October 21st, 2003 Fighting mad
Here’s Psalm 78:65-66 [+/-] as found in the NIV:
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.
He beat back his enemies;
he put them to everlasting shame.
Here’s the same passage from the ESV:
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.
And he put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting shame.
And the NASB:
Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep,
Like a warrior overcome by wine.
He drove His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting reproach.
How about the KJV:
Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep,
and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts:
he put them to a perpetual reproach.
Did the NIV really get it that wrong? If so, how? I generally hear very positive feedback on the NIV’s translation of the Psalms. I can’t help but guess that someone didn’t like the Lord being compared to an imbibing warrior.
October 23rd, 2003 at 9:52 am
The more I’ve been reading it, the more I like the NJB (with a couple of minor quibbles). Here’s what they have:
The Lord arose as though he had been asleep,
like a strong man fighting-mad with wine,
He struck his enemies on the rump,
and put them to everlasting shame.
I suppose this is now the only portion of the bible where God is said to (pardon my french) kick some ass.
October 23rd, 2003 at 10:03 am
Sort of reminds me of this classic.
October 23rd, 2003 at 8:15 pm
I wonder if I am related to anybody here. Father grew up in a military family, high school in Florida. Mother grew up in Ballard Washington.
Who knows!?
October 24th, 2003 at 8:22 am
Classic movie!