Dr. Couch, Psalm 68:19 in the NKJV reads: "Who daily loads us with benefits …" whereas the NAS says: "Who daily bears our burdens …" Which reading is right? I have misguided friends who virtually believe the KJV is inspired from on high. They could not imagine that the translators in 1611 could make mistakes, but also, they do not believe that in some cases, the KJV editors were working with corrupt texts. What do you say?
ANSWER: Remember, the inspired Bible is what we have in the Hebrew and Greek text, not the English. This is why I spent years studying both languages so I could know for sure what I know! This is refreshing to find someone who understands some of the issues of translations, various Hebrew and Greek texts, and knows that we can have human errors in our versions. I commend you! This is why I spent about thirteen years in college and graduate schools in order to thoroughly learn the Bible, theology, and the biblical languages. Most pastors today do not go through that discipline and so they don't know beans about Scripture, nor how to solve issues like this!
Now to the passage and my Hebrew translation:
The great Hebrew scholar H. C. Leupold writes: "The reason assigned for such a blessing [back to God] is that He who is so mighty stoops so far down as to 'bear us up,' and thus He well merits the description 'the God of our salvation.'" The Hebrew linguist Murphy adds: "'From day to day,' in perpetuity. The God, the Mighty One (Adonai). He bears for us. Our salvation is a burden which it needs a God to bear. Well may we say, 'Blessed be God who bears it.'" E. W. Hengstenberg translates the last part of the verse simply: "God is our help."
My translation, confirmed by great scholars, makes sense in the light of the verse that follows (v. 20). In Hebrew it reads: "The God (Elohim) is to us God (El) who causes salvation." "Salvation" is in the Hiphil Participle (causative, active) verb form. The Participle shows that it is His nature, His characteristic, to be delivering and bringing about salvation!
Actually, the word "salvation" (Ya'Shav) is in the plural. He brings about deliverances, salvations. He causes them to be! The Rabbis write: "The plural, as in 94:5, indicates many and decisive acts of salvation."
I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
ANSWER: Remember, the inspired Bible is what we have in the Hebrew and Greek text, not the English. This is why I spent years studying both languages so I could know for sure what I know! This is refreshing to find someone who understands some of the issues of translations, various Hebrew and Greek texts, and knows that we can have human errors in our versions. I commend you! This is why I spent about thirteen years in college and graduate schools in order to thoroughly learn the Bible, theology, and the biblical languages. Most pastors today do not go through that discipline and so they don't know beans about Scripture, nor how to solve issues like this!
Now to the passage and my Hebrew translation:
Blessed Adonai, day [to] day He bears our burden (Lit. "He bears for us"), God our Salvation. Selah!
The Rabbis write: "He bears our burden. He carries for us, even the God who is our salvation. Or, more simply, 'God is our salvation.'" (Soncino)
The Rabbis write: "He bears our burden. He carries for us, even the God who is our salvation. Or, more simply, 'God is our salvation.'" (Soncino)
The great Hebrew scholar H. C. Leupold writes: "The reason assigned for such a blessing [back to God] is that He who is so mighty stoops so far down as to 'bear us up,' and thus He well merits the description 'the God of our salvation.'" The Hebrew linguist Murphy adds: "'From day to day,' in perpetuity. The God, the Mighty One (Adonai). He bears for us. Our salvation is a burden which it needs a God to bear. Well may we say, 'Blessed be God who bears it.'" E. W. Hengstenberg translates the last part of the verse simply: "God is our help."
My translation, confirmed by great scholars, makes sense in the light of the verse that follows (v. 20). In Hebrew it reads: "The God (Elohim) is to us God (El) who causes salvation." "Salvation" is in the Hiphil Participle (causative, active) verb form. The Participle shows that it is His nature, His characteristic, to be delivering and bringing about salvation!
Actually, the word "salvation" (Ya'Shav) is in the plural. He brings about deliverances, salvations. He causes them to be! The Rabbis write: "The plural, as in 94:5, indicates many and decisive acts of salvation."
I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
