For thy glorious splendor cannot be borne: “Is overwhelming” (Good News Translation) is a good equivalent to the Greek adjective translated cannot be borne. New English Bible says “is more than man can bear” (Revised English Bible “is more than can be borne”). That would work except for a subtle but crucial point; at this point in the prayer, attention is turning from God’s hold over nature to his hold over humans. This first line of the verse can be seen as continuing the personification of nature in verse 4, but it also leads into the thought of overwhelming sinners. The transition is better preserved if the first line is kept impersonal, and people are first mentioned in the second line. In some languages we may restructure the first line as “Created things are overwhelmed by [or, cannot endure] your tremendous power.”

It is worth pointing out that in verses 5 and 6, the author is making effective use of four negative adjectives in Greek: “unbearable” (cannot be borne), irresistible, “immeasurable,” and “unsearchable.” Each of the Greek adjectives is formed in the same way and each is a rare word. It is a forceful combination.

And the wrath of thy threat to sinners is irresistible: This line should be compared with verse 4: “All things tremble when faced with the prospect of your power being exercised.” Here, sinners cannot endure the prospect of God’s wrath being exercised. The transition from the natural world to humanity has now been made. “Your anger is more than sinners can endure” (Good News Translation) is a true statement, but Manasseh is not thinking of the exercise of God’s anger; just the thought of it, the threat of it, the prospect of it is unendurable. Verses 4-5 could be expressed in this way:

All creation trembles at the thought of your power;
created things cannot endure your tremendous power.
No sinner can tolerate even the thought of your anger.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see