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4) PASSAGE 2 Psalm 88:1-3
GOD, you're my last chance of the day, I spend the night on my knees before you. Put me on your salvation agenda, take notes on the trouble I'm in. I've had my fill of trouble, I'm camped on the edge of hell. The Message.
A word for word translation of the Hebrew text (Tanakh) (compare Strong's and JPS)שׁיר מזמור לבני קרח למנצח על־מחלת לענות משׂכיל להימן האזרחי׃ ◄start
Singing Psalm to Son (of) Korah to chief-musician on sickness to (the) humble instruct
(KJV retains Hebrew Mahalath Leannoth) to Heman the Ezrahite.
יהוה אלהי ישׁועתי יום־צעקתי בלילה נגדך׃ 1 ◄start
1 Yahweh Eloah of my salvation day cried I and in night before (Heb:front) you.
2 תבוא לפניך תפלתי הטה־אזנך לרנתי׃ ◄start
2 Enter into your presence (Heb:face) my prayer. Turn (Heb:Stretch) ear unto my cry.
3 כי־שׂבעה ברעות נפשׁי וחיי לשׁאול הגיעו׃ ◄start
3 As full-of trouble (Heb:evil) my soul and my life to grave reaches.
Peterson's 'The Message'(PTM) removes all reference to the purpose of the psalm which in a Jewish version is verse one of this Psalm.
In verse one of PTM's version the words 'Yahweh Eloah' become 'GOD', losing every sense of the Hebrew distinction and deleting a Hebrew word. The word 'my salvation' becomes “last chance of the day” where the word “day” is annexed to “salvation” rather than being associated with “crying”. In PTM the concept of “crying” is deleted. In Hebrew poetry the repetition of thought is the poetic device. Notice in the word for word translation 'cry' appears again in verse two. PTM removes a word that makes the Hebrew poetry and connects the thoughts of the first two verses. Peterson's 'The Message' adds “on my knees”. The concept of “on my knees” is not anywhere implied in the Hebrew. How would they play a musical instrument on their knees?
Verse two of PTM equates salvation with a prayer coming to the face of Yahweh Eloah. In doing this PTM removes the Hebrew poetic device connecting to verse one. PTM has in this translation both added a concept not in the Hebrew words and deleted one concept. PTM uses the phrase “take notes”, whereas, the Hebrew words have no sense of the concept of writing. PTM consistently removes the concept of crying out. This is quite sad as the raw emotion of the Hebrew text is lost in PTM. Taking notes is not the same as listening intently. The sense of direct communication with the Power of the universe is lost in PTM.
Verse 3 PTM in translating 'As full of trouble my soul' as 'I've had my fill” changes the sense of the Hebrew to past tense. The Hebrew is present tense. In translating the tense PTM loses the deep emotional content of a person in present trouble. PTM deletes reference to the soul. In Hebrew this is breathing. By removing this word PTM loses the deep resonances of the heavier breathing that comes from emotional confession of trouble and the experience of emotion. PTM translates Hebrew words that have the sense of motion towards a place (in Hebrew the prefix ל) to being a person “camped” on the edge of hell. Camping is a temporary abode, or sitting, which indicates a stopping, or pause in motion. The Hebrew “towards” implies a struggle, or being unwillingly dragged to a place. PTM has lost this concept.
In summary Passage 2 PTM has added two concepts and deleted the most important poetic concept and changed the tense twice.
By adding the concepts PTM has added words and is in risk of the condemnation of Proverbs. In deleting a powerful emotional concept, that of “crying” PTM may endanger the relationship between the faithful and Yahweh. This is the principle behind of the condemnation of adding words or subtracting words or concepts from a revelation of Yahweh Eloah.
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Towards an understanding the Bible canon.
Translation has concealed what was written in the New Testemant regarding the work of Yahweh Elohim and the Apostles in the work of spreading the gospel and writing the New Testament.
Further understanding of the application of the Greek text of the New Testament, in terms of the work of God through his spirit.
We will examine in its various contexts the use of the term 'spirit' in the Biblical text to remove any preconceived ideas.
