהּ:
יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר, וְיִכָּלְמוּ-- חֲפֵצֵי, רָעָתִי.
טז יָשֹׁמּוּ, עַל-עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם-- הָאֹמְרִים לִי, הֶאָח הֶאָח.
יז יָשִׂישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ, בְּךָ-- כָּל-מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ:
יֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד, יִגְדַּל יְהוָה-- אֹהֲבֵי, תְּשׁוּעָתֶךָ.
יח וַאֲנִי, עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן-- אֲדֹנָי יַחֲשָׁב-לִי:

עֶזְרָתִי וּמְפַלְטִי אַתָּה: אֱלֹהַי, אַל-תְּאַחַר.

All Hebrew copyrighted by MTR Hebrew Freeware

Lectionary Readings

For more than a year, the congregation of which I am part has centered itself with lectionary readings. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, lectionaries consist of passages of scripture (one section from: Psalms, the rest of the Hebrew Bible, the Gospels, and the rest of the New Testament). These ensure that we do not neglect the whole of scripture for the parts that we like best and that we become, as a body of believers, biblically literate.

These have been, for me, a relief and a source of strength. I generally dread listening to preachers, but I never dread the biblical texts, even if they do occasionally frighten me with their demands or clarity. You see, preachers, even some gifted preachers, often blunder into mistakes that make me cringe. This is usually the result of an over developed sense of empathy (that same empathetic sense which causes me to cover my eyes or run from the room at certain scenes of The Office).

I intend to start posting some lectionary texts (in their original or sometimes traditional languages) on this blog. Maybe I'll post some notes or translations too, but I'll try not to get too ambitious.

We are using a variation of the Episcopalian Lectionary order, as far as I can tell, with an added section of what we have been calling "Gospel-in-a-Nutshell" Passages, which tend to concentrate on the theological hinges of scripture.