Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Psalm 121

“I lift up my eyes to the hills - 

from where will my help come?” (Psalm 121:1, NRSV)

Today’s reading, Psalm 121, is from a collection of Psalms called Songs of Ascents. Many figure that they were said or sung while people were on pilgrimage up to Jerusalem. Others think that the “ascents” refers to the way in which the Psalms tend to be built up through the repetition of certain words, such as “keep” in today’s passage.

One curious aspect of this Psalm is that the meaning of the first verse can vary radically, depending on what translation you are using. Most contemporary translations render it as a question, such as the New Revised Standard Version, as quoted above. My New Jerusalem, New King James, and Jewish Publication Society Bibles all end the verse with a question mark. 

Interestingly, the King James Version translates verse one as a statement: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” This translation would be consistent with the idea of it being recited while on pilgrimage. God’s presence is closely linked with Jerusalem. The majestic sight of the mountains inspires confidence in the Psalmist, who is looking for safety and reassurance.

However, the more common translation of the first verse as a question changes things. Verse two’s recognition that “my help comes from the Lord,” and the elaboration that follows, is perhaps a rejection of the hills as a source of help and hope, as they were often the site of pagan shrines. It is an acknowledgement that Israel’s God is the God of everything (we might say “of all things visible and invisible”), and not some household idol of localized deity with one specific function. 

This brief glimpse into some issues around translation may or may not be interesting or spiritually edifying for you. I think it is helpful to be mindful of some of the complexities of translation. There are a lot of things at play, and questions to ask. Here are a few:

• when and where was the passage written, and what was going on at the time (i.e. what was the context?)

• is there agreement of disagreement between the original language manuscripts?

• do the translators have a bias or mandate?

• am I honouring the original intention of the author, or bringing my own worldview, and other theologies into my reading? This isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s good to be conscious of this. One of my professors says that to really appreciate a text, try to read it as if it were the only part of the Bible we had. That shouldn’t have to be the only way of reading a text, but it is a helpful exercise.

- Matthew Kieswetter